Chapter 218
by Need_More_SleepChapter 218: Indeed Still Warm
“You’ve all seen the news, right? The bomber responsible for the building explosion is already dead.”
Isaac sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples as he addressed the group of passionate, but incompetent teenagers before him.
Crushed by the very debris he created. To outsiders, it might be one of the funniest news stories of the year.
But for the victims, it was nothing short of absurd.
They didn’t necessarily need to exact revenge themselves. Even if the culprit had been shot dead by the police, they could have accepted it. But they couldn’t stomach the idea of him being killed by falling rubble—turned into a punchline.
The new recruits of Tian Xing Dao were increasingly leaning toward the radical faction.
“We know. But witnesses said he was trying to bomb someone else. We want to know who that person was—are they still alive?”
With their primary target gone, their hatred had shifted to the secondary one. If you hadn’t provoked him, would our families have died? Out of all the buildings, why did you have to run into that one? Couldn’t you have gone somewhere else?
Your personal grudge got so many innocent people killed.
“Who could’ve predicted a madman would fire a rocket launcher at himself? With his ability, the first shot could’ve easily hit somewhere else…” Isaac muttered under his breath.
Though given the rocket’s destructive power, anywhere it landed would’ve been catastrophic.
“What did you say?” We’re suffering here, and you’re playing armchair commentator?
Of course, bystanders could never truly empathize with the victims. Another member held the angry teen back, staring coldly at Isaac. “How do you know about the bomber’s ability?”
That detail hadn’t been released by the police.
Isaac interlaced his fingers. “I know his accomplices.”
Many remnants of the Avengers still remained. After the bombing, they’d completely severed ties with Tian Xing Dao. With the Night Demon captured, they had no reason to stay.
Isaac had no sympathy for those who dragged innocents into their revenge. He’d opposed collaborating with them from the start—and look where that got them.
Sure enough, his words redirected their fury. The moment they had a new target, their previous hatred was forgotten. He could have told them that the rocket launcher had been provided by a radical member, turning their rage back onto his own faction.
But he held back. The radicals already made up 70% of their organization…
Watching them leave, Isaac suddenly slapped himself twice across the face. This group had long strayed from its founding principles. And so had he.
“Bro, uh…” Jim hesitated.
“What is it?” Isaac turned to him.
“Never mind.” Jim shook his head.
The mood was too heavy for him to admit he just needed to pee. Seeing Jim’s strained expression, Isaac mistook it for disillusionment with the group’s distorted ideals.
Sigh. To still have someone as pure as Jim in their ranks was rare these days.
Isaac patted Jim’s shoulder. “Keep at it. Two more months, gain some experience, and I’ll recommend you for a leadership position like mine.”
Jim: “???”
He’d been slacking off since joining. What “experience” was there to gain?
—
Raven’s Office.
Psychological counseling for victims of six-sense deprivation.
Truthfully, if they’d known about the Night Demon’s abilities beforehand and steeled themselves, the trauma wouldn’t have been so severe.
Not to mention, these sessions were… perfunctory at best. How perfunctory?
It wasn’t that Okulet was being harsh—he just believed Raven’s involvement alone proved how perfunctory this psychological counseling was.
“What usually makes you feel happy?”
Seated across from Raven was Mi Xiaoliu.
Like the others, she’d had her six senses severed, yet she carried no psychological scars. Because Sasha was there. Sasha kept her updated on the outside world and chatted with her.
But… She wasn’t happy. Why did people hate her?
Mi Xiaoliu used to be a bad child.
“Well… that’s normal, considering Master once…” Carried out executions.
“Master shouldn’t dwell on it. In a way, you were helping them find release. Many who suffered longed to see you but never got the chance.”
Even with no shortage of test subjects, Easter adhered to a “no waste” policy—never arbitrarily executing lab rats like they had with Mi Xiaoliu. Living specimens held far more value than corpses for dissection.
With so many test subjects, Mi Xiaoliu couldn’t have been the only executioner. Others might not have granted quick, painless deaths like hers.
Only those on the verge of losing control—those at risk of self-destructing and causing large-scale damage—met the criteria for execution.
Before that point, they either lost their minds, becoming monsters or beasts, or endured unbearable physical agony.
One of Easter’s experiments had robbed a girl of the ability to sleep, while restraints prevented her from taking her own life…
Their suffering was hellish. Easter had no concept of humanitarianism. Executions existed solely to prevent out-of-control subjects from killing others—nothing more.
“At least they found release in death…” But the Master had to endure indefinitely.
This wasn’t kindness, yet it hardly warranted the hatred of those executed. Still, forgiveness from their loved ones was impossible. They would only remember who had killed their family.
“Xiaoliu? Auntie asked you—what do you usually do to feel happy?”
Raven gently interrupted Sasha’s reassurances.
At the question, Mi Xiaoliu glanced around but didn’t see Heli.
She looked at Okulet, then climbed onto Raven’s lap. “Head pats.”
“Okay, head pats.”
Raven stroked Mi Xiaoliu’s hair. She’s so cute. I want to take her home as a daughter-in-law and pat her head every day. A mutual SAN-recovery mechanism.
Did Toby’s grades slip again? Time for a beating. Mi Xiaoliu started from scratch, yet in half a year, she’s already reached fifth-grade level.
She’s so cute. I want to take her home as my wife and pat her every day. ↑ Dias’s inner monologue.
As Raven’s previous client, he’d experienced firsthand how diluted her “professor” credentials were. He’d been about to leave when Mi Xiaoliu arrived—and promptly sat back down.
He felt almost cured already. This trip was worth it. Dias grinned foolishly.
Okulet frowned at the familiar young man. What kind of circus surrounds my future daughter-in-law?
A twinge of melancholy—the man who’d outmaneuvered him had been dealt with by his youngest daughter. A good thing, truly. The student surpassed the master.
But he’d heard the maids whispering about him again behind his wife’s back. Seeing Raven’s “therapy” devolve into self-indulgent head pats, Okulet plucked Mi Xiaoliu from her lap, politely excused them, and headed home.
Mi Xiaoliu kept looking back as they left.
“Don’t want to go?” Okulet bent down.
She shook her head.
Frowning, he texted Heli: Why did Mi Xiaoliu keep looking back at Raven’s?
Heli, logically replied: Raven always gives Xiaoliu a parting gift. You dragged her off before she could this time. Just buy her snacks.
Reassured by this guide, Okulet relaxed.
Only then did Dias snap out of it. “Auntie…”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing.” He left.
——
At Nighttime.
A gloomy Yiwen took a taxi to Mi Xiaoliu’s place—and got scammed out of 30 bucks by the driver who assumed she was a tourist for such a short ride.
After barging into Night Demon’s hospital room, she’d been disciplined and suspended pending review. Was what he said true? If not, why had Devil electrocuted him to shut him up?
Old Chen would never tell her. So Yiwen came mainly for Okulet—only to find him absent after breaking in. Mi Xiaoliu was missing too.
No one home? But the lights are on. She absently petted Circle twice. This cat’s getting chubby. Where’s the little repairman?
Yiwen glanced around. Huh? Why’s the bathroom locked?
She knocked. “Xiaoliu, you in there?”
She considered kicking it open but feared finding a showering Okulet—a mental image she’d never recover from.
“Mm.” Mi Xiaoliu’s voice.
So Okulet must be next door. He’d never stray far from her.
Unless they’re bathing together—in which case, extermination is justified. Yiwen jiggled the handle, then picked the lock with her powers.
Inside, Mi Xiaoliu lay in the tub, idly splashing her feet. She showed neither surprise nor fear at the intrusion. Yiwen crouched beside the tub, smiling as she peered in.
Being prompted by Sasha, Mi Xiaoliu covered herself.
Unfazed, Yiwen asked, “How’s the water, Xiaoliu?”
“Warm.”
“Really? Let me check.”
She scooped a handful and slurped. “Sluurp~ Yep, definitely warm.”
Good. No additives.
[Translator’s Note: See the index page for this Novel if you want to see the Amazon Link for the eBooks.]
0 Comments