After Tao Cheng’an and his teammates fled back to the Living Area, he immediately contacted the leader of the 2nd Branch to arrange a rendezvous.
“You didn’t get the blue material?! And you have the nerve to ask me for backup?” Xu Hua’s voice crackled with fury before shifting into something unsettlingly erratic. “Do you have any idea how dangerous the Living Area is right now? Want to guess who I just saw?”
Tao Cheng’an covered the receiver and muttered a curse—*who has time for your guessing games?*—before putting it back to his ear. “No idea. Why don’t you tell me?”
“Xin Ye. I saw that D-class captain, Xin Ye… The 7th Branch is here. You don’t think they’ve already gathered all the materials and are getting ready to leave the field, do you?”
Tao Cheng’an almost covered the mic again to snap at him, but the thought of the "Mirror Self" ability gave him pause. His expression turned solemn. “Are you sure it was him?”
“Of course. We looked at his photo together, didn’t we?”
Recalling the way Leng Xianye had spoken to the "Xin Ye" he had encountered, Tao Cheng’an was eighty percent sure he had faced the original. That meant the one Xu Hua ran into was the Mirror.
Things were getting interesting. He decided to put some effort into coaxing his temporary ally. “Wow, that’s terrifying. As far as I know, they’ve collected every material except the red one. They must be incredibly strong.”
“How about our two teams join forces and… corner them?”
He was lying, of course; he had no idea what the 7th Branch’s actual progress was. But considering they had the gall to set up an ambush, it was a safe bet they were close to finishing.
Xu Hua fell silent at Tao Cheng’an’s sycophantic tone and sudden suggestion.
“What’s wrong?” Tao Cheng’an asked. “Did you swallow a mutant fly?”
“Nothing. I just haven’t stretched my muscles in a few days. I’m excited,” Xu Hua let out a low, muffled chuckle. “Let’s corner them.”
The two sides exchanged coordinates and met up shortly after.
They chose the lobby of the community hospital as their meeting point. Plastic medical packaging was strewn across the floor, and the large screen at the reception desk was frozen on "Fever Clinic: Number 100."
The moment Tao Cheng’an walked through the door, Xu Hua stood up.
“Why are there only three of you?” Xu Hua’s face darkened immediately upon seeing only two teammates behind Tao Cheng’an. If they were going to have a group brawl and the ally had fewer people, it felt like his team was being used as sacrificial pawns.
Xu Hua was prone to outbursts every other day, and Tao Cheng’an considered himself a master at reading the man. He lied without missing a beat. “It couldn’t be helped. The 7th Branch is too strong. Leng Xianye pinned me to the ground and beat me, even dumped a headful of leaves on me. My other two teammates were knocked out of the match by them.”
He figured losing to Leng Xianye was a believable excuse that carried no shame.
“That fierce? Now I really want to meet them…” Xu Hua’s attention was instantly diverted, though he quickly pivoted to another question. “Wait, you encountered them? When?”
“Just a moment ago. I was beaten so badly I had to flee here. It looks like they’ve split up,” Tao Cheng’an said. He had no intention of telling Xu Hua that Xin Ye had sent his Mirror off on a solo mission. It was more fun to keep people in the dark, and he enjoyed the acting. He continued to play the victim. “Brother, I’m in a bad way. I had to come to you for help. Help me get some payback.”
As the captain of the 1st Branch—theoretically the strongest among this batch of ability users—bowing his head to ask for help was enough to make anyone’s ego swell.
Xu Hua swelled with righteous indignation. “Fine! No problem!”
***
Xin Ye sneezed. On the other end of the voice comms, the Mirror asked if he had caught a cold.
The Mirror only regretted that he couldn’t plug all the sprinkler heads in the ceiling. “I knew we should have brought more clothes. Do you have any cold medicine on you?”
Xin Ye worried for a moment that the Mirror was confusing "weakness" with "fragility," only to be scolded for not appreciating his concern.
“They’re coming out of the community hospital,” the Mirror reported, standing atop a nearby building and watching the two groups merge and exit. “Keep following?”
Sure enough, the saying that people would never look up even if they passed by a hundred times held true. For the second time, no one raised their head.
“Follow them. Having more people doesn’t necessarily give them the initiative,” Xin Ye said, watching a canine mutant dash past his feet only to be picked off by a single shot from Lian Muyun. “We’re in the shadows. There are plenty of tricks we can play. Nothing to fear.”
“I have a good idea… Mirror.”
“The Living Area is a great place. There are mirrors and glass everywhere.”
Xun Yin quickly brainstormed several locations with mirrors, sketching out the environments in a notebook. After relaying the information to Xin Ye, he took his hands off the keyboard. *[Over to you.]*
“Don’t worry,” Xin Ye replied.
He shared the Mirror’s location with Leng Xianye and Lian Muyun; this location served as a rough proxy for the other two teams. Xin Ye tapped the map twice, finally settling on four specific spots.
The three of them moved out.
...
The Mirror heard Xin Ye tell the others that the operation had begun. “Should the two of us hang up the voice call?” he asked.
“No need.” Xin Ye’s pace was barely faster than a stroll; he was perfectly relaxed. “Just help me lead them to the red dot I marked for you.”
The Mirror tilted his head, then told Fu Shu to hide further away.
Fu Shu, who had been playing with his own hands for a while, looked up. “Is there a show to watch?”
“Yes,” the Mirror said. “Watch closely.”
He searched around and finally found a pebble. Before he could find the right throwing angle, Fu Shu snatched it away. “Let me do it. Just don’t push me later.”
Fu Shu shattered Xu Hua’s other umbrella with a well-aimed throw, then instinctively ducked into a blind spot with his hands over his head.
Below, Xu Hua looked up in a rage. The Mirror waved at him.
Beside him, Tao Cheng’an was bonked on the head by a collapsing umbrella rib. Dazed for a second, he followed Xu Hua’s gaze and saw the Mirror.
*No wonder he was mistaken for the original… they really are identical.*
“What do you have to say this time?” Xu Hua was so angry he laughed. “Was it a bird mutant again?”
“No. This time, I threw it.”
He stopped pretending.
The moment the words left his mouth, a small explosion erupted next to the Mirror. Though he tried to dodge, he didn't clear it entirely. The umbrella was blasted out of his hand, and a large patch of skin on his arm was scorched. A flicker of bewilderment appeared in his eyes, reflected in the bright light of the flames.
That was an unnatural explosion, unaffected by the humidity of the rain—an ability.
Below, Xu Hua didn't see the Mirror’s injury. He kept his hand in a snapping gesture, while Tao Cheng’an stood beside him with arms crossed, smirking.
“Don’t get too cocky, little captain of the 7th Branch.”
“That’s his ability. People call it ‘Short Fuse.’ It matches his temper perfectly. I looked it up with you,” Xin Ye’s calm voice came through the receiver, snapping the Mirror back to his senses. “It’s normal to be startled the first time. Just dodge it next time.”
“Don’t hesitate. Run.”
The Mirror turned and bolted.
Xu Hua gave a disdainful "Tch" and was about to give chase when a hand pressed down on his shoulder.
“Xu Hua, we don’t need everyone to catch one guy,” Tao Cheng’an said, his eyes half-lidded as he lowered his voice. “He still has teammates.”
“Then we split up,” Xu Hua snapped, pushing Tao Cheng’an away and staring incessantly in the direction the Mirror had fled. “How do we divide the teams?”
“There are eight of us. How about two teams of four?”
“Four people to chase one guy? You certainly think highly of that D-class,” Xu Hua’s tone was dripping with contempt. “I’ll take two of yours. To catch him, two people is plenty.”
Xu Hua grabbed a teammate at random, asked Tao Cheng’an for two spare ponchos, and set off in pursuit.
Having lost a teammate, Tao Cheng’an looked at his newly expanded six-man squad and nodded with satisfaction. He very kindly instructed his teammates to help the newcomers put on their ponchos.
“Since your captain isn’t here, please follow my lead for now. Let’s head in the opposite direction.”
“After all, it would be bad if we accidentally walked into another team’s trap.”
...
Xin Ye and the Mirror were unaware of the changes behind them. The Mirror even stopped to look back twice. “They aren’t catching up. If they don’t pursue…”
“That won’t happen,” Xin Ye said with certainty. “With that temper of his, he’ll definitely come.”
He remembered hearing rumors about Xu Hua’s bad temper in a previous timeline. Supposedly, a mutant hawk had scratched half his face during a mission, and the man had chased it all the way up a cliffside to smash its nest. Lian Muyun had been the one to confirm the story’s credibility, as he had been the one sent in for backup.
Xu Hua did not disappoint. He soon closed the distance until he was within the Mirror’s line of sight.
The Mirror’s path stayed on the rooftops. The gaps between the apartment buildings in the Living Area were designed to be narrow, making them easy to leap across. In contrast, the two men on the ground had to navigate various turns to keep pace.
Xin Ye finally reached the entrance of the target residential complex.
He spotted a road safety mirror at the upcoming bend. As he walked forward, he spoke to the Mirror. “I’m at the spot. Find a chance to disappear.”
“Understood.”
The Mirror stopped in his tracks.
This time, Xu Hua was watching the rooftops closely. He braked in sync. The teammate he had brought along nearly crashed into his back, falling to the ground and gasping for air. Before the man could catch his breath, he was hauled up by his captain.
“Xin Ye went downstairs. I guess he couldn’t take it anymore and is ready to face us head-on!” The thought of getting revenge for the two broken umbrellas made Xu Hua ecstatic. “Even if the Ability Limiters can’t actually hurt an ability user, it’ll be enough to give him a shock.”
The teammate was in a daze. He hadn't seen how "Xin Ye" had gotten off the roof, and his captain’s words barely registered. When his vision cleared, he saw someone standing under the road safety mirror at the corner ahead. He rubbed his eyes hard. “Captain… why is there someone else ahead?”
“He got down that fast? Not bad! I knew he couldn’t resist!” Xu Hua yanked his teammate’s collar again. “Let’s go!”
It wasn't that he didn't realize Xin Ye’s speed and position were suspicious; it was simply that his mind was so filled with rage and overconfidence that it was causing him physical pressure. He needed to vent that pain by crushing his opponent with his ability.
His opponent stood right under that convex mirror. Just as he had on the roof, he waved.
The only change was the smile on his face.
It was near dusk. The orange glow of the setting sun cast long shadows on the ground. Xin Ye held the standard-issue dagger, his grip loose. “Good eve—”
Before he could finish the word "evening," the spot where he stood was engulfed in crimson sparks and smoke.
The pole holding the safety mirror was blasted apart. The convex mirror crashed to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces that flew in every direction.
Having accomplished this, Xu Hua merely snapped his fingers. Seeing Xin Ye vanish from the spot, he grew impatient again.
“Stop hiding! Didn't you want to face me?!” he bellowed, causing the teammate beside him to cover his ears. “Xin Ye—!”
“Yo.”
Xin Ye’s voice rang out like a ghost behind Xu Hua. He placed one hand on Xu Hua’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m perfectly willing to face you.”
As he spoke, his other hand clamped down on Xu Hua’s left hand—the one he used to snap his fingers.
At such close range, the voice in his ear made Xu Hua’s skin crawl. With his hand pinned, he didn't activate his ability immediately; instead, his body instinctively spun around.
Twice, he had only looked at that face from a distance. Now, he was finally looking into those eyes up close.
Xu Hua remembered when he first got Xin Ye’s photo. Tao Cheng’an had told him: “Be careful. This is the captain of the 7th Branch. He’s only D-class, but his physical techniques are excellent. He mostly uses pistols and daggers.”
In his current line of sight, Xin Ye’s hands were empty.
But a cold, piercing sensation came from the back of his neck.
Using his injured right hand, the Mirror delivered the first strike to the neck, followed by a second to the back of the head. Before Xu Hua’s multi-function watch could even sound an alarm, it flashed a notification: *Virtual HP: 0.*
The Mirror retracted the blade, feeling a sense of relief. He thought the Virtual HP system was quite good; otherwise, he’d be covered in blood right now.
With the goal achieved, Xin Ye pushed the stunned Xu Hua away with a look of disgust.
He said, “Be careful in the future. A long-range mage playing at melee is just asking for trouble.”
The two of them moved so fast that the teammate nearby was still wide-eyed with shock when Xin Ye slit his throat.
“Almost missed this one. My bad.”
After being eliminated, Xu Hua didn't erupt into curses as Xin Ye had expected. He seemed to have entered a state of catatonia, remaining unresponsive even as the staff emerged from the shadows to drag him away.
Xin Ye watched them until he was sure they were gone, then rushed forward to grab the Mirror’s arm. “What happened to your hand? I thought… I thought the Ability Limiters were supposed to ensure abilities don't harm ability users?”
“Is it because you’re my ability? No, that’s impossible. You’re my Mirror. You should be classified as an ability user just like me…”
Seeing the rare look of panic on Xin Ye’s face, the Mirror reached out with his uninjured hand and patted his head to soothe him. “It’s fine. It might have just been an accident. Just help me bandage it.”
Xin Ye bit his lower lip, remaining silent for a long time before finally saying, “Okay.”
He and the Mirror sat on the stone steps of a nearby flower bed. Because some time had passed, parts of the Mirror's clothing had begun to stick to the raw flesh.
Throughout the entire process, neither of them spoke. The Mirror acted as if he couldn't feel any pain at all, while Xin Ye’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
Only after the bandaging was finished did his expression soften slightly.
The Mirror wanted to say a few words of comfort. He was just about to speak when Xin Ye made a gesture to stop him.
Xin Ye glanced to the side. “Come out.”
Jian Weiwei stepped out from the shadows between two buildings.
“What do you want?”
“Relax, I’m not here to pick a fight. I just saw you worrying over your injured ability and wanted to give a little hint to someone kept in the dark.” Jian Weiwei stepped closer, her gaze lingering pointedly on the Mirror’s freshly bandaged right hand.
Xin Ye raised his hand to block her view.
“The two of you have a very close bond,” she remarked.
Xin Ye’s tone was unfriendly. “So, what exactly are you trying to say?”
“I know you’re in a hurry to chase me away… Tsk. I’ll be blunt. You’ve probably already had this thought; there’s no need to doubt yourself.”
“Humans created by abilities are classified as mutants by the Limiters.”
The Mirror, who hadn't reacted at all while his wound was being treated, suddenly flinched.
The person standing in front of him remained cold. “Why are you telling me this? What’s your goal?”
“Telling you was my own decision.”
Jian Weiwei took two steps back, retreating into the shadows.
“I just had nightmares while sleeping in this gods-forsaken farm these past two nights… I dreamed of my ‘boyfriends.’ The dreams were full of their faces, struggling in agony before they died.”
“It suddenly occurred to me that I never asked them: Do abilities feel pain?”
“If you want to know more, come find me after the competition. As for how I found this place… Fu Shu pointed me in the right direction.”
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
一点就炸 | Short Fuse | Xu Hua's ability; literally "explodes at a touch."
道路反光镜 | Road safety mirror | Convex mirrors used at intersections to see around corners.
异能限制器 | Ability Limiter | A device used in the competition to prevent lethal injury.
虚拟生命值 | Virtual HP | The health point system used to track eliminations in the match.
镜像 | Mirror / Mirror Image | Xin Ye's ability; a sentient clone of himself.
红色材料 | Red Material | Refers to Fu Shu, the "escaped experimental subject."
蓝色材料 | Blue Material | One of the quest items in the competition.
生活区 | Living Area | One of the zones in the competition map.
社区医院 | Community Hospital | A location within the Living Area.
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