Work Text:
Those who [ Awaken ] receive a [ seed ]
To nurture the [ seed ], challenge the [ gates ]
Inside the [ gates ], those who [ Awaken ] must grow or die
if those who [ Awaken ] do not enter the [ gates ], death will consume your world
***
The Blackthorn Fen Gate did not receive many visitors. If the dreary wetland, high concrete fences and surveillance cameras weren’t enough discouragement, fear of a dungeon breakout did the rest – inevitable, at this point, since the monsters inside the gate had spawned unchecked for two years.
Blackthorn was an S-class ‘graveyard’ gate. Over a thousand hunters had given their lives trying to clear it; not a single one had succeeded. Two years ago, even the #1 ranker had died inside that gate. Since then, the Irish Hunters’ Bureau had refused any petitions to challenge Blackthorn.
At 3:27 in the morning, only two night guards were present in the security room, neither of whom were watching the monitors with close attention. The younger guard was half-asleep when his elder suddenly asked, “Is there a tramp outside the gate?”
The younger guard startled awake, eyes flying anxiously to the monitor focused on the gate itself. Just like his elder said, there was a rail-thin man in rags lying on the ground in front of the deadly portal.
The two guards rushed down to prevent the man from entering it, but they needn’t have worried. When they arrived, the scraggly man hadn’t moved a centimeter, still flopped in the dirt, face-down.
Up close, the man reeked like rotting monster guts, and his disintegrating clothes were held together by more filth than fabric. When the eldest guard prodded him to check for life, the stranger groaned. His black hair was overgrown and tangled; when the two guards turned the man over, his features were distinctly east asian.
The younger guard, who kept up with the hunter rankings, did a double-take. Turning the stranger’s face toward the light, he examined the man’s sunken cheeks covered with a patchy, thin beard. “No, it’s not possible,” he muttered with a shake of his head. “No one can survive inside a gate for that long…”
“We need to call the hunter bureau,” said the eldest guard, turning his partner bodily toward the gate.
The surface of the Blackthorn Fen Gate still rippled incomprehensibly, like liquid mercury, but the edges had darkened like tarnished silver and begun to disintegrate. In half an hour, no trace of the gate would remain.
“Impossible,” breathed the younger guard. “Blackthorn is impossible to clear…”
But the gate had been cleared. They both looked down at the ragged stranger. The younger guard went for his phone at a dead run.
***
BREAKING NEWS - Irish Government confirms Blackthorn Fen Gate cleared, no word on hunter responsible
‘Battle God’ Ye Xiu Miraculously Alive after Two Years Inside S-Class Gate!
…Guild Excellent Era’s chief financial officer Tao Xuan made the following statement, “We are overjoyed and relieved to learn that our former guild leader is alive. However, Excellent Era intends to continue enforcing Ye Xiu’s expulsion from the guild. Breaking ties with our former guild master was a difficult decision, but he left us no choice with his erratic and risk-seeking behavior, and his neglect of guild affairs. His success, while welcome, does not change those reasons…
***
There was only one reason Han Wenqing would be called to the Chinese Hunter Federation’s headquarters, and it was sprawled over a chair in front of him, impossibly alive.
Stepping inside a world that had finally righted itself, Han Wenqing exhaled two years’ worth of grief and took a seat on the opposite couch, never taking his eyes off Ye Xiu. “You look like shit.”
The federation representative croaked in alarm, but Tyranny’s guildmaster wasn’t wrong. Ye Xiu’s old clothes hung off a gaunt frame that had been pared down to nothing but bone and hard muscle. His skin was pasty pale, crossed by healing wounds, and the bags under his eyes were so dark they looked tattooed. His sloppy posture was a front to hide the exhaustion left behind after draining every bit of his body’s resources and having nothing left: Ye Xiu had tried to clean himself up, but hadn’t even had the stamina to clean the blood and dirt from his nails.
Ye Xiu smirked, flopping back on the chair cushions – still acting arrogant to obscure his real condition, like an injured fox hiding its wounds. “Old Han! Is that what you say to an old comrade who’s come back from the dead! Shame on you! Luckily, I’m generous enough to let you try again! Go on, go on!”
“You look like shit,” Han Wenqing repeated. Han Wenqing lacked any talent for trash talk, and Ye Xiu had an unparalleled natural gift for provoking people. Rather than take the bait, long experience taught it was best to ignore Ye Xiu until he was done.
Ye Xiu tsked. “I’m still better-looking than you!”
Han Wenqing frowned at him until Ye Xiu sighed and settled down to business. “Figured out why you’re here yet?
The federation representative tried to speak, until Han Wenqing cut the man off with a glare. “You can go.”
The representative bolted, sweating in terror.
Ye Xiu laughed. “Your abilities have gotten even stronger!”
“Not as much as yours,” Han Wenqing said, surveying Ye Xiu again with critical eyes.
S-Rank Hunter Ye Xiu, the Battle God, former #1 ranking hunter in the world. His seed allowed him to create weak energy pulses, which he’d first channeled through a spear, before learning to create independent energy chasers he could direct. That had only been the beginning. Energy was a quantitative property existing in many forms–gravitational, electric, magnetic, thermal, and more; energy was required to perform all work and sustain life. The applications for Ergokinesis were practically infinite, constrained only by the limits of imagination and what Ye Xiu’s physical body could handle–and Ye Xiu had clearly pushed himself to the edge.
“You used your ability to replace the energy we gain from eating food,” Han Wenqing stated. “That’s how you survived two years in a gate.”
“It’s an imperfect solution,” Ye Xiu replied, bracing his chin on his palm. “I still need to eat occasionally. If the gate hadn’t supplied drinkable water, I’d have died like everyone else.”
Han Wenqing frowned fiercely in discomfort, feeling his patience disappear. “Enough. What do you want, Ye Xiu?”
Ye Xiu watched him with an intent gaze, all pretense abandoned. “I need a guild. My reputation got trashed after I was kicked out by Excellent Era. My power is an asset, but one too risky for most guildmasters to want. Would Tyranny accept me?”
Not entirely surprised by the request, Han Wenqing works through the situation. “You have closer friends among our juniors. Why not go to Blue Rain, or Tiny Herb?”
“Tyranny has a reputation for disdaining politics and single-mindedly challenging the gates. Taking me in aligns with that goal and won’t damage Tyranny’s image too much. You also have more direct power over your guild’s policies than any other guildmaster.”
Han Wenqing considers this, reading between the lines and making some educated guesses about Ye Xiu’s break with Excellent Era. “What are you not telling me?”
Ye Xiu laughed, sliding down in his seat until he was slumped over the chair arm. “Pretty soon, I’m going to cause a lot of trouble. Your scary face will be quite useful!”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Han Wenqing said, “Is that all?”
Ye Xiu hummed. “I also picked you for one more reason. Among high-ranking Chinese hunters, you’re the one most compatible with me.”
Han Wenqing pushed aside the desire to read any deeper into that statement. Ye Xiu was correct. Their abilities, as well as their matching pragmatic, straightforward personalities had always meshed well. “I’ll discuss your proposal with my guild officers and give you an answer within three days. First, I have one more question.”
“Go ahead,” said Ye Xiu, draping himself more comfortably over the chair arm.
“Why did you enter the Blackthorn Fen gate? It wasn’t because you were an attention-seeking gloryhound like Excellent Era claimed.” Han Wenqing had wondered futilely for two years; now he could finally ask.
“That’s a little complicated. And it’s related to the trouble I’ll cause in the future,” Ye Xiu replied.
Han Wenqing glared at him meaningfully, prompting Ye Xiu to straighten and answer seriously. “Do you remember your Awakening message?”
“Of course.” Every hunter knew it. It was the first sign they'd received their seed.
“If those who Awaken do not enter the gates, death will consume your world,” quoted Ye Xiu.
“We all thought it referred to the dungeon break phenomenon. We were wrong. Everything we’ve encountered so far is preparing humanity to face one, final gate – the Death Gate. A gate we need to clear or what’s inside it will wipe the Earth clean.”
Han Wenqing forced himself to relax his fists. “How do you know this?”
“The Drakensberg Gate raid. It was humanity’s first test – whether we could gather five thousand S and A rank hunters and clear it. When the rewards were settled, I received a solo, linked questline.”
Solo quests couldn’t be shared, and without receiving the first link in the quest chain, you couldn’t trigger the later quests. Only Ye Xiu could complete the quest tasks.
“Which led you to Blackthorn Fen.”
“After clearing a dozen other gates first,” Ye Xiu admitted.
That explained Ye Xiu’s single-minded behavior before his disappearance. Han Wenqing frowned. “You must have told Excellent Era.”
Ye Xiu shrugged. “The guild officers all knew. They thought I was wasting my time.”
“You weren’t.”
Ye Xiu smirked. “The questline rewards you with two artifacts that predict the Death Gate. Clearing Blackthorn Fen gave me an hourglass. We have around ten years left before the Death Gate opens.”
Ten years. That changed everything, and nothing. “What about the second artifact?”
“It’s a compass that will point us to the Death Gate’s location. The problem is where it’s hidden. What’s the most dangerous uncleared gate in China?”
“The Celestial Beasts Gate.” Han Wenqing furrowed his brows. Another S-class gate, which had escaped being labeled a ‘graveyard gate’ only because not enough people had died inside it yet. “You’ll need a raid team of fifteen.”
“Mmm. I want to recruit hunters and train them for a year before we attempt a clear.”
Making a decision, Han Wenqing got up. “Tyranny will accept you. I’ll explain things to the guild.”
Ye Xiu flapped a hand in his direction. “Don’t spread the news until the federation’s official announcement.”
Han Wenqing nodded, pausing at the door. “It’s good to see you alive.”
Ye Xiu returned a lopsided grin. “Old Han, it’s good to see you too.”
***
In Han Wenqing’s absence, Qingdao’s first spring thaw had left heaps of slush piled on the sidewalks. A guild SUV picked him up from the airport. Su Mucheng was driving it.
Master tacticians and their plans –Ye Xiu had known Han Wenqing would accept his request, and sent his former raid partner ahead. Su Mucheng had spent the last two years as a free agent, but of course she’d follow Ye Xiu to his new guild.
Su Mucheng smiled at Han Wenqing as he climbed into the passenger seat, down coat slung over one arm. She was lovely, but Han Wenqing was not built in a way that could appreciate her, and they both know it.
“Xinjie already made arrangements for you?” Han Wenqing asked out of politeness, trusting his vice guild leader’s impeccable organizational skills.
“He made arrangements for all of us. Tyranny has a Hangzhou branch now. Congratulations!” the woman informed him, maintaining one of her enigmatic smiles as she pulled away from the curb.
“Thank you,” Han Wenqing replied, steadily forging ahead. “I assume you’re part of the compass raid team Ye Xiu is putting together.”
“Yup! Please take care of us!” Her beautifully manicured nails tightened on the steering wheel. “Now that you’re our guildmaster, there are some things about Excellent Era you should know.”
Han Wenqing sensed this talk would not make him happy. Crossing his arms, he glared out the windshield. “I’m listening.”
***
Su Mucheng was photographed in Qingdao soon after her former raid partner’s return from the dead. When Tyranny announced a press conference would be held on the steps of federation headquarters, Ye Xiu’s current residence, the rumor mill quickly pieced together Tyranny’s intention.
It made little difference to Han Wenqing. Ten cameras or a hundred, his intention wouldn’t waver one hair. He glared across the sea of microphones and blinking lights, and with one simple announcement, aligned Ye Xiu with Guild Tyranny.
This was not a simple thing. In China, powerful Hunters had always been scattered evenly throughout the major guilds, one or two rankers propping up the dozen or so guilds most valuable to sponsors. After Tyranny’s move, the two most powerful and successful first-wave hunters in China were now marching under a single banner. The dynamics of influence would inevitably shift among the guilds.
Han Wenqing wasn’t interested. Knowledge of the Death Gate would soon shatter the old patterns anyway. Tyranny had even bigger plans in the works.
Ye Xiu declined to attend the press conference, claiming he was still recovering. Han Wenqing, forced to field questions from the media, would have preferred the same.
“Guild Leader Han! Does Tyranny consider it wise to accept members who act irresponsibly and dangerously during raids?”
Han Wenqing felt his eye twitch. “Tyranny has cooperated with Ye Xiu during many joint raids. He is an outstanding hunter who is neither irresponsible nor a person who endangers his teammates.”
Another reporter eagerly pounced on the opening. “Then you disagree with Excellent Era’s assessment?”
Relaxing his restraint on his aura until it flared, Han Wenqing answered, “I’ve already stated my opinion. The responsibility of a guild is clearing gates. Ye Xiu will help Guild Tyranny clear gates more quickly and safely. Any other activities are secondary.”
The reporters were all too eager to wrap up the press conference after that, smiles pulled fearfully tight around the edges.
Han Wenqing found himself, not unwillingly, drawn to the federation building, and Ye Xiu’s suite.
Ye Xiu was belly down on the couch, intent on a laptop and a notebook full of his messy scrawls, scrolling through web forums with quick flicks of his thin wrists.
Someone–probably Su Mucheng–had convinced him to get a haircut. His pale nape, newly revealed as a point of vulnerability, was stark against the black of his hair. Han Wenqing’s attention kept drifting to stare at it, fascinated and uneasy.
Forcing himself to focus, Han Wenqing studied Ye Xiu through a hunter’s eyes, tracing where the nutritionists and physical therapists had done their work, and found himself pleased with the results.
“Old Han, just who I needed!” Ye Xiu said, gesturing toward his notes–with a newly-manicured hand, Han Wenqing was bemused to see. “I’m two years behind on the current hunter rankings. We have you, me, and Mucheng for the compass raid team. Who else would you pick?”
With Ye Xiu as tactician, it would be an offense-oriented team - just the kind of raid Han Wenqing enjoyed best. “For a 15-person raid, two healers is the accepted number,” Han Wenqing replied, taking a seat. “Xinjie will be one. Fang Shiqian is the other obvious choice.”
“He’ll agree if we bring Wang Jiexi. The top hunter rankings haven’t changed too much. Huang Shaotian, Zhou Zekai and Chu Yunxiu for offensive power. Yu Wenzhou and Xiao Shiqin for long-range crowd control. Li Xuan, for buffs and area control.”
“Zhang Jiale,” Han Wenqing added.
“Hasn’t he been retired for a year?”
“He’s exhausted, not resigned,” replied Han Wenqing. “He’ll come back for this raid.”
Ye Xiu nodded, accepting Han Wenqing’s judgement. “That’s thirteen. We’ll need two more.”
There were many hunters who could fill those last two spots, but all of them had drawbacks – too defense-oriented, too volatile, too inexperienced. Han Wenqing thought of Ye Xiu’s reasoning for asking his opinions. “You want to know who’s come up in the rankings while you were gone.”
Ye Xiu twisted until he could see Han Wenqing, a sly slant to his mouth. “Tell me about Sun Xiang.”
Han Wenqing couldn’t help himself. He scowled. “Talented, hardworking and without the slightest grasp of tactics or teamwork. He's a guild leader only in name. Excellent Era has spent the last two years indulging his worst habits.”
“And if we had a year to teach him to respect his seniors?” Ye Xiu replied.
Han Wenqing glared at him unhappily, and with resignation, already sensing that any objections were moot and he was not going to enjoy what came next.
“I want to take a look. Save me a spot in Tyranny’s next joint raid with Excellent Era,” Ye Xiu said, and settled back in front of his laptop.
“You’re not back in peak condition yet. You’ll need to start with a smaller gate.”
Ye Xiu smirked. “Thanks for volunteering to escort me, Old Han!”
Fighting through a gate was no punishment for Han Wenqing, and Ye Xiu knew it. Quirking an eyebrow, Han Wenqing chuckled, already certain of where they’ll go.
***
Only dangerous gates earned names.
All gates were fundamentally dangerous, of course. To first-wave awakeners, even the simplest E-rank clear was paid in lifeblood. Back then, every new gate had its own name–that way you could explain where your friends died.
These days, only S-rank gates or graveyard gates were given their own names. The rising levels of hunters and gates had created a pool of comparatively less lethal gates, which were identified using GPS coordinates.
The B-Rank gate Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu came to clear was one such gate, standing in the middle of a remote Guangxi rice paddy. B-Rank gates were beyond the skills of the vast majority of hunters; gates restricted to fewer challengers increased the difficulty further.
For Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu, two rankers who numbered among the last surviving first-wave hunters, a B-Rank gate with a two-challenger limit was just good exercise.
Han Wenqing had picked this specific gate for two reasons. One, it was remote enough that onlookers wouldn’t crowd around. And two, it took a half-day hike to reach from the road, which Ye Xiu would dislike, and also test whether he was fully recovered.
Ye Xiu’s old gear had been destroyed inside the Blackthorn Fen Gate. This was Han Wenqing’s first time seeing Excellent Era’s former guildmaster wear Tyranny’s colors. Dressed in a black turtleneck, pants and boots, his red jacket was marked with the logo of Han Wenqing’s Tyranny guild on the back.
Han Wenqing felt deeply satisfied every time he looked at it.
Finishing his warm up exercises, Han Wenqing shrugged off his own jacket and stored it inside one of the space-folding pouches attached to his gear, along with the rest of his supplies. The heavy, reinforced fingerless gauntlets he wore made his movements less dexterous but would serve him well inside the gate.
Ye Xiu, spear held out to the side, joined Han Wenqing standing in front of the gate. Without further discussion, they stepped inside.
Instantly, a message appeared with their first objective.
[ Clear the antechamber ]
Low level gates required killing a certain number of basic monsters. Higher-level gates had multiple stages and introduced more complex objectives, as well as adding ‘boss’ monsters, which were larger and more dangerous than an average opponent inside a gate.
The darkness cleared, depositing them outside a mossy, overgrown castle ruin. “I’ll take point,” said Han Wenqing. It was fortunate he did, too. The monsters were frog-like, amphibious and full of poison. Han Wenqing shrugged off the poisoning effortlessly and killed two or three frog monsters with each punch.
Ye Xiu followed behind, staying out of range and occasionally sniping monsters with a well-guided chaser. He was quite content to sit back and sandbag while Han Wenqing punched through – or kicked down – obstacles.
A-Rank Hunter Han Wenqing, the “King of Fighting,” renowned as a powerful ranker and one of the last first-wave hunters alive. His seed was initially misunderstood as a mere physical enhancement ability that improved durability and strength. “Iron Will” was far more profound than that. As long as Han Wenqing maintained enough focus and determination, he increased his physical and mental performance beyond human limits and rendered himself immune to ‘status effects’ like poison or mental pollution.
Even more valuable, Han Wenqing could extend a weaker version of Iron Will’s effects to other hunters. It was an ideal synergy for a hunter like Ye Xiu, whose physical fragility restricted how much of his own power he could draw out. Ever since stepping inside the gate, Ye Xiu could feel Iron Will’s weight settled implacably over his body, heating his blood. It required strength of will to withstand Han Wenqing’s power and reap its benefits. To weak-willed hunters, or to the unawakened, Iron Will manifested as a terrifying aura instead.
Iron Will’s weaknesses were its time limit, and the recovery period it required before reapplication, but Han Wenqing constantly trained to reduce both those limits by keeping Iron Will active at all times, even in his sleep. From what Ye Xiu could see, the last two years had yielded great improvement for Tyranny's guildmaster.
[ Retrieve the stolen orb hidden within the underwater cave system ]
As long as Ye Xiu had a rebreather–standard equipment for a hunter–fighting him in water was practically giving him a cheat code. Removing energy froze his opponents; adding energy boiled them, and if Ye Xiu got tired of using those methods, water was an excellent conductor of electricity.
Han Wenqing, on the other hand, was a tireless swimmer who could hold his breath for over an hour. He shrugged off cold, heat and electrocution the same effortless way he did everything else.
The orb fell into their hands easily.
[ Place the orb atop the sorcerer’s tower ]
B-rank gates always contained at least one boss monster and never exceeded three stages. There was undoubtedly a boss monster waiting for them at the top of the tower.
“Why is it always stairs,” sighed Ye Xiu, hefting his spear and peering up at the dank, slippery stones they were expected to climb.
Han Wenqing chuckled, and forged straight ahead.
The monsters in this stage were newt-like, and dripped sticky mucus everywhere. Han Wenqing fell back and let Ye Xiu burn through them–like most water dwellers, fire was an effective counter.
“There’s a trap ahead. I don’t see anything but I feel it in the energy patterns,” said Ye Xiu when they’d climbed halfway.
Han Wenqing kept climbing. “Just an illusion.” He aimed a punch toward the staff-wielding newt monster, compressing the air into an explosive shockwave that splattered the monster against the wall.
Ye Xiu hummed, stepping around the gore. They continued climbing.
After encountering a few stronger monsters, a sign they were approaching the boss, they stopped to rest. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the narrow stone step, Ye Xiu said, “I’ve been thinking about the last member for our compass raid team.”
“We need at least two more hunters,” stated Han Wenqing. “A backup if Sun Xiang can’t be taught, or if there’s a training injury.”
Ye Xiu rubbed his chin. “I won’t argue. I want Fang Rui for the last main spot.”
Han Wenqing frowned. “Will Fang Rui be suitable? He’s skilled with traps and moving unseen, not at fighting in a direct offensive.”
“He’ll work. Back when Fang Rui was starting out, he used more attack skills. With a year’s training focused around those aspects of his ability, I think he’ll be exactly what we need.”
“Then we’ll try it,” Han Wenqing decided. “What about the backup hunter?”
“That’s more difficult,” Ye Xiu said. “Yu Feng accepted the guildmaster spot for Hundred Blossoms–he’ll have his hands full with their messy troubles. Xu Bin is also changing guilds. He’ll be busy consolidating his new position. Anyway, If we need a tank, we can just toss out Fang Shiqian.”
Han Wenqing let out a chuckle, imagining Fang Shiqian’s rage if he heard that assessment.
“With our current lineup, Jiang Botao’s skills are also redundant. He relies too heavily on pointing Zhou Zekai at problems, and his black-heartedness only works on human-like enemies. It’s why the public never accepted him as rivaling the Master Tacticians. Li Hua, Yang Cong and Tian Sen aren’t quite the same caliber as the rest. It’s too bad Lu Liang is dead.”
Han Wenqing scowled unhappily at the floor. That was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time. Not many remembered the third god-level hunter who awakened alongside the two of them.
Ye Xiu continued on. “Lin Jingyan and Tang Hao both have similar abilities. What do you think of them?”
“Lin Jingyan never fully recovered from his last injury. Wind Howl’s officers are pressuring him to resign as guildmaster.” Leaning away from the uncomfortably wet tower wall and pressing closer to Ye Xiu as a consequence, he added, “If that happens, I’m inviting him to Tyranny.”
Ye Xiu whistled. “Old Han, you really aren’t holding back! It’s a sensible move. You and Xinjie will need someone running things while you're gone.”
“Wind Howl has similar thoughts. They want Tang Hao as Lin Jingyan’s replacement. If the two of them fought, Tang Hao might surpass Lin Jingyan, but his attitude is worse than Sun Xiang's. Sun Xiang is overindulged. Tang Hao is bitter. We can’t afford the risk of trying both.”
“Mmm. That’s fine.” Ye Xiu bumped their shoulders together. “Besides, there’s nothing Xiao Tang can do that you can’t do better, Old Han!”
Han Wenqing coughed, uncomfortable with being praised instead of trash-talked. “The choice seems obvious then.”
“Yeah. Wu Yuce as our backup. His abilities are extremely flexible – he could act as a frontline melee fighter or as crowd control. In terms of skill, if Fang Rui fought him, the victory could go either way.”
Han Wenqing stood decisively. “Let’s finish this gate. We have negotiations to prepare for.”
The raid Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing were proposing would be the first of its kind – a raid that gathered the guildmasters – and some vice-guildmasters – of almost every major guild in China. With a lineup full of stars, they’d have the best possible chance of clearing the Celestial Beasts Gate and obtaining the compass that would lead to the Death Gate.
On the other hand, failure would wipe out China’s best hunters in one blow, talents who took years to nurture and might never be replaced. Great reward, equally great risk. Without strong persuasion, the Chinese Hunter Federation wouldn’t agree.
With Han Wenqing in the lead of their two-man formation, they mounted the last flight of stairs.
“Old Han,” Ye Xiu called from behind, in a lofty tone that usually preceded trash talk.
Han Wenqing grunted, not paying much attention to Ye Xiu’s usual nonsense.
“There’s one more hunter I want to focus on training. Guess who.”
Ye Xiu would continue pestering until Han Wenqing gave in. He didn’t bother trying. “Zhang Jiale.”
“Nope! Jiale’s been keeping up his training quite nicely. Don’t ask me how I know that. Guess again.”
Han Wenqing resisted the urge to rub his forehead in exasperation. “Su Mucheng.”
“Not bad, but Mucheng knows what she needs to do. Try again.”
“No,” Han Wenqing replied, spotting the door to the rooftop and quickening his pace.
Ye Xiu caught him by the arm. Puzzled, Han Wenqing turned back to observe Ye Xiu’s sudden turn of mood.
Ye Xiu’s gaze was bright and intent and full of meaning, as serious as if he was facing an S-class boss. “Have you ever considered the limits of your ability, Han Wenqing? 'Iron Will' is the power to turn your conviction into reality. Stubborn as you are, a man who doesn’t know the meaning of retreat, what couldn’t you do with the right determination? Could you punch so hard an atom explodes? Could you punch into the gate dimension? Could you walk on air, or phase through solid matter, or survive unassisted in the vacuum of space?”
Han Wenqing tried to catch his breath enough to speak. Pragmatic to the core, he wasn’t prone to fantasies, but the idea unfolded inexorably in front of his eyes, tugging at the seed inside him that yearned to grow. He touched his breastbone, feeling the thrumming power there, and wondered.
Releasing him, Ye Xiu smiled. “You can kill this B-rank boss without my help, King of Fighting. Let me see what I’m working with.”
Han Wenqing laid the boss out in less than two minutes, Ye Xiu’s words echoing on loop in his ears.
***
Inevitably, the day came when they stood beside one another outside a briefing room. Waiting within were Su Mucheng and twelve other hunters. In three hours, they would attend a press conference that would change the course of human history.
“Ready?” asked Ye Xiu, facing Han Wenqing with that timeless smirk curling his mouth, hands stuffed in his pockets.
Never one for words when action would stand for itself, Han Wenqing took Ye Xiu by one cool, dry hand, and pulled them both into the future.