Evil As Humans, page 235
She reluctantly provided the explanation.
“On the Other Side, if there is a disturbance at one end of the connection, it will naturally affect the intelligence, such as—”
Qi Xin mercilessly struck, a mist entwined around a certain limb, and she knocked Fu Tianyi unconscious with a “thump”. Dr. Cat was almost knocked off as well, and its tail puffed up.
At the same time, Fu Tianyi’s comment disappeared from Lu Xiaohe’s photo. She looked at the empty space in shock and then at Fu Tianyi, who remained motionless. Immediately after, Qi Xin lifted Fu Tianyi and woke him up amidst his sobbing.
As Fu Tianyi regained consciousness, the crooked comment reappeared, once again appearing on the back of Lu Xiaohe’s photo.
“Loss of consciousness will cause the connection to be severed, but there is another situation.”
Qi Xin tossed the weeping Fu Tianyi aside, and her misty form acted again, grabbing Zhong Chengshuo’s collar.
Zhong Chengshuo: “?”
This time, Qi Xin’s action was swift. Before Zhong Chengshuo could express his confusion, he disappeared from the spot. Yin Ren’s fur puffed up even more than Dr. Cat’s, but he couldn’t use his abilities. Lord Ghost King stepped forward a few steps, reaching out to grab Qi Xin by the collar.
Lu Xiaohe looked back at the photo.
On the back of the photo, Zhong Chengshuo’s comment became blurry and difficult to read. Moreover, the line of text was slightly tilted, leaning in a certain direction.
Like a pointer.
“The farther the distance, the weaker the connection signal. But in times like this, it can probably indicate the location of your companions… Alright, that’s the end of my explanation. You’re all clever people. You should know how to use this thing.”
Qi Xin clapped her hands with a face showing the relief of finishing an annoying task. In the next instant, Zhong Chengshuo appeared beside her with a swoosh, looking disapproving.
Yin Ren was still gripping Qi Xin’s collar with a gaze as sharp as a knife, seemingly contemplating how to slice this person into pieces.
“What’s with your expressions? If I throw away the cub, the cub will truly be lost.” Qi Xin remained calm while being held by Yin Ren, glancing at Zhong Chengshuo from the corner of her eye. “Or perhaps, Mr. Fear, do you have a different opinion?”
Zhong Chengshuo hugged his shoulder bag tightly, remaining silent.
“Is that all?” Lu Xiaohe anxiously asked. “Do we have a similar method for the missing people…”
“As long as Yin Ren becomes a mature Primordial Elemental, he will be capable of doing all the things you’re thinking of.”
Qi Xin didn’t give a direct answer, not even sparing a glance at Lu Xiaohe.
“Next is free activity time. Do whatever you want. I’m only responsible for bringing humans here, and I don’t care about anything else. If you encounter something you can’t handle, go back to the white room and wait.”
Lu Xiaohe clenched the photo tightly.
Indeed, there was no reason for Qi Xin to help humans with her abilities. Giving them an opportunity and a little guidance was already going above and beyond. In plain terms, this so-called journey to the Other Side was just an accessory for Yin Ren and the others—like a soothing toy that babies don’t want to let go of, a tiny lifeless object.
Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were okay, but when it came to other Elementals, humans needed to remain highly vigilant and avoid contact if possible.
As Lu Xiaohe contemplated, a shrill howl echoed from the end of the tunnel. A pitch-black torrent piled up like a mountain, rushing towards them.
Yin Ren recognized this scene. It was a group of Elementals forming a cluster, surging forward in search of prey.
“By the way, let me introduce.”
Tour guide Miss Qi raised her hand, pointing towards the rushing black legion.
“This is a common phenomenon in the Other Side lately—group hunting. Due to food shortages, the weak unite to tear apart any solitary Elemental. Your photos all bear my aura, so they shouldn’t easily… huh?”
The massive legion surged forward, engulfing everyone from Shian. Countless tentacles wildly thrashed about, enveloping everyone and gathering high above their heads, dashing in a certain direction.
For a moment, screams from the people of Shian mixed together. Dr. Cat’s claws tightly gripped Fu Tianyi, who let out a yelp of pain.
What an audacious kidnapping! Even Qi Xin was stunned for a full three seconds.
Were these creatures driven mad by hunger, daring to provoke “Sorrow”?
She narrowed her eyes, and her main body was itching to make a move. But just as she was about to attack, Yin Ren’s voice could be heard amidst the cries—
“Qi Xin, stop!” he urgently shouted. “It’s an acquaintance!”
As soon as he was bound, Yin Ren felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He had definitely seen these soft, slippery, decaying-colored tentacles before. The points where the tentacles intersected formed grape-like shapes, with black and gray chunks of flesh riddled with holes. And around those chunks of flesh were embedded fourteen crimson spheres.
Hmm, he had indeed seen these things before, on a night when the moon was just right. Yin Ren quickly shifted his gaze, and sure enough—
Among them, an Elemental was holding up a tablecloth with a cat pattern using its tentacles. The tablecloth swayed as if it were a flag. With sharp and shrill sounds, its round “meow” cry was particularly grating, causing even Meiqiu to look around.
…Miss Gao Mengyu, your cat is here.
[What’s going on?!]
Before Qi Xin could speak, Yin Ren’s thoughts shot out.
The fourteen-eyed cat waved its tentacles and shook the tablecloth. “Meow!”
At the same time, its thoughts also infiltrated Yin Ren’s mind.
[They want to wage war against humans, but we don’t want to fight.]
It curled its tentacles in a pitiful manner.
Yin Ren was taken aback. [War? Do you have a way to fight in the human world?]
He glanced at the soft and squishy fourteen-eyed beings beneath him. These things had their own set of cognitive pollution and could indeed be formidable opponents.
But currently, everything was calm, without any major rifts. How would these things be able to reach the mortal realm?
Even if they could pass through the gap, without possessing a physical body, they could only hide within the gap and barely survive by traversing the interstitial space. When the time came, not to mention movement, food would be a problem.
[Not “that side”, but here.]
The “cat” responded earnestly.
[There are other humans here.]
* * *
The author has something to say:
Cat attack!
Evil As Humans Ch212
Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
* * *
Chapter 212: 2/3
The way that group of Primordial Elementals—let’s call them “cats” for now—moved was truly eye-opening for Yin Ren.
He was still baffled by what the other party had said. [There are other humans here.] Then he saw the group of cats waving their soft limbs, and the surrounding Other Side corridor began to spin rapidly. The cat legion followed one after another, entangling with the group of people and leapt into the vortex. The next moment, a brand-new tunnel appeared before everyone.
After one vortex came another, and physical distance became completely irrelevant. The people felt as if they were immersed in a kaleidoscope, with everything around them dazzling and bewildering. Although there was no ground beneath their feet, the cats leaped with determination. Though the paths were mostly similar, their strides were resolute.
The cats navigated with ease and took off in a certain direction.
Their destination was very close to the tunnel wall. As the cats approached the colorful edge of the tunnel, countless fragments writhed and merged, forming the outline of a hospice institution.
The wall tiles here were pristine and smooth, while over there the wall covering was corroded and peeling. Snow piled up on the windowsills, and rain tapped on the glass windows. At the same time, the courtyard’s floor tiles and weeds were stained red by the setting sun, reflecting a blood-red twilight. By the flower bed, a rocking chair gently swayed, and the “people” on it resembled dolls made of stitched cloth, with each inch of their skin belonging to a different person.
This small courtyard seemed to be pieced together from the impressions of countless people. Every detail was chaotic and fragmented, with only silence prevailing.
The atmosphere of this institution was gloomy, and combined with the chaotic scenery, it should have been frightening. However, the courtyard, benches, bushes… In every corner, there were tablecloths with cat patterns. They were so identical in style that it seemed like they were copy-pasted, and the colors were fresh and adorable.
Everyone in Shian looked at each other, unsure of how to react. Only Dr. Cat’s fur stood on end, revealing a subtly intriguing expression on its fluffy face.
Yin Ren somewhat understood it—when he was at the Fu residence, he saw those various paintings of Zhong Yi, and it was difficult to shake off that awkward feeling.
“The stains on them are identical to Gao Mengyu’s tablecloth.”
Zhong Chengshuo took two steps closer to Yin Ren.
“Lifeless objects cannot be brought in. These are probably their own imaginations.”
Since his hair couldn’t move now, Yin Ren simply grabbed Zhong Chengshuo’s hand and looked around.
Many cats didn’t follow the legion’s expedition. They coiled their soft limbs and collapsed lazily on the tablecloth, treating it as a comfortable nest. They spread out fourteen pairs of eyes on the ground, basking in the nonexistent sunlight.
Contrasting the physiques of these cats, Gao Mengyu’s cat was undoubtedly the fattest. Compared to the smallest cat in the courtyard, it was twice as big. At the moment, it was squeaking and chirping at the remaining companions, exhibiting the demeanor of a leader.
“Just a group of ‘Lonely’.”
Qi Xin crossed her arms, clearly unhappy to be challenged by such small creatures.
“They only grew stronger in recent centuries, but they do have some courage.”
As soon as she spoke, all the chattering “Lonely” cats in the courtyard simultaneously fell silent.
Led by Gao Mengyu’s cat, they lined up in front of Qi Xin according to their size, extending their soft limbs as if offering themselves to be cut or slaughtered.
Yin Ren almost burst out laughing.
“Lonely” Elementals? No wonder it got along so well with Gao Mengyu. There was indeed no hostility around. Whether it was due to lack of food or their nature, most of the “Lonely” cats were lazy and had nothing to do with animosity.
[I’m sorry!]
Gao Mengyu’s cat took the lead in apologizing, practically flattening itself like a pancake.
[We are just desperate. We truly mean no harm.]
Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo understood, but the rest of the humans couldn’t communicate with them through thoughts. To them, the cats probably just emitted an unpleasant noise.
“In Gao Mengyu’s disappearance case, this creature accidentally slipped through a gap and ended up in the human world.” As a bridge between humans and Elementals, Yin Ren quickly intervened. “Zhong Chengshuo and I have had contact with it before, and it is quite friendly towards humans.”
Seemingly to confirm his statement, Gao Mengyu’s cat clutched the tablecloth and covered its hole-ridden body with it. Unfortunately, its limbs, resembling the convolutions of a brain, still extended outward. Against the backdrop of the cute cat pattern, its appearance became even more peculiar.
Huang Jin and Ge Tingting were utterly confused, but the expression of the senior member, Lu Xiaohe, loosened slightly.
She remembered Gao Mengyu’s case.
Lu Xiaohe took a few deep breaths, finally pulling her thoughts out of extreme mode. She made an effort not to dwell on the horrors of the creatures and instead took two steps forward, extending her hand towards the cats’ soft limbs.
The cat was overjoyed and lightly touched Lu Xiaohe’s hand with its soft limb before retracting it. Two sweet “meows” were squeezed out of the holes on its body.
Yin Ren helped with simultaneous translation. “It just said, ‘I rely on consuming the “loneliness” from fresh brain marrow to survive, and humans have been kind to me’.”
“Well, I remember the case files. They eat pig brains, right?” Lu Xiaohe smirked. “Pigs are social animals, so it’s not surprising they have these emotions.”
Qi Xin still had a stern expression. “No wonder. The Other Side is so barren, while you’ve grown so fat. It turns out there were humans specifically feeding you.”
[So, I don’t want to fight humans. After we discovered those humans, we’ve been avoiding them.] The cat said.
[They might have sensed that, thinking we’re easy to deal with, so they’ve been chasing after us. I want to communicate, but they don’t understand.]
Upon hearing Yin Ren’s translation, Lu Xiaohe lost her composure first. She took a big step forward and firmly grasped the cat’s soft limb. “There are other humans here? Who? Where?”
The cat was startled by her, tilting its whole body backward.
“That’s the question I wanted to ask.” Yin Ren looked at the fourteen bright red eyes. “You said there are humans here. What’s going on?”
[I don’t know. I don’t know much about humans.]
The cat admitted honestly.
[But they will definitely come and attack soon. You can go meet them.]
……
When the cat said “soon,” it truly meant soon. Less than three minutes after the cat spoke, before Lu Xiaohe could calm down her emotions, a powerful beam of light suddenly struck the courtyard.
Flashing, dazzling radiance burst forth, causing vibrations and shaking in the small courtyard, faintly showing signs of collapsing. The cats in the entire courtyard squealed and scattered, running in all directions.
Accompanied by a massive explosion, a tremendous Evil Force washed over them.
Qi Xin stood in place, observing coldly. Yin Ren instantly wanted to erect a barrier and protect everyone. However, magic couldn’t be used, there were too many people, and their true forms couldn’t be easily revealed. Lord Ghost King was tragically stuck in place, only managing to use his body to shield Zhong Chengshuo.
As the aftermath of the explosion lingered, their enemies officially made their entrance.
Among countless flickering fragments, three young figures appeared.
The woman at the forefront had long disheveled hair, and her red shirt was torn at the edges. She stood in the front, tall and strong, laughing wantonly, constantly twirling something shiny on her fingertip—Yin Ren’s pupils contracted, barely getting a glimpse.
It was a ring attached to a bracelet.
Following closely behind her was a female police officer. The police officer’s uniform was clean, and her short hair was neatly groomed. She had a serious expression, gripping a gun tightly with the muzzle aimed at the crowd.
Behind the two women was a young man. He had a gentle and kind appearance, exuding a scholarly aura. On his chest, there hung a relatively new Shian employee ID card.
“How fascinating.”
The woman with long hair laughed.
“I mean, if you want to create cognitive pollution, at least bring out people we actually know. What’s all this?”
Her voice was loud, clear, and real.
Three humans—three humans who moved effortlessly on the Other Side, even possessing means of attack. And the faces of two of them were in the files of this mission.
Unbelievable emotions kept accumulating, causing a brief burst of chaos—
“Zhong Chengfeng!” Yin Ren pointed at the female police officer and shouted, reaching out to grab Zhong Chengshuo. “Isn’t she your sister? Her face is exactly the same as in the photo!”
Huang Jin had a more practical target. He stared at the woman with long hair in shock. “Isn’t that Meng Huai, the one who went missing?”
Lu Xiaohe’s focus was a bit off track. She looked at the man wearing the employee ID card. “That’s that person! The one who went missing two years ago in the Shian office area… I remember he was in the rear command… It can’t be wrong…”
As she spoke, her eyes gradually brightened, revealing a mix of joy and hope. She instinctively wanted to move forward but was blocked and tripped up by Dr. Cat using its body.
“Are you all idiots?! It’s been almost thirty years. How is it possible that those people have nothing to do with this?!” It yelled sharply. “This could be cognitive pollution!”
“Well, the cognitive pollution is done quite well. The acting is quite convincing.” The woman who resembled Meng Huai remarked.
“It’s just unrealistic that cats can speak human language. How about it? Did they extract too much animation information? …Shall we all transform and see?”
A group of “Lonely” cats innocently curled up—they really hadn’t done anything.
While Meng Huai joked, she didn’t slow down her actions. After adjusting her posture for a moment, she said, “Chengfeng, assist!”
“Got it!”
The woman resembling Zhong Chengfeng, the female police officer, responded and fired her gun. This time, Yin Ren remembered. He grabbed Zhong Chengshuo and Lu Xiaohe, retreating several steps in succession.
Where the bullets hit, a series of dangerous explosions erupted once again, unleashing another wave of Evil Force. Qi Xin floated calmly in the air, having made up her mind to watch coldly.
…Strange.
Yin Ren twitched his nose, distinguishing the differences in the Evil Force between the two attacks.
Each time there was an explosion, there were always two Evil Force appearing in pairs. In just two waves of attacks, there were already four different types of Evil Force.
