The "Roly-polies"

"Snap!"

A sharp snap abruptly broke Shi Yu out of his state.

Shi Yu opened his eyes and suddenly realized that his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. He gasped for breath; under those extreme emotions just now, he had even forgotten to breathe.

After snapping his fingers, Huo Qiuliang reached out and grabbed Shi Yu's wrist. A warm sensation suddenly rose, and the unease and curiosity in Shi Yu's heart rapidly faded, like ice and snow meeting flames.

"Sorry about that. I did hold back, but I think people have a hard time understanding my ability without experiencing it, so this counts as laying all my cards on the table."

Shi Yu slowly stopped trembling and plopped down on the coffee table. Looking at Huo Qiuliang, he said through gritted teeth:

"Well, thank you so much!"

An ability was a gifted person's greatest trump card.

Knowing about it in advance was certainly a good thing.

Shi Yu wanted to lash out, but after thinking it over, the other man had a point. Besides, he was no match for him, so he swallowed his anger and looked at Huo Qiuliang unhappily.

"Oh, don't be mad. I'll buy you a meal tomorrow, all right?"

Shi Yu looked at Huo Qiuliang and sneered:

"Heh, sounds nice, but you just want to see my ability too."

Huo Qiuliang's eyes lit up as he said:

"Great, you understand! We're colleagues, after all. Getting used to each other early will help us work together later."

Shi Yu pursed his lips and ground his teeth, revealing a somewhat ferocious smile as he said ominously:

"Sure... then don't blame me."

As he spoke, before Huo Qiuliang could react, Shi Yu turned his hand and seized Huo Qiuliang's wrist.

Just in case, he strengthened his conviction even further.

This house hasn't had visitors in a long time. It's cold... wind and dust are moving around. And a guest won't adjust to such an old residence. Sneezing is inevitable...

"Achoo!!!!"

Sure enough, a sneeze came from the kitchen.

Shi Yu took a closer look. What he held was not Huo Qiuliang's arm at all-it was clearly Kumamon's leg!

At once, Shi Yu felt that some of his "Origin" was gone, far more than he spent making little things happen.

As expected, thoughts that cross tiers consume more Origin...

Shi Yu thought, but he was not finished. He wanted to turn up the pressure on this fellow who had wheedled so much information out of him.

A guest has never been here before, so he might feel even more uncomfortable. Unfamiliar places always make people uncomfortable... and stomach trouble is so common.

Huo Qiuliang had already sensed something was wrong when he sneezed. His original guess had been that the other man could predict things, but it now seemed there might be more to it!

Huo Qiuliang was just about to go out and laugh it off when he suddenly felt a cramp.

"W-wait! Truce! Truce! I need the toilet! I was wrong, bro, let me use the toilet!"

Shi Yu looked to the side. Huo Qiuliang had already rushed toward the bathroom without a shred of dignity.

It consumes much, much, much more Origin than I imagined... but it's pretty fun.

Shi Yu listened to the rattling and splattering from the bathroom. Together with the sensation of his Origin rapidly draining, it made him a little nauseous, but his mood improved too. The emotions shrouded in unease and curiosity finally cleared. He also began recalling Huo Qiuliang's abilities again.

First, he definitely had an ability that affected other people's perception.

The second was very unusual. It seemed capable of arousing other people's curiosity about certain things.

For example, what was inside his clenched fist. Or the answers to the questions he asked.

And once someone knew, there would be bad consequences. Shi Yu had triggered that condition when he heard Huo Qiuliang say the name of his Stairway, so unease had engulfed his heart in that instant. It was like being suddenly pushed from a height.

"'Deep Well'..."

"Bang!"

The bathroom door was shoved open violently, and Huo Qiuliang wore an expression of humiliated anger.

That was quick... sure enough, results produced by such forced conditions won't be all that real either.

Shi Yu thought.

Meanwhile, Huo Qiuliang braced one hand against the doorframe and pointed at Shi Yu with the other.

"That's dirty! So dirty! I've never seen such a dirty ability! What is it? An ability that makes people sick??"

Shi Yu raised his chin slightly and said:

"Pretty impressive, huh?"

"What are you so proud of?!"

Huo Qiuliang shouted without a shred of dignity, then strode comically over to Shi Yu and stared straight at him.

"What now?"

Shi Yu had hardly interacted with anyone of Huo Qiuliang's temperament and struggled to keep up with him. Seeing his suddenly serious expression, he shrank back a little.

Huo Qiuliang said nothing. After staring at Shi Yu for two seconds, he suddenly dropped onto the floor and began rolling around and wailing like an elderly person throwing a tantrum.

"Oh, there's no justice~ I bared my heart to you, but you won't even tell me your ability. You have to report it to the team tomorrow anyway, so what's wrong with telling me early~~"

Watching Huo Qiuliang suddenly throw a tantrum, Shi Yu rolled his eyes hard, speechless, and said:

"You really have run out of things to chatter about. Since you'll find out about my ability sooner or later, I'm specifically not telling you today. If there's nothing else, hurry up and leave. Stop making a scene in my home. You're disturbing the neighbors!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Qiuliang rolled to his feet, smoothly darted to the doorway, and knelt on one knee to put on his shoes, his back perfectly straight, like a fine young gentleman of impeccable upbringing. There was no trace of the shameless rogue who had just been rolling around throwing a tantrum.

Shi Yu's mouth twitched.

Huo Qiuliang quickly finished putting on his shoes and stood. Giving Shi Yu a gentlemanly bow, he enunciated carefully:

"Goodbye, then, my stingy, cold-blooded classmate."

With that, he pulled open the door and slipped out, closing it behind him and blocking the plush toy Shi Yu threw at him.

"He really was pretending! Nothing but lies out of that guy's mouth."

Shi Yu waited a little, used his ability to check whether anyone was inside the house, then raised his arm and reached toward Kumamon.

As though seized by an invisible hand, Kumamon floated up and was pulled toward Shi Yu.

Shi Yu retrieved Kumamon from the doorway without touching him.

"Aha! I knew your ability wasn't that simple!"

Huo Qiuliang's voice came from the doorway, but Shi Yu was not surprised at all. He even mocked him in an imitation of his tone:

"Aha~ I knew you were still hiding in the house~"

Now revealed, Huo Qiuliang froze awkwardly as he watched Shi Yu mock him.

"...How did you know?"

Shi Yu rolled his eyes again and said:

"Would a nosy person like you really leave that easily?"

Huo Qiuliang's mouth twitched. He gave two dry chuckles and said:

"All right, I'm really leaving this time. I'll find out tomorrow anyway, and I'm satisfied enough for today. I'll buy you a meal tomorrow."

Shi Yu sighed and waved goodbye to Huo Qiuliang. Looking at the closed door, he knew the other man had probably truly left this time.

If Huo Qiuliang wants to hide himself, "Thought" can't sense him through a superficial meaning. That's the difference in tiers.

After Huo Qiuliang left, the noisy house instantly fell quiet.

Shi Yu fiddled with Kumamon in his hands. The worn little black bear had four or five patches, and his two vacant eyes looked at Shi Yu.

Shi Yu's hand gently brushed over the plush toy's soft surface. The cotton inside made soft sounds beneath his caress.

The bandaged wounds on his hand stung and itched with his movements-they were healing faster under Shi Yu's will.

The house grew darker and darker. In late autumn in the northeast, night fell early.

Shi Yu sat alone on the living room sofa, recalling the dreamlike experiences of the past few days. He suddenly felt it was a little dark.

Holding Kumamon, he walked into the large room and sat by the window. The sun was about to set. Looking down at the scattered figures on the street and the lights gradually coming on in the building opposite, Shi Yu sighed.

What would I face in the future?

Could I really survive safely?

Another choice. But once again, he had made his choice.

Holding Kumamon, Shi Yu murmured to himself.

"Dad... Mom... am I really a lucky person?"

Darkness fell without warning. The color of night gradually covered half the sky, and the moon had already opened its pupil somewhere behind the clouds.

On the other side, the sunset glow was no longer as brilliant as blood, and a deep twilight purple settled on the mountains' spines.

The lights from the opposite building cut Shi Yu's figure into a lonely silhouette, like a black oil painting fixed fast to a white wall.

Night had fallen.

"Grrr..."

Shi Yu did not know how long he had sat there. In any case, his stomach had growled.

Belatedly noticing his hunger, Shi Yu pulled himself out of his long recollections and inner struggle.

Looking back at the clock, he saw that the hour hand already pointed to seven.

"Time to eat... oh no, I didn't buy groceries... I was too busy talking to Huo Qiuliang."

Shi Yu slowly slid off the bed and walked toward the refrigerator in the living room.

"I think there are still dumplings in the fridge. I'll just boil a few. I wonder when Han He is coming. I need to tell him there's no food at home and have him eat before coming over."

Just as Shi Yu reached the doorway, a knock sounded.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Who is it?"

His intuition told Shi Yu it was Han He.

"Me, Han He."

It really was Han He.

Wondering whether he had unconsciously used his ability again, Shi Yu went to open the door. Out of caution, he also looked through the peephole.

Han He stood perfectly straight, waiting expressionlessly outside.

Shi Yu quickly pressed the handle and opened the door, switching on the light as he looked at Han He and said:

"You're here. Got everything packed?"

"Mm."

Han He was no longer wearing his school uniform. Instead, he had changed into a black outdoor jacket and cargo pants, which made him look sharp and handsome. A large black hiking backpack bulged on his back, packed full. He wore fingerless gloves, carrying two bundles in his left hand and two boxed meals in his right.

Damn, what a handsome guy.

"Holy crap, boxed meals."

Shi Yu clapped a hand over his mouth.

Stupid mouth, how could you blurt that out just because you're hungry?

Han He said nothing. He glanced at Shi Yu, then stepped over the threshold and entered, placing the boxed meals on the stool by the door and discreetly surveying the house.

Two pairs of slippers at the entrance. Huo Qiuliang has already left.

The smell of Origin in the house. Both of them used their abilities.

An old house, with very few traces of human activity.

? Someone used the toilet.

In an instant, these thoughts passed through Han He's mind. He naturally took off his shoes, put on the slippers Huo Qiuliang had not worn, and turned to Shi Yu.

"If you're hungry, eat first. I figured you wouldn't have time to eat with Huo Qiuliang pestering you."

Shi Yu felt a little embarrassed, and was also surprised that Han He, who seemed like a block of wood, was unexpectedly considerate.

"Ah... thanks. I feel bad. You're visiting my home, yet you had to spend money buying food."

After changing his shoes, Han He stood and spoke while examining the traces in the house:

"It's fine. I'm the one troubling you by staying here. Buying you food is only right."

As they spoke, Shi Yu had already opened the bag and the meal containers. The aromas of the various dishes drifted out.

Shi Yu hurriedly called Han He over.

"Then let's eat first. I'll get some water. Whatever we need to talk about can wait until after dinner."

"All right."

With that, Han He stopped looking around. He set down his backpack and sat at the table, only picking up his chopsticks after Shi Yu returned with the cups of water and sat down.

Both boys were still growing and had hearty appetites. Having gone hungry for half the day, they both began wolfing down their food.

The braised pork was tender, and a single bite sent the fragrance of meat and fat straight to the brain.

One bite of the sauced pork chunks made it clear they had only recently come out of the wok. Their golden crust still retained some crispness, with an enticing jujube-red color showing inside. Coated in a savory sauce, they were unforgettable.

The stir-fried eggplant, potatoes, and peppers were rich in flavor. The soft eggplant and fluffy potatoes had been fried to form a crust, while the large green peppers gave off a fresh fragrance after frying. They were superb mixed with rice.

Every grain of rice was plump, moist, and tender. The fragrance of rice grown in black soil was beyond doubt, and beneath the light, each grain looked like a pearl.

Shi Yu buried himself in his meal. The delicious food quickly swept away his hunger, briefly letting him forget those chaotic stories and escape the reality that left him lost.

The light held the boundless night outside the glass. Shi Yu stuffed his mouth full, not wanting to think about anything.

He only wanted to say, in satisfaction:

"This is so good..."

"Ah~ I'm stuffed!"

After eating and drinking his fill, Shi Yu let out a long sigh, then slumped limply in his chair with satisfaction. Han He looked at the boneless heap that was Shi Yu, stood, and began clearing away the dishes and chopsticks.

"Ah, no need. I'll clean up. You rest first. You've spent all afternoon traveling and dealing with things, so you must be tired too."

Seeing how diligent Han He was, Shi Yu immediately felt embarrassed. He sat up and stopped him.

Han He was just about to speak when Shi Yu waved for him to stay quiet. Then he focused slightly, and the leftover meal containers and chopsticks on the table suddenly began moving on their own.

Telekinesis.

When moving objects with "Thought," Shi Yu had to carefully arrange the logic of their movements. What moved first, what moved afterward, and how fast each item moved all required control. Otherwise, things would become chaotic when he moved many objects at once.

Soon, the table was cleared, and the meal containers, bowls, and chopsticks were all neatly arranged.

"A good chance to practice."

Shi Yu patted Han He beside him and let out a breath.

He silently sighed in relief that his logic and observational abilities had been greatly enhanced upon awakening. Otherwise, if he had tried this with his old brain, he would probably have sent the meal containers crashing into one another and flying everywhere.

"You're improving quickly."

Han He looked at the food containers on the table and praised Shi Yu.

He still remembered how Shi Yu had kept knocking against the desk compartment when practicing with two pens, making noises that kept drawing the teacher's attention.

"Haha... not bad, I guess... Oh, right, what did you pack?"

Just as the praise was making Shi Yu a little embarrassed, he suddenly remembered Han He mentioning "packing things."

"Nothing much. Some ritual materials and a few daily necessities."

Han He pointed at the black hiking backpack beside the sofa, then turned back to Shi Yu and said:

"Want to see?"

Shi Yu nodded immediately. He had been curious for a long time.

Rituals. Such mysterious activities-who wouldn't be curious?

At that, Han He immediately got off his stool and moved it aside, clearing a patch of floor.

Then he knelt on one knee and opened the backpack.

Shi Yu sat cross-legged right beside Han He, watching what he was about to take out.

His expression solemn, Han He reached into the very top of the bag with meticulous care, then took out a...

Little cat pouch.

It was an adorable orange-yellow, shaped like a little cat's head with narrowed eyes. It looked a little old, with slight wear around the edges, but it was very clean. Clearly, its owner cherished it.

"..."

Shi Yu didn't dare speak at first.

But Han He spoke.

"Cute, isn't it?"

"Huh? Oh... yes, very cute."

The adorable cat pouch left Shi Yu at a loss for words. He stole a glance at Han He beside him.

Han He had already taken off his jacket. His black undershirt left the smooth lines of muscle on his arms exposed, its slightly snug fit outlining his solid chest. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, a calm expression.

The little cat pouch in his hand looked as though he had just robbed it from some toy store. It didn't suit him at all.

And so Shi Yu swallowed the words, "It really suits you."

He really couldn't bring himself to say that just to be polite...

Han He remained composed, gently unzipping the cat pouch and taking out several materials Shi Yu had seen before.

Branches of unknown varieties, though some differences were visible.

Two bottles each of reddish-brown liquid and clear liquid.

A number of Beast Fangs and Bird Feathers.

Han He began introducing them:

"You've seen these before. These materials are relatively rare. Once treated, they can exert their respective powers even without being used in a ritual."

Han He's hand brushed lightly over the bundles of branches as he said evenly:

"Concealment, protection, dispelling. They're very effective against powers of the same tier. I regularly use Veins of Green Blood to revitalize them, keeping their power fresh at all times."

Shi Yu nodded in understanding.

Han He straightened out the materials, then reached into the cat pouch again, felt around inside, and took something out, handing it straight to Shi Yu.

It was a Talisman.

This Talisman resembled Hu Zihao's, but it was clearly more finely made, with bird feathers filling and surrounding its gaps.

"This is for you."

"Oh... thank you."

Shi Yu accepted the Talisman with both hands. The soft, fluffy Bird Feathers swayed in his hands with the air currents, while the cool Beast Fang lay quietly in his palm.

"Isn't this too valuable? It must have taken a lot of work to make... I don't even have anything to give you."

Shi Yu felt a little embarrassed. He had heard about this Talisman's power from Hu Zihao. At this stage, it was undoubtedly a valuable gift.

But Han He waved a hand to show it was fine.

"It's fine. We'll be working together from now on. It'll make me safer too. This is only natural."

The subject reminded Shi Yu of how Han He had acted back then. Holding the Talisman, Shi Yu felt the power flowing through it. After some thought, he decided to ask.

"Han He... aren't you afraid?"

Han He paused as he was pulling another pouch, a dog one two sizes larger, from the backpack. Then he continued what he was doing and asked in return:

"Why be afraid? Are you afraid?"

Shi Yu didn't actually know Han He that well. Just as he hadn't known Han He owned such cute cat and dog pouches, he hadn't known Han He would turn the question back on him.

Shi Yu froze.

How could he not be afraid? Before all this, he had merely been someone with a few "special abilities," someone who would disappear into a crowd, someone utterly ordinary.

Why was he afraid?

Because he was afraid of dying?

"Because you're afraid of dying?"

Before Shi Yu could speak, Han He's voice had already reached his ears.

Han He unzipped the dog pouch and continued without waiting for Shi Yu's answer:

"Why would you die? Just keep winning."

Shi Yu opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

This time, Han He stopped busying himself. He set the dog pouch aside, turned to look Shi Yu in the eyes, and said:

"Shi Yu, you haven't realized it.

You have great power. You have talent.

You should firmly believe that you won't lose, that you won't die."

Beneath the shadows cast by his lashes, his pitch-black eyes gazed steadily into Shi Yu's.

"Don't be afraid. Don't think about the consequences of failure before you've failed. Shi Yu, since you've made your choice, don't regret it."

At that moment, Shi Yu didn't know what to say. He truly felt as though he had lost his voice.

He desperately wanted to say something.

He wanted to argue.

Why are you so confident? Why do you have such hopes for me? Can someone who's only just awakened even be called "talented"?

He also wanted to agree.

I really am talented. I have ten steps. I can save Hu Zihao, save a lot of people.

But he couldn't say a word.

In that instant, Shi Yu was like a swaying roly-poly toy. He didn't fall, but he couldn't stand straight either.

Han He shook his head. There was no telling how he had reached his conclusion, but he said:

"Shi Yu.

Someone once told me that if you can't see the road ahead, you might as well give it everything you've got.

If you don't have a direction to throw yourself toward, there's nothing wrong with following blindly. Just never stop moving forward.

Think of it as making a choice by following me. Think of it as me making the choice for you."

The swaying roly-poly toy felt as though those words had stilled the wind.

He had no family. After stumbling and struggling his way through life, he could barely remember what "guidance" meant anymore.

Suddenly on his own, he had to fumble through everything he had never dealt with before.

Food, clothing, daily necessities. Where money came from, how to cook, how to speak.

How to live.

So even this baseless faith could make him feel... sad, at this moment?

People were strange. Sometimes hardship couldn't make them cry, but unexpected help could.

And so, for no apparent reason, he cried too.

Tears crowded Shi Yu's eyes, scrambling out from both ends, as though their pointed corners had pricked a few little holes for him, letting the tears escape from a pouch that had once been sealed tight.

Shi Yu cried for his own shamefulness, his own cowardice, his own resilience, and that fleeting moment of courage.

His tears fell as he nodded, striking the floor and splashing into little glittering flowers.

We always shed our tears one night, hoping not to carry them into tomorrow.

Shi Yu's emotions came and went quickly. He blew his nose and wiped his face. Soon, he had composed himself and resumed watching Han He's display of materials and little animal pouches. Time passed in a flash.

"It's getting late. Let's get some rest. They'll probably contact us tomorrow, and I want to visit Hu Zihao at the hospital too."

Shi Yu lit up his phone screen to check the time and spoke to Han He, who had started putting away the materials.

"All right."

Han He deftly packed up the materials, put the pouches of various sizes back into the hiking backpack, and nodded in agreement.

Shi Yu tidied up the small bedroom that had stood empty for a long time, and Han He would sleep there.

After a quick wash, they said good night and returned to their respective rooms to rest.

"Click."

The lock on the larger bedroom's door clicked softly into place. Shi Yu stared at the handle in his hand for a moment, dazed, but he didn't want to think about those things anymore.

He rubbed between his brows, hugged Kumamon, and burrowed under the covers. He watched the streetlight seeping through the gap in the curtains, the narrow light like a deathly pale blade slicing the room's darkness vertically in half.

Shi Yu closed his eyes as he watched that beam of light.

Sleep. The night is long.

Han He gently closed the door, listening as the room fell silent until only the sounds of breathing and blood surging through his heart remained.

Han He turned to look at the mountains outside the window.

North Mountain Garden had been built against the mountainside. Beyond the north-facing window lay the mountain forests of the northeast.

Han He sat on the bed, stroking the simple, old-fashioned dagger. Countless caresses had polished the sheath's rough surface smooth. Han He felt its years.

The wind outside wasn't strong. It merely swirled gently through an old tree shedding its leaves in autumn, plucking off a few more and tossing them to the ground. Their dry sounds struck against stone with crisp little taps.

Han He lowered his eyes and looked at his hands.

Long-fingered and broad, warm and dry.

In a daze, he saw another scene.

The flesh peeled away from his hands, and scabs crawled over his skin like creeping insects.

The metallic smell of blood clung to his hands, and his grandfather's voice sounded in his ears.

"He... ah... do it... I was the one... who made the choice for you... don't... hate... yourself..."

Han He felt as though a bottle of strong liquor had been poured into his chest, fiercely scorching his blood vessels. For an instant, the pain made him wish he were dead.

He clenched his hand abruptly, his knuckles cracking, the cool, smooth sheath enclosed in his palm.

Han He blinked. Everything was as usual.

He turned toward the mountains. The distant ranges stretched on like a crawling spine, and the moon scattered its stolen light over the pitch-black peaks.

Han He sighed.

"Was I... right?"

No one answered the Hunter's words. Outside the window, the wind whimpered, and the mountain night never rested.