Ye Jingqiu looked at Loteria’s puzzled expression and felt an urge to laugh. Coming here had definitely been the right choice.
She could clearly sense the goodwill radiating from the people around her. That feeling soothed the occasional waves of disorientation that welled up inside her.
Perhaps the truth about her vanished past and her untraceable family could be uncovered right here.
Yan Zhao watched from the side, inwardly gloating at Loteria’s rare slip in composure. The woman usually held herself with such poise, all prim and proper like the perfect “Professor Luo”—probably still fighting to keep that steady facade intact even now.
Tch.
Yan Zhao shifted her gaze back to Ye Jingqiu, her fondness for the girl growing unconsciously. She wasn’t part of the Center Group, so her knowledge of Ye Jingqiu was limited; she only knew her as a fresh Action Division recruit brought in by Team One.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, “So, what’s Xiao Qiu’s instinct? To snuff out Yinghuo head-on like that—could it be Gonggong?”
The A-rank Instinct Yinghuo packed tremendous power. Even when Shi Zui had unleashed it hastily with her Rampage Value at rock bottom, it had been enough to obliterate the bomb they’d reinforced with the Five Thunder Array and an Alchemy Container.
The only instinct Yan Zhao could think of that might counter 【Yinghuo】 was one on the same level: 【Gonggong】.
Shi Zui, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “We haven’t introduced any of this to Classmate Xiao Qiu yet.”
“Oh, right,” Yan Zhao replied with an understanding “oh.” She eyed the high schooler—who was supposedly prepping for Gaokao—with fresh curiosity. The Base had never taken in anyone underage before. “What year of high school are you in, Classmate Xiao Qiu?”
Ye Jingqiu wasn’t close enough to these people yet for casual chatter, and her quiet demeanor came off as endearingly docile. She answered softly, “About to start senior year.”
That gentle whisper hit every note of Yan Zhao’s perfect “little sister” fantasy.
Department Head Yan’s mood soared; she was already taking a shine to this newcomer. Her tone softened in a way it rarely did. “Wonderful. If you ever have questions, Xiao Qiu, just reach out to me anytime—straight through Aether.”
“Department Head Yan, can you keep up that sweet vibe forever?” Loteria marveled from the sidelines, pitching her voice high in mockery. “Throw in a cute little particle when you talk to me, too.”
Yan Zhao’s expression flipped in an instant. She whipped around with a icy chuckle. “Get lost.”
The very next moment, she was all warmth and smiles as she turned back to Ye Jingqiu.
Ye Jingqiu: …Ah, so this is their version of flirtation.
“Instincts are a way to summon and control elements,” Yan Zhao explained, her tone turning serious. “Animals that awaken them are what we call Exotic Beasts. For humans, they’re Awakeners.”
“You’ve probably studied the ancient Greek theory of the four elements?”
Ye Jingqiu nodded. It was a cornerstone of materialism: the idea that the world was built from earth, air, water, and fire.
“It might sound overly basic these days, but it holds up in the realm of instincts,” Yan Zhao went on. “The core elements instincts draw on are wind, fire, water, and earth. Things like thunder, wood, or light? Those are just variations built on top.”
“For instance, Instinct Yinghuo is pure fire. The Five Thunder Array mixes fire and wind in specific ratios.”
“Think of instincts like ultimate moves in a game,” Xie Pingzhi chimed in—she had the most gaming experience of the bunch. “Awakeners usually get just one big skill, no more, no less. But on top of that, you’ve got your basic attacks with no cooldowns. I can whip up a breeze anytime, and the Captain can roast herself over a fire if she wants.”
Yan Zhao steered the conversation back. “So, Classmate Xiao Qiu—what category does your instinct fall into?”
Ye Jingqiu paused to think. “It doesn’t really fit any of those.”
Shi Zui, listening quietly all the while, spoke up. “Word Manifestation. It falls under Aether.”
Yan Zhao: “Huh???”
What was that?
Her eyes lit up like she’d spotted a prize lab specimen. “Word Manifestation—say it, and it happens?”
Ye Jingqiu’s voice grew faint. “That’s how it looks on the surface.”
Yan Zhao’s suddenly intense stare unnerved her, so she hurried to pivot. “What’s Aether?”
“The fifth element—Aether. It’s also where our Little Cat assistant gets its name,” Professor Luo explained. As head of Dao Talisman with a solid grasp of alchemy, she knew her stuff. “Aristotle said the four elements made up Earth, but Aether filled the cosmos. We lump weird instincts like that under it—like the 【Southern Ladle】, which points the way. Legend has it Tang Xuanzang used one to stay on track during his journey to the West.”
Ye Jingqiu: Who knew it had roots that deep!
The group was deep in lively discussion when Shi Zui glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s getting late.”
“Time to take Xiao Qiu to log her file?” Loteria caught on to Captain Shi’s cue and nodded. “We won’t hold you up then. Her case will probably eat up extra time over at the Instinct Department.”
Picking up from Professor Luo, Yan Zhao added earnestly, “The afternoon mishap was on us. I’ll have Aether deliver the incident report within seventy-two hours.”
Xie Pingzhi grinned. “No big deal. If you’d landed me in the hospital, I might’ve scored a few extra vacation days.”
Yan Zhao shot her a look. “You think I’m worried about you? I’m worried about our Xiao Qiu!”
Reluctantly, she bid Ye Jingqiu farewell, gushing about how welcome she was to drop by anytime and offering to handle all of Classmate Xiao Qiu’s summer homework from start to finish.
Ye Jingqiu: Really, that’s not necessary…
Once the trio had left, Yan Zhao remembered something.
She turned to the Center Group member nearby—who had the inside scoop. “Word Manifestation instinct, scooped up by Team One—Xiao Qiu’s rated A?”
Loteria drawled lazily, “S.”
“Oh, S…” Yan Zhao trailed off, then jolted as it sank in. She leaned in close, cold sweat beading on her brow. “Don’t mess with me on this.”
The room had fallen deathly quiet. All Yan Zhao could hear was the click of cameras as the investigators documented the scene.
“No tricks,” Loteria assured her, licking her lips—dry from all the talking. “Watch her fight footage against that Exotic Beast, and it’ll click. Department Head Yan, one sentence from her wipes out Yinghuo. The rating’s spot-on.”
Yan Zhao lowered her voice. “But I thought this sequence was only for Captain Shi! Have you ever seen anyone who can use three instincts at the same time? If Captain Shi has S-level clearance, I wouldn’t say a word against it! Aren’t you all exaggerating too much?”
“It doesn’t matter. Time will prove that the Center Group is right,” Loteria said with a chuckle. “Back when news broke that Shi Zui had been appointed captain of Team One, the skeptics reacted even more strongly than you are now. It’s been so long since a true exotic beast last appeared that most people have no idea what a sequence number really signifies.”
“What I don’t understand is you people. Four years ago, Captain Shi walked away unscathed from that Candle Dragon all by herself. In my book, she’s the only one who’s ever pulled that off,” Yan Zhao said with a cold laugh. “A misjudged rating could lead to disaster. That dragon could wake up at any moment. Are you really going to send Xiao Qiu to her death inside its belly?”
“She’ll do fine,” Loteria replied calmly. “Ye Jingqiu is still a high school sophomore at Shanghai No. 45 Middle School, but a kid like that took down four C-rank exotic beasts all on her own, without any guidance. You know what that means.”
“How did she even know exotic beasts existed? Isn’t today Xiao Qiu’s first time entering the base?”
“She says it was guidance from a dream.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that. Does she have family who are Awakeners? Or has she been in contact with that crowd before? Autumn, or…?”
Loteria shook her head, cutting her off. “None of the above, as far as we know. Xiao Qiu’s parents are both deceased, and the records show she’s been living alone. But the Administrative Department discovered that her entire background is fabricated. Most crucially, she claims to have lost all memories from before high school.”
Those were the exact words Ye Jingqiu had shared with Shi Zui just an hour earlier.
“But… but you still extended her an invitation.” Yan Zhao stammered. The base required everyone’s background to be crystal clear and thoroughly documented. If that was the case, the Center Group never would have approved the order.
“It wasn’t us. I only signed off on her rating assessment.”
“Then who?”
“The Base Leader.”
“Some people voiced objections, but the Base Leader overruled every single one. He was unusually firm in demanding that Ye Jingqiu join us without fail.”
Yan Zhao fell silent, letting out a sigh as she gazed off into the distance at Ye Jingqiu heading into the base.
She couldn’t make out what they were saying. At this distance, all Yan Zhao could see was the smile on her face and Xie Pingzhi’s.
What was it Xie Pingzhi had said? Every Awakener has their secrets.
That unreliable woman had actually nailed it.
She knew the base’s very existence was the biggest anomaly of all. The Base Leader alone, with his unnaturally long lifespan, was a mystery worth endless investigation.
“Whatever,” Yan Zhao sighed. “I like Xiao Qiu anyway. Beyond that, all I care about is whether the experiment succeeds. The rest has nothing to do with me.”
Loteria sighed too, her voice carrying a rare note of melancholy and loneliness. Sorrow flickered openly in her tea-brown eyes. “I’m not like you.”
Yan Zhao had never heard her speak in such a tone before. Curiosity and sympathy stirred within her.
She hesitated, then stepped a little closer. “How are you not like me?”
Loteria turned, her face full of deep affection. “I don’t care about the world. I only care about you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Yan Zhao muttered under her breath to avoid cursing outright. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she gritted her teeth. “Get lost.”
“Lost in your heart?” Loteria blinked innocently.
Yan Zhao’s stomach churned. “Can you stop going online so much?”
She knew it! This woman was even more shameless than Xie Pingzhi!
Loteria put on a pitiful tone. “Come on, Department Head Yan. I’ve been single for three years. Netizens are all that keep me company in my lonely moments.”
“Wasn’t it four?” Yan Zhao’s expression turned icy in an instant, as if a trigger word had been flipped. She demanded sharply without thinking, “Who else have you been with?”
No answer.
Loteria gazed back innocently, and Yan Zhao realized she’d been played.
What a blunder. It made her look like she actually cared about this woman.
With a cold snort, she whipped around and hurried toward the site.
Loteria trailed leisurely behind her.
“So, my dear Department Head Yan, it’s been four years. When are we getting back together?”
“Never.”
“Come on, A Zhao, have a little pity on me.”
“Go back.”
“Fine. So, what are we eating tonight?”
“…You cook.”
