Seeds of hatred

In the dim light, drifting dust swirled through the ever-present haze like lonely dancers.

Black mist, a substance found only in the Inverse Realm, was responsible for the gloom. It absorbed vast amounts of light and heat, keeping the world beyond the Klaft Gate forever dark and sinister.

Beside a rusty metal cabinet piled with cardboard boxes and documents, a man in a red protective suit and an enclosed helmet rummaged through the things on top. They had been there for who knew how many years; a touch was enough to crumble them into dust.

"This No. 127 Inverse Realm makes me sick. Look at it. The civilization that once existed here was so much like ours. I wouldn't even be surprised to find another me here."

He turned around, impatience creeping into his voice. "Well, Tianyang? Still can't reach the main team?"

A faint light shone from the protective suit-a miniature searchlight mounted on its shoulder. Its effective range was short to begin with, and the black mist in the air absorbed the light, making it even dimmer.

By that light, they could just make out what seemed to be an archive room.

Papers littered the floor, covered in chaotic footprints. Someone crouched on a thick stack of documents, fiddling with a Standard Communicator.

The radio-like device could be used for communications in the Inverse Realm, transmitting and receiving data.

Its built-in security system prevented unauthorized eavesdropping. Its components included a receiving antenna, a frequency conversion module, an amplification module, and a backup matrix circuit.

Now Tianyang was fitting components onto the communicator to strengthen its signal.

Even so, the electronic static coming from it foretold a grim outlook for the squad.

"...This is the Gathering Team, fourth squad. I'm Tianyang, soldier ID 1507. Main team, please respond."

After several unsuccessful attempts, Tianyang raised his head. In the light, a face that had yet to lose all its boyishness was visible inside his helmet.

"I can't reach them, Captain. We may have gone too deep. We're already beyond the communications terminal's maximum transmission range."

Nearby, someone kicked a shelving unit hard, then pointed at the captain in the red protective suit. "This is all your fault, Qin Wu! If you hadn't gotten carried away, those damned Wanderers wouldn't have cut off our retreat!"

Captain Qin Wu pointed at the fourth squad member, who was guarding the doorway. "How is this my fault? If that bastard Dong Yan hadn't sworn he'd detected a signal from a Star Marrow Pillar, would I have rushed all the way here with you?"

The squad member at the door protested, "My numerical model wasn't wrong. Based on the latest data on Wanderer activity, there has to be a Star Pillar nearby!"

Qin Wu stormed over and grabbed his protective suit. "Then tell me where the Star Pillar is!"

"Quiet!"

Tianyang raised his hand and clenched it into a fist-the signal for danger.

Every member of the collection squad, including the captain, looked nervously toward the doorway.

The corridor outside had mottled walls covered in mold.

Strange sounds came from a nearby corner.

They sounded like the dying gasps of a gravely ill patient, or the low growls of a wounded beast.

Tianyang pulled a glow stick from the tool pouch at the back of his waist.

Qin Wu tensed. "What are you doing?"

"We need light. Don't worry, Captain. Wanderers don't react to light sources."

Tianyang bent the glow stick and threw it out into the corridor. It landed at the corner, where the chemicals inside began to react, gradually giving off a cool light.

In the icy blue-gray glow, they could clearly see several human silhouettes appear on the wall at the corner.

The silhouettes were grotesquely distorted, swaying as they wandered along the corridor on the other side.

Without warning, a hand gripped the corner of the wall. Its skin was ulcerated, oozing dark green pus. The sticky fluid dripped to the floor with a hiss.

Like water dripping onto a scorching rock...

The Gathering Team members' hearts leaped into their throats. Fortunately, the hand soon withdrew.

"They're Wanderers! It's them!" Dong Yan backed away repeatedly. "Captain, let's get out of here. I don't want those things catching me!"

"But how?" the other squad member cried. "Even if we charge through this corridor, there are more Wanderers below. Downstairs, on the streets, in every building-they're everywhere!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

Qin Wu tightened his grip on his Assault Rifle, his eyes shifting. "Looks like there's no other way."

He turned and held out a hand to Tianyang. "Rookie, give me your gun!"

Inside his enclosed helmet, hesitation was plain on Tianyang's face.

He instinctively tightened his grip on his rifle.

The Assault Rifle was standard equipment for Gathering Teams. It fired solid bullets, though its power was limited and its frame cumbersome.

At the right range, however, it could still destroy a Wanderer's will cage-the only way to stop these Children of Darkness.

Handing over his gun would be no different from handing over his life.

Just then, the glow stick began to fade. In its dwindling light, a foot stepped down onto it, extinguishing the cool glow at the corner completely.

The distorted silhouettes began to approach. In the dark corridor, the pale light given off by the Wanderers' will cages looked like ghostly flames drifting over a graveyard!

"Hurry! I'll hold them off. You go first!"

Qin Wu urged him on. "I need enough firepower. Damn it, you think I'd hurt you?"

Tianyang bit his lip. "All right."

The boy handed over his rifle and a magazine.

Qin Wu took them and waved a hand. "Get out through the window, climb up, and find another way back. Tianyang, you first!"

Tianyang nodded, turned, and ran toward the window.

He had barely taken a step.

Bang!

The boy's whole body jolted. Blood spurted from his right thigh, reflected in his helmet's visor like flowers bursting into bloom.

He stumbled and fell to the floor.

The sudden turn of events left the other two squad members stunned.

Qin Wu roared, "What are you standing there for? Come with me! There are too many Wanderers in the building. Now that his protective suit is torn, the type-B pheromone he releases will draw those dark bastards to him. This is our only chance!"

So that was it!

Whether from the injury or the betrayal, the boy felt his hands and feet turn ice-cold.

Rage burned in his chest and surged through his veins, finally erupting in a roar.

"Qin Wu, why?!"

Inside his helmet, Qin Wu sneered. "What's there to ask? I'm an Upper Citizen of the fortress. My status is noble. A lower-level dog like you should feel honored to have the chance to die for me!"

"You bastard!"

Tianyang tried to push himself up and fight Qin Wu to the death.

The black muzzle of the Assault Rifle stopped him.

It also brought him back to his senses. Tianyang realized that anger would change nothing. Only by thinking calmly could he find a chance to survive.

Qin Wu kept his gun trained on the boy and looked at the other two. "Are you coming or not? If not, stay here with him!"

With that, Qin Wu headed for the window.

The two squad members exchanged looks, then finally chose to leave with their captain.

"Wait!"

Tianyang pulled out a dagger and turned its point toward his own heart.

"You can go, but leave me a first-aid kit and two units of survival supplies!"

Qin Wu instantly panicked. "How do you still have a knife?!"

A dagger was not part of a Gathering Team's standard equipment.

Tianyang sneered. His mother had given him this dagger for protection before he left. She had spent all her savings on the Alloy Dagger.

The boy had carefully kept it hidden, reluctant even to take it out and use it. Naturally, Qin Wu had never known it existed.

"Qin Wu, surely I don't need to remind you. Dead people don't release type-B pheromones. If you won't give me the supplies, I'm going to die either way, so I might as well end it myself right now!" Tianyang shouted, his gaze resolute.

Inside his helmet, Qin Wu was drenched in sweat, his eyes full of hesitation.

Tianyang looked at the other two squad members. "Maybe you should persuade Captain Qin Wu. Otherwise, once I'm dead, one of you might be the next to get abandoned."

"After all, you're lower-class citizens he can sacrifice whenever he likes too, aren't you?"

Dong Yan and the other squad member swallowed and tightened their grips on their rifles. Though they did not dare aim directly at Qin Wu, they placed their fingers on the triggers.

Qin Wu noticed the gesture clearly and cursed inwardly.

Of course he knew the rookie was pressuring him. In truth, he had never anticipated this situation.

Had he known Tianyang would be so difficult to deal with, perhaps he would have chosen a different target.

As for now...

"I'll give him the first-aid kit. Each of you, hand over one unit of survival supplies! Hurry, we're out of time!"

Qin Wu quickly unfastened his backpack, which contained a first-aid kit. The other two exchanged a glance and took out their survival supplies, then watched Tianyang nervously.

Only then did the boy move the dagger a little farther from his chest.

Qin Wu let out a breath, snorted, and climbed through the window.

The three soon climbed up the pipes on the outer wall to evade the Wanderers inside the building.

Watching them leave, Tianyang uttered no threats. He merely buried this hatred deep in his heart, like a seed waiting to sprout.

Then he reached for the first-aid kit, but a strange noise came from the corridor outside. The wheezing sound, like a leaking bellows, made Tianyang turn to look.

The pale ghostly flames drifting through the dark corridor drew ever closer. Tianyang could even see a foot with only three toes, oozing thick pus, stamp heavily onto the floor.

Fluid splashed everywhere.

The Wanderers had reached the doorway!