Yu Zhizhi's paintings were peculiar prophecies. Most of the time, the young girl filled colors randomly in her sketchbook, lacking any coherent imagery. Lu Yan hadn't dreamt in a long while, but one night, he had a nightmare. He couldn't recall the specifics, just the sensation of plummeting into the sea, surrounded by darkness and eerie whispers resembling fish calls in the deep sea.
Before fully descending into the dream's abyss, he woke with a loud "thud," his head hitting the bedframe. Tang Xunan burst into the room, breaking the doorknob and barging in. Lu Yan wasn't frightened by the nightmare but rather by Tang Xunan's demeanor. He turned on the bedside lamp, revealing Tang Xunan's still dreary eyes, harboring an unsettled look.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yan asked softly.
Tang Xunan emitted a few indistinct, low growls from his throat. "There's something."
He was referring to pollutants. Despite the supposed safety of the place, Tang Xunan sensed an intense source of contamination, leaving him visibly anxious. He ended up sleeping close to Lu Yan, his wings unable to retract, his dragon tail adding to the cramped employee dorms, even breaking a precarious bed.
As the bed collapsed, Lu Yan could only think, "Thankfully, there's no one else on this floor."
Otherwise, the rumor of "those two breaking a bed while sleeping" would be hard to live down. So, Lu Yan ended up sleeping in Tang Xunan's room. However, his partner's tail around his waist increased the frequency of Lu Yan's nightmares, often dreaming of being crushed at night.
Moreover, Tang Xunan's scales were sharp enough to graze the skin, compelling Lu Yan to generate his own fish scales for protection. Waking up every day touching dragon scales, Lu Yan pondered deeply: Did he really need those four hours of sleep?
Three months flew by in the underground lab. Lu Yan grew accustomed to the featureless individuals around him and Tang Xunan's overly close face every morning. Through diligent learning, he had grasped at least ten new techniques for modifying various pollutants into different species.
The categories were sixfold: fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and mythical creatures. Each required unique items dropped by the pollutants. He also gained a basic understanding of the research facility. A century ago, it was the only institute worldwide specializing in pollutant modification. Participants were mostly military personnel who signed strict confidentiality agreements.
Tang Xunan was likely the sole exception. Finally, the day arrived to transplant eyes for Tang Xunan, and although Lu Yan wished to perform it himself, the protocol didn't allow it.
Professor Wu puzzled, "You, a psychology student, doing surgery? I know you're curious, but this isn't something you should be involved in."
In this dream, his major was apparently psychology. Waiting outside the operating room, Lu Yan felt frustrated. Despite not being an ophthalmologist, his skill set surpassed the era by a hundred years, and he had studied for three months. Why wasn't he qualified to perform surgery on Tang Xunan?
In the family waiting area, Yu Zhizhi approached with her small sketchpad. Sitting across from Lu Yan, she started drawing, occasionally glancing towards the operating room. Before finishing, Yu Zhizhi's eyes glazed over, as if witnessing something horrific. She broke into a cold sweat, her hands trembling.
Looking akin to a child having a seizure, Yu Zhizhi shook her head vigorously. Finally completing the drawing, she tore it out and handed it to Lu Yan.
The majority of the drawing was black and red. A pyramid-shaped building stood underground amidst darkness, red creatures swarming in from all sides. At the top, Yu Zhizhi had written a date: [August 24, 2039, 00:00], while it was currently August 23, 23:45.
Lu Yan's expression shifted slightly. If Yu Zhizhi's drawings were indeed foresights, the pyramid building was likely the research facility, and the red entities were pollutants. The operating room still glowed red, and Director Qiao Yu remained inside, not yet emerging.
Yu Zhizhi's face flushed abnormally, her forehead burning. She emitted heavy, labored breaths.
Lu Yan's heart sank. Information indicated Yu Zhizhi wasn't a Harbinger. Harbingers, before awakening, typically experienced discomfort and various symptoms. He recalled a rumor he had heard long ago.
Subject 0 of the First Research Institute was a rare healing-type Harbinger, ranked first in the "Harbinger" sequence. On Subject 0's awakening day, countless pollutants surrounded the institute. This incident, due to its massive scale and the initial outbreak of pollution disease, was not concealed, even discussed on Harbinger forums.
...
The overhead light flickered twice before suddenly bursting, triggering an unsettling warning from the kingfisher within Lu Yan's body.
A passing nurse exclaimed, "Didn't we just perform maintenance today? How did this happen?"
Lu Yan glanced at the time: 23:47. Time was running out.
He scooped up Yu Zhizhi and pushed open the doors of the operating room. Despite nearly a century passing, the layout of the room hadn't changed much, and Lu Yan swiftly made his way to the surgical area.
Upon seeing him, everyone present wore expressions of surprise.
The surgery had lasted three hours, yet Tang Xunan had only fused with one eyeball. The other, decayed one had just been removed, leaving a bloody cavity in his face.
Qiao Yu held an eyeball in her hand, its golden iris darting around seemingly conscious, glancing towards the newcomer.
With the movement of her fingertips, the red polyps attached to the eyeball continued to proliferate.
[Talent 13 - Genetic Recombination]
Despite the term "genetic" in its name, this talent had little to do with genetic technology. Its holders could inexplicably merge different life forms.
"What's going on?" Qiao Yu asked.
Lu Yan took a deep breath and succinctly replied, "Yu Zhizhi seems about to awaken. She drew a picture outside the operating room showing the research facility surrounded by pollutants."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Yu's expression drastically changed, displaying shock.
Professor Wu asked in confusion, "What drawing? Zhizhi awakening is a good thing, isn't it?"
Perhaps only Qiao Yu and Lu Yan here comprehended the gravity of the situation. Qiao Yu had never told anyone about Yu Hanxi's final prophecy to avoid unnecessary complications.
According to his deductions, Yu Zhizhi's awakening talent was "Apocalypse."
[Talent 1 - Apocalypse]
Healing type, Talent effect: Permanently purges pollution.
The talent would emit light from her, spreading outward from Yu Zhizhi, dissipating pollution wherever it touched. Even if it was too faint for anyone to see.
On that day, the Earth could return permanently to its state before the Great Cataclysm. No pollution diseases, no fear of monstrous beings, no dread of sudden deformations.
Yu Hanxi had seen a distant future, and Qiao Yu had thought there was still ample time to prepare. But this day arrived too soon.
Now it was 23:51.
Ignoring the progression of his own degeneration, Qiao Yu hastened the formation of the eyeball and implanted it into Tang Xunan's eye socket.
The red polyps wriggled, quickly integrating with the original nerves.
Having been in darkness for so long, Tang Xunan wasn't quite accustomed to the light yet. He sat up on the operating table, looking slightly dazed, but his golden eyes soon focused.
Spotting Lu Yan holding Yu Zhizhi, a smile formed on his face.
Outside, chaos reigned as a special aide rushed in with a life pod.
Qiao Yu took Yu Zhizhi, gently feeling her feverish forehead, whispering, "Zhizhi, don't be afraid."
He placed Yu Zhizhi into the life pod, a mix of deep sorrow and determination in his gaze, then closed the pod himself.
On the Apocalypse forum, doubts persisted about the existence of "Subject 0."
Apart from the day when the research facility was besieged by pollutants, there seemed to be no evidence proving Subject 0 had been there. Not even the researchers who had worked for years in the First Research Institute had seen her.
Now, Lu Yan felt he might know the answer to this question.
Qiao Yu handed the half-person-height life pod to Tang Xunan.
"You possess the talent of time, and right now, time is what we lack the most," Qiao Yu looked earnestly into Tang Xunan's eyes, saying, "Take her and hide her in the future, please."
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
