CH 46.1

“I Was Not Angry”

The action of Jiang Yiyi stepping in was like triggering a forbidden taboo. The lazy crowds turn to them, and rise up, homing in on them like waves when they continue.

Crowds assemble into a flood of heads. Compared to Jiang Yiyi and his friends’ lonely forms, they are like a grasshopper standing in front of a mudslide of steel – dead in an instant.

Lunatic is normally blank in expression, but now, he is slowly smiling.

Staring at the oncoming crowd, he takes a step and stands in front of Jiang Yiyi.

As he does so, there is a change to him. The predator laying low is awakening, revealing his sharp claws and fangs against the coming enemy.

Lunatic has no thoughts in his mind. An absurd difference in quantity does not daunt him. Instead, the coming scent of blood and death only enlivens him.

Magician notes Lunatic’s changes, and is slightly surprised, “he was not that notable in the files, but I suppose he has something in him.”

He comments to Gatekeeper, “a few more struggles to the death, and maybe he’ll become somebody one day.”

Gatekeeper remains stoically fixated to the front – to Jiang Yiyi.

Magician glances at Jiang Yiyi, who is casually playing with his blade, in a form quite disquieting in front of the explosive atmosphere.

Disquieting, not because he is a lost and helpless lamb, but——When everyone is gearing up for the coming conflict, only he appears to be casually working out how to end this all——This sense of overwhelming superiority.

While Magician feels like speaking, his past experiences has him remain silent——Before what comes to pass, any unnecessary movement can become a deadly factor to himself.

The opinion of ‘Doctor doesn’t actually seem that strong; did the upper floors deify him too much’ remains wisely within himself, as he moves on to observe the reactions of the rest of the crowd.

Lin Yi firmly holds his baton in place, in a stance ready for battle in front of the rushing people. He is not going to retreat.

Both because of the romantic idealist in him, but also, because of Jiang Yiyi’s existence.

The ‘long-time’ acquaintance of Jiang Yiyi’s, from the very first floor to this fifth floor, knows Jiang Yiyi better than everyone else present——And is far deeper affected by him.

He is not consciously aware, but he trusts Jiang Yiyi beyond how much he thinks he trusts.

Even if the world were to go against him, he will not falter.

Jian Si may be the weakest of those present——Not just in Jiang Yiyi’s group, but even counting the human wave crashing towards them.

But this only makes his reaction the most surprising to Magician——Lunatic and Lin Yi’s responses can be explained away by their insanity and exceptional mental fortitude respectively.

Yet Jian Si, the only ‘normal person’ present, has not even taken a single step back. It is enough to shock him.

Normal people cannot do this via sheer willpower. Their consciousness may be resolute, but bodily instincts cannot be controlled——When facing danger, the body’s own response will be to hide. There is nothing wrong with that.

To be able to overpower his own instincts as a weakling and stand firmly by Doctor’s side——Was Jian Si affected by Doctor in some way?

Magician narrows his eyes at Jian Si’s form, then at Lin Yi and Lunatic, before settling back on Jiang Yiyi as he notes mentally – Doctor’s ability may be some form of suggestive planting or psychological manipulation.

In this short moment——The few seconds that Magician has spent observing the individuals in Jiang Yiyi’s group——The frontmost prisoners in the wave is already close enough to Lunatic for him to sense the decaying scent from them.

Lunatic gets to move quickly. As soon as he could smell it, he extends his hand——He may be without weapons, but every inch of his body is his weapon. A simple fist is enough for him to strike the enemy in his weakness, and kill.

Almost at the exact same time, Magician straightens up, leaning towards Lunatic’s direction, and raises a foot…

Before Lunatic’s hand connects, and before Magician can shoot off, however, there is a noise.

‘Ding,’ ‘ding,’ ‘ding.’

The stoic Gatekeeper responds immediately. He produces a pair of black, noise-cancelling ear mufflers and puts them on the ears of Magician. He then plops him down a step back, away from the building, before giving himself a pair of the same mufflers as well.

‘Ding,’ ‘ding,’ ‘ding.’

The crisp dings continue to spread outwards in the vast building, which has also gone quiet.

Jiang Yiyi is making the silvery light dance in his hands – not just one, but two lights. They are like an extension of his body, spinning beautifully in the air, occasionally colliding, and separating. It is mesmerising.

The sounds of footsteps are gone, as the rushing crowd have come to a stop – so uniformly in movement that it almost feels like a scene out of a horror movie.

Every one of them is staring straight at Jiang Yiyi, before slowly walking to approach him. Even when blocked——By Lunatic standing in front of Jiang Yiyi——They still push forward, like puppets driven by a foreign will with no thoughts of their own.

Lunatic’s hand is paused as well. His eye slowly turns to Jiang Yiyi behind him.

Jiang Yiyi watching him – them – in silence.

The eyes are as usual, looking emotionlessly at the masses.

Lin Yi’s fingers are paling a little holding the baton. Perhaps he is the one most familiar with Jiang Yiyi’s ability here, but knowing is different from seeing such a strange scene come to life——Case in point, he cannot imagine a psychologist pulling this off.

This is beyond the human definition of psychology. This is scientific fiction.

Lin Yi is anxious. He does not know why; well, he does. He knows that, after witnessing what is to happen fully, the secrets hidden in this world will be revealed to him, and he will no longer be able to escape from the abyss.

Jian Si merely watches this creepy scene in silence, even relaxing a little——He does trust Jiang Yiyi so much, that as soon as he makes a move, he is certain Doctor is now in control once more.

Jiang Yiyi relaxes the blade in his hand slightly, smiling at the familiar sensation.

Then he looks behind himself, his eyes go past the prisoners crowding about them, and instead, looks at Gatekeeper and Magician watching from afar.

Gatekeeper is staring at him expressionlessly, while Magician is furrowing his brow and looking all over the place; suddenly, their eyes meet.

There are ‘ding’s in Magician’s ears. It is melodic. Rhythmic.

Gatekeeper quietly uses his hand to rotate Magician around, giving Jiang Yiyi only a view of his head.

It seems Gatekeeper is definitely qualified to be the Coordinator of the fifth floor.

Jiang Yiyi’s smile widens. He stops looking, and then, looking back at the lifeless crowd around him, stops the movements on his fingers. The silver disappears.

After blanking out for another second, the crowd suddenly jolts back to life, and starts rushing for Jiang Yiyi’s group once more.

“Humanity is complex.”

Jiang Yiyi looks around, noting the many familiar emotions——Unthinking, Excitement, Thrill, Loss, Curiosity; there is no fear.

“For all of you, it is also simple.” Jiang Yiyi puts his hand on Lunatic’s shoulder.

Lunatic’s hand pauses, and his attacks stops. The prisoner in front of him assumes he has a chance, and immediately makes a go at Lunatic’s throat without hesitation.

There is a small, nearly unidentifiable piece of sharp object in his fist.

Jiang Yiyi is now looking at this prisoner, “simple, such as absolute power.”

He will hit soon. Soon, this man will fall, and bleed blood. Just imagining the blood spreading across the ground makes his mouth twitch into a smile.

He thinks he can hear something. Maybe his ears are playing a trick on him. He can only see the muscular man in front of him, and no others. He does not care what they are yelling about. His hand moves, and then blood emerges. His favourite colour is flowing.

Red. Crimson…