The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 270: Virus

“All that means that they had been laying low for ten years because they were waiting for some plan to come into fruition, and it was likely to have come into fruition two months ago. Thus, the spies began to move, and something as attention-grabbing as the serial murder took place. ”

“I agree with Seven Shadow’s analysis so far,” Dragon said, his voice quiet, but demanded attention. “From what I know, Ghost Horse had earned some trust from the Godbearer Cult after being resurrected, and he learned that the Cult was plotting something; he just didn’t know what it was.”

Gao Yang turned to Dragon. “Mr. Dragon, I believe the Cult’s plan is related to the Heavenly Way. Considering the clues provided by Madam Li, we’ve come to a tentative hypothesis.”

After a moment of silence, War Tiger crossed his legs and shifted his posture. “Go on.”

“We believe that the serial murder committed by the Cult is a test on the Heavenly Way.”

Another short silence followed.

“Do you mean the Godbearer Cult has been challenging the rules imposed by the Heavenly Way?” asked Colorless.

“Yes.” Gao Yang paused and said in simple terms, “Let us compare the Heavenly Way to a referee for a soccer game. It’s fair and selfless and maintains order strictly according to the rules. However, it’s neither human nor God, and while it’s powerful and unshakeable, it cannot think flexibly, and it doesn’t care about the motivation behind the actions taken by humans and monsters.”

“If you knock into someone on purpose, the referee shows a red card and pulls you out of the game. If you go offside, your goal doesn’t count. The Heavenly Way is neutral and without emotions. Its only duty is maintaining order and punish those who commits fouls.”

“However, the rules are pre-established, while humans and monsters adapt. For example, if I knocked into a defender while dribbling, it isn’t always clear if I was the one in the wrong, or the defender.”

“A referee who does not think flexibly is likely to call foul on the defender because in their eyes, I’m dribbling to shoot the goal, and knocking into someone isn’t conducive to that. I should be focused on passing the defender.”

“When in truth, I don’t care about the result of the match at all despite the uniform on me and the fact that I’m dribbling. I’m just here to knock people down on purpose.”

“I get it now!” War Tiger slapped his thigh. He almost blurted out, ‘Attaboy, Little Yang Yang.’

Turning to Gao Yang, he said, “The Godbearer Cult isn’t on the field to play the sport, but to stir up trouble and identify the bugs in the Heavenly Way!”

We’re one the same wavelength, Master!

Gao Yang turned to the others. “We’re here tonight to talk about the Crimson Tide, yet I’m talking about the Godbearer Cult. Why is that?”

“Because there’s a strong connection between the two,” Surnamed Li said in realization.

“Yes.” Gao Yang nodded. “Madam Li, the third clue you provide is especially crucial.”

“And what of the Heavenly Way?” White Rabbit, having been quietly listening, repeated the line in a grave tone.

“What of the Heavenly Way.” Gao Yang repeated it too. “Basically, not even the Heavenly Way will tie me down. I’m going to look for bugs to exploit. I’m going to do what I want.”

The meeting room was dead silent.

If the Heavenly Way stopped working altogether, and the elite monsters broke free of its restriction—or if the monsters found a way to bypass the punishment implemented by the Heavenly Way...

They would surely launch a total war against awakeners, and even regular humans.

Then the Mist World would become hell for humanity.

“I have a guess.” White Rabbit spoke up again, her expression dark. “Can the Rune Cave in the Gu Family’s Village and the one at the Eleventh High School be such attempts too? That the monsters imprisoned and punished by the Heavenly Way had challenged the Heavenly Way with Rune Circuits in order to identify exploits?”

She turned to Dragon. “Captain, didn’t Ghost Horse tell you that there were a mix of awakeners, monsters, and half-humans in the Godbearer Cult? Can it be...”

She couldn’t continue.

“Allow me.” Dragon sighed softly. He had connected the dots halfway into Gao Yang’s explanation. “This is mere speculation.”

“A long time ago, some among the awakeners betrayed humanity, and thus, the Godbearer Cult emerged. The Cult works with elite monsters and Spectres alike, testing and challenging the Heavenly Way in order to identify its weaknesses—for the day to come where they can bypass the Heavenly Way and kill all humans.”

As the most well-informed person in the Mist World, Qilin agreed with the speculation.

“And it seems that they have succeeded. At least during the seven days of the Crimson Tide, elite monsters are able to further ignore the rules of the Heavenly Way and bring about a disaster that kills all humans.”

Qilin made the conclusion, and no one said otherwise.

That was likely very close to the truth.

The tension in the air was suffocating.

Ironically, Gao Yang’s first thought was of his family even now.

If he died, what would happen to his grandmother, father, mother, and little sister? Would they mourn him? Or would all monsters awakened as what they truly were and lived in harmony from now on, free of the humans plaguing the world?

Perhaps humans were the misfits. Perhaps they had come to a world they didn’t belong to like viruses, fooling the immune system that was the Heavenly Way and gaining its protection.

Humans had been sticking together for survival, barely holding on.

They fancied themselves the pitiful, innocent victims, while they might turn out to be the viruses of the world.

Now, the elite monsters were working with the traitors among humans and had managed to develop a special cure, one that could bypass the protection of the immune system to eradicate the pesky humans once and for all. Meanwhile, humans who had betrayed their own species transformed into a new form of life that was half human and half monster, and they would go on to coexist peacefully with other monsters.

To the monsters, humans were the viruses and the intruders, the mistakes to be corrected.

It stood to reason that humans should give up on resisting and accept their fate of being erased from the world...

No!

Gao Yang wasn’t noble by nature. He didn’t want to die, nor did he want to disappear. He wanted to live.

If the Mist World wasn’t home for humanity, they had to either adapt, or look for ways to get out of here in search of a world that truly suited humans.

Anxious, War Tiger put the unlit cigarette back into his mouth. “Now that we have a conclusion, what do we do?”

Gao Yang returned to his seat. He had shared his hypothesis, which was added to and improved by the others. Now, it was time for the three leaders to make the decision.

Qilin leaned forward and took off his glasses, placing them on the table. His eyes looked even darker.

“I believe there are two things we can do.”