Chapter 24: The Rabbit Youth
Yu An and Gu Ersheng exchanged a look, the bewilderment in both their eyes clear to see. Of course they knew there were monsters in the Base—monsters were everywhere, and everyone had long since grown accustomed to them. Why was this person looking as though he had been scared out of his wits?
Yu An lowered his head to look at the youth’s face. After observing for a moment, he was certain he had never seen this person in the Base. He looked at Gu Ersheng, who shook his head, clearly not recognizing him either.
They had grown up playing in the Base. The turnover of personnel was extremely low, and almost everyone was a familiar face. Today was the first time they had encountered a stranger.
After a thought, Yu An had a guess. “Are you a new researcher at the Base?”
The youth did not answer, merely cowering in the corner.
Yu An was worried about scaring him and kept his voice as soft as possible. “Don’t be afraid. Are you lost? Which sector are you from? We can help lead the way and send you back.”
Upon hearing this, the youth trembled even more violently. His face turned deathly pale, and his reaction was intense. “Not going back! I’m not going back! This place is too terrifying. The monsters will eat me…”
His emotions were too agitated. He suddenly grabbed Yu An’s hand with such force that Yu An couldn’t break free. A sharp pain radiated from his wrist, causing him to knit his brows tightly, his small face scrunched up in a ball.
Yu An looked down to pry the hand away, only to see that the youth’s arm was covered in a layer of white fur. It didn’t look like human hair; it looked more like the fur of an animal.
Has this person mutated?
Yu An stared blankly at the patch of white fur. In the next second, Gu Ersheng decisively slapped the youth’s hand away, pulling Yu An back to distance them from this bizarre fellow.
Gu Ersheng’s expression was cold, and he was in a hurry to leave. “A patrol guard uncle will be coming by in a bit. Let’s ignore him. Uncle Rong is still waiting for us to deliver the fruits.”
“Th-then let’s go first.”
Yu An pursed his lips and rubbed his red, aching wrist. He stopped approaching the person and picked up the small basket from the ground.
Klold stood on Yu An’s shoulder, glancing at the red marks on his wrist. His small tentacles flicked, and his gaze toward the youth was unfriendly.
A weak little rabbit actually dares to grab someone. He really should be skinned and de-boned for a meal.
Yu An and Gu Ersheng ignored the strange person and carried their small baskets toward the elevator. During the walk, Yu An looked back at the youth several times, a sense of hunger welling up once more.
[Soland, is he a Xenogenic or a Mutant?]
Yu An wasn’t sure and asked Klold. He had a general understanding of his own body; he usually only felt an appetite for Xenogenics, but that person was so afraid of them that he seemed more like a human.
Yu An didn’t know that the “inside” of Soland had changed. He only knew that in recent years, “Soland” liked to sleep more. He was almost constantly in a state of being unable to wake up, yet he was also exceptionally clingy.
Every morning, “Soland” would wake briefly, crawl into Yu An’s pocket, and then go back to sleep.
To accommodate this, every piece of clothing Yu An owned had a pocket.
Klold didn’t correct him. Anyway, as soon as the Soland in the Temple woke up and reclaimed his body, He could go back. It should… probably not take much longer.
Klold’s voice was muffled. [He’s a mutated human. The Xenogenic that infected him was a rabbit. Mhm… this kind of rabbit is very delicious.]
The Great-eared Rabbits wandering in the Void were a favorite food of the Ushatos. They were cowardly by nature and loved to tunnel through space, often biting holes into perfectly intact dimensions. They belonged to the Spatial-type Xenogenics.
Everything about the Great-eared Rabbit was good, except that they had very little meat—not even enough to fill the gaps between one’s teeth.
Yu An looked at the youth a few more times. A rabbit? He certainly looks very cowardly.
Perhaps because he kept looking back, Little White thought he was very interested in the person. It flapped its wings and flew over, circling the youth twice.
The scanner hidden in its pupils identified the youth’s face and searched the Base’s database. Finding no results, it switched to the civilian information registry.
Little White leaned close to Yu An’s ear. “Little Master, his name is Zhou Xia. He’s a ninth-grade student. While on his way to class, he was hit on the head by a rabbit that appeared out of nowhere, became a Mutant, and was brought to the Base.”
That really is both lucky and unlucky, Yu An thought to himself. Many people tried everything they could to become a Mutant, only to fail and become the walking dead. Zhou Xia had just been hit by a rabbit and effortlessly became one.
“I remember now.” Gu Ersheng was reminded by Little White, and a flash of realization hit him. “A batch of new Mutants arrived yesterday, but they were all sent to the Mutation Zone. The Mutation Zone is a long way from our Experimental Zone. How did he run over here?”
Yu An said vaguely, “Maybe that rabbit is Spatial-type.”
Gu Ersheng nodded. “Could be.”
When they encountered a patrol guard, Yu An pointed toward the path they came from and told him about Zhou Xia. After hearing the story, the guard’s expression turned serious. He first ordered his subordinates to send Zhou Xia back.
Looking at the two children huffing and puffing while carrying the baskets, he chuckled. “Do you need me to help you deliver those to Dr. Rong?”
Yu An tilted his small head and gave a grateful smile. “No need, thank you Uncle. We can do it ourselves; we won’t disturb your work.”
Gu Ersheng hefted the basket. “It’s fine. It’s not heavy. We can manage.”
The Captain of the Guard had worked at the Base for a long time and had basically watched Yu An and the other kids grow up. Especially Yu An—the child had been just over three years old when he arrived, a tiny thing following behind his father, timid and afraid of strangers.
In the blink of an eye, five years had passed. The little fellow who used to hide behind his father’s legs could now stand up bravely and interact with people.
The Captain was filled with emotion, feeling a sense of “my boy has grown up” pride. He rubbed Yu An’s small head. “You’ve grown up…”
Yu An gave him a big smile, his round lake-blue eyes curving into crescents.
The Captain wanted to pat Gu Ersheng’s head too, but Gu Ersheng’s temper wasn’t as good as Yu An’s. He looked at the Captain coldly, took a step back, and directly refused the pat with his actions.
The Captain retracted his hand awkwardly, thinking to himself that Little An-an was definitely the cuter one. “Then hurry along to Dr. Rong so he doesn’t worry.”
The fruits of the mutated plants in the Botanical Garden had a greater effect on Xenogenics and could also heal injuries caused by them. The Base’s medical department had a huge demand for these fruits.
When Yu An and Gu Ersheng arrived at the medical department, Rong Shili was treating the wound of an Arbiter who had just returned from a mission. The wound was already ulcerated and inflamed, bleeding incessantly.
Rong Shili focused on debriding the necrotic flesh while Rong Chuyu stood by with a tool tray.
She was the first to notice Yu An and Gu Ersheng. Handing the tray to an assistant, she glanced at the fruits in the basket. “The number of [Reversal Fruits] this week is a bit low.”
Yu An placed the fruits on the laboratory table. “There were only this many ripe ones on the trees. we searched for a long time just to find these.”
In the Botanical Garden, vines and trees were intertwined like an unexplored primeval forest. To find [Reversal Fruits], one had to go deep inside. One also needed to soothe the vines beforehand; otherwise, taking the fruit recklessly would result in a lashing from the vines.
Yu An had excellent affinity with plants and always found the most [Reversal Fruits]. Gu Ersheng was second. The others couldn’t even grab a few before being whipped until they cried out.
Wu Yao had it the worst; as soon as he got near a fruiting area, vines would immediately whip him from a distance.
Thus, the task of picking the fruits was left to Yu An and Gu Ersheng.
Rong Chuyu checked the quality of the batch. After confirming there was no rot or contamination, she was about to take them to the preparation table when Gu Ersheng held down his basket.
“Let’s make a trade.” Gu Ersheng looked around the medical room. “Do you have a skull here? Give me one.”
Yu An and Rong Chuyu were both puzzled. The smile on Rong Chuyu’s face almost faltered. Finally, Yu An asked, “What do you want a skull for?”
“To scare my brother. He’s most afraid of that stuff.”
The relationship between Gu Yixing and Gu Ersheng was very subtle. They were inseparable on normal days, but they were also ruthless when it came to pulling malicious pranks on each other.
Yu An knew how much Gu Yixing feared skulls. He thought for a moment. “You’ll scare him into crying. Brother Yixing might even faint from fright.”
“It’s fine. I’ll keep an eye on him so he doesn’t fall.”
Yu An: “…”
Rong Chuyu’s dark eyes fixed on Gu Ersheng. “You can just go online and buy a realistic replica. Yixing is an idiot; he won’t be able to tell.”
Gu Ersheng was stubborn. “I don’t want a fake. I only want a real one.”
“Taking the bones of the deceased from the infirmary is strictly forbidden. It’s a great disrespect to the dead.”
“Are you someone who follows those rules? Don’t worry, I’ll return it as soon as I’m done scaring my brother.”
Rong Chuyu finally agreed. While her father was busy treating the patient’s wound, she beckoned to Yu An and Gu Ersheng. The three of them slipped back into Rong Chuyu’s small private room.
Rong Chuyu had a cabinet full of skulls. She took one out and handed it to Gu Ersheng. “Take this one. No need to return it. This person was a rapist when they were alive; I find it disgusting. Just smash it when you’re done.”
Gu Ersheng examined the cranium and gave a very satisfied smile. “Thanks. I’ll have Yunyan say a prayer for him later.”
Yu An reminded him silently, “Brother Ji isn’t Taoist. He’s a fake priest.”
Ji Yunyan didn’t know how to perform rites for the dead at all. Although he always carried a cross and acted a bit eccentric, he hadn’t actually read the Bible. Instead, his head was full of physics, science, and Marxism.
Gu Ersheng waved a hand. “That’s fine too. I suppose smashing a skull with a cross is a form of ‘releasing’ the soul.”
Yu An: “…”
Because they were carrying a skull, Yu An and Gu Ersheng’s pace back to the Botanical Garden was much faster. At the garden gates, the Zhou Xia who had been cowering there was nowhere to be seen. He had likely been taken away by the guards.
Yu An stood at the entrance for a moment before walking in just before the doors closed.
The Botanical Garden was a sea of lush greenery. Brilliant sunlight shone through the glass dome onto emerald leaves. Unripe [Reversal Fruits] were a pale blue, their tiny terminal leaves shaped like hearts.
Yu An stopped in his tracks, standing quietly by the door as he watched Gu Ersheng approach an oblivious Gu Yixing with his hands behind his back, holding the skull.
Gu Ersheng smiled with a harmless face. “Brother, I’m back~”
Gu Yixing was on a swing. As a “good brother,” he naturally had to give a hug, so he pulled his sleeves down to cover something on his wrist and met him with full enthusiasm.
“Ersheng~”
“Yixing~”
The twins hugged each other and, at the same time, brought out their “surprises” for one another.
“Aaaaaahhh!”
“Aaaaaahhh!”
Two screams echoed through the Botanical Garden. Yu An, who was prepared, covered his ears. He looked at Gu Ersheng in confusion. Hadn’t he gone to scare Gu Yixing? Why was he the one screaming so tragically?
Yu An walked closer and finally saw a small cyan snake coiled around Gu Yixing’s wrist. The scream had terrified the snake, and it was twisting its body to escape.
But Gu Yixing gripped its tail tightly. The little snake couldn’t escape and swung back and forth in the air. Several times, the snake’s head brushed against Gu Ersheng’s face. Gu Ersheng was most afraid of snakes; he closed his eyes and screamed even louder.
The brothers clung to each other’s necks, both terrified to their cores. Instinctively, they held each other tighter. Thus, Gu Yixing was closer to the skull, and Gu Ersheng’s face was pressed tightly against the snake’s body. He was about to faint from fright.
Liang Xingsang and Wu Yao ran over upon hearing the noise. Liang Xingsang was like a worried old mother. “Why are you two pranking each other again? Haven’t you learned enough lessons already?!”
Wu Yao clutched his stomach and laughed, making no effort to stop them. He happily took out his phone to record the hilarious scene.
Little White landed on his shoulder and also began its recording mode. Its database of dark history could be updated again!
Yu An saw the brothers’ faces turning pale, a prelude to fainting from fright. He hurriedly went to help pull them apart. “Let go, quick! Don’t hold on so tight…”
Unable to pull the two apart, Yu An had to grab the skull from Gu Ersheng’s hand, while Liang Xingsang went for the small snake in Gu Yixing’s hand. It took a long time of prying before they managed to snatch the items away.
With the frightening things gone, the emotions of Gu Yixing and Gu Ersheng gradually calmed. Their hearts were still racing. They looked at each other, hugged, and spoke the exact same words: “I will never scare you again.”
Yu An held the skull and let out a sigh. He had heard those words many times before.
When Fu Yin returned, he saw the little fellows lying listlessly on the ground, devoid of their usual energy. He asked in surprise, “What happened here?”
Wu Yao directly showed Fu Yin the recorded video. Fu Yin laughed until his stomach hurt and asked him to send the video to him. Fu Yin then shared the video directly into the friends’ group chat to let everyone enjoy the laugh.
In the afternoon, Yu An followed Wen Xun home. Wen Xun chatted with him about the incident, his eyes full of humor. “…Looking at it this way, our An-an is much more stable than your Brother Gu.”
Yu An revealed two small dimples, shyly clutching Wen Xun’s arm. “Because I’m not afraid of skulls and small snakes. If I encounter something I am afraid of, I would be scared into crying too.”
Wen Xun pondered for a moment but couldn’t think of anything Yu An feared. “Then what is An-an afraid of?”
Yu An thought about it. “Afraid of thieves.”
This answer was outside Wen Xun’s expectations. “Why?”
“They will steal my ‘sparklies.’ I love sparklies the most. If they get stolen, I’ll be very sad.”
The collection of sparkling gems and diamonds in his vault was Yu An’s treasure. He couldn’t imagine life without them; life would lose all its joy.
Just thinking about it made Yu An feel it was unacceptable. His heart felt anxious, and as soon as he reached home, he trotted up to the second floor and pushed open the door to his collection room.
Yu An carefully counted all his jewelry one by one.
Suddenly, he heard a faint sound. He looked toward the source and saw a person sneakily hiding next to the wardrobe, holding his favorite emerald brooch in their hand.
“Aaaaaahhh!”
A thief!
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