Translator: CinderTL
Late at night, Feng Qi strolled along the lakeside, lost in thought. He pondered his future plans and contemplated the structure of human civilization.
A gentle breeze rustled through the air, carrying the distant sound of a harmonica.
Looking up, he spotted Mu Qing sitting beneath a willow tree by the lake, quietly playing. The harmonica in her hands was the silver-white one he had given her.
Without greeting her, he walked over to the grassy patch beside her and quietly sat down, listening as she continued to play.
The melody had changed since last he heard it. The sorrow had softened, replaced by a warmth that resonated in each note.
The music spoke of unspoken emotions, each note concealing a calm yet resilient heart. Feng Qi's own emotions rose and fell with the melody, drawing him into its depths.
After a while, Mu Qing lowered the harmonica from her lips, brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and looked at Feng Qi.
"Why did you give me the harmonica? And why have you been so kind to me?"
"Because I understand the feeling of being reminded of someone by an object. This harmonica is both a gift for a friend and a hope that you can emerge from the shadows."
"You're an orphan too?" Mu Qing asked, her voice tinged with surprise.
"They were warriors in the domain combat team. They disappeared together during a domain exploration mission. Their teammates only found their tattered clothes and weapons. When I heard the news, I cried for days and couldn't recover."
"Now, my memories of them have grown hazy, but whenever I think of them, a pang of sadness still lingers."
"What about you? How many days did you cry?" Feng Qi suddenly turned to Mu Qing, his gaze curious.
Mu Qing: ...
Under Feng Qi's inquisitive gaze, Mu Qing hugged her knees and murmured softly, "After they truly left, I actually stopped crying. It's just that whenever I see the pothos on the windowsill swaying gently in the wind, withering because no one cares for it, or when mosquitoes buzz at night and no one shoos them away, or when there's no one to lull me to sleep, I feel waves of sharp pain and loneliness."
"But I've grown used to it now. My memories of them have faded too." Mu Qing spoke without a trace of emotion on her face.
"Stop pretending. You couldn't even hold it together when the harmonica broke that day. You cried so miserably. Aren't you tired of acting so strong every day?"
Mu Qing: ...
Staring at Feng Qi's beaming face, Mu Qing felt as if he had seen right through her. She suddenly lowered her head.
"After graduating from Star City Academy, what do you plan to do?"
Hearing his question, Mu Qing looked up again, nodded, and replied:
"I want to join a domain combat team after graduating and fight on the front lines against the Domain Invasion. Then, one day, I'll die heroically, ending my life."
Feng Qi was stunned by her words.
If this truly reflected Mu Qing's inner thoughts, he couldn't understand why she would later establish the "Dawn Rebels" and turn against humanity, even leading the rebels to slaughter several human cities.
With this in mind, he asked:
"Why do you want to fight on the front lines against domain creatures?"
Mu Qing didn't answer directly. Instead, she softly asked:
"You know I'm a Scavenger, right?"
"Yes," Feng Qi nodded.
"You're from the city, so you can't understand the hatred we Scavengers feel for domain creatures. It's a memory etched into our bones, instilled in us from childhood, never erased."
Hearing these words, Feng Qi suddenly recalled something Wang Jinsheng had said in class.
Wang Jinsheng had declared that the Scavenger teams outside the city walls were the bravest in the fight against domain creatures.
During that class, a student had stood up to object, arguing that city dwellers were no less courageous in confronting domain monsters than the Scavengers.
But Wang Jinsheng's subsequent words silenced the student completely.
He asked the class:
"If you were captured by a Domain Transcender and tortured for detailed information about Star City, who among you could withstand the torment without revealing anything?"
"I suspect that fifty percent—no, perhaps even eighty percent—would break under the Domain Transcender's brutal torture. This is because you lack the most crucial element: a burning hatred for these invaders!"
"Imagine this: your once-happy life is shattered overnight. Monsters invade your city. Your mother's head is severed by a monster's blade. Your father's limbs are twisted off before he's devoured alive. Your pregnant wife's belly is ripped open, her unborn daughter torn from her womb and devoured before your eyes..."
"Now, let's return to the original question. After enduring all that, you're imprisoned by a Domain-Transcending Creature, its claws pressed against your skull. Your body is wracked with agony, but would you break? Would you fear death? Would you beg for mercy? At that moment, you'd want to devour its flesh and blood, your hatred exploding like flames in your chest."
"The scenario I just described is one many Scavengers have experienced. They were once city dwellers, until one day their cities were suddenly enveloped by a domain."
"Take Emperor Ye, for example. You all know him as one of history's greatest warriors, but have you ever truly understood what he endured?"
"His entire family—seven members—perished under the torment of domain creatures. His closest sister had her left hand torn off, then her right, followed by her legs... In the end, he was the only one to emerge alive from the Domain Field. Throughout the long war against the Domain Invasion, the Ye family produced over a hundred martyrs. That hatred has been passed down through generations. Can you truly comprehend such a feeling?"
Feng Qi vividly remembered the moment the entire class fell silent.
As Mu Qing had said, the Scavengers' hatred for domain creatures ran far deeper than that of city dwellers.
Without experiencing it firsthand, one could never truly understand the hatred etched into their very bones.
City dwellers stereotyped Scavengers as brutal, greedy, and selfish, unaware of the unwavering resolve flowing through their veins and their inherited spirit of relentless resistance against domain creatures.
Realizing this, Feng Qi suddenly understood why Mu Qing's relatives had willingly volunteered for the rune augment project.
It was both for Mu Qing's future and to contribute their strength to the fight against the Domain Invasion.
Even as a child, Mu Qing had understood this hatred and made her own choice: to continue her relatives' unfinished experiments, even if it meant death.
This realization deepened his confusion. Why would Mu Qing betray humanity?
What had happened during that classified period of history to make her choose to stand against all of humankind?
"Feng Qi, what are your plans after graduation?" Mu Qing's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Feng Qi grinned at her question.
"I haven't decided yet. How about I form a domain combat team and recruit you, the great expert, as my deputy commander? We'll team up to fight domain creatures, then one day we'll heroically sacrifice ourselves and become legendary heroes remembered by future generations."
Mu Qing: ...
"What's wrong? Don't want to team up with me?" Feng Qi asked curiously.
"Actually, I've also considered forming a combat team to fight domain creatures. Perhaps you could be my deputy commander," Mu Qing said with a gentle smile.
"That sounds like a real promising future," Feng Qi thought sarcastically. A few years in prison, maybe, but more likely the death penalty.
"What was that?" Mu Qing asked, her brow furrowing adorably.
"Nothing, Commander. Just remember to pay me well so I can support my family."
"We're fighting for humanity's future. Talking about money is vulgar."
"Hahaha, you're right."
As the night breeze rustled, their conversation deepened their friendship without them realizing it.
(End of the Chapter)
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