The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 994: Miss Bo

Chapter 994: Miss Bo

The change struck without warning.

The world around him suddenly muted and slowed, as if Gao Yang were suspended in viscous liquid, like a test subject in a glass chamber.

Clack—rumble—

Without effort from Gao Yang, the Gates of Closure swung open with an ancient, heavy groan.

Whoosh.

The eleven light streams comprising the Gates scattered into chaos, shooting toward the sky in a V. Like light struggling to escape immense gravity, the rays tore space apart with difficulty.

The crack widened into a tunnel, gentle white light flooding Gao Yang's vision.

His complicated feelings dissolved into pure joy. The Gates were open. A way out of the Mist World. Hope.

Before stepping through, Gao Yang turned back. “We—”

He meant to tell Dragon to wake everyone, but the words died in his throat.

Dragon sat frozen in time, head tilted up, expectant smile fixed on his face like a photograph.

Not just Dragon—everything had stopped.

“Dragon?” Gao Yang raised his voice and stepped toward the man.

His footfall echoed. The frozen world shuddered, like a ripple through higher dimensions.

The fragile stasis began to collapse.

Dragon, their distant unconscious companions, Green Lotus Lake—the entire visible world began to melt.

Like oil paint in water, Dragon blurred into liquid strokes, spreading in all directions like a fading dream.

Reality itself dissolved.

Gao Yang's mind went blank.

What was happening? He couldn't understand—

“Gao Yang.”

A voice came from behind him.

He turned toward the Gates' white radiance, squinting against the glare and waiting for his eyes to adjust.

A young woman stood amid the light, silky hair falling in braids down her left shoulder. She wore a simple patterned dress, a blue whistle hanging at her neck.

“This is all your dream.”

Gao Yang started. “Dream?”

Miss Bo nodded, looking sympathetic.

Gao Yang scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Do you find this fun?”

“Mr. Gao Yang, you may find this difficult to accept. That’s the case for every patient.”

“When you realize that it’s all a dream, what’s in your dream will be gone.”

“The Gates of Closure is merely a manifestation of your suspicion of the vivid dream. Your subconscious has been questioning it, trying to save yourself. The Gates you’re seeking are the doorway to awakening, leading you from your dream to reality.”

Miss Bo blinked, her voice softening. “You’re lucky, Mr. Gao Yang. Not every patient wakes up. Many died in their dreams. You, on the other hand, triumphed over the Muxing, the Jupiter Virus. You’re going to wake up—”

“Shut up!”

“Fucking shut up!”

“I’m not fucking buying a word out of your mouth!”

Rage seized him, his body trembling. “Don’t think I don’t know it! This is an illusion! Everything is an illusion! This is what you want me to see!”

“You’re the God behind the Gates, aren’t you? You’re toying with me, aren’t you?”

“You want me to break down again and again! You’re making a fool out of me!”

“I won’t fall for it this time. You’re not beating me! No matter what you do!”

“I’ll never admit defeat. I’ll never fall. I’ll keep fighting...”

Gao Yang lunged through the white light, fingers closing around Miss Bo's delicate neck. “I’ll kill you! Break this illusion now! End this now!”

Despite his fury, his grip felt pathetically weak—fingers like wilted leaves against marble. Miss Bo stood immovable as a statue, allowing his assault without resistance.

Data flickered through her eyes as twin rays of blue light scanned his face.

“Mr. Gao Yang, you’re now suffering from E-type sequela of the Jupiter Virus. Before you wake up, I’ll have to provide you with a comprehensive psychology therapy.”

“Have you fucking had enough?!” Gao Yang pushed her away as hard as he could, yet it felt like pushing a tall wall. He staggered back and almost fell.

Miss Bo maintained elegant stance, her smile replaced by absolute clinical detachment. “First step, make sure the patient is in a stable emotional state for effective communication.”

Gao Yang turned away from her methodical words, only to find the Gates had vanished.

He stood frozen in vast, hazy nothingness. Only he and Miss Bo remained in existence.