The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 155: Revelation

Thump, thump, thump, thump...

So noisy!

Is that my heart?

He couldn’t hear anything but his damn heartbeat!

“Gao Yang, Gao Yang?”

Wang Zikai waved his hand before Gao Yang, breaking him from his reverie.

“Yes?”

“What’s wrong? I lost you for a second.”

“Oh, oh I’m alright.” Gao Yang did his best to calm down, and he asked in a low voice, “What did you say?”

Eyes and brows curved in joy, Wang Zikai jumped onto the sofa with childlike excitement. “Bro, is it possible that I’m not human, but god?”

“Huh?” Gao Yang was lost.

“Maybe I’m God!” Wang Zikai repeated, convinced.

“Why would you have such a...” Gao Yang was going to say ‘delusion’, but instead ended his sentence with, “...guess?”

“Think about it! I dreamed about eating all of you! Why would I do that? And doing it while crying? It doesn’t make sense!”

“Yeah, why?” Gao Yang felt like a clown.

“I looked it up, and the books said that everyone was born with sins, fated to suffer and devote everything to God so that God may save them.”

“Is, is that right?” Gao Yang stuttered.

“Since I’m the chosen one, it means that fate has chosen me to save the world!” Wang Zikai exclaimed while swinging his fist. “I may turn out to be God incarnate!”

“Makes...sense.” Gao Yang wasn’t sure how he should arrange his facial muscles.

“And only as God would I eat all of you.”

“Why?” Gao Yang had given up on thinking.

“Because your physical beings are sinful! And I, to redeem you and save you, must cleanse your bodies of sins and take you to the world of divinity!”

If Fresh Snow weren’t sleeping, Gao Yang would’ve given him a standing ovation.

If you ever take something out of this idiot’s mouth seriously again, Gao Yang, you might as well shit while doing a headstand.

“Well.” Gao Yang pretended to think about it. “Your explanation does make some sense.”

“Right?” Wang Zikai’s eyes glinted. “That’s the only possibility I came up with after days of thinking!”

Gao Yang sighed and slumped down on the sofa.

“What?” asked Wang Zikai.

“After listening to your analysis, I’m becoming more optimistic about the future of humanity.”

“Of course!” Wang Zikai was pleased with himself. “Listen, bro. If I am God incarnate, there must be a Devil incarnate in the world as well! That must be my ultimate enemy! Fight by my side then. I have come up with a whole plan...”

Gao Yang closed his eyes. “I’m tired. I’m taking a nap.”

“Hey, don’t! Let me finish!”

...

When Gao Yang woke up, the light in the living room had been turned off, and the TV was in screensaver mode. The tea table was a mess. He could smell late night food and snacks.

Outside the window was the gray blue sky. A stripe of red lined the distant horizon, heralding the break of dawn.

Gao Yang’s left arm was numb. He turned to the side to see a furry yellow ball.

Oh, that wasn’t a ball, but Wang Zikai’s head.

Wang Zikai had fallen asleep on the sofa with a throw pillow between his legs, his heavy head resting on Gao Yang’s shoulder.

Then Gao Yang felt something warm in his arms.

He looked down to find the balled-up silk pajamas, on top of which was a furry white ball.

Oh, this must be Fresh Snow’s...

Wait!

Gao Yang’s heart lurched up to his throat. It wasn’t a head, but a cat!

The white cat!

The one that had been observing him in secret!

Gao Yang’s heart raced as an adrenaline rush hit him. In that split second of terror, realization struck him like lightning.

Fresh Snow was the white cat!

That would explain everything.

Such as why back in the night market in the haunted house, Fresh Snow had talked to him like she knew him and called him by his real name even though it should be their first meeting.

Or why Fresh Snow was always dressed in a big cloak and nothing else, not even shoes. That was for easy transformation between her human form and cat form.

Then there was the way Fresh Snow ate people.

She must have bitten Fat Jun as a cat to eat him, but he tasted bad to her, and she didn’t proceed with it.

Then Fresh Snow bit Jiang Hao, the stand owner, in the market organized by the Hundred Rivers Union, but again, she didn’t eat him, most likely because he tasted bad as well.

In other words, both Fat Jun and Jiang Hao were food to her, but they escaped death thanks to Fresh Snow’s pickness.

Gao Yang followed the thoughts and remembered something.

At the time, Fat Jun’s arm had suddenly lost control and slapped Wang Zikai twice. It was likely Fresh Snow’s doing. She drove the others away because she wanted to be alone with Gao Yang.

It meant that the awakener’s body part Fresh Snow had bitten would be granted some sort of mutated ability. Of course, it could also be considered a curse. And as the one inflicting the curse, Fresh Snow could control the particular body part.

It made sense!

That was why Fat Jun had attacked Gao Yang the first time his bitten arm mutated; Fresh Snow wanted to eat Gao Yang.

There was only one thing that didn’t make sense logically, one thing that seemed implausible—the fact that Fresh Snow had suddenly had a change of heart and not only didn’t eat Gao Yang, but considered Gao Yang her ‘good friend’.

Why? It was a mystery.

The white cat in his arms, the girl called Fresh Snow, was acting like an obedient pet of his. She liked him and trusted him, telling him everything and promising to not hurt him.

But in reality, Gao Yang would’ve become her food if something had gotten even a little awry by a twist of fate.

Gao Yang broke into a cold sweat after going over what had happened.

The white cat’s ears twitched in alarm. It must have been woken up by Gao Yang’s racing heart. It slowly opened its eyes. They were emerald green and looked like the finest gems.

Surprised, it jumped off Gao Yang, seemingly in panic.

“Meow.”

Gao Yang didn’t understand what it was saying. Cautiously, he asked, “Are you...Fresh Snow?”

It meowed again and jumped onto the table to make it to the window.

With a final glance at Gao Yang, it jumped out after a second.

“Fresh Snow!”

There were so many questions Gao Yang still didn’t have answers to.

He pushed Wang Zikai away and rushed up to the window to look outside. The white cat was gone.

“Hmm...”

Wang Zikai twisted his body around on the sofa and, his butt losing purchase, fell to the floor with a thud.

Surprisingly, he didn’t wake up, but instead made a roll and continued to sleep, muttering, “I’m God...God...”

Gao Yang stood by the window and took some time to compose himself.

Then he grabbed a pen and paper to leave a note for Wang Zikai, saying he was off to school, before leaving Wang Zikai’s home.

...

At dawn, Gao Yang headed to school. Only then did he remember that today and tomorrow, they were having their last practice exams.

Qing Ling came to school today as well. Ever since Gao Yang joined the Qilin Guild, they had stopped talking to each other to avoid attracting suspicion. Their classmates thought they were having a fight.

Gao Yang focused on his test paper. Since his awakening, he had spent considerably less time on his study, but his enhanced stats boosted his ability to memorize and digest knowledge, and he actually had an easier time with exams.

Gao Yang played the obedient student and went home straight after the exams. He talked about his score and the list of colleges he’d like to enter at dinnertime, and for the rest of the night, he stayed in his room studying.

The evening of the second day, he finished the last part of the practice exams.

He was sorting his belongings and getting ready to go home when Niu Xuan and his two sidekicks came up to him.

Gao Yang frowned. What is this bastard up to again?