Floating Island is a city that floats among the clouds, lacking a fixed location. Many years ago, the headquarters attempted to locate it via satellite, to no avail. To this day, its whereabouts remain a mystery.
Over the years, the Disease Prevention and Control Center has known very little about the internals of Floating Island. It is only known that the island’s lord is an avian, notably low-key. Twenty years ago, it began cooperating with the abattoir, delivering parcels worldwide.
The island was discovered accidentally by staff members more than a decade ago. Initially, it appeared abruptly in the skies of Zone 3, where birds could be observed darting through the clouds.
Others mistook it for a mirage until the headquarters detected pollution values from it. However, before any further investigation could take place, the clouds disappeared.
As Lu Yan reviewed the data, Xiao Bing was tasked with measuring his mutation value. Xiao Bing's expression was one of disbelief: “Mr. Harbinger, not only has your mutation value not increased, it has actually decreased. How is this possible?”
Lu Yan replied, “I’m not entirely sure myself,” unwilling to disclose the reason given the current circumstances, leading Xiao Bing to drop the subject, albeit visibly pleased.
He rambled on, “I heard from Teacher Ji Wen that due to excessive use of your talents, your mutation value had skyrocketed... we were all very worried. When I received the pollutant removal surgery case report you sent to my email, I thought you were settling your affairs and cried for a long time.”
Although it wasn't specified, Lu Yan indeed served as a pillar of support for many, like Director Li and Researcher Bing, whose tasks largely revolved around him, despite his occasional lack of response.
Lu Yan was momentarily at a loss for words.
[The bonds between people are indeed fascinating. You feel a sense of responsibility towards Xiao Bing and the others, don’t you?]
He didn't respond, as Lu Yan had no intention of hiding his spiritual power threshold this time. That day, the forum on Harbinger was abuzz with posts about him.
[Shocking!] The Tyrant's position is at risk (hot)
Poster: I heard that today Mr. Harbinger went to the Disease Prevention and Control Center to measure his spiritual power threshold, and he maxed out the tester with a limit of 17,000???
1L: Invited to comment, I was there, it's true. Emperor Shitian was dumbfounded.
2L: I don't understand, but I'm deeply impressed. Has he been a Harbinger for a year yet?
3L: What does 17,000 even mean? I only have 700.
4L: Last time the Tyrant tested, his threshold was 13,000. I hereby declare the Tyrant has abdicated, long live the Harbinger Emperor.
…
Lu Yan paid no mind to the commotion he caused and proceeded with his assistant.
The location of Floating Island was provided by the system. This cloud-based island was currently drifting between Zones 5 and 6.
Emperor Shitian, sitting uncomfortably on Lu Yan's private jet, asked, “Why are you going to Floating Island?”
Lu Yan calmly looked out the window, “To reclaim what's mine.”
Years ago, followers of the Deep Sea Cult extracted seven fish eggs from his body, prematurely ending a divine gestation.
As his brother said, it's less about asking who he is and more about Lu Yan discovering himself. Even now, Lu Yan isn't sure what he is.
He might have been meant to be a fearless vessel, but due to unforeseen events, this vessel grew like a human and was eventually shaped into the persona “Lu Yan.”
Floating Island holds the last piece of his body.
*
After about ten hours of flight, they finally arrived at their destination. Zone 3, known for its high latitude, coastal regions, and grasslands, had a massive cloud floating above a vast meadow, casting a shadow below.
This cloud, sometimes near and sometimes far from the ground, changes shape with the wind. Without specific detection, everyone would assume it was just an ordinary cloud.
As the helicopter opened its doors, Emperor Shitian, taking the lead, floated out of the plane.
With Talent 175 - Levitation, he doesn't consume much energy, hence mostly remains in use. Having three heads and six arms, his body is heavier than one might expect; without floating, his leg bones might break under his weight.
Emperor Shitian hovered in mid-air, signaling Lu Yan, “You can come out, don’t worry.”
For safety, Lu Yan carried a parachute.
According to the system, he shouldn't die from this height, but falling would still hurt.
Tentatively stepping out, the wind played with his hair. Walking in mid-air felt no different from walking on solid ground.
Below him, endless grasslands stretched out, with flocks of
sheep rolling around like cotton candy.
Luckily, he wasn't afraid of heights.
Emperor Shitian asked, “Are you sure Floating Island is here? Is this new information from your Disease Prevention and Control Center? I haven't heard anything in Zone 5.”
Lu Yan didn’t feel like explaining, simply replying, “Yes.”
Emperor Shitian's extra arms uncontrollably scratched his back, extracting a few lotus seeds, “Sorry, Dr. Lu, my back was itching.”
Following the principle of waste not, he fed these seeds to the other two heads on his neck.
As they ventured into the serene cloud layer, faint thunder could be heard.
In mythology, Emperor Shitian, named after the deity overseeing thunder and battle, also possesses Talent 53 - Thunder, making him particularly sensitive to thunder.
His expression turned grave, “This thunder isn't natural; it's also a talent.”
Lu Yan pondered for a moment before stepping into the clouds.
The clouds were dense, almost semi-solid, filling Lu Yan’s nostrils with moisture, everything around him shrouded in white.
Others might suffocate in such clouds, but Lu Yan enjoyed the damp sensation.
Within the clouds, the swirling lightning did not strike. Instead, the clouds parted, revealing a staircase ascending beneath Lu Yan's feet.
Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, "What's this about?"
[The lord of Floating Island is one of the rare pacifists in the apocalypse. Perhaps you could have a talk. After all, another reason for the island's isolation is that its lord isn't as powerful as outsiders believe.]
[Also, the Rabbit Butcher, Lu Jiahe, and 07 are here too.]
Previously, at the abattoir, the system had suggested he send the egg-turned 07 to Lu Jiahe for incubation. Since then, Lu Yan had inquired a few times, only to learn that the Rabbit Butcher had safely completed the delivery.
However, Lu Yan hadn't anticipated that all three would be on Floating Island.
"What about Emperor Shitian?"
[Don't worry about him; he's lost. He won't die.]
Lu Yan's eyes are highly resistant to mental pollution and illusions, unlike others. He drew the Hellfire dagger from his waist, its blade growing warm as he proceeded forward. The entirety of Floating Island unfolded before him.
At the center of the clouds was a clear lake, where pigeons, much larger than normal and with sinister crimson eyes, strolled along the shore. Some pigeons, opening their mouths to reveal snake-like tongues lined with sharp teeth, dove into the lake to snatch fish, swallowing them whole.
Besides pigeons, there were other birds here too. The mist divided Floating Island into distinct realms.
Unlike other polluted areas, Floating Island felt warm and inviting. Disregarding the appearance of some Pollutants, it seemed like a scene from a fairy tale. The sunlight reflecting off the clouds cast a rose-gold glow.
A gentle voice came from behind Lu Yan, "I spent eighty years building this island."
He turned around to see the island lord dressed in a white robe reminiscent of surgical attire, holding a medical case. Wearing a hat, the lord had a bird head, with a massive beak protruding from beneath the brim. Rumors had it the lord's original form was a crow. Dark wings draped behind him as he hovered slightly above the ground.
A pigeon landed on his shoulder as the lord softly greeted, "Hello, Lu Yan."
The pigeon curiously examined the visitor.
Surprisingly, the lord's aura of pollution was weak.
Lu Yan stared at him, "Were you waiting for me?"
"I assumed you possess the Omniscience talent," the lord raised his hand, summoning two large birds carrying a chair and a table, "given the existing human data, Floating Island isn't easy to find."
Lu Yan pursed his lips.
"If you don't mind, perhaps we can talk."
The lord sat down opposite him, removing his hat and then the mask from his face. The large beak turned out to be a metal mask, leaving faint imprints on his face.
"Let me introduce myself, my name is Song Tianyu. It's been a long time since I've interacted with human society, so please forgive any impropriety. You might not have heard of me, but I'm Qiao Yu's husband."
Lu Yan was taken aback by the introduction.
He had never met Professor Qiao Yu in person; by the time Lu Yan was born, Qiao Yu had been dead for many years.
He had only briefly encountered the man in Tang Xunan's dreams. On the day Yu Zhizhi awakened, Qiao Yu chose not to go to a shelter but to the ninth floor underground, saying his lover had become a Pollutant and was confined there.
After waking from the dream, Lu Yan had asked Tang Xunan about the fate of Director Qiao. Tang Xunan told him that Qiao Yu was saved by his lover, who had become a Pollutant, and that lover died at that moment, with Qiao Yu passing away at the end of the last century.
"On the day Yu Zhizhi evolved, I regained some sanity, but I remained a Pollutant," Song Tianyu briefly recounted, "I saved him from other Pollutants, leading Qiao Yu to make a bold decision."
"He reported to the headquarters that I had died in the disaster. Then, he kept me in secret."
Such a deed was radically unconventional and would have cast a shadow over Qiao Yu's illustrious image had it been discovered.
Song Tianyu's physique didn't seem aged, but his narrative was slow and often thoughtful, "Indeed, I gradually regained my sanity. If it weren't for still detectable pollution values and weakness from not eating, I'd be no different from a normal person. Maybe except for some talents that ordinary people don't possess."
"That's when Qiao Yu proposed the 'evolution' hypothesis. In the past, all mutations were deemed 'pollution.' He was well aware that society couldn't accept me, no matter how harmless
I appeared."
Song Tianyu paused, "I am a mistake that needs to be eradicated."
In a sense, Song Tianyu wasn't wrong. Humanity's battle against pollution has always aimed at eradication, with only one victor in this struggle for survival.
When Song Tianyu spoke these words, he wasn't sad but rather calm, "Yet, to wait for you, I have prolonged this mistake."
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