The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 785: Act Useless

Suburbs of Nanji District, early morning the next day.

On top of a decommissioned cell tower on the clearing filled with shrubs, Nine Frost watched the dense forest two kilometers from him. He was holding a pair of tactical binoculars in all black, wearing a black mask with a golden spot between the brows. The forest housed the entrance to the Ocean River Union’s underground base.

After observing it for half an hour, Nine Frost put away his binoculars and agilely climbed down from the cell tower.

Seven people crouched among the shrubs under the cell tower in hiding, each wearing a different mask.

Under a tree were a man and a woman. The man in a beetle mask had messy hair and an average figure, his beer belly pronounced. He was dressed in cozy purple cotton clothes with a pink bear heating pad in his hands.

The young woman by his side had her hair tied into twin tails, wearing a royal mask embedded with what looked like diamonds and an extravagant, domineering black lolita dress. She held an equally extravagant lace umbrella with her hands, wrapped in black gloves.

“May I...go now?” asked the middle-aged man in a beetle mask. It was Gregor.

“We’ve just come out here. Wait a little longer.” The girl in a royal mask was Gao Xinxin.

Gregor complained, “I’m just here to fill in the number. Enough already. I’m getting frozen to death.”

“That’ll wake you up, and maybe inspiration will find you.” Gao Xinxin didn’t even try to come up with a better excuse.

“I have ways to get inspired, including smoking, shitting, scratching my feet, going to a massage parlor...but not squatting here in the cold like an idiot!”

Gao Xinxin didn’t listen. “I heard that your Talent is strong, Gregor.”

“It’s fine,” Gregor said honestly. “I’ve never gotten into a fight, so I don’t know.”

“Then why don’t you join the fight?” Gao Xinxin smirked teasingly. “Men are most attractive when they fight.”

“Stop that and don’t push!” Gregor was a little angry. “Besides, I’m still wearing the bracelet your brother gave me. I can’t fight.”

“Have you forgotten? My brother hasn’t injected the bracelet with a curse for 48 hours. You’re free now.”

“Free my ass!” Gregor got immediately worked up.

“Look at you getting all timid, Gao Xinxin!” Wang Zikai, wearing a golden mask written with the word “God”, sauntered over. “What are you worried about with me here? We don’t need a useless one’s help.”

“The more the merrier,” Gao Xinxin said.

“Yeah.” Chen Ying, wearing a gray coat and a firefly mask, tried to appease the man. “Mr. Gregor, the fact that you came out and helped meant that you approved of the Nine Scions...”

“Approve my ass!” Gregor lost it. “If Gao Xinxin hadn’t threatened me by stealing my files, I wouldn’t have come here!”

“You keep acting useless despite all the power you have.” Zhang Wei came up to them with his hands in his pockets, wearing a mask written with the number 6. “I have all these ideas but may as well be useless. How fucking ironic.”

“Who’s useless?!” Gregor shot back with a barrage of words. “My greatest value lies not in my Talent with a capital T, but my talent. My literary work is more meaningful than scrapples like this. Art is eternal...”

“Insolent.” Nainai stood on a small hill, wearing a sailor uniform, a black cape, and a witch mask. With her arms crossed, she declared haughtily, “Mortals, you dare talk about eternity before this Empress? Do you know that the past tens of thousands of years...”

Swoosh. Nine Frost jumped off the cell tower and landed before Nainai, making her jump.

“Everyone,” Nine Frost said seriously. “I saw an unusual number of insects in the forest where the entrance to the Union’s underground base is hidden. There must be patrols and security measures in place.”

“So they are ready for us,” Chen Ying said.

“Whoa, Captain’s a prophet!” Hong Xiaoxiao, wearing a mask with a heart poker card, said. “Surnamed Li must have predicted our move.”

“Yes.” Nine Frost glanced at his watch. “It’s time. Let’s follow our plan.”

He quickly walked up to a car covered in camouflage tarpaulin.

With a swift yank, he lifted the tarpaulin and revealed a black pickup truck. Several boxes of bombs filled the trunk, and a black cello case was placed on the boxes. Inside was a sniper rifle.

Nine Frost took the cello case and tapped on his earpiece. “I’ll go into hiding. Wait until I give you a signal. Do not make a move on your own.

“Yes, sir.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

The responded came in chorus.

Before leaving, Nine Frost turned to Wang Zikai with lingering worry and used Telepathy.

Two seconds later, Wang Zikai met his gaze. “Don’t worry. I can hear you.”

“Good.”

According to his past experience, Nine Frost couldn’t communicate with a wanderer with Telepathy, yet Wang Zikai was a special case. He could receive Telepathy.

Just in case, Nine Frost confirmed again.

Chen Ying went up to the trunk of the pickup truck and lifted the heavy boxes of bombs to the ground, enchanting them with level 4 Explosives Expert.

The Talent increased the power of the bombs by three times; a passive buff would last about two days, while the destructive power would be greater the closer the Talent owner personally detonated the bombs, as high as 8 to 10 times greater.

Chen Ying looked at Gao Xinxin and Gregor while enchanting the bombs. “You should return.”

“You should go, Gregor,” Gao Xinxin huffed. “I’ll stay.”

“No!” Gregor was so exasperated that he laughed. “How can I go if you don’t?!”

“Nice, Mr. Gregor. Only by knowing shame can you be courageous!” Zhang Wei couldn’t be happier. “Then let us go all out...”

“Stop making this about you.” Gregor shot back. “She still has my files. What should I do if she dies?!”

“You should head back with Mr. Gregor,” Hong Xiaoxiao urged. “If something happens to you, how should we explain to Captain?”

“If I die, I die. No need to explain,” Gao Xinxin held Hong Xiaoxiao eyes and said with determination. “All of you and my brother are risking your lives. Why am I exempt?”

Hong Xiaoxiao fell silent. She didn’t expect the girl to have made up her mind to this extent.

Actually, Gao Xinxin knew that the brave words were merely stubbornness. She couldn’t fight. She would only be dragging everyone down by staying here.

But she also knew that Gregor wouldn’t leave as long as she was here.

Even if Gregor insisted on not getting involved, his Pestilence served as a good threat to keep the enemies in check, and it would protect everyone.

She knew she was being shameless, but she couldn’t afford to care.

Soon, Chen Ying enchanted all the bombs, exhausting half of her energy. She let out a heavy exhale and nodded at Nainai. “It’s done.”

“Ha, is it time for this Empress to take the spotlight?”

Nainai rested a hand on her waist while pushing her mask to the top of her head with her other hand. She put on a pair of sunglasses.