Translator: CinderTL
Star City Academy.
Night fell, the moon bright but the stars sparse.
By the lakeside in front of the dormitory building, Mu Qing sat with her knees drawn up beneath a willow tree, her lips gently touching a harmonica as she quietly played.
A gentle breeze brushed her cheek, lifting a few strands of dark hair.
As she played, Mu Qing's pupils narrowed into vertical slits, and the rune crystal embedded in her arm began to glow.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turmoil within, but memories flooded her mind, making it increasingly difficult to maintain control.
Her eyes gradually turned crimson, and two small fangs peeked out from the corners of her mouth.
Forcing herself to endure the surging emotions, Mu Qing's face twisted in pain as she curled up and began to tremble.
She was once again on the verge of losing control.
Just then, Feng Qi arrived as promised, appearing nearby.
Noticing something was amiss with Mu Qing, he immediately stepped closer and asked, "Senior sister, what's wrong?"
As he spoke, he placed a hand on her shoulder. Instantly, a powerful suction force emanated from Mu Qing.
Due to Mu Qing's extreme mental turmoil, his newly acquired "Nightmare" ability automatically triggered, flooding his mind with fragmented memories.
The images showed a young girl, clearly Mu Qing at around seven or eight years old, kneeling beside a wooden bed, tears streaming down her face.
On the bed lay a man, his body bloated and blackened. He reached out and grasped the girl's hand, speaking with great effort:
"Don't blame us, we have no choice. You'll have to walk this path alone in the future. I'm sorry, I need to go find your mother first... You must learn to take care of yourself and live on, no matter what."
As the girl continued to weep, the man began to cough violently, black blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. With great difficulty, he reached for the harmonica beside him and handed it to her:
"This is the only thing your mother and I can leave you..."
"Xiao Muqing, don't be afraid. Eat well, and you'll find the strength to stand up again."
The images in Feng Qi's mind flickered and jumped erratically.
When the scene stabilized, Xiao Muqing stood timidly in the lobby of Star City's Civil Affairs Bureau, clutching several documents and waiting quietly.
"Number 024, proceed to Window 3!" The electronic announcement echoed through the hall.
Hearing her number called, Xiao Muqing scurried to the window and awkwardly climbed onto the seat.
The staff member behind the counter was visibly surprised to see a young girl approaching. "Little one, what can I help you with?"
"I'm here to apply for an Orphan Certificate," Xiao Muqing said, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Noticing the staff member's astonishment, Xiao Muqing methodically produced the death certificates of her father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, maternal grandfather, and maternal grandmother. "I just obtained my father's death certificate," she explained. "Now that I have no family left, I need to be sent to an orphanage. That's why I'm here to apply for my Orphan Certificate."
The scene in his mind left Feng Qi stunned.
He couldn't fathom how Mu Qing had endured such a dark period.
A sudden wave of sympathy washed over him for this resilient girl.
"Once I have my Orphan Certificate, I'll be considered an adult, right? I'll be able to take care of myself then, won't I?" Xiao Muqing asked timidly, her gaze fixed on the staff member behind the counter.
Hearing this, Feng Qi felt a mix of emotions.
Star City had relatively abundant resources, but they were still finite. When a child lost all their relatives and had no cash savings, they would lose access to education and be sent to an orphanage to be raised by the state.
Upon turning thirteen, they would be expected to become self-sufficient, typically ending up as low-level residents of Star City, working the most grueling and exhausting jobs.
Feng Qi had been able to receive an education because his parents had left him an inheritance, allowing him to avoid the struggle for survival.
But for orphans with no savings, the situation was entirely different. Once they obtained their Orphan Certificate, their entire life path was already laid out before them.
Faced with Xiao Muqing's question, the staff member opened their mouth, forced a smile, and said reassuringly:
"Yes, now that you have your Orphan Certificate, you're considered an adult."
The images in Feng Qi's mind flickered and jumped again, the scene shifting. A tall woman in a black uniform appeared beside Xiao Muqing, bending down to whisper in her ear:
"Their blood flows through your veins. You're the result of our experiments, so you need to come back with me to complete the follow-up tests."
With that, she took Mu Qing's small hand and led her away, step by step, into the distance.
In that moment, Feng Qi could feel Mu Qing's inner resistance and struggle.
The vision abruptly cut off. A sharp pain pierced his chest, and he was sent flying backward several meters, crashing heavily to the ground.
Regaining his senses, Feng Qi scrambled to his feet, barely dodging Mu Qing's incoming punch.
Boom! The ground cratered beneath the force of her blow.
"Senior Sister!" he shouted urgently.
Hearing Feng Qi's voice, Mu Qing's face twisted with conflict. She stood frozen for a moment, then took a deep breath. The crimson glow in her eyes slowly faded.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice filled with confusion and shame. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him.
During her time at the academy, Feng Qi had been the only student who genuinely wanted to be her friend.
But she knew it wouldn't last. Soon, he would be like the others—avoiding her, even discriminating against her.
"I'm fine. Now, how about you teach me how to play the harmonica?" Feng Qi grinned, brushing off the incident.
Mu Qing looked up in disbelief. "You... you're not afraid I'll lose control again?"
Glancing at the crater in the ground, he forced a nonchalant tone. "Afraid? Do I look that weak? That punch was decent, I guess. Didn't hurt much."
Mu Qing: ...
Observing Mu Qing's complex expression, Feng Qi smiled and said, "Senior Sister, you don't seem to be feeling well today. Get some rest. We can reschedule the harmonica lesson for another time. Oh, and don't forget to have breakfast with me tomorrow!" He grinned widely.
Mu Qing opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately nodded with a conflicted expression. "Alright."
As Mu Qing walked away, Feng Qi rubbed his chest, hissing in pain as his composure finally crumbled.
Mu Qing's punch had struck with the force of a prehistoric behemoth, nearly knocking his soul out of his body.
If his body hadn't been repeatedly strengthened in the Dream Realm, that single blow would have landed him in the emergency room.
Lifting his shirt, he confirmed the presence of a dark bruise blooming across his chest.
Yet, miraculously, the bruise was fading at a visible rate.
This didn't surprise him. His prefix title in the Dream Realm had evolved from "Weak" to "Robust," and one of the abilities granted by "Robust" was accelerated bodily regeneration.
After lingering in place for a moment, he turned and headed back toward the dormitory building.
As he recalled the fragmented memories he had witnessed in Mu Qing's mind, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
He was now desperate to know the identity of the woman in black.
Mu Qing's transformation into a rune augment might have been the result of being used as an experimental subject by that woman.
He even suspected that the deaths of Mu Qing's parents might have been caused by some kind of sinister human experimentation.
He felt like he was getting closer to the truth.
Behind all of this, there might be intricate connections to the Scarlet Research Institute.
(End of the Chapter)
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