Wriggling City

The subway station was only about a kilometer from the neighborhood where Xiao Xiao lived, but getting there meant crossing a bustling plaza. It was already late, yet six or seven students who looked like middle schoolers were sitting in scattered groups along the railings at the edge of the plaza. They had tied their uniforms around their waists. Some had dyed their hair an eye-catching white, some wore enormous silver earrings, and some had rolled their pant legs high, exposing dense tattoos.

They shared cigarettes and passed bottles of alcohol between them. When they saw Xiao Xiao and Yang Jia approaching, they all stopped their horseplay in unspoken agreement and turned to stare at them expressionlessly.

Neither Xiao Xiao nor Yang Jia met their gazes. They slowly walked past them.

The youths in this city were all filled with anger. Even adults could not look directly at them without risking an unnecessary fight.

After they had gone some distance, mocking laughter and whistles rang out behind them. Those people seemed to be announcing their victory.

Yang Jia accompanied the seemingly dazed Xiao Xiao out of the subway station. She quietly stayed by his side, making no attempt to interrupt the surging fear and distortion in his heart.

Only after they had left those angry, combative youths far behind did she slowly take out a cigarette and light it, then glance gently at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao did not smoke, but when he saw the cigarette, he instinctively reached for it. After lighting it, Yang Jia simply handed it over and slipped it into his mouth.

The mint-flavored cigarette made Xiao Xiao cough violently, but it seemed to get his numb mind turning again.

"What exactly is this?"

"..."

His voice was hoarse as he asked a question that lacked any specifics.

"Just as you've seen."

Yang Jia said softly, "We live in a living city. Its will is watching us at all times!"

"Some people say that a powerful, indescribable life-form dragged us into this false and insane world. It has everything familiar from our memories, but its essence is alive."

"Others say that our world was invaded by this unknown life-form, which devoured our city."

"There are believers in both explanations, and they've each found evidence to support their beliefs. But we believe the former, so we call ourselves outlanders."

"At least, if we understand it that way, our homeland still exists. We just can't return."

"..."

Xiao Xiao did not understand why Yang Jia had specifically explained the two theories. As far as he was concerned, no matter which was true, neither changed the insane and terrifying reality.

The city was alive...

How could a life-form exist in the form of a living city?

"For some higher-level life-forms, existing in any form is possible. We simply can't understand it."

Yang Jia seemed to guess what he was thinking. She said softly, "Of course, our goal right now is merely to learn how to survive in a city like this."

"Survive?"

The word seemed to strike Xiao Xiao, and he found it absurd.

"How do we survive?"

He even found it ridiculous. "We're in a world full of monsters. Even the city we're in is just a monster..."

"Of course, suicide is also an option."

Yang Jia smiled and said softly, "The gun is still in your hand. Whether you want to kill yourself or keep it for self-defense, that's a path you're free to choose."

The answer surprised Xiao Xiao. It seemed she had given it serious thought.

Yang Jia appeared to wait seriously for a moment. When Xiao Xiao made no attempt to put a bullet through his own head, a smile gradually appeared on her face. She nodded lightly. "Looks like you've chosen to live."

"Yes. To keep living."

"Even when there's no reason at all to go on, wanting to keep living is our most precious quality!"

"After all, as long as we're alive, we can always slowly find a reason."

"..."

"I really don't want to die..."

Xiao Xiao answered the question frankly, but his gaze at Yang Jia was somewhat downcast. "How am I supposed to keep living, then?"

He looked back at the group of truants. They seemed to have surrounded a homeless man and were kicking him around mockingly in a circle, playing with the snakeskin bag containing his belongings.

"This city is full of monsters. How do we survive?"

He raised the pistol Yang Jia had given him. "With this? Can it really do the job?"

"That's a separate question."

Yang Jia smiled. "Once you've decided to live, of course you have to work toward that goal."

As she spoke, she turned slightly and walked over to an old ATM by the roadside. Looking at Xiao Xiao, she smiled. "Besides, we can find a way to curry favor with 'him,' can't we?"

"Curry favor?"

Xiao Xiao looked incredulously at the city's towering, uneven buildings and its lights as deep as the sea.

"Yes."

Yang Jia said, "As a life-form, everything we usually see, including the people playing all sorts of roles, is part of this city."

"Sometimes this city gets sick, giving rise to Aberrant Creatures that can easily cause disasters. Or it may be affected by other mysterious wills, which in turn affect both the city and the 'people' living in it."

"And 'he' needs us to help him resolve these problems."

"As long as we're willing to carry out his will and cure his illnesses, we can earn his goodwill."

"His malice makes it impossible for us to take a single step in this city. Monsters are everywhere. But his goodwill can give us everything."

Xiao Xiao followed her and looked at the ATM before them.

There were many marks from blows on the old ATM, along with exaggerated graffiti. Its camera swept over him like an eye.

He waited two seconds. Suddenly, the display on the ATM began flickering rapidly, as if the power were unstable. Soon, dark-red shadows and tangled lines interwove and rearranged themselves into a block of text.

Name: Xiao Xiao

Age: 21

Contract: Low-level

Points: 30

...

Xiao Xiao was startled and abruptly raised his head. "What is this?"

"It's the city's goodwill toward you."

Yang Jia smiled softly. "Malice can't be measured, but goodwill can be calculated."

"You just helped this city deal with a Rat-Man... Well, you fired the finishing shot, so I suppose it counts as you dealing with it too."

"...So you earned his goodwill, and this kind of goodwill is usually reflected in the form of points."

"Until those points are used up, you usually won't feel the city's hostility again. That way, everyone you encounter will continue playing their roles..."

"...You can even pretend that nothing about your life has changed."

"..."

Xiao Xiao found it absurd for a moment. He wanted to ask how anyone could treat living among beings that all looked human but were actually monsters as though nothing had happened.

But when the words reached his lips, he suddenly fell silent. Had he really known what they were beneath their appearances before?

"You'll get used to it."

Seeing his hesitation, Yang Jia remained relaxed. She tapped the ATM for him and said, "Go home and get a good night's sleep."

"Remember these points. They're the most important thing we have."

"Tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone more professional to teach you how to use these points to strengthen yourself."

"But I hope you'll prepare yourself properly."

"..."

She turned around and looked at Xiao Xiao seriously. "In this city, the only way we can stay alive is by solving his problems and curing this city's illnesses."

"But I have to admit, some things are truly terrifying. Neither you nor I can guarantee that we'll survive the nightmare-like monsters we'll face in the future."

"That's also why I wouldn't have stopped you if you'd chosen to shoot yourself in the head just now."

"For us, staying alive isn't any easier than shooting ourselves."

"..."

The ATM spat out a card with a dark-red surface, its texture and feel resembling flesh and sinew.

Xiao Xiao took it in his hand. Standing at the subway entrance, he watched Yang Jia's figure slowly disappear into the hazy streetlight. Only after a long while did he slowly turn and walk home.

When he reached the dark, deep alley, he looked up.

When he had just accompanied Yang Jia out of the alley, he had not felt anything in particular.

But now that he was returning, it felt as if he were about to walk into a gigantic mouth.

The three vicious dogs in the neighboring yard seemed to have ghostly fire flickering in their eyes as they stared eerily at him.

Behind the white curtains on the second floor, the Old Gramophone let out hoarse cries, like a suffering soul struggling in hell.

At the end of the alley, the Butcher stood three meters tall in an apron spattered with blood. He cradled a chainsaw covered in scraps of flesh and blood and stared fixedly at the prey hanging on the meat rack.

Xiao Xiao stood in the very middle of the alley, letting those countless cold gazes and strange sensations intertwine over him. He felt tangible fear burrow into his heart, yet he remained silent for a long time.

He simply stood motionless in the darkness without saying a word, stubbornly existing.

He had struggled through fear and pain for four years, barely surviving in a cramped bedroom.

He had endured countless torments, weathered innumerable nightmares, trained his concentration, and forced himself to adapt to thinking normally under immense pressure.

He had done all that just to return to this world.

And now, he had finally done it. He could finally leave his home and walk normally through the streets.

But the world had already been stolen away?

At that moment, an exasperated flame suddenly rose in Xiao Xiao's heart. Facing the enormous, writhing city before him, he felt an urge to make it give his world back...

...But after a long while, all he did was lower his head and slowly walk toward his bedroom.

Haha, I saw the comments earlier. A lot of readers think this is somewhat similar to the Beasts setting, but it really isn't. I've been preparing Old Ghost for quite a long time. I only want to bring everyone something fresh and try something different.

After saying all that, can I get a Golden Alliance supporter? If not, monthly votes and recommendation votes work too.