Second Qin Zhilu

When An⁠⁠⁠‍‍‍⁠​⁠‍‍‍​⁠⁠‍‍‍​‍‍‍‍‌ Yu emerged from the brooch, the District 99’s snowstorm had intensified several times over, making even him, accustomed to severe cold since childhood, struggle to bear it.

The temperature had plummeted to -50ºC. The air had become a medium for the creeping frost. On the ground, thousands of corpses were buried under the ice in the blink of an eye, as if entombed in the earth’s massive ice coffin.

“You two, look at this.”

Jiang Xiao used a knife to chip away the ice, exposing a body beneath: a man who had distorted toward plaster. The plaster on his body had merged with the earth, dragging human flesh and skin into the surface.

Jiang Xiao stepped back and pried at the ground with force; beneath the topsoil, twisted flesh and teeth horrifyingly appeared. The more he dug, the more he found. The earth seemed to be gestating countless deformed fetuses.

An Yu said in a daze, “Aren’t they already dead? Why can they still continue to fuse with the ground?”

“Life is not a necessary medium for the world to drift toward chaos. Humans have thought of all this far too simply,” Qin Zhilu whispered. “No one knows exactly when the sky, the ocean, and the earth differentiated from one another. But perhaps, the day they re-converge is not far off.”

“Chaos is only truly beginning to descend.”

Jiang Xiao was nearly buried by the frost in the wind, but he seemed to forget to brush it off. His red pupils trembled in the gale. “That’s just your hypothesis… there’s no scientific proof for that yet…”

“It’s not a hypothesis.” Qin Zhilu glanced back at him. “It’s something I saw in District 95.”

He gazed at the coffin-like earth and murmured, “Back then, by a twist of fate, District 95 accelerated the enactment of the world’s final chapter.”

The streets outside were deserted. Perhaps the snow was too heavy, or perhaps the gunfire and slaughter had scared everyone away. Jiang Xiao remained vigilant, scanning every corner for a muzzle that might suddenly point at An Yu.

Having brushed against death twice in one day, An Yu had instead grown peaceful. He walked between the two men, his eyes frequently drifting toward Qin Zhilu.

Qin Zhilu was heavily injured. The octopus tentacles that had been shredded by bullets translated to his physical body as bloody pits and bone fractures across his thighs and arms. The thick scent of blood completely overwhelmed the smell of leather, causing An Yu to feel a sudden, anxious lack of his familiar sense of security.

Qin Zhilu had refused Jiang Xiao’s healing. This was a lesson learned from District 95: once he suffered an abiotic infection, even if the source was excised, he would fall into an internal storm of self-chaos for a short time.

He didn’t see the need for Jiang Xiao to take the risk of treating him. He also refused An Yu’s time acceleration—while it would speed up the healing of the wounds, it would also make the storm inside him more violent.

Listening to the faint, thready breathing beside him and looking back at the trail of blood dragged along their path, An Yu said softly, “It’s very unfair.”

Qin Zhilu’s feet were still dragging, but his eyes remained heavily lidded as if he were asleep. It took a long time before he slightly lifted an eyelid. “What is unfair?”

An Yu thought: The salvation that others can easily obtain is forever out of Qin Zhilu’s reach. Yet the agonies that ordinary people cannot imagine are all pressed upon this single man.

His memory began in an orphanage, and he grew up in the slums; he had once taken the unfairness of the world for granted. But at this moment, he felt a flicker of resentment.

Qin Zhilu waited for an answer that didn’t come. Suddenly, An Yu felt a weight on his hand; a leather glove gripped his, fingers interlacing with his own.

Before he could react, there was a whoosh, and a familiar scent brushed his cheek—pitch-black, glossy wings unfurled before him. The bottom of the wings scraped against the frost on the ground, and the top nearly blotted out the sky like a massive curtain, shielding him tightly behind them.

Qin Zhilu had only manifested one wing. After confirming there were no holes in it, he closed his eyes again and whispered, “Don’t go running off.”

They wandered through the snowstorm until nightfall, when Qin Zhilu’s condition finally improved slightly.

Black Tower had screened several locations as safe houses, but he used none of them. After circling around, he led An Yu and Jiang Xiao back to the cult’s activity center, taking temporary rest in the divination room above the stairs.

Jiang Xiao checked the concealing curtains, found a candle on a shelf, and lit it. “You were right not to go to a safe house,” he whispered. “I also suspect there are traitors in the Black Tower.”

Qin Zhilu shook his head. “I don’t suspect the Black Tower. Because the Super-aberrant’s understanding of An Yu and me already far exceeds theirs.”

“Then why choose this place?” Jiang Xiao pulled the curtain of the only small wooden window tight. “I still feel this place isn’t safe… the snowstorm seems to act as the Super-aberrant’s eyes, helping it see where we are. This building is too old; the doors and windows don’t close tightly. If the frost blows in, won’t it expose us?”

Qin Zhilu considered this. “Perhaps it can indeed perceive things through the snowstorm. I don’t know how strong that perception is, but this place is definitely its blind spot.”

Jiang Xiao frowned in confusion. An Yu explained quietly, “Because something very important is hidden here. It can’t see this place, and it doesn’t dare show its face too often. That’s why it sent a believer to guard the statue.”

Jiang Xiao was startled, instinctively looking at the sheepskin drawing Qin Zhilu had been clutching the whole way. “Is there something special about this spot?”

Qin Zhilu tapped his terminal. The Black Tower had just sent the information he had requested.

“District 99 was the direct radiation zone of the Mysterious Advent in 2122, and this very spot was the strongest radiation point back then. At that time, it was just an empty lot. This house was built later—it’s considered a newer building in District 99, yet the structural aging is extremely severe.”

“An ominous place.” Jiang Xiao looked up at the room, his gaze falling on the tarot cards scattered on the table. Every face showed misfortune.

Holding the candle, An Yu carefully observed the structure of the house. “Was it Disf who ordered this house’s construction?”

Qin Zhilu’s lips curled slightly. “I asked the High Peak that same question. Yes, it was him. Back then, he transported Zhan Xue and my mother back to the Main City and was subsequently assigned to District 99 to establish the garrison. As soon as he took office, he applied to build the garrison center. This house used that batch of resources. The garrison center had only just laid its foundation when this house was already finished.”

An Yu nodded slowly. “Such haste… it’s as if he’s desperately trying to cover up something on the ground.”

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Silence fell over the attic.

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“I don’t quite understand,” Jiang Xiao frowned. “Every Super-aberrant wants to get Corner. Only this one tried to kill him right from the start.”

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Qin Zhilu paused, his gaze fixed on An Yu’s profile. “Therefore, it can be inferred that in its view, Corner is an existence that can neutralize it to death.”

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The flickering light reflected in those dark eyes. This look was very similar to the one in An Yu’s memory of Ling Qiu looking at the military recruitment notice, but at this moment, the Commander’s gaze was deeper and more focused, as if he were staring at something he had waited for a long time.

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Jiang Xiao immediately bowed his head. “Please rest assured, I will—”

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Jiang Xiao’s eyes sharpened. “I will give my all. I obey your orders.”

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“Something’s wrong.” Jiang Xiao suddenly frowned at his terminal. “It seems there’s negative public opinion about you appearing outside.”

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t;

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Qin Zhilu lifted his eyes and looked at him coldly. “I never wanted to be relied upon by humanity.”

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An Yu turned his head upon hearing this, making eye contact with those dark eyes. This wasn’t the first time he had heard this phrase, but this time it made him daze for an especially long time—just minutes ago, this man had gazed at him with those all-seeing eyes and said softly, “You, most likely, are Order.”

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He sat at the divination table with his eyes closed to rest, appearing as though he had fallen into a deep sleep.

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A tall figure traversed the snowstorm, approaching from the other side of the empty street.

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An Yu wondered aloud, “Can you sense her?”

“When she’s close, yes.” Qin Zhilu’s gaze swept over the drawing on the table. “Perhaps it’s a kinship of kind.”

An Yu was suddenly reminded of the painting on Sienna’s door, that small piece separated from the large wash of sheep’s blood.

“Commander…”

“Shh.” Qin Zhilu pressed his forefinger gently against An Yu’s lips. “Let’s see what she’s doing first.”

Sienna headed straight for the building, reaching it in a heartbeat. She was about to cross the street when she suddenly paused.

Though the snowstorm continued to howl, she remained stationary, listening intently to something. A moment later, she spun around and entered the adjacent storefront.

It was a hunting gear repair shop with a small storefront. The door was pulled open with great force, revealing everything inside.

Amidst the freezing cold, an old man in his fifties or sixties stood with his back to the door, shirtless.

His sagging skin was covered in clumps of dark gray fur, the tops of his ears were pointed, and his legs were thin, yet his upper arms were exceptionally thick.

An Yu had seen many physical traits like these before—derived from jackal genes. This was a biological aberrant, likely a minority group in District 99 by now.

As the snowstorm poured through the door, the old man didn’t move his body; he only stiffly turned his head.

Jiang Xiao’s recorder drone flew silently to the doorway, capturing the raspy voice.

“Boss Sienna? Haven’t seen you for a few days. Where have you been?”

“I was passing by and came to see you.” Sienna’s voice was cold and aloof. Instead of answering, she asked, “Why don’t you turn around?”

“I’m changing. You startled me, coming in so suddenly.” The old man sighed. “We’ve rarely spoken more than a few words; what made you think to visit me?”

“Oh?” A trace of mockery flickered through Sienna’s laugh. “Wasn’t it you who aimed a sniper rifle at me from behind the door first? I thought that was your unique way of saying hello.”

The words had barely left her mouth when the old man spun around, swinging a long-barreled sniper rifle from his chest onto the table.

His upper arms instantly swelled several times over, veins bursting beneath the skin as sharp claws erupted from his fingertips.

He crouched low and leaped with sudden speed, swiping a claw at Sienna!

Sienna dodged to the side, but the sleeve of her coat was still shredded. Fur lining flew through the air as the sliced flesh beneath quickly soaked with blood.

An Yu stared at her legs—during the evasion, her lower body hadn’t moved an inch. She had allowed him to land the blow on purpose.

On the screen, Sienna didn’t move; instead, she laughed. She tore off the ruined sleeve. A woman’s muscle fibers are naturally thin and long, but in an instant, the pale skin began to bulge and swell as sharp claws grew from her fingertips.

The old man took a shocked step back. Not far away, Jiang Xiao hesitated, “Law…”

“Get closer. She’s already discovered you anyway.” Qin Zhilu’s voice held no surprise. “Get your terminal close to her.”

By the time Jiang Xiao reached the doorway, Sienna had already countered the old man’s second attack with a cold smirk. She slammed him to the ground, her combat boot stepping forcefully onto his head. She leaned down and used her claws to slit his throat.

The old man’s body was still twitching in its death throes when Sienna’s claws pierced straight into his chest—

Seconds later, the old man’s exposed skin began to throb wildly. Seeds of an eerie color pushed through the skin before instantly shriveling back. Scales sprouted on the side of his neck, only to be covered by feathers moments later.

All types of aberrant physical traits shifted and changed unpredictably across his body. In a flash, every blood vessel and patch of skin exploded simultaneously, as if someone had splashed a bucket of fresh blood across the floor, instantly flooding the repair shop.

Sienna inhaled deeply of the thick scent of blood in the air. Her muscles and claws slowly receded, returning to her ordinary female form.

Then she looked up and made eye contact with Jiang Xiao, who was standing in the doorway.

“Hi.” She arched an eyebrow and casually slung the sniper rifle the old man had left on the counter over her shoulder. “Hello there. We met at the factory earlier, Mr. Eight-Legged Snake.”

Jiang Xiao frowned. “Eight-Legged Snake?”

Before Sienna could explain, his terminal began to flash a warning—detecting an unknown biological entity with ultra-high Genetic Entropy. The value had broken 300,000 and was continuing to soar.

Jiang Xiao stared at Sienna in disbelief. “Law… she couldn’t possibly be…”

Up in the attic, Qin Zhilu let the curtain fall.

“You should be very familiar with her abilities. Acquired genetic expression, genetic infection, and predictably—a total blowout of Genetic Entropy in the near future.”

He turned back to the drawing. “It looks like a second ‘Me’ has appeared.”