Unforgettable Hatred

Late at night.

Feng Qi strolled by the lake, lost in thought.

He pondered his plans for the future and the structure of human civilization.

Just then, a gentle breeze stirred, and he heard the sound of a harmonica drifting from a distance.

Looking up, he saw Mu Qing sitting with her knees bent under a willow tree by the lake, quietly playing. The harmonica in her hand was the silver one he had given her.

Without a word, he walked over to the grass beside Mu Qing, sat down quietly, and listened to her continue playing.

Compared to before, the melody had a little less sadness and a little more warmth.

The music flowed like a narrative, filled with various emotions. Beneath each note lay a calm yet resilient heart. His own emotions rose and fell with the melody, drawn into it.

A moment later, Mu Qing lowered the harmonica from her lips, brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, tucked it behind her ear, and looked at Feng Qi.

"Why did you give me a harmonica and treat me so well?"

"Because I understand what it feels like to miss someone when you see something that reminds you of them. This harmonica is a gift for a friend, and also a hope that you can step out of the shadows."

"You're an orphan too?" Mu Qing seemed a little surprised.

"They were warriors in a Domain Battle Squad. They went missing together during a domain exploration. Their teammates only found their tattered clothes and the weapons they carried. When I heard the news, I cried for several days and couldn't recover."

"Now my impression of them is a bit blurry, but I still feel a little sad whenever I think of them."

"What about you, how many days did you cry?" Feng Qi suddenly asked, looking at Mu Qing.

Mu Qing: ...

Seeing Feng Qi's curious gaze, Mu Qing hugged her knees and said softly:

"After they truly left, I didn't cry anymore. It was only when I saw the green radish on the windowsill wilting day by day from neglect, swaying in the wind, or when mosquitoes buzzed at night with no one to shoo them away, and no one to coax me to sleep, that I felt sharp pangs of pain and loneliness."

"But I'm used to it now, and my impression of them is also blurry." As Mu Qing spoke, there was no emotional fluctuation on her face.

"Stop pretending. You couldn't hold back when the harmonica broke that day. You cried terribly. You have to pretend to be strong every day, aren't you tired?"

Mu Qing: ...

Looking at Feng Qi's smiling face, Mu Qing felt as if she had been seen through and suddenly lowered her head.

"After graduating from Star City Academy, have you thought about what you want to do?"

Hearing his question, Mu Qing looked up again, nodded, and said:

"After graduating from the academy, I want to join a Domain Battle Squad, rush to the front lines against the domain invasion, and then sacrifice myself heroically one day, ending this life."

Hearing these words, Feng Qi couldn't help but be stunned.

If these words were Mu Qing's true thoughts, he couldn't understand why Mu Qing would eventually establish the "Dawn Rebels" and choose to be an enemy of humanity.

She even led the rebels to slaughter several human cities.

Thinking of this, he asked:

"Why do you want to rush to the front lines against the Domain Creatures?"

Hearing this, Mu Qing didn't answer directly but asked softly:

"You should know that I'm a Scavenger, right?"

"Yes," Feng Qi nodded.

"You're from the city, so you don't understand the hatred we Scavengers have for Domain Creatures. It's a memory etched in our bones, taught from childhood, never erased."

Hearing these words, Feng Qi suddenly remembered something Wang Jinsheng had said in class.

He said that in fighting against Domain Creatures, the most heroic were the Scavenger teams outside the city.

At that time in class, a student stood up and objected, thinking that the courage of city dwellers against domain monsters would not be weaker than that of Scavengers.

As a result, Wang Jinsheng's subsequent words left that student speechless.

He asked the students present:

"If you were imprisoned by a Domain Transcendent and forced to reveal detailed information about Star City, who among you could endure the torture and not leak secrets?"

"I think fifty percent, no, even eighty percent wouldn't be able to withstand the cruel torture of a Domain Transcendent, because your hearts lack the most crucial element: intense hatred for these invaders!"

"Put yourself in this situation: your happy life is suddenly shattered one day, your city is invaded by monsters, your mother's head is cut off by a monster, your father's limbs are twisted off and he is eaten by monsters, your pregnant wife's belly is cut open by a monster, your unborn daughter is taken out, and she is devoured in front of you..."

"Now back to the original question: after experiencing all that, you are imprisoned by a Domain Transcendent creature, its claws are pressed against your head, you feel intense pain all over, but will you not be able to bear it? Will you be afraid of death? Will you beg for mercy? At this moment, you wish you could swallow its flesh and blood alive, that kind of hatred explodes in your chest like fire."

"And what I just described is something many Scavengers have experienced. They were originally residents of the city, but suddenly one day their city was covered by a domain."

"To give an example, you all know Ye Huang among the Scavengers, right? You only know that he is one of the strong individuals recorded in history, but have you ever understood what he went through?"

"A family of seven, all died under the torture of domain monsters. His closest sister had her left hand torn off, then her right hand, then her legs... In the end, only he survived and walked out of the domain field. In the long journey of fighting against the domain invasion, over a hundred martyrs came from their Ye family. This kind of hatred has been passed down to this day. Can you understand that feeling?"

Feng Qi clearly remembered that at that moment, the entire class fell silent.

Just as Mu Qing said, the hatred of Scavengers for Domain Creatures is far deeper than that of city dwellers.

Without experiencing it, one would not understand that kind of hatred etched in the bones.

The stereotypical labels city dwellers have for Scavengers are brutal, greedy, and selfish, but they don't know the determination flowing in their blood and the spirit of stubborn resistance against Domain Creatures that has been passed down.

Thinking of this, he suddenly understood why Mu Qing's family was willing to participate in the Rune Modifier plan.

This was not only for Mu Qing's future but also to contribute their strength against the Domain invasion.

Although Mu Qing was still young at that time, she also understood this hatred and made her own choice to continue the unfinished experiment of her family, even if it meant death.

Thinking of this, he became even more confused as to why Mu Qing would betray humanity.

What exactly happened in that secret history that would make Mu Qing choose to stand against all of humanity?

"Feng Qi, what about you? What are your plans after graduation?"

At this moment, Mu Qing spoke, interrupting Feng Qi's thoughts.

Facing the question, Feng Qi grinned:

"Haven't thought about it yet. How about I establish a Domain Battle Squad, and then recruit you, this great expert, to be the deputy leader? We can team up to fight monsters, and then one day, we'll bravely sacrifice ourselves and become great heroes remembered by future generations."

Mu Qing: ...

"What, you don't want to team up with me?" Feng Qi asked curiously.

"Actually, I've also thought about forming a battle squad to fight against Domain Creatures. Perhaps you could be my deputy leader," Mu Qing smiled sweetly.

"Then life would truly have a sentence hanging over it."

It's uncertain how many years the sentence would be, but it would likely be the death penalty, Feng Qi thought to himself.

"What?" Mu Qing frowned slightly, her expression adorable.

"Nothing. Leader, remember to give me a good salary then so I can support my family."

"We are fighting for the future of humanity. Talking about money is vulgar."

"Hahaha, that makes sense."

The night breeze was gentle, and in their conversation, the two unknowingly grew closer in friendship.