The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 1052: Theft of Fire

Chapter 1052: Theft of Fire

At this point, Qilin saw no point in hiding anything. He had wanted to tell Zhang Wei everything before carrying out his plan to make the man his only witness, but it seemed that he would have to address another audience.

“Gao Yang.” Qilin’s torn face shifted into a rueful smile. “There isn’t a doorway. The world never has any hope to begin with.”

A great sense of helplessness crashed into Gao Yang like a landslide, almost bringing him to his knees. He didn’t even need further explanation to make sense of everything that instant.

“You...are lying,” still he denied it reflexively.

“Everyone says you’re the Divine Scion, Gao Yang.” Qilin smiled faintly, taking a step forward. “Have you ever met God?”

Gao Yang remained silent. Of course he hadn't.

“I’ve had the honor of seeing Them through the Miracle Rune Circuit.”

“You...met God?!” Gao Yang said in disbelief.

Qing Ling was shocked into silence, too.

“Gao Yang.” Qilin spoke with a determined pessimism with blood trickling down the corners of his mouth. “We thought this a fight between light and darkness, between survival and destruction—like two sides of the same coin. We thought humanity would end up on either one side or the other.”

“Is that not the case?” Qing Ling asked.

“Unfortunately, no.” Qilin shook his head slowly. “The coin They hold in their hand is constantly spinning, and humans are on neither side. Humans have no place to be.”

Gao Yang digested this information in silence, testing its truth against everything he knew.

“That’s why,” Qilin smiled faintly, “I’m going to create one, an eternal homeland that even God cannot interfere with.”

Drawing from his experience in the sweet dream of victory, Gao Yang ventured a bold speculation: “Are you...trying to reach the immortality of consciousness?”

“Yes.” Qilin’s remaining eye brightened. “I’m going to create an ever-spinning top with the Twelve Rune Circuits. It will never cease to exist, and the Heavenly Way, the Mist, nor anything else will be able to interfere with it.”

He stepped back, emotion rising in his voice. “Then I’ll use Eidos to put the consciousness—or let’s call it soul—of all awakeners and regular humans into the spinning top, achieving immortality for everyone.”

After a long silence, Gao Yang asked, “At what price?”

“My death.” Qilin tilted his head up. “And humanity’s rebirth.”

Gao Yang started. He didn’t expect Qilin to put in his life, too. If he succeeded, those he “saved” would never know what he had done or remember him. Gao Yang couldn’t help but feel a newfound respect for the man.

That, of course, did not contradict his disapproval and hatred for the man.

Qilin found it absurd. “Have you...lost it?”

“Perhaps I am just as mad as you.” Gao Yang met his eyes calmly. “Is it really immortality to have everyone’s consciousness trapped in a spinning top for an eternity as a chaotic cluster? Or will we merely become a specimen in the universe?”

“Am I still human in the everlasting limbo of consciousness you dream of? Am I still Gao Yang, still myself? Is my love still there?”

“If not, won’t I have ceased to exist, too? What will be the meaning of any of it?”

Qing Ling couldn’t put her thoughts into words as Gao Yang had, but after careful thinking, she found herself agreeing with him.

She tightened her grip around her weapon, gaze determined. “I reject the Spinning Top, too.”

Qilin hunched in spot, silent.

The confusion in his eyes melted away, revealing pure loneliness.

“Is this...” Qilin lifted his head and closed his eyes slowly. “The fate of the fire thief?”

An ominous feeling gripped Qing Ling. She sensed a cool breeze enter her mind.

[Nine Frost: I’m awake!]

[Gao Yang: Did Zhang Wei wake you?]

[Nine Frost: No.]

[Gao Yang: It seems that all the others are awake, too.]

Qing Ling turned to find the real Gao Yang awake. He approached his double and pulled it into himself by the shoulder. The two became one.

Gao Yang exhaled deeply as their memories and conditions integrated. The double had depleted almost all its energy, and both Wave of Serenity and Spatial Jump were now on cooldown.

He went up to Qing Ling and calmly shared his guess. “Qilin just deactivated everyone’s Eidos-induced dreams.”

“Why?”

“He’s gathering all energy he can for a final gamble.”

Qing Ling frowned. “He still has a card to play?”

“Yes, the last one.” Gao Yang’s voice turned icy. “Equivalent Exchange.”