Doomsday Wonderland c1-855

by N. Heller

  …Lin Sanjiu didn't have a good relationship with Irezumi.

  She didn't know when the invisible python caught her in its steel grip, and it was already too late by the moment she was aware. The python had coiled around her entire body, minus her legs and head. As the python began to constrict, the foreign cells inside Lin Sanjiu continued to alter her own cells. The combination of both had doubled the damage to her body and a trickle of blood lined her lips.

  "Where is your Higher Consciousness?" Magus pressed her upper torso out from the window. Her fingers had turned white from clenching too tight on the frame, "You're in dire straits and you're going to die. The time is ripe and you should unleash your Higher Consciousness—" Magus suddenly paused for a moment before moving on. "Alright, now, as long as you can keep that thing that Nüwa had left under control, I can help you to get rid of that bastard."

  Though Magus didn't finish her first sentence, it didn't hinder Lin Sanjiu to get the meaning between her words.

  It didn't really matter whether she was dead or alive if she couldn't put the cells under control. No, it's much better to say that Magus would probably want her dead at that time. After all, it's much easier to look for something from a stationary dead person than a living person. It was just what Magus didn't know was the thing Nüwa had left in her body was actually a sequence of cells.

  If she died, the cells would die as well.

  Although Lin Sanjiu wanted to say that to Magus, the python was overpowering her. She couldn't even breathe now, let alone talk. The voice that she desperately pushed out through her c.h.e.s.t cavity carried no meaning at all.

  Right now, the only route she had was to suppress the mutation as soon as possible and have Magus to deal with Irezumi. However, no matter how hard Lin Sanjiu tried to keep the foreign cells under control. The bony spikes remained standing staunchly at her back, showing no sign of disappearing at all.

  Even though her Higher Consciousness was abundant, she couldn't activate her [School of Higher Consciousness]. Half of it was due to her mind being contaminated by the crypt particle, the other reason being the key figure of managing her Higher Consciousness—Mrs. Manas—had gone missing. She now resembled a general with thousands of soldier and horse in her arsenal but found no way to command them. Hence, how was she supposed to suppress that sequence of cells?

  The unseeable python continued its constriction, squeezing more and more air out from her lungs. Her ribs were almost crushed, releasing a hair-raising popping sound into the air.

  While she was fighting back against the huge pressure, a thought suddenly swayed unbridled into her muddled mind.

  Hence, if she pushed herself until she was at the brink of death, could she, by any chances, be able to bludgeon the segment of foreign cells into submission and henceforth allowed her to control the cells with her Higher Consciousness?

  With that thought in mind, Lin Sanjiu began to stop resisting.

  … After she had waited for a few more seconds without blinking her eyes, Magus's expression slowly turned cold.

  When she tightened her jaw, her marionette lines deepened, and it somewhat exposed her age a little. She retracted her outstretched finger and turned around, seeming to have lost her interest in the fray below. She raised her eyelids and glared nonchalantly with her arms folded on her c.h.e.s.t at Qing Jiuliu, who had just woken up from his unconscious state.

  "It-its you…" Qing Jiuliu had just regained his consciousness since he wasn't as strong as Irezumi. He staggered to his feet, rubbing his temples to soothe the throbbing headache, "Where is Irezumi… What happened?"

  Magus didn't make any move. The coldness that was brought forth by her disappointment had turned her into an ice statue.

  "Your friend is dying," Magus said without looking at Qing Jiuliu. Her voice was low, layering with glacial, "... Whoever it is, both of them are dying."

  Qing Jiuliu was stunned. With questions in his mind, he scampered toward the window and looked down. When he saw the scene downstairs, his brain stopped functioning. Torn between surprise and perplexion, he peered at Magus.

  "If the girl died, the other man would not be living for long," Magus said softly, "...Because I'll be the one to kill him."

  "Wait a sec," Qing Jiuliu blinked his eyes as he was figuring out the complicated relationship between Lin Sanjiu, Magus, and Irezumi in his mind. "Are you an ally of Lin Sanjiu? Why don't you go and save her?"

  "...My kindness has a limit," Magus said through her tightened jaw.

  Even though Qing Jiuliu was confused by Magus, he realized that it wasn't the time to ask any more questions as the corner of his eyes had caught a glimpse of what was transpiring downstairs. He fingered the siren that was tied around his waist before stretching half of his body outside the window. "I'll be going ahead first," he said.

  "Oh, well, this is too high for me. I guess I'll be better off going down by stairs…" He turned his head to glance at the door of the suite. Then, he hesitated, "But would I make it on time if I go through the stairs?"

  Magus looked at him as if she was looking at a fool.

  "Ah, let's leave everything to God's hands. I'm going down now," Qing Jiuliu said through gritted teeth. He climbed up to the window frame and was frozen in place, "What is that?"

  Knitting her brows, Magus followed his gaze and then, she was too stupefied by the scene that met her vision.

  Since the python was invisible, they could see nothing but only Lin Sanjiu's deformed body. It was a horrible scene that would haunt anybody in their dreams. However, they realized something was different this time. Unbeknownst to any of them, Lin Sanjiu had stabbed her leg deep into the plain of grass, completely encasing her feet up to her ankles in the soil.

  "Oh?" Magus exclaimed as she lifted her brows. It was apparent that what Lin Sanjiu was going to do had stirred her interest again.

  With Lin Sanjiu's feet as the center, she sent two long projectiles hidden amongst the tall grass and rushed toward Irezumi. The blades of grass would shake as the two projectiles wove around the greens. It was too late when Irezumi realized something was not right.

  She fell to the ground with a plop and unrooted her feet from the soil.

  Two large white bone wh.i.p.s now replaced both of her legs. As the entire bone wh.i.p.s emerged from the soil and lifted Irezumi into the air, chunks of earth fell from the bone whip. Then, the bone whip bit deeper into Irezumi's feet. Acting like two arms, they flung him away into the distance as Qing Jiuliu stared slack-jawed.

  The bone whip contained an enormous amount of power. Irezumi was sent smashing through a couple of buildings before he finally disappeared into the horizon.

  Taking a breath, Lin Sanjiu got to her feet.

  As if under her command, the bone wh.i.p.s were retracting at speed noticeable for n.a.k.e.d human eyes. When she was standing straight, her human legs had returned and the two grisly bone wh.i.p.s were nowhere in sight.

  Qing Jiuliu was so shocked that he was ripped off of his ability to talk. He darted his gaze in between Lin Sanjiu and Magus, hoping either of them could give him an explanation. However, Magus paid no mind to him as the little figure below had had all her concentration. A seductive smile found its way and danced around her bright red lips, "... Attagirl."

  Hearing her voice, Lin Sanjiu lifted her head and looked up.

  "The thing is here," she said in a low voice. Her c.h.e.s.t was rising and falling vigorously from the battle, "... Where is my friend?"

  Magus smiled and snapped her finger. Following that, a window, one floor lower from where her suite was, opened from inside. Lin Sanjiu's heart tightened. Then, a familiar face appeared hesitantly from the back of the window.

  "You… Why, why are you here?" He muttered with his mouth filled with blood.

  Number 46 sighed.

  "I don't doubt you won't listen to my advice and I'm certain that you would come to look for your candidates," He fingered his bang and said softly. "I have seen everythin
g just now."

  "Urgh," Irezumi panted as he oriented himself into a sitting position. Then, he glowered, his face was full of aggravation, "Why don't you come out and help me to kill her, then?"

  Number 46 sighed again.

  "Do you know why we're forbidden from recruiting female candidates?"

  "Because our target might hide amongst the candidates, of course," Irezumi answered, frowning his brows.

  "So, is the target eliminated?"

  "... Yeah, she's dead."

  "So why we still can't have female candidates?" Number 46 said, crooking his head as he offered Irezumi a grin.

  Dumbfounded, Irezumi suddenly saw the light, "...You're right."

  Chapter 473 - Living Together Happily Ever After

  "So… You have been cleaning the room in here all this time?"

  Lin Sanjiu repeated the question after she had pressed down the raging emotions that surged in her heart when she finally had reconciled with Ji Shanqing.

  On a chair opposite to her, Ji Shanqing was sitting with his leg crossed, fingering the black bowtie and white apron on his body—Heaven knows when he had put on that outfit. He nodded in assent and added, "...And preparing meals."

  "Not so tasty, I would say," Magus lifted her index finger. "You still have a few more months before I was transferred to the next world. In the meantime, I suggest you read more cooking recipes."

  "What does that mean? Ji Shanqing can't leave yet?"

  Eye-widened, Lin Sanjiu darted her gaze back and fro in between Ji Shanqing and Magus, "Won't you be affected by the crypt particle when you eat the food? By the way, give me a reason why he cannot leave yet."

  "Reason?" Magus wasn't J7 so she wouldn't answer all of her questions. Shrugging her shoulders, she replied matter-of-factly, "He fooled me with a fake visa. I spared his life. It's normal for him to do something to make up for my loss in exchange."

  "But you've promised me you would return him to me."

  Magus replied with a smile, and her eyes were glistening with light, "Yeah, but it's he who decided to stay and atone for everything he has done. I didn't force him to stay, though."

  Lin Sanjiu stared at Ji Shanqing.

  The grand prize was instantly awash by awkwardness. He leaned nearer to Lin Sanjiu and whispered into her ear, "Sis, I have made a pact to keep myself alive when I fall into her hand. I have to be her servant until she leaves this world. I cannot leave until I have completed all my obligations as mentioned in the agreement."

  "Obligations? What kind of obligation and what kind of agreement was that?"

  Lin Sanjiu shoot a gaze at Magus with a face full of questions. The latter just threw her hands up as if she wasn't the person who'd caused this predicament. Without waiting for Lin Sanjiu to say anything, Magus then said, sounding as if she had run out of patience, "Alright, alright. If you don't want that little thing to be my servant, you or the sweetheart over there could take over his place. It doesn't really matter for me."

  Qing Jiuliu was almost choked by his cigarette when Magus suddenly called his name.

  Magus lifted her chin. The smile remained fixed on her face, but her tone had made the three of them stiffen, and their hearts tightened, "Okay, it's time for some proper business. You said the thing Nüwa left in your body is a segment of cells?" Magus asked, sweeping her gaze from one face to another before finally stopping at Lin Sanjiu, "...And you can control the cells now?"

  "No, I can control it only under the circ.u.mstances where I'm on the verge of death," Lin Sanjiu stopped at this point and frowned. She was contemplating whether or not she should confess everything to Magus. However, her hesitation was swift, and she began to speak again, "But honestly, I could control it just now was because I had taken advantages over its fear of death and survival instinct. Right now, I have totally no confidence in forcing it out from my body."

  "You're such an honest kid," Magus nodded. Then, she smiled. Perhaps something about her had loosened Lin Sanjiu's defense, she heaved a long sigh of relief, for she had told the truth.

  "I have been thinking about the same thing… Nüwa uses her Higher Consciousness to command and suppress segment of cells from ravaging your body. Thus, in the end, I suppose you have to use your Higher Consciousness as well if you wanted to expel that thing out of your body."

  Lin Sanjiu assented with a frown. The problem now was that she couldn't use her Higher Consciousness. The cells were something from the "neuhume," and when Lin Sanjiu thought she would one day become a grotesque monster like them in the future, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Right now, she was more than willing to pass this hot potato to Magus.

  "How am I going to expel it out for you?"

  "I guess we have to start from the basic," Magus nodded her chin at Qing Jiuliu, sending him a signal to lit her a cigarette. "You'll have to resume your Higher Consciousness developmental pathway."

  "So I need to wake Mrs. Manas up?" It awakened her spirit, and she quickly asked, "Do you know how?"

  "There is no ready-made solution," Magus flicked ashes into an ashtray. The smoke she puffed out entwined around her bright lips as if it was reluctant to leave her mouth. She cast a sidelong glance at the few people and offered them a grin, "But, I can provide all the help you need. I can help you to reestablish the link to your Higher Consciousness developmental pathway, and I can help you to cultivate, train, or even develop your other abilities. After all, you have been a great help to me."

  Shocked, Lin Sanjiu almost couldn't believe what she had heard. The segment of foreign cells that Nüwa had left in her body had been keeping Mrs. Manas busy all the time, refraining her from properly coaching Lin Sanjiu on how to harness power from her Higher Consciousness; hence her improvement was always so slow. Right now there was somebody of Puppeteer's and Hei Zeji's caliber going to teach her all of these. Regardless of her motive, Lin Sanjiu felt she should take up the offer.

  "What should I do now, then?" She asked, layering her words with avidity.

  "Right now… pick a room that you feel the most comfortable within this edifice."

  Lin Sanjiu didn't understand her words.

  "What? Do you think this is an easy task that could be done within a few days? That freak has her hand in your mind, and she's ready to strike back whenever she wants. Of course, I will try my best to help you in the fastest way and settle everything before I leave this world."

  As Magus was talking, she was getting on her feet, stepping on the velvet carpet with her slender legs enveloped in pantyhose. She stretched her body sensually and yawned, "...Don't stare at me like a bunch of fools. It makes me feels like I'm the headmaster of a mentally handicapped children welfare home."

  Every gesture Magus made had that kind of charismatic aura about her. It was precisely that kind of emanation that made people feel bland and pale in comparison whenever they were standing in the same space with her. A lock of glossy gold hair dangled at the side of her face as she curled her lips upward, "I need somebody to sweep away these glass shards… Any volunteers?"

  Specifically speaking, this should be Ji Shanqing's work. However, although the bowtie-and-apron outfit matched him very well, Lin Sanjiu couldn't steel up herself to allow a six-month-old toddler—her grand prize that had just returned to her not long ago—to work as a janitor. Then, she turned her head aside, only to find that Qing Jiuliu was now hugging his wine bottle in his embrace, fast asleep. He probably had fallen asleep the moment he heard Magus wanted somebody to clean her room.

  "You're a lousy actor," Lin Sanjiu scolded, but Qing Jiuliu, the proclaimed award-winning actor, remained sleeping.

  Sighing, Lin Sanjiu massaged her temples and said, "...I'll do it."

  As if she had known the outcome all along, Magus gave Lin Sanjiu a knowing grin before she picked up a pair of shoes and walked toward the door. As she was walking, she shouted, "The night is coming. Ask the little one to show you the way to the kitchen to prepare my dinner… Oh, don't forget that my food needs
to be gluten-free."

  Without giving Lin Sanjiu any chance to ask any question, she spun her head around, facing the trio when she arrived at the door, "Oh, there's one more thing."

  The trio in the room raised their heads concurrently.

  "Please get rid of that stupid."

  With that, Magus left the room. It seemed that she was confident that Lin Sanjiu wouldn't escape with the other two people in the room.

  Lin Sanjiu would indeed not escape now. Frowning, she murmured under her breath, "Which stupid is she talking about?"

  Suddenly, from the window came an ominous wind. Then, a figure landed on the floor with a loud thud. Frightened, the three of them instinctively leaped backward to increase the distance between them and the shadow.

  When the face of the shadow came into view, Lin Sanjiu quickly called her bone whip out from her wrist. At the same time, Ji Shanqing and Qing Jiuliu had taken cover a few steps behind Lin Sanjiu. All of them had vigilant looks on their faces.

  As if he had sensed the dense atmosphere in the room, Irezumi slowly got to his feet. His brows were tightly locked at the center of his forehead, and his wounds seemed much more severe than those of Lin Sanjiu. Walking in an unsteady gait, he eyed the room. Then, with a solemn look, he waved his hand, "...Don't be so tensed up. It's just a misunderstanding."

  Lin Sanjiu blinked her eyes, but she didn't move.

  "I have met with the other arbiter. He told me that we could actually have female candidates. In other words, everything remains the same—I'm your arbiter, you all are my candidates, and we're going to continue the trial."

  "Is it Number 46?" The cool-headed and confident face of Number 46 swayed into Lin Sanjiu's mind. She let out a sigh of relief and retracted the bone whip. Her skin covered the hole where the bone whip emerged, and it looked nothing different from how it usually was.