Chapter 92: Bite Him!
She did not name it. She did not wish to bind herself to another responsibility yet.
But deep within the streams of divinity, the Unknown Cosmic Entity lingered, silent but unwavering.
***
The morning broke hazy and dim, as if even the sun hesitated to shine on a world that had descended into chaos. Ling Yu tiptoed, her steps measured as she followed Shen Ming along the cracked pavement that led deep inside the train station. Fluffy sat perched on her shoulder, its soft feathers puffed out, golden eyes darting warily at every sound.
The once-busy railway yard had been transformed into a crude camp, surrounded by barriers of scavenged metal, broken train doors, and even stripped car parts welded together. Guards loitered lazily by the entrance, holding jagged pipes and low-tier weapons. When Shen Ming appeared, they straightened immediately, bowing with feigned respect.
[System Notification.]
[You are entering a Green Zone.]
[Warning!]
[Safe Zone protections not guaranteed. Hostile actions may still occur de! depending on leadership authority.]
Ling Yu’s gaze swept across the threshold. Inside, the "green zone" was little more than a den of thugs disguised as a refuge. People huddled in corners, bruised and exhausted, their faces were pale from hunger and fear. Children clung to their mothers, too frightened to cry. The stronger survivors strutted about with arrogant grins, kicking the weak or demanding food from trembling hands.
Shen Ming smiled faintly, watching her as if trying to gauge her reaction. "Not very pleasant, is it?" he asked in a low tone, his voice smooth and practiced. "But these are the times we live in. Currently, there are too many people and too few resources. If I didn’t keep order, they would just end up devouring each other."
Ling Yu didn’t answer. Her gaze lingered on a thin boy struggling to drag a water bucket twice his size, only to be shoved aside by a thug who dumped the contents out to wash his own boots. The boy trembled, lips quivering, but didn’t dare resist.
Fluffy’s feathers bristled, a low trill vibrating in its chest.
[Fluffy expresses hostility toward this environment.]
[Fluffy believes Master should punish the bad men.]
Ling Yu gently brushed Fluffy’s head with her fingertips, signaling silence. The little creature huffed but leaned against her neck, still glaring at the men below.
Shen Ming noticed her attention. He clasped his hands behind his back and leaned closer, his handsome features carefully arranged into an expression of regret. "I see your heart is soft, Lady Ling. But you must understand—" His voice lowered into something almost conspiratorial. "There are too many mouths to feed. Mercy is a luxury leaders cannot afford. You, more than anyone, should know that. Isn’t that why your... attendants remained outside?"
He smirked faintly, probing.
Ling Yu’s expression didn’t shift, her voice calm. "They’re completing a task. We’ll regroup when the time is right."
That answer made Shen Ming narrow his eyes slightly, though the smile on his lips never wavered. "Ah, so independent yet disciplined. No wonder they call you ’Master.’"
Fluffy let out a sharp "krrt!" sound, glaring at him.
[Fluffy is bearing hostility toward Shen Ming.]
[Fluffy recommends biting his face.]
Ling Yu smothered a laugh, pressing her finger against Fluffy’s beak. "Behave."
The deeper they walked into the station, the worse the sight became. A group of women with gaunt faces was kneeling by makeshift cookfires, stirring pots that were filled with meager rations, boiled roots, and scraps of monster meat that gave off a pungent, metallic stench. The thugs nearby laughed at them, tossing bones at them like masters feeding dogs.
Ling Yu’s eyes never softened nor hardened; she only observed. Yet the silence of her gaze carried weight. Shen Ming noticed it again, and this time, his tone sharpened ever so slightly.
"Please don’t misunderstand, Lady Ling. I do what must be done. If I gave equal portions to everyone, this camp would collapse within days. Discipline requires sacrifice." His hand extended toward the crowd as if presenting a lesson. "Look at them all, because of me, they still breathe. But without me, they would already be corpses on the roadside."
Ling Yu tilted her head slightly, replying in a voice faint but cutting: "Or perhaps they are corpses already, only still moving."
The smile froze on his face for half a second before he smoothed it over.
They had nearly reached the central square when a sudden shriek tore through the camp.
"DON’T TOUCH ME! DON’T COME NEAR ME, AHHH!"
The scream was sharp, high-pitched, and filled with desperation, a sound that twisted through the air like a blade and pierced the hearts of everyone who heard it. It came from the farthest corner of the station, where shadows pooled and the old cargo sheds stood half-collapsed.
Instantly, the camp stirred. Some thugs laughed, some cursed, muttering something under their breath, and others looked away with expressions of unease, as though this wasn’t the first time such cries echoed from that direction.
Fluffy’s feathers flared, wings twitching as if ready to launch itself toward the noise.
[System Notification.]
[Detected anomaly in Green Zone.]
[Survivor activity inconsistent with standard refugee behavior.]
[Fluffy wants to investigate. Fluffy believes the scream belongs to someone in danger.]
Ling Yu’s eyes sharpened, though her steps remained unhurried. She turned toward the east corner.
Shen Ming raised a hand quickly, stepping in front of her path. "Lady Ling," he said smoothly, though his pupils flickered with something darker, "you need not trouble yourself. Just some... discipline is being applied to an unruly survivor. My men handle these matters."
Fluffy let out a furious cry, wings flapping against Ling Yu’s cheek.
[System: Fluffy demands immediate action!]
[System Note: Fluffy says Shen Ming smells bad.]
Ling Yu placed a hand over Fluffy’s head to steady it, her gaze on Shen Ming never wavering. Her lips curved slightly, though it wasn’t a smile; it was the calm, unreadable expression of someone who already knew more than she let on.