The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 907: Any Last Word?

A few seconds later, the pattern under Gao Yang’s feet turned green. Indeed, Gao Yang was again the first to move. Instead of using Teleportation, he remained where he was with a hand in his pocket until his turn was over.

Liao Liao had already closed her eyes and was waiting for her death sitting cross-leggedly. Death didn’t come visit, though. The pattern under her feet turned green.

Liao Liao gave Gao Yang a strange look. “What’s the meaning of this, Gao Yang?”

Noticing her energy bar had recovered significantly, she shot to her feet. "Are you giving me a chance to duel you? Good, I didn't want to die yet!"

"What the fuck?! Do you not know how to play when you're winning, you jerk?" Dr. Jia nearly broke down. "I don't care! I'm making the shot next turn!"

"Don't struggle. I'll kill you next turn." Gao Yang's cold gaze fixed on Liao Liao. "I just forgot to ask if you have any last words."

Liao Liao's eyes dimmed. Of course Gao Yang wouldn't give her a fighting chance. If he were such a pushover, he wouldn't have survived this long.

"Last words? Let me think..." Her eyes gleamed with loneliness as she realized she had no friends to leave messages for.

She smiled awkwardly. "Once My Buddy is the Chosen One is complete, burn it to send it to the afterlife for me."

Gao Yang, remembering White Rabbit's recommendation of the novel, nodded. His killing intent hardened in his eyes. "This is farewell."

Liao Liao's lips twitched. "How unlucky of me to have met you. I hope we never see each other in my next life."

The turn ended. Only 30 seconds remained for thinking time.

They each chose their actions in silence.

...

[Thinking Time ends.]

[The tenth turn begins.]

The pattern under Gao Yang’s feet turned green.

Swoosh. He vanished, reappearing instantly at Liao Liao's side. His right hand, held knife-like, pierced her chest.

Blood spilled from Liao Liao's lips as she toppled forward.

Gao Yang withdrew his bloodied hand and crouched beside her.

She lay there, face contorted in pain, tears blurring her vision. Her hand seized his collar. "You... liar... it hurts... so much..."

Her head drooped, and she was gone.

Gao Yang rose without a second glance, not bothering to return to his position.

Looking up at Dr. Jia's raised gun, he said, "It's over."

"Whew." Dr. Jia lowered the weapon with a relieved sigh. "You're something else, Gao Yang. You turned everything around when the odds were against you. To be honest, I thought we were doomed at the start."

"I'm lucky," Gao Yang replied coolly.

He turned to the gray stone pillar beside them.

Clear Mirror's face had vanished. The pillar connecting heaven and earth cracked, ready to crumble.

The black sky and white land began to blur. Black rain and white rain merged in the middle, painting the world in flowing gray—like the limbo often depicted in mythology.

"You lost, Clear Mirror," Gao Yang addressed the gray space.

"At least I avenged Dust," Clear Mirror's weak voice whispered, as if right beside his ear.

"You are frustrated to have not killed me, aren't you?" Gao Yang's tone was distant.

"The fact that you live means your trial has yet to come, while mine is over. I've finished my mission. I'm going to the blissful otherworld."

"Must be nice, being able to comfort yourself with falsehood."

After a pause, Clear Mirror's voice grew weaker. "I've shared some of Luqi's memory. You may be interested in how he died."

Gao Yang tensed.

"Luqi killed himself because he saw no hope. The future humanity pictured did not exist."

Gao Yang remained silent.

"One day, Their will is going to return to rule the world. Their grace is going to shine upon the land. Their—"

"Clear Mirror." Gao Yang cut him off impatiently. "I'll give you something, too."

"..."

"Fuck God."

Clear Mirror's presence vanished completely.

The limbo around them thickened and flattened. Gao Yang and Dr. Jia felt themselves transforming into two-dimensional shapes, then into simple black and white lines, before finally crumbling like paper.

...

Gao Yang opened his eyes to find himself standing in Dr. Jia’s laboratory. The surroundings remained the same with no signs of a battle having taken place. Not far from him lay five corpses, 0618, Void, Sir Jiang, Qin You, and Liao Liao. A dead parrot and scattered body parts—Nico's remains after the grenade explosion—completed the grim tableau.

Among the dead sat a cross-legged figure. Clear Mirror, gray and colorless like a strange statue, scattered into ash seconds later.

“Ugh—”

The injuries from the domain suddenly manifested on Gao Yang's physical body. Without the domain's rules to contain it, real, complex pain spread through him, nearly forcing him to collapse.

His Gecko's passive regeneration activated, drawing madly on his depleted energy, weakening him further.

He dropped to his knees, fighting to stay conscious.

"Hurry..." Gao Yang couldn't even lift his head to look at Dr. Jia. "Medicine C. Adrenaline..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Dr. Jia sprang into action, rushing to a cabinet and returning with two syringes.

Gao Yang groaned, enduring the side effects while scanning for lingering threats.

Clear Mirror and Nico apparently had no contingency plan. Ting Ting and Cold Cicada must have fled or gone for reinforcements—with their companions suddenly vanishing, only fools would have stayed behind as targets.

Time was running out. Without hesitation, Gao Yang raised his right hand toward Liao Liao's body. "Time Reset!"

Swoosh.

Sacred white energy strands shot from his fingers, wrapping around Liao Liao's body in a cocoon of light.

It works!

I bet right!