Rabbits are dangerous

Variants were classified into levels I-VI, along with various lesser creatures. But that classification reflected only what humanity currently knew. Human understanding, after all, was always limited.

The base's latest assignment involved a level II variant. Li Weisen's Second Team had originally been dispatched, but given his limited combat experience, Lei Ouyan had been assigned to accompany him.

Their destination was the Chaozhou Desert, between First Base and Third Base. It had always been uninhabited. Now it was a land of utter silence.

A gust swept up the sand, forming a small tornado.

Several fighter aircraft touched down. Li Weisen jumped out with a cigarette between his lips, adjusted his uniform and weapons, and was about to move out when a blast of sand hit him square in the face.

Li Weisen swore. "Who the fuck..."

A black fighter landed smoothly, blocking his path. Its cockpit opened, revealing half of Lei Ouyan's face. He had done it on purpose.

Li Weisen cut himself off, his expression twisting into a sneer. "What are you doing here?"

Lei Ouyan did not even look at him. "Watching you die," he said softly, casually.

"You!" Li Weisen was so furious that he bit through his cigarette. "Don't tell me you're picking a fight with me over a rabbit?"

Lei Ouyan jumped nimbly out of the cockpit. "I just don't like people touching what's mine."

Li Weisen sneered. "Lei Ouyan, even if there was nothing wrong with your rabbit before, it's been bitten by a variant now. It won't live much longer! You can't save it."

Instead, Lei Ouyan suddenly asked, "Don't you always obey the restricted zone's regulations?"

Li Weisen had known perfectly well that the rabbit was under the Development Team's protection, yet he had sent it to the Variant Prison. He had no answer to that, but surely a repeat offender like Lei Ouyan had no right to lecture him?

Li Weisen laughed. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

Only then did Lei Ouyan look at him, casting a languid glance his way. There was no obvious emotion in it, yet it seemed lethally sharp. An inexplicable chill ran through Li Weisen.

Lei Ouyan said nothing. He stepped down from the fighter in silence, brushed straight past Li Weisen, and headed forward.

Chris's voice came through the communicator, directing the operation. "Li Weisen, stop him!"

They were facing a level II variant this time. Its danger could not be underestimated. However powerful Lei Ouyan was, he was still alone. They could not take that risk.

Li Weisen hesitated for a few seconds before shouting, "Lei Ouyan!"

Lei Ouyan stopped. "Look after yourself."

"I wasn't trying to stop you." Li Weisen lifted his chin arrogantly. "I'm just warning you. Go get yourself killed if you want, but I'm bringing every single person I brought here back alive. Don't you dare drag any of them down with you."

"I hope you keep your word." Lei Ouyan walked on without looking back, disappearing into the blowing sand.

Li Weisen turned and headed in the opposite direction. The furious wind swept up the yellow sand, drawing a raging torrent between them.

The two most promising young men at NAT Base were also its most irreconcilable enemies.

Li Weisen had little combat experience and a level I rating, meaning he had defeated a level I variant alone. Lei Ouyan's combat rating was level III. He had once fought a level III variant alongside the captain of the Second Team.

It had been the bloodiest battle since NAT's founding. The human forces had suffered devastating casualties, almost to the last person. Only Chris and Lei Ouyan had returned. Even the body of the Second Team captain who had led them into battle had never made it back to the base.

Li Weisen would never forget the footage he had seen at headquarters. He would never forget that Lei Ouyan had killed the captain with his own hands.

The variant detector placed their target thirty meters beneath the center of the Chaozhou Desert. According to their intelligence, it was an earth-type variant, making its core difficult to locate.

After spending some time searching, the group discovered a small mound resembling a volcanic crater. They reported it and decided to break through there.

"Prepare the underground combat pod and the power belt. Pinpoint its location first, then lure it to the surface," Chris said over the communicator. "Keep reporting your position."

"I know."

Li Weisen put on his equipment and activated the combat pod. Its nose spun rapidly, drilling through the soil and plunging underground. Then the nose changed shape, extending two sharp blades that sliced through the sand like a streak of light, clearing a path ahead.

They were already thirty meters underground when Chris noticed something. "We've detected an underground cavity ahead. Watch out for lesser creatures. Wait..."

The signal seemed poor. Li Weisen could no longer make out what Chris was saying. He called out twice and received no response. The connection had cut out completely.

How did this happen? Li Weisen focused. Visibility ahead was terrible, like a bottomless sewer. He could see nothing. He should have turned back at a time like this, but...

Li Weisen glanced behind him. He was going forward.

Just as Chris had said, plenty of lesser creatures harried him along the way. Fortunately, they were weak, and Li Weisen handled them easily at first. But the farther he went, the stranger the atmosphere became. The combat pod slowed, as if something had tangled around it.

Suddenly-bang! Li Weisen had no idea what he had hit. The pod instantly lost its balance. He activated emergency mode, but it did nothing. An immense force squeezed the pod from outside while lesser creatures swarmed over it, attacking relentlessly. In desperation, Li Weisen picked a passage at random. It felt as though he had been swept into a raging current. Eventually, the pod went completely out of control, tumbled several times, and fell into a cavern.

The impacts left Li Weisen dizzy and dazed. An alarm sounded. He had to get out immediately, or both he and the machine would be destroyed.

But the pod's electrical system had failed completely, and the emergency system was malfunctioning too. Opening the hatch by hand was impossible. It was jammed solid.

Despair filled the cramped space. Li Weisen felt like a drowning man, struggling harder only to find it harder to breathe. But he would not give up.

Unless he truly died, unless his soul left his body, he would never stop fighting to live.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Everything around him fell still, like a tsunami subsiding into silence. Li Weisen froze, then tried pushing the hatch again. It moved!

He immediately kicked it open and struggled out. Almost simultaneously, the pod caught fire. The blast sent Li Weisen rolling some distance forward. Then came a boom-the pod exploded.

One second later... Still shaken, Li Weisen turned his head in a daze.

Lei Ouyan stood behind him, weapon still in hand. His expression was remarkably calm, as though he had just watched a boring acrobatics show rather than a fellow soldier narrowly escape death.

What Li Weisen hated most was that perpetual detachment, as though none of this concerned him. He stood, clenched his fists, and asked hoarsely, reluctantly, "Why did you help me?"

"I wouldn't call it helping," Lei Ouyan said. "Your dying here would be a nuisance."

"Don't think I'll thank you."

"I don't." Lei Ouyan looked at him and, seemingly concerned that he might mistake it for politeness, asked, "Do you know where we are?"

Only then did Li Weisen take in their surroundings. It was a dark, damp cavern. He could hear dripping water and slow, drawn-out breaths. Even the uneven walls seemed to contract and pulse faintly.

"Could this be..." Li Weisen had thought they were merely approaching the variant's core, but Lei Ouyan said, "We're inside its stomach."

The rest of Li Weisen's sentence stuck in his throat. He was a little frightened, but Lei Ouyan showed no reaction, so he forced himself to hold firm. "But when I came in, I didn't encounter anything..."

"The passage you came through was probably its navel," Lei Ouyan said. "This is its abdominal cavity. There's undigested food farther ahead."

Li Weisen's stomach churned. He fought it down and looked around again. Wait-if this enormous, empty cavern was only its abdominal cavity, how big was this variant?

Lei Ouyan seemed to read his mind. "The entire desert might be its body."

Now Li Weisen was truly stunned. He had never imagined he would be eaten before the battle even began. His expression turned ugly as he looked at Lei Ouyan and reluctantly forced out, "What now?"

Lei Ouyan glanced at the wrecked combat pod behind him. "It won't ignore a disturbance in its belly."

"Then now..." Before Li Weisen could finish his frosty reply, a massive rush of air poured in. It nearly knocked him over, and he struggled with all his strength to stay upright.

Countless small variants were mixed into that hurricane, like a swarm of bees.

Both men immediately went into combat, but there were too many. They came in an endless, ferocious stream. Lei Ouyan could still hold his own, but Li Weisen was utterly overwhelmed. Getting in had already drained some of his strength.

"Follow me if you don't want to die."

Lei Ouyan ignited a blaze as he spoke, forming a wall that temporarily held back the frenzied swarm. Then he headed toward a particular chamber. Li Weisen followed, unable to understand his intentions. There was nothing here.

"Give me your blade."

Li Weisen hesitated. It was his family's ancestral blade. Reluctantly, he handed it over, only to watch Lei Ouyan plunge it into the wall without the slightest care.

"Could you..." Before he could say be more careful, the wall drew his attention. It was not a wall at all, but the variant's muscle tissue. Lei Ouyan cut an opening, and black blood gushed out. Only a thin layer of connective tissue remained where the solid wall had been.

Of course-it was the variant's body. But wouldn't this hurt it even more?

"What are you doing?" Li Weisen looked at Lei Ouyan, who remained perfectly composed. "Get in."

"You want me to... squeeze through there?" Li Weisen looked even greener. "That's disgusting!"

The wall of fire behind them would not last long. The swarm would soon surge forward again. Unwilling to waste words, Lei Ouyan simply tossed Li Weisen's treasured blade inside. Li Weisen practically steamed with rage. "You fucking-"

Throw me in if you've got the guts! Why throw my blade?

But for someone like Li Weisen, throwing his blade really was the most effective method. He stopped arguing and plunged in headfirst.

Only then did he realize that the wound was healing at an incredible speed. The membrane grew firmer, like rubber. With all dignity abandoned, Li Weisen pushed face-first against it until his features distorted, finally forcing his way through. He was about to turn and enjoy Lei Ouyan's struggle when the other man slipped effortlessly through the gap he had just made.

Lei Ouyan lightly dusted himself off, completely unscathed. Li Weisen's hair practically stood on end with rage. He looked around. "Where are we?"

Lei Ouyan was not sure either. Perhaps the spleen. But what they needed to do-the only thing they could do-was find the heart.

That meant repeatedly passing through its organs. The pain would only enrage it further, putting them at a disadvantage. But they had no better option.

Sure enough, the variant seemed to start moving. Their previously stable surroundings suddenly shook violently, and another swarm descended. They were like bacteria, beset by countless immune cells attacking in relentless waves, each fiercer than the last.

They kept slicing through internal organs, moving from one to another. Worst of all, sometimes they ended up back where they had started. They still could not find the heart.

"Maybe it doesn't have a heart?" Panting, Li Weisen sliced open another wall for the umpteenth time, his movements much more practiced now. He was about to plunge through headfirst when he abruptly found himself face-to-face with something. Holy shit!

Li Weisen stumbled back several steps, and Lei Ouyan steadied him. A giant squid crawled out of the opening.

"Did it get swallowed?"

"No." Lei Ouyan did not seem certain either. They would have to deal with it first.

The squid proved even harder to handle than expected. It had ten limbs, and any injuries healed rapidly without affecting it at all, as though this was not its real body, merely an illusion.

Three limbs attacking at once distracted Lei Ouyan. He heard Li Weisen's voice cut off and turned to find him caught. The squid's limbs constricted around him, as if intent on strangling him to death.

"Lei..."

Lei Ouyan could not reach him, and there was no time. He aimed his gun at the squid's head and fired. Boom! The entire space shook. The squid's head burst apart, but it quickly grew another, almost completely unharmed.

Something suddenly clicked for Lei Ouyan. He turned his gun in the exact opposite direction and fired again. The bullet struck the inner wall, burrowed in, and exploded. The squid let out a piercing shriek and actually released its grip.

So Lei Ouyan's guess was right. This squid was probably the variant itself. It had simply manifested another version of itself inside its own body.

Their real target was still this body. Li Weisen lay on the ground coughing uncontrollably before finally catching his breath. He could not quite wrap his mind around it. After a long moment, he managed, "No nesting dolls allowed."

The squid quickly lunged at them again, limbs flailing. They could not keep this up, especially with Li Weisen injured. Lei Ouyan hauled him up and sliced through the wall ahead into another organ. By chance, his combat pod was parked there.

Lei Ouyan shoved Li Weisen inside.

"What are you doing?" Li Weisen realized his intention. His own combat pod was wrecked. Only Lei Ouyan's remained, yet he was giving it to him. "Sending me away so you can play the hero? Dream on!"

Li Weisen tried to struggle free as he spoke. Lei Ouyan held him down, his tone no gentler than usual, still as cold as ever. "Get out if you don't want to die. Tell Chris. She'll know what to do."

"You..."

The squid soon followed. A long limb lashed at them like a whip, knocking them apart. Li Weisen stopped hesitating and activated the combat pod.

Lei Ouyan drew the squid's attention. One of its limbs coiled around his arm, immobilizing him. Just then, Li Weisen's blade fell from above, severing the limb and freeing him for the moment. It plunged straight into the ground, its frost-bright edge gleaming coldly.

"We're even." Li Weisen looked at Lei Ouyan and said coolly, "Remember to return my blade."

Qin Miaomiao had no idea how many days had passed when he woke. He opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling under the cool lights, then examined his furry hands. Just as expected, he was still a rabbit.

Only then did the nightmarish memories slowly return. Qin Miaomiao sat bolt upright. He was still alive?

Hadn't that monster stomped him flat? Hadn't he swallowed a ball of something? Hadn't... hadn't he seen Lei Ouyan at the end?

Had it not been a dream? Had Lei Ouyan really saved him? He checked himself over. His injuries seemed gone, and he could move around perfectly well.

Qin Miaomiao craned his neck and looked around. He seemed to be in an incubator. White walls and a few simple furnishings surrounded him. It looked like a hospital, but Lei Ouyan was nowhere to be seen.

Qin Miaomiao's ears drooped in disappointment. Then he caught a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he saw an unfamiliar young man in a white coat. His yellow hair curled slightly, soft, wispy bangs resting against his forehead, a few strands flicking up behind his ears. His skin was fair, his features delicate, and his amber eyes clear and gentle. He resembled a languid cat. His gaze held a hint of anxiety and caution, as if he feared frightening the rabbit. Or perhaps frightening himself.

Qin Miaomiao was stunned. How could a boy be so beautiful? It was nothing like Lei Ouyan's cold handsomeness or Li Weisen's dashing looks. This was pure beauty, touched with fragility.

Yet for some reason-perhaps his encounters with Lei Ouyan and Li Weisen had made him afraid of humans-Qin Miaomiao felt the same fear upon seeing him. His resistance was like a colony of tiny ants touching antennae, passing along a single message: Stay away from him.

"Don't be afraid. I'm the doctor here. I won't hurt you." The young man smiled, tilting his head. His eyes curved into crescents when he smiled. "My name is Shi Jinse. It's nice to meet you."

Qin Miaomiao still refused to approach him, pressing tightly against the incubator's glass.

Shi Jinse gave an awkward smile but did not push further. He brought food and water and set them within reach. "I'll leave for now, then. Have something to eat."

Then he really did leave.

Left alone in the room, Qin Miaomiao finally worked up the courage to climb out of the incubator. His stomach growled right on cue. He scampered over in two bounds. Shi Jinse had left carrots, his current favorite food.

No rabbit could resist food. Qin Miaomiao took a bite, and sweetness spread through his mouth. He sat down and ate until his belly was round. The emptiness he had felt upon waking seemed filled too. He was an energetic rabbit again!

The door suddenly opened. Qin Miaomiao's ears pricked up.

Shi Jinse stood in the doorway, looking anxious and a little apologetic. "May I come in?"

Qin Miaomiao had not expected anyone to respect a rabbit's wishes so much. He nodded. Shi Jinse froze too, apparently surprised that the rabbit really understood human speech.

But anxiety quickly replaced his surprise. He entered, closed the door, and pressed his back firmly against it. His eyes darted around as he muttered, "What do I do? The junior captain's people are here. They want to take you away, but Mia told me to keep you safe. What do I do now?"

The junior captain? Li Weisen?

Just hearing his name-or even his title-made Qin Miaomiao ache all over. The terror of being beaten remained vivid. He curled up nervously. Why did they still want to bully him? Qin Miaomiao was so frightened he nearly cried.

Shi Jinse came over, looking helpless, as though he had no idea how to stroke a rabbit to reassure him. Cautiously, he rubbed his hands warm before gently stroking Qin Miaomiao's back. "Don't worry. I promised Mia. I'll get you out."

Qin Miaomiao lifted his head a little. Perhaps it was because he had eaten Shi Jinse's carrots, or because someone was stroking him so gently for the first time, but his initial resistance vanished completely. Besides, Shi Jinse was the same sort of boy as him: thin and weak. Qin Miaomiao even felt a little kinship.

He hesitated, then hopped into Shi Jinse's palm.

Shi Jinse froze. He cradled the rabbit as though holding a precious treasure, unable to hide the excitement and astonishment in his eyes. He looked ready to run around announcing, I finally have a rabbit!

The noises outside grew louder. Carrying the rabbit, Shi Jinse hurried back and forth but could not find a suitable hiding place. In the end, the rabbit simply burrowed into his pocket.

As the door swung open, Shi Jinse wiped the sweat from his temple and pretended to examine empty air with his stethoscope. Smiling stiffly, he addressed the newcomers. "What's the matter?"

A group of black-clad inspectors entered. Their leader looked vicious. "Where's the rabbit?"

"What's a rabbit..."

Even through a layer of clothing, Qin Miaomiao could feel how awkward the atmosphere was.

"...Weren't you treating it? That rabbit was bitten by a variant. We're supposed to take it into custody and monitor it in the laboratory, so we can dispose of it immediately if it mutates."

The laboratory again... Qin Miaomiao was practically allergic to that word now, almost having a stress response. He curled into a ball. As though sensing something, Shi Jinse slipped a hand into his pocket and gently stroked his back. The warmth seemed to turn into a soft breeze, seeping through his back into his heart.

"Oh, that white thing!" Shi Jinse looked as though realization had dawned. His eyes narrowed in a smile. "It died under my care."

"..." The inspector was clearly thrown. He was about to speak when an alarm sounded. Shi Jinse immediately stood. "Ah... a patient. I have to go. Whatever you gentlemen need, we can discuss it when I get back."

What doctor fled to a patient like that, carrying nothing but a stethoscope? The inspectors were not fools. Their leader quietly ordered, "Stay on him. If you see the rabbit, seize it."

Shi Jinse was even more scatterbrained than Qin Miaomiao had imagined. He ducked and hid along the way, muttering, "Ah, I don't think this is right. Did I take a wrong turn? Left or right..."

Qin Miaomiao could not help wondering whether this man really was a doctor. And was he actually reliable?

"Found it!" Shi Jinse suddenly stopped. Qin Miaomiao poked his ears out of the pocket, sweeping them around like radar. Only after confirming there was no danger did he dare stick out his head.

"This is it." Shi Jinse always narrowed his eyes before smiling, looking gentle and harmless. He pointed to a vent in the wall. "This leads to Mia's room. The inspectors wouldn't dare go in there."

Qin Miaomiao glanced at him. He was rather wary of vents now too.

"Don't worry," Shi Jinse reassured him. "I'll wait here. If there's danger, you can turn back anytime. I won't leave until you get there."

As he spoke, a figure suddenly darted in-one of the inspectors. "Found-"

Before the man could finish, he suddenly collapsed. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Still caught up in Shi Jinse's gentleness, Qin Miaomiao had not seen what happened at all.

There was only Shi Jinse's innocent smile and the gun in his hand, which had just fired. "It's all right. Just a tranquilizer."

Qin Miaomiao stared, dumbfounded. How did someone do something so ruthless with such a harmless expression? Was this what they meant by sweet on the outside, dark on the inside?

"Hurry," Shi Jinse urged. "More will come if you wait. I don't have that much tranquilizer."

Qin Miaomiao jumped onto the vent and looked back at him. After hesitating, he broke the carrot he had been hiding in his hands for ages in half and tossed one piece over. Then he kicked off and disappeared into the long passage.

It was the only way he could express gratitude as an animal: Half my food is yours.

Shi Jinse paused, then looked at the carrot in his hand and chuckled. He turned. The others had arrived and surrounded the entrance.

"Doctor, why are you joining in this nonsense? Do you know the consequences?"

Shi Jinse tilted his head, smiling with utter innocence. "But I haven't done anything."

A few minutes later, Shi Jinse walked out of the corridor unscathed, straightening the collar of his white coat. Behind him, guards lay sprawled across the floor, all unconscious.

When Qin Miaomiao darted out of the vent, Remiya was just about to leave. An emergency combat meeting concerning the level II variant had been called. As a member of the Development Department, she needed to attend to provide technical support to the front line.

Remiya paused when she saw the rabbit, though she wasn't surprised. She crouched down. "Did Xiao Jin send you?"

Qin Miaomiao darted over to Remiya's feet and nodded obediently.

Remiya rubbed his fluffy head. "I need to go out for a bit. I'll be back soon. You're safe here, so don't wander off."

Okay, okay! Qin Miaomiao really thought Remiya felt like an older sister. Just seeing her gave him a natural sense of warmth.

He watched Remiya leave. The food and water she had just prepared were on the table. Qin Miaomiao took a carrot and sprawled on the sofa to munch on it. Come to think of it, although he'd swallowed some mysterious little ball and been bitten by a variant, he didn't seem to feel too bad now.

Qin Miaomiao was actually a little worried that he might suddenly mutate and lose his mind. After all, those were the rules of this world. How could an utterly ordinary rabbit like him escape them?

The more Qin Miaomiao ate, the more tasteless it became. Suddenly, a ringtone sounded from the communicator Remiya had left on the table.

Qin Miaomiao hopped over, intending to silence it, but his paws weren't very nimble. He had no idea what he'd pressed before a projection popped out of the communicator.

Qin Miaomiao startled and fell back onto the floor. Then he stared blankly at the footage being transmitted automatically from the scene. On-screen was Lei Ouyan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Just as in his dream, Lei Ouyan stood alone, terrifyingly calm. Before him was a grotesque squid, thrashing its ten limbs like mad as it flew toward him.

In an instant, the image went dark. Qin Miaomiao had no idea what had happened. No matter how he fiddled with the communicator, he couldn't get the picture back.

But that final image and the look in Lei Ouyan's eyes wouldn't leave his mind. That gaze had been so indifferent, so ready to face death, as though he'd been waiting for this moment for ages. He wanted to die!

No! Qin Miaomiao didn't know why he was suddenly so angry. He threw Remiya's instructions out of his mind and rushed out of the room.

He hadn't even thought about how he would find Lei Ouyan. He simply charged out.

By the time Remiya returned for her communicator, the rabbit was gone. All that remained was the communicator on the floor, its footage already viewed, and half a carrot.

She glanced back and dialed a number. "Let him go."

The base was now in emergency combat mode. Everyone's attention was on the battle, with no time to spare for a rabbit. Qin Miaomiao was clever enough to follow the people hurrying back and forth, successfully passing through quite a few security checkpoints.

But how was he supposed to find Lei Ouyan now? Qin Miaomiao thought of the platform he'd visited before, but its vehicles only traveled within the base.

Qin Miaomiao sat beside the platform with his ears drooping. Why was I so impulsive and naive? What could a rabbit do? Even if I got there, I wouldn't be able to do anything...

"Little rabbit."

He looked back. It was Shi Jinse, still dressed as before, waving at him.

Qin Miaomiao was too dejected to offer a greeting. Shi Jinse seemed a little surprised. He'd thought giving the rabbit a carrot made them friends. Apparently, even a rabbit's heart was this hard to open.

He walked up to the rabbit. "You want to find Lei Ouyan, don't you?"

Qin Miaomiao jerked his head up, then lowered it again. So what if I do? I can't help him anyway. But how had Shi Jinse known?

"Books say it's perfectly normal for small animals to become attached to their owners," Shi Jinse explained. "You look so down, I figured you must be waiting for him to come back."

For some reason, although everything Shi Jinse said made sense, Qin Miaomiao felt as though he was deliberately luring him into something. But the thought lasted only a moment before he rejected it inwardly. He's not my owner.

Shi Jinse continued, "Still, Lei Ouyan must be in a terrible situation right now. Class II variants are hard to handle. Even Li Weisen was forced to return, which means Lei Ouyan is out there alone."

How could Li Weisen be so awful!

"But I don't know exactly what happened. Li Weisen has adjusted his combat equipment and is about to head back to the battlefield." Shi Jinse sighed and continued, "I had a secret weapon I wanted to give Lei Ouyan, but I can't leave here. Li Weisen has never gotten along with him, so I don't trust him..."

Qin Miaomiao instantly perked up.

Shi Jinse looked over, feigning surprise. "Don't tell me you want to go..."

The rabbit hesitated, but...

"But you'd have to hide in Li Weisen's aircraft. Aren't you afraid of him?"

Qin Miaomiao's fur stood on end. Before he could respond, Shi Jinse stood up. "All right, then. Since you want to go so badly, I'll have to leave it to you."

Qin Miaomiao was utterly baffled. Did I say anything? Did I do anything? Where does it say I desperately want to go? How did Shi Jinse get that out of me?

But Shi Jinse paid no attention. He checked his watch. "There are ten minutes before the second departure. I'll take you over."

Shi Jinse gave Qin Miaomiao a little blue crossbody bag containing the so-called secret weapon, something resembling a tiny pill. Then he tucked the rabbit against him and went to the departure level.

Who would have expected them to run straight into Li Weisen? Shi Jinse raised a hand in greeting. "Young captain."

Li Weisen gave him a cold glance without saying anything. He was about to board when Shi Jinse called out again, "Young captain!"

"Do you need something?" Li Weisen looked displeased. He glanced back at Shi Jinse's outfit and said, "I'm not injured."

"That's not it." Shi Jinse pressed a hand to his forehead, racking his brain. "I just came to ask how Lei Ouyan is doing."

The rabbit took that chance to slip inside, only to slow down when he heard Lei Ouyan's name. All he heard was Li Weisen's cold reply: "He won't die."

Seeing that the rabbit had boarded safely, Shi Jinse smiled, pressed his right hand to his chest, and dipped his head. "Thank you, young captain. I hope you both return safely."

In combat command, Chris stood before the command console, eyes fixed on the battlefield footage.

"Since its original form is a squid, it should have three hearts. The main heart is in the middle, with a branchial heart on either side." Chris braced both hands on the desk, makeup still immaculate, gaze sharp. "Can we pinpoint their locations now?"

Remiya was busy at the main computer, typing rapidly as she brought up data from the scene. Layers of executable commands covered the main screen.

"I need time."

"What about Lei Ouyan's position?"

"Don't worry about him. Find the hearts first." The speaker was Damon. He sat at the central command console, surveying everything like a god. His face was half-lit, half-shadowed, impossible to read. Occasionally, he spoke softly, issuing orders that brooked no argument.

Remiya's hands paused for a moment.

Chris immediately objected. "Lei Ouyan is in danger!"

"He'll find the hearts himself. We only need to find the hearts to find him."

As supreme commander, his decision was indeed correct. The variant wasn't far from the base. They had to eliminate it as quickly as possible to safeguard human lives to the greatest extent.

But as a person, he was far too heartless. He had watched Lei Ouyan grow up, yet could still sacrifice him so easily. "I disagree," Chris said through clenched teeth.

As they reached an impasse, a timid female voice spoke up. A hand slowly rose from a computer at the side. It belonged to the short-haired girl who had been in the surveillance room. "I've found the First Team captain."

The command room fell silent at once. Every gaze turned toward her.

After all, everyone thought Lei Ouyan's death would be no loss. No one would choose confirming his safety over eliminating the variant as quickly as possible. She was the only one.

The girl looked nervous. Only when she met Remiya's gentle, encouraging gaze did she repeat more loudly, "I've found the First Team captain's position."

She hadn't been here long and had never met Lei Ouyan. Everything she knew about him was hearsay. Supposedly, he was someone whose death would be no loss.

But she felt that someone who would thank her for a rabbit's safety couldn't be a bad person.

Aboard the aircraft, the rabbit could hear the voices from the command console.

He hadn't expected them to care so little about Lei Ouyan's life. Lei Ouyan had put himself in danger to protect those people in that lousy base, who could talk so easily because they weren't the ones suffering. How could they be so ungrateful!

He stamped his feet in anger and let out another disgruntled snort.

Someone up front seemed to notice something and quietly called to Li Weisen, "Young captain."

Li Weisen glanced sideways at the round shadow beside a crate at the rear of the cabin. "Something wrong?"

The subordinate immediately understood what the young captain meant. "Oh, no, nothing."

Once the aircraft landed, Qin Miaomiao waited for everyone to get off before emerging from behind the crate. Are these people really soldiers? They couldn't even spot me. How oblivious can they be?

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, and his ears shot upright. It was Lei Ouyan. Qin Miaomiao looked around like a compass, then immediately darted off once he'd determined Lei Ouyan's direction.

Perhaps he was too focused and anxious, because Qin Miaomiao completely forgot to conceal himself. He ran straight across practically in full view of everyone. The Second Team stopped in their tracks, each looking as though they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Li Weisen's face turned livid. Couldn't you keep a lower profile? How am I supposed to pretend I didn't see you now? Claim I'm blind?

Someone beside him couldn't help speaking. "Young captain, isn't that..."

Li Weisen interrupted him. "Isn't that what? It's not a variant's heart. What are you so excited about?"

"I wasn't..."

"Cut the chatter and get to work." As Li Weisen finished speaking, the white shape vanished into the yellow sand at the edge of his vision. He had always thought Lei Ouyan had no heart, cold as an artificial human.

Now he had seen it. Lei Ouyan's heart was racing toward him.

Chris spoke through his earpiece. "We've found the variant's head and located both branchial hearts."

"Understood," Li Weisen replied, then called to his comrades, "Let's go. Have none of you ever seen a rabbit before?"

Lei Ouyan knelt on one knee, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. When he raised his head again, his eyes were bloodred, gleaming with bloodlust.

Without locating its hearts, defeating the variant was impossible. There could only be one outcome: his strength would run out, and he would die here.

Lei Ouyan stood up. The squid's severed tentacles grew back again. It seemed to have evolved during the fight. They were no longer limp whips; bones had grown inside them, and they shot toward Lei Ouyan like arrows.

For a moment, Lei Ouyan thought everything was over.

He didn't dodge. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, his expression calm and accepting, as though he'd waited a long time for this moment.

But the next second, a white blur flashed before his eyes, and the squid's tentacle shattered in an instant.

Qin Miaomiao had charged in with all his strength and couldn't stop. He slammed into the wall and coughed up blood, unable to move for a long while. If he'd had any strength left, he would have gone over and kicked Lei Ouyan, asking why he hadn't dodged, asking whether his own life was worth so little.

He was angry, but he had no strength left to do anything else.

Lei Ouyan froze, looking at the rabbit who had fallen from the sky. For the first time, an indescribable emotion showed in his eyes.

The rabbit was saving him. Once he realized that, he found it laughable, yet an unfamiliar feeling stirred in his heart, as though a sliver of light had seeped into a house that had always been empty and pitch-black.

Before either of them could react, the squid had already prepared another tentacle and thrust it forward again. Neither expected it to be aimed at Qin Miaomiao.

Lei Ouyan reacted quickly. His strange demeanor vanished in an instant, his expression sharpening as he hurled the blade in his hand. The keen blade left its sheath, only to be blocked by another tentacle. The variant roared and continued stabbing toward Qin Miaomiao.

"Rabbit!"

Qin Miaomiao felt as though his body hurt enough to kill him. Everything hurt, as if something were crashing around inside him. He struggled to open his eyes and saw something flying toward him. When it was only a centimeter away, his hands reacted faster than his brain. He caught the squid's tentacle barehanded.

Then, as though he had become an entirely different rabbit, his eyes shone with an eerie red light, and sharp claws grew from his paws, sinking into the squid's flesh. While it struggled, he slammed it viciously into the ground, gouging out a crater.

For an instant, everything fell silent.

Qin Miaomiao had frightened even himself. He stared at his hands. What just happened? Have I gone mad? Or have I really... mutated?! Have I really become a monster?

Qin Miaomiao looked innocently toward Lei Ouyan, as though pleading for help. I don't know what happened, but I... I'm not a monster...

He was afraid Lei Ouyan would turn his weapon on him the next moment.

But Lei Ouyan only stared at the rabbit with a deep frown. Even he couldn't understand what was happening. The rabbit had mutated, yet retained his original sanity. Ordinary variants never did that. The first thing every variant he had seen lost was its mind.

There was no time to think it through. The squid seemed to have recognized Qin Miaomiao as an opponent. Its ten regenerated tentacles flew at him together. Caught off guard, Qin Miaomiao was instantly wrapped in those disgusting limbs. He gritted his teeth and fought to break free, almost managing it. Sounds like snapping strings rang out, one after another, only for the tentacles to cinch tight again.

Lei Ouyan...

Lei Ouyan stood behind them, raising his weapon in their direction. Is he going to kill two birds with one stone and take us both out? Just as Qin Miaomiao thought that, a bang rang out. The squid's head exploded into pulp, and he was freed.

Qin Miaomiao landed on the ground. Lei Ouyan hadn't hurt him.

Meanwhile, the variant, blasted into a puddle of mush on the ground, slowly gathered itself together again, regained its original shape, and screeched as it attacked once more, giving them no time to think.

Why won't this thing die? Qin Miaomiao looked at Lei Ouyan in astonishment. With his ferocious build and utterly innocent expression, he looked like a muscle-bound Barbie. What do we do now?

Lei Ouyan had already grown accustomed to it, even to this crazed rabbit. "This is only a phantom. We can't kill it or shake it off. We're inside its body. Attacking our surroundings might work better."

Qin Miaomiao understood. He eagerly bared his claws, like a substitute player finally getting a chance to take the field, and drove them hard into the variant's inner wall.

Sure enough, the variant began to convulse like an earthquake. At that moment, Lei Ouyan seemed to have found a new exit and called, "Follow me."

Qin Miaomiao immediately pulled his hands free. The squid stretched its tentacles after him, but Qin Miaomiao caught it effortlessly and slammed it into the wall again, just as he'd been slammed back in the Variant Prison. Only now their roles were reversed. Qin Miaomiao felt as though he'd become the variant from that day.

I'm amazing, Qin Miaomiao couldn't help marveling. It had taken him five days to get used to being a useless rabbit, but only five minutes to get used to being an unstoppable monster. Apparently, he'd been heading in the wrong direction from the start.

Fortunately, he wasn't a rabbit who lingered for a fight. He wasted no more time and followed Lei Ouyan.

They squeezed through a narrow gap into a long, dark corridor, with sticky fluid flowing all around them. Lei Ouyan walked ahead holding a flashlight, Li Weisen's blade in his other hand.

Occasionally, little stragglers flew at them. Dealing with them was now effortless for Qin Miaomiao.

Lei Ouyan glanced at him from time to time, apparently worried that he might lose his mind and go berserk at any moment. Qin Miaomiao thought the same. He felt like a ticking time bomb. But at least he was lucid right now.

After walking for who knew how long, the man and rabbit squeezed through another narrow gap, and the space suddenly opened up. It was much darker and more enclosed than the previous chamber. Entering it made breathing feel difficult. Listening closely, they could even hear what sounded like a machine beeping.

What is this place?

Although this variant was far harder to handle than expected, it had still revealed a weakness during the fight. One of its limbs had barely moved, as though it were holding something precious.

Lei Ouyan took a few steps forward with the light, and Qin Miaomiao followed. They saw a black sphere whose shell looked incredibly hard, exuding the chill of cold iron. There seemed to be something inside it. They could hear liquid flowing, and even very faint breathing.

Qin Miaomiao peered through a gap in the sphere. Inside was a completely normal-looking squid!

He paused, then looked at Lei Ouyan in confusion.

Lei Ouyan understood now. Command hadn't been able to find the third, main heart because the variant's original third heart was long gone, replaced by this black sphere. If he wasn't mistaken, this was an artificial heart.

This wasn't a Class II variant at all. It was an artificially created variant.

Qin Miaomiao soon noticed something wrong as well. Why would there be something human-made inside a variant? He felt as though they were surrounded by dense clouds they could neither see through nor dispel. He finally understood why Damon could speak so easily of sacrificing Lei Ouyan.

Perhaps they themselves were only tiny pieces in this enormous conspiracy.

Suddenly, everything shook again. Perhaps Li Weisen was attacking the other two branchial hearts. Or perhaps intruders had been detected inside the main heart.

Lei Ouyan tested his communicator and found a faint signal. Li Weisen's voice came through, distorted as though buried beneath electrical static. "Both branchial hearts can regenerate too. Even after they're blown up, new ones grow back quickly. Looks like the source isn't here."

Then it's here. Lei Ouyan steadied himself, his gaze sharp as a blade as he aimed his weapon at the sphere. "Rabbit, move aside."

Qin Miaomiao quickly stepped aside. The bullet struck the iron sphere, only to ricochet away. Even changing the power setting made no difference. The thing was clearly impervious to bullets and blades.

Those shots seemed to activate the chamber's defense system. The black sphere began rotating automatically, then part of it opened, extending a black gun barrel toward Lei Ouyan. At the same time, cords sprang out from every direction, flying straight at him.

Qin Miaomiao was panicking, at a loss, when a blade suddenly appeared before him. It was Li Weisen's weapon. Between fending off the cords, Lei Ouyan said, "Drive the blade in. Destroy it."

Qin Miaomiao paused. Right, I'm not an ordinary rabbit anymore. But why did Lei Ouyan trust a mutated rabbit?

Qin Miaomiao picked up the blade. A cord lashed toward him, about to cleave him in two, when Lei Ouyan suddenly appeared and caught it barehanded. It cut into his flesh, drawing blood, but he merely frowned. "Hurry."

Perhaps he'd fired those haphazard shots to draw its attacks from the start, giving Qin Miaomiao an opening to destroy the main heart.

Qin Miaomiao gritted his teeth and immediately turned, leaping past several obstacles to land on the iron sphere. He raised his hand and drove the blade in with all his strength. An enormous force inside seemed to resist him, almost throwing him off at once. Fortunately, Qin Miaomiao's immense strength could still suppress it, but pushing the blade any farther was terribly difficult.

Meanwhile, more and more cords surrounded Lei Ouyan. Outnumbered, he had his limbs bound and was pinned to the wall, the black gun barrel aimed directly at him. What sounded like a countdown began. If they didn't destroy this thing now, they would both die here.

Qin Miaomiao suddenly roared and drove the blade into the squid's body. Cold light flashed in an instant. He felt something drain out of him, as though his strength were disappearing. The color faded from his eyes, his claws returned to normal, and an enormous force hurled him away.

Then he heard a tremendous explosion. He seemed to catch a glimpse of Lei Ouyan sitting on the ground, covered in wounds, apparently looking at him too. As long as he's alive.

Qin Miaomiao closed his eyes and vanished into the smoke.

As the dust settled, the enormous body crumbled bit by bit as though it had been built from sand, turning into yellow grains until only the shattered iron sphere remained. Lei Ouyan struggled to his feet and walked over to pull out the blade, but the rabbit was gone.

All around him stretched an endless desert, desolate and quiet, like a yellow ocean without a ripple, yet still capable of swallowing a person.

Lei Ouyan stood there for a while. Suddenly, wind swept up the yellow sand, and a combat aircraft landed. Li Weisen jumped out, looking badly injured himself.

He walked over. "Give me back my blade."

Lei Ouyan said nothing and handed it over. Li Weisen took it, fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "This is yours."

Lei Ouyan looked over. It was a tracker.

Li Weisen refused to look at him, turning his face away. "I put it on him to keep him under surveillance."

He handed it to Lei Ouyan, took two steps, then turned back. "Don't think I've forgiven you, and don't think I'm letting that rabbit off either. These are separate matters. Just this once. Next time, I still won't let either of you off."

Lei Ouyan said nothing. He lowered his head to look at the little dot blinking on the tracker, like a heartbeat.

Qin Miaomiao had a mouthful of sand. He could barely breathe and had no strength anywhere in his body. He felt as though he was about to dry into rabbit jerky, without even the strength to call for help.

Maybe I'm about to die. If I die, will I be able to return to my original world? Qin Miaomiao's vision blurred, his thoughts flickering past like a revolving lantern. If someone saves me and gives me a carrot, I'll pledge myself to them.

But he could hear nothing and feel nothing except the moisture slowly leaving his body.

Suddenly, his ears hurt. A familiar strength and warmth pulled him out of the sand. Qin Miaomiao opened his eyes and shook the grains off his body. Sure enough, it was Lei Ouyan!

He had come to save him. No matter how many times it happened, he would always come to save him.

Qin Miaomiao gazed at him with tearful eyes, thrilled and overjoyed. Blood and wounds crisscrossed the boy's face, yet only added a touch of battle-scarred beauty.

Remembering something, he held out his paws for Lei Ouyan to see. I'm not a monster anymore! I don't know what happened before, but I've changed back now!

Don't throw me away, and don't lock me up to experiment on me.

When he had plunged the knife into the squid's body, he had even thought that it was only an ordinary squid. Would he someday be shut away like that too, his thoughts drained out of him, used and forced to become a monster?

At the thought, he began to tremble involuntarily.

Looking at the filthy rabbit, Lei Ouyan gave a rare smile. He released his ears, and Qin Miaomiao immediately darted into his arms, then hopped straight into his pocket and curled up in relief.

It felt as though nothing else mattered as long as he stayed here, as though simply being alive and safe at this moment was enough.

Lei Ouyan seemed to understand something. He patted his head and did not drive him away.

Qin Miaomiao settled down and stopped fidgeting. Every now and then, he stole a glance at Lei Ouyan.

I always thought you were dangerous, he thought. But I'm the greatest danger, aren't I? In this world, I'm like a bomb that could go off at any moment. Even I don't know whether I'm a monster.

Only you, only you dare to carry me around and tuck me into your pocket. Only you took me in.

Only then did Qin Miaomiao remember the thing Shi Jinse had entrusted him to deliver to Lei Ouyan. It seemed a little too late, but he took it out anyway and placed the little white pellet in Lei Ouyan's hand.

Lei Ouyan seemed to pause, looking at the rabbit in surprise. "For me?"

Qin Miaomiao did not know what it was either. He only saw Lei Ouyan smile, then put it into his mouth.

He actually trusts me that much? Isn't he afraid it might be poison?

It was a piece of candy. A light, sweet flavor spread over his tongue. Lei Ouyan had not tasted anything like it in a long time. It was unfamiliar, yet carried memories that lay far beyond his reach. He lowered his head, and the ice in his eyes seemed to thaw a little.

Qin Miaomiao stared at him blankly. Apparently, Shi Jinse's stuff really was good. Lei Ouyan seemed to be in a much better mood after eating it.

Had he known, he would have eaten half himself.

Lei Ouyan glanced over, a hint of laughter in his voice as he asked, "Not afraid of me anymore?"

Qin Miaomiao lifted his chin a little smugly. This rotten world of yours has far too many terrifying monsters, but you're the best one.

Besides, he thought, nestling deeper into the pocket, nowhere else is safer than your pocket.

Thank you for taking me in.