Gao Yang stared wide-eyed at Wang Zikai, who sat cross-legged on the floor, grinning back at him.
The silence was deafening.
"You..." Gao Yang finally broke it. "How long have you been awake?"
"Just now?" Zikai scratched his head. "Like, a few minutes ago?"
Gao Yang's stomach dropped. "What did you see?!"
"Everything!" Zikai sprang up, vibrating with excitement. "Holy shit! I woke up to you guys fighting that thing—thought I was dreaming at first!" He flailed his arms dramatically. "Then Qing Ling got yeeted through the glass, and I was like—damn, this is real! So I played dead..."
Gao Yang massaged his temples.
"Wait, what was that auntie? Some kind of lizard mutant? And why'd she turn back human after dying? Also, what are you guys? X-Men? This is next-level—"
"Zikai." Gao Yang cut him off.
"Yeah?"
"Shut up. Let me think."
Fatty Jun inched backward. "Bro... we can't let him live. You know what to do."
Qing Ling, still facedown on the bed, muttered, "Do whatever. Too tired."
"Me?" Zikai pointed at himself.
"Not you!" Gao Yang gestured frantically at the lizard corpse. "That thing!"
Zikai's eyes sparkled. "So it was a lizard monster!"
Gao Yang took a deep breath. Time for Operation: Bullshit.
"Zikai, listen carefully. What I'm about to tell you will change everything."
Five minutes later...
Zikai's face was a mix of awe and confusion. "So... my body was modified as a kid... and now lizard people want me dead?"
"Exactly! We're enhanced humans fighting them. But you—" Gao Yang gripped his shoulders. "You're the Chosen One. Only you can defeat their leader."
Zikai's eyes welled up. "Bro... I knew there was something special about you! First day of school, I took one look at you and thought—this guy gets it!"
"Destiny brought us together." Gao Yang smiled.
"Hell yeah!" Zikai punched the air. "Let's wreck these lizard freaks! Save the world!"
Gao Yang exhaled. Thank god for stupidity.
Fatty Jun's jaw hung open. What kind of sorcery is this?!
Qing Ling didn't object—mainly because she lacked the energy.
Officer Huang arrived ten minutes later, surveying the carnage.
"Mission failed, I see."
"Unexpected complications." Qing Ling winced as Fatty Jun treated her wounds.
Huang lit a cigarette, eyeing the pinned corpse. "Let me guess—scaly?"
"What kind of beast was she?" Gao Yang asked.
"Rage-class. Three subtypes: Slayers, Devourers, and Heralds." Huang crouched by the body. "This was a Slayer. Weak one, too. A full-powered one would've slaughtered you."
A collective shudder ran through the room.
"Heralds are the real nightmare," Huang added.
"Stronger?" Qing Ling asked.
"No. But their vocal cords can alert every beast within a kilometer."
Gao Yang's blood ran cold. Luck stat paying off.
Fatty Jun introduced himself, then gestured to Zikai. "And this is our... special comrade."
Huang's eyes narrowed. "And he is...?"
"Also a teammate," Gao Yang said quickly, stepping between them.
After a tense pause, Huang nodded. "Secure?"
"Secure."
"Good." Huang exhaled smoke. "You three—clean up and leave. Act normal."
To Fatty Jun: "You own this place?"
"Yeah."
Huang eyed the wreckage. "I can stage a robbery, but traces are too obvious. Alternative plan: Gas explosion kills one, injures owner."
Fatty Jun paled. "That's my life savings!"
"Versus your life?" Huang countered.
With a string of curses, Fatty Jun surrendered. "Burn it! Worth it for allies like you."
Dawn painted the streets as Gao Yang and Qing Ling exited the hotel.
Zikai trailed them, buzzing with adrenaline. "Dude, now everyone looks sus!"
"Keep it down!" Gao Yang hissed. "Go home. We'll meet tonight—I've got a mission for you."
Zikai saluted, peeling off in his sports car with a triumphant, "Save the world, baby!"
"Lost Ones don't react like that," Qing Ling said coldly. "He's unstable."
"I thought you were sparing him."
"Temporary measure." Her fingers twitched. "Later, we—"
She froze.
Gao Yang turned—and his heart stopped.
"Xin Xin?!"
His little sister stood meters away, dressed in a frilly Lolita dress, golden wig gleaming. Her expression was eerily calm.
"Don't bother lying," she said softly. "I already know."
Gao Yang's blood turned to ice.
Qing Ling tensed, ready to strike.
"Know... what?" Gao Yang forced a laugh.
Xin Xin smiled—a smile too cold for a child.
"Too late. I've told everyone."
Horror clamped around Gao Yang's throat.
—A Herald.