The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 1032: Immortality

Li City, Mist World.

Green Lotus Park, late at night.

By the Green Lotus Lake, a torrential rain was rising. Countless drops of water was pulled out of the lake into the sky by some force before spreading outward.

Thirty meters above the lake's surface, a petite woman hovered with arms spread wide and head tilted toward the dark sky. Her eyes flickered like melting emeralds, and her platinum blonde hair danced with the spiraling water elements around her. This was Rain River of the Ocean River Union, wielding her newly acquired Talent: God of Water.

She was acting as the pump for the artificial downpour.

On her forehead was a green vertical eye, Lonesome Emperor’s mark.

The skill combined level 8 Eidos and level 8 Puppeteer. Once a contract formed, Qilin could control the target by manipulating their soul.

That meant that Qilin could assimilate the target. Her Talents were his, and his Talents were hers.

Now, Rain Water and Qilin were both able to use God of Water.

With Qilin’s incredibly high Willpower, Rain River’s level 4 God of Water—leveled up with the Miracle Rune Circuit—was capable of creating this great downpour, infused with Eidos.

The water of the Green Lotus Lake had dropped to two-thirds. In the octagonal pavilion at the heart of the lake were the wheelchaired Surnamed Li, Donxote, Jiang Hao, Major Fortune, John Doe, Tofu, Cold Cicada, and the hostages—Vermilion Bird, Lovely Lamb, and Wang Weiyan.

In the corridor connecting the pavilion and the lakeside stood two men, one in front and one behind.

Qilin wore a dark fitted suit with a Black Gold qilin brooch on his thin tie. His longer chestnut hair was swept back. Under the black-rimmed glasses, his right eye was gray and cold, and his left eye a deep green. While his gaze seemed to be looking ahead, his attention was elsewhere.

Zhang Wei stood behind Qilin, holding a long black umbrella to shield him from the rain.

In the ten minutes since Qilin had begun manipulating Rain River, Zhang Wei had considered attacking Qilin over ten thousand times.

Yet he remained still, even with Qilin's back turned and attention divided. The gap in their power was too vast—he could never overcome Qilin with bare hands. Perhaps with a gun, or even just a dagger, he might have risked it.

The three hostages in the octagonal pavilion looked dazed, faces blank, while the other members of the Ocean River Union quietly simmered with grievances and dissatisfactions they didn’t dare to voice.

“Qilin!” Finally, Surnamed Li broke the silence. “Enough! Stop now! Rain River is going to physically break down!”

Qilin ignored the challenge and stared ahead.

“Qilin! Do you hear me?!” Surnamed Li growled.

Still no reaction. @@novelbin@@

“Donxote! Save Rain River!” Surnamed Li turned to the middle-aged man beside her. He was a scrawny man with gray hair and blue eyes, his face pale and gloomy like that of a zombie.

Donxote did not even move.

“Donxote! Have you lost your hearing too?!”

“I’m sorry, Madam Li. I can’t do it.” Don Xote scoffed inwardly. Disobeying Surnamed Li would only get him a scolding, while disobeying Qilin might lead to him getting turned into the next living puppet.

“I’ll do it!” Citrus could no longer bear watching Rain River pushed to her limits. She shoved her fear aside and moved to step from the pavilion—then froze.

Zhang Wei, holding an umbrella up for Qilin, had turned around and shot her a glare.

That woke Citrus up. Yes, the strain of bearing someone else’s energy was hurting Rain River, but it wouldn’t kill her. Defying Qilin, however, could get them both killed.

Citrus clenched her teeth, eyes reddened and body trembling with rage. But she ended up turning around and retreating to Surnamed Li’s side.

A few seconds later, Qilin’s eyes focused suddenly, and a smile tugged at his lips. “Gao Yang, finally here.”

Zhang Wei’s heart sank. Shit!

Qilin remained still, observing, waiting. He needed to ensure all main combatants of the Nine Scions and Twelve Zodiac Signs had entered the rain.

He turned to Zhang Wei. “Remember what we chatted about that night at the Qingyang Bridge?”

Chat my ass, you motherfucker.

Zhang Wei cursed up a storm in his head, but he put on a timid expression and racked his brain for the memory. “Yes, you said that humans’ ultimate mission...is to exist.”

Qilin nodded, seemingly in a good mood. “And?”

“You said that...no matter what price we must pay, humanity must continue to exist.”

Qilin continued to smile.

Survival instinct pushed Zhang Wei to look deeper into the memory. “You said that living doesn’t equate to existing.”

Qilin chuckled with surprise. “I didn’t expect you to remember.

Of course he remembered. Zhang Wei had boasted to many about the moment he and Wang Zikai kicked Qilin’s ass. He remembered every detail about that night.

“Guildmaster Qilin, I’m afraid I lack the ability to understand it,” Zhang Wei said deferentially, cautiously probing for more. “If someone is no longer alive, how do they exist?”

“Being alive is only one form of human existence, and it’s a low form.”

“Oh, oh, right.” Zhang Wei nodded. Then after a moment of silence, he asked, “So, you’re seeking...immortality?”

“Immortality?” Qilin considered the word and chuckled. “You may think of it that way. Everyone will become immortal, except for me.”

He paused before turning to Zhang Wei. “And you.”

A shudder ran down Zhang Wei's spine. He barely stopped himself from fleeing.

Trying his best to tamp down his fear, he asked, “Are you...going to kill me?”

“I considered it,” Qilin said easily. “You’re my biggest obstacle outside of Gao Yang and Dragon. But now, it won’t be necessary.”

“So you’ll spare me?”

Qilin nodded. “I won’t kill you, but you won’t live.”

“Why?”

“You can’t avoid the doomsday.”

“Oh!” Zhang Wei’s mind raced. “You mean that you can help everyone avoid doom, but not you or me? Wait, but why us, when everyone else will live?”

Qilin smiled.

“Oh! It’s because I’m immune to Eidos! You’re going to make everyone fall for Eidos, but that won’t work for me or you. That’s why the two of us won’t live forever, while the others will!”

Qilin nodded slightly. “Although you only got a small part of it, it’s commendable.”

“Haha, you flatter me.” Zhang Wei’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. Fuck, I have to warn Brother Yang somehow! I can’t let him fall for this! But how do I do it? I can’t do anything! I’m trash!

Zhang Wei agonized over what to do. When he realized it, Qilin was already soaring above the Green Lotus Lake.