The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 1054: My Sword

Qilin was using Invisibility and Jump flexibly to make it almost impossible for Qing Ling to react in time. Even Gao Yang could barely keep up without access to Teleportation.

At the last moment, Gao Yang shoved Qing Ling away while raising his right hand to shield his chest. He hastily conjured an energy shield on his arm to block Qilin's incoming fist.

The shield hadn't even fully formed before Qilin's punch shattered it, his fist tearing through to strike the arm protecting Gao Yang's heart.

Gao Yang flew backward.

In that instant, Qilin activated the stolen Teleportation. Though Gao Yang's condition limited the theft to two seconds, it was enough.

Qilin locked onto Gao Yang's trajectory and used Flash Shadow, leaving no chance for reaction.

As Teleportation faded, Qilin stole Nine Frost's Weak Point.

Three quick jabs struck Gao Yang's chest. Though the first two seemed light, the third punch's damage multiplied forty-nine times!

Energy exploded from the final strike, shattering Gao Yang's arm and driving toward his heart beneath his ribs. His Golden Armor splintered into nothing.

Gao Yang crashed into the stone statue by Green Lotus Lake like a golden missile, reducing it to rubble.

As Weak Point ended, Qilin reached for another Talent—then started, catching a glinting blade in his peripheral vision.

...

Ten seconds later.

[Gao Yang: Decide on your own!]

[Nine Frost: Captain! Captain!]

[Zhang Wei: Must have gotten into a fight. He can’t spare any attention for us. Listen...]

[Nine Frost: Zhang Wei, don’t—]

[Zhang Wei : Fucking shut up! I know the situation best outside of Brother Yang!]

[Nine Frost: Speak.]

[Zhang Wei: Find Chen Ying!]

[Nine Frost: Chen Ying’s with me. She’s not awake.]

[Zhang Wei: Then Nainai!]

[One Stone: Nainai’s with me. Not awake!]

[Zhang Wei: Fuck, that old bastard!]

[Nine Frost: What are you trying to do?]

[Zhang Wei: Qilin’s controlled Lovely Lamb, Yanyan, and Vermilion Bird. After you were hit with Eidos, he controlled War Tiger, Heavenly Dog, Liao Liao, Ke Yo, and Gregor...]

[War Tiger: Ack, ack, I just woke...then saw a giant spider...]

[Heavenly Dog: Same.]

[Zhang Wei: Listen! We must destroy the brand on their foreheads to free them and weaken Qilin. But they're hidden. Can't find them without Sensory.]

[Nine Frost: There’s still a way. Is Muzitu awake?]

[One Stone: He’s with me, too!]

[Nine Frost: Have him steal Chen Ying’s Sensory to look for the living puppets.]

[One Stone: Understood!]

[Nine Frost: Combatants above tier 1, go destroy the massive spider at the northern entrance. War Tiger takes charge!]

[War Tiger: Leave it to me... Shit! Where’s my sword? It’s giant and it was here...]

[Nine Frost: Everyone else, look for the puppets and save them. One Stone’s in charge.]

[One Stone: Yes, sir!]

[Zhang Wei: I’ll wake the ones still trapped in dreams. Heavenly Dog, help me!]

“Right,” Heavenly Dog said.

By the fountain, Zhang Wei spun around. Heavenly Dog stood there, forehead still bleeding steadily.

He glared at Heavenly Dog. “Why didn’t you respond in Telepathy? It’s quicker!”

Heavenly Dog blinked innocently. What was so wrong with saying “right”?

This brat doesn’t know the social rules!

Irritated but resigned, Zhang Wei rushed toward Heavenly Dog, “Fly! Let’s find God Kai first!”

...

Northern entrance of the park.

Above the buildings lining the road, an eye of space and time hovered. Inside, an eerie, horrifying giant spider writhed.

It no longer tried to crawl out. Its fur-like sharp teeth quivered rapidly, spewing endless streams of translucent green threads from its maw. The threads weren't tangible things that could be broken—they blanketed the sky and city, trapping everyone within the ethereal web.

War Tiger woke up on a ruined street. The giant spider was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. That woke him up.

Thanks to his period of unconsciousness and the combination of Medicine C and energy medicine he'd administered, he'd recovered seventy to eighty percent from his injuries and regenerated about sixty percent of his energy.

He flipped to his feet, fighting a throbbing headache.

Though the spider seemed content merely to display its hideous visage and spew countless webs to contaminate the environment, War Tiger wasn't fooled. Left unchecked, the monster would eventually turn everyone into its puppets.

Still, dealing with an abomination of this scale posed a significant challenge.

Whoosh. Nine Frost jumped down from a building top, ready to fight, landing beside War Tiger.

“Why are you here?” War Tiger asked bluntly, meaning Nine Frost wasn’t a first-tier combatant.

Nine Frost, accustomed to War Tiger's manner, took no offense. “I just acquired Three Heads Six Arms.”

“Congrats.” War Tiger paused. “Wait, no. You’re still useless.”

This time, Nine Frost did feel offended. He coldly explained, “The other first-tier combatants aren’t awake yet.”

Realization dawned on War Tiger. Between those trapped in dreams and those Qilin had turned into living puppets, only a handful of top fighters remained. Nine Frost had no choice but to step up.

Heavenly Dog returned after delivering Zhang Wei to Wang Zikai. He'd detoured by Green Lotus Lake to retrieve the Dragonslaying Giantsword.

“Haha, nice, Heavenly Dog!”

War Tiger caught the descending greatsword with a raised hand.

“How is it going on Gao Yang’s side?”

“Tough,” Heavenly Dog said simply.

“Clock’s ticking!” War Tiger jumped—and managed only fifty centimeters before falling, making a fool of himself.

“What?” Nine Frost asked.

“Warming up,” War Tiger lied through his teeth. His Killing Expert had actually vanished for a moment and now returned. Strange.

War Tiger bounded onto the lamp post, then the rooftop of a low building. With another leap, he launched toward the monstrous creature in the sky, falling just short.

Heavenly Dog swooped in, caught War Tiger's hand, and hurled him higher.

War Tiger soared skyward, flying over the spider to reach its head.

“Hah—!”

He raised his sword high with both hands, channeling Killing Expert's tremoring force through the blade. Then he brought it down with all his might toward the spider's head.