Chapter 74: City of Order

Chapter 74

Shen Wang was not someone who liked to endure. He‘d already endured more than enough growing up, and holding back now would just be miserable.

The Science Academy had no personal feud with Shen Wang, but it was the root cause of Lan’s tragedy. Lan was Shen Wang’s older brother, so naturally he’d hate the Science Academy by association.

Zhou Xiangzhe wasn’t worried about him. Under the current circumstances, Zhou Qing’s talent was restricted because he’d signed the agreement, and Zhou Xiangzhe’s own contamination level was at a critical point—best not to use anything. The only one who could still move freely seemed to be Shen Wang.

‘Be careful.’ That’s all Zhou Xiangzhe finally said.

Zhou Qing, holding the child, watched the two of them. Once Shen Wang’s figure disappeared through the doorway, he turned to Zhou Xiangzhe with a curious look.

‘I’m actually really curious, how did you two end up together?’ Zhou Qing asked. ‘Even if you found the right person, you’ve only known each other for two or three months at most, and you just got married like that?’

Zhou Xiangzhe looked at Zhou Qing. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Nothing in particular. My Buddha teaches letting things take their course. A monk can’t get married, but we still oversee fate.’ Zhou Qing said. ‘It just seems a little fast.’

‘We haven’t only known each other for two or three months.’

Zhou Qing paused. ‘Huh?’

‘We’ve known each other for many years,’ Zhou Xiangzhe said. ‘The reason we got married is: if we hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to move freely outside, and I’d be locked up in Sector S right now.’

His contamination level had climbed that high. The number of people who could stop him when he lost control could be counted on one hand. Zhou Qing and Jing Chunjun couldn’t do it, because both Deer God and Devour were highly aggressive talents—forcing a stop would only result in mutual destruction.

But Shen Wang had no issue, since he's a Grade S Mutant with Contamination Immunity; talent contamination doesn't affect him.

So only Shen Wang could sign the agreement and truly take him out of Sector S.

‘Damn.’ Zhou Qing scratched his head. ‘Feels like you’re just showing off your love life.’

Then he asked, ‘Shen Wang really signed the agreement?’

Without waiting for Zhou Xiangzhe to answer, Zhou Qing shut his eyes. ‘Don’t answer me. I get it.’

By the time Zhou Qing became a Grade S mutant, Polaris was already famous. As captain of Polaris, Zhou Xiangzhe, the only Grade S mutant who could go on missions outside back then, was practically a god in everyone’s eyes.

In earlier years, Zhou Xiangzhe’s contamination level wasn’t high, and he had black hair and black eyes. He was cold by nature, not much of a smiler, and not great at communicating, but his mind was extremely sharp. Sometimes he didn’t quite get their jokes, but he could still grasp what they really meant from them.

But contamination level was a chasm lying across their path—not only Zhou Xiangzhe, but even Zhou Qing and Jing Chunjun would have to face it one day.

In fact, all mutants at the Anti-Contamination Center had voluntarily signed an agreement when they reached a certain contamination level. The agreement was utterly cruel, because it had just one clear line on it: Before your contamination completely loses control, end yourself to prevent turning into a Contaminant that would harm humanity.

Zhou Xiangzhe signed it, Jing Chunjun signed it, and he had signed it too.

But who was willing to just die like that?

‘Buddha says: you will surely live to a hundred and lead peaceful, happy lives.’ Zhou Qing said. ‘Believe me, that agreement Shen-shizhu signed is just a piece of scrap paper. You’ll never have to make that choice.’

Everyone knew it was just a comforting line.

As long as the contamination level problem wasn’t solved, they’d have to keep worrying.

/

On the other side, Shen Wang caught up to the pack of dogs ahead.

Yeah, Shen Wang just called them dogs.

Now that the world had finished changing, most people in the Power Lust Layer had turned into dogs. But unlike real dogs, they only got a dog face, plus ears and a tail, and still walked upright. The nearsighted ones still wore glasses, but their hands had turned into dog paws, making everything incredibly inconvenient.

All along the way people were complaining about how inconvenient it was to be a dog, wishing this King’s Wheel would hurry up and be over.

Zuo Chensheng was storming along, cursing as he walked.

‘Who does he think he is?!’

‘Just some nobody from the Anti-Contamination Center, and he dares question our Science Academy’s actions! Our Science Academy does things that benefit millions!’

‘If Codename Lan hadn’t defected, he would’ve been our strongest ace! It’s all Codename Lan’s fault for running away on his own!’

‘What does an outsider like him understand! Woof!’

Zuo Chensheng had been in here too long, even longer than the dispatch team from the Layer of Greed. So he didn’t recognize Shen Wang, nor Zhou Xiangzhe who had changed appearance, nor did he know that the Science Academy was now universally reviled outside, and that the Anti-Contamination Center had already disbanded it.

He still thought the Science Academy was the lofty institution it had always been.

Shen Wang watched him from not far behind. His black pupils slowly stained with blood-red.

‘What an ugly bark.’ Shen Wang’s voice was soft, but his tone wasn’t kind. Little briars slithered out from his wrists, bursting into bright little flowers, as if they too were watching the person ahead with him.

Shen Wang placed his hand on the wall, and the little briars crept up the wall, worming into the cracks between the bricks.

After Shen Wang’s talent threshold was upgraded to S, all his talent abilities had further improved. Apart from the inherently utilitarian Moon Thief and Hundred Eyes, the blood briars were the most obvious change—they now had more autonomy, able to act on their own according to their master’s thoughts.

The little briars lay in ambush, watching the prey ahead at every moment.

Shen Wang smiled faintly. ‘They’re all dogs now, so they must love gnawing bones.’

The red in his pupils lit up slightly, like a ghost in the dark night. ‘Congratulations on turning into a dog.’

The little briars shot out from him in an instant, spreading along the corners bit by bit.

Zuo Chensheng noticed nothing until he suddenly tripped, tumbling to the ground with a bang, his tall nose smashing hard against the floor.

‘Ah!’ He clutched his nose with a pained cry, blood streaming through his fingers. People around hurried over asking if he was okay. Zuo Chensheng impatiently told them to move aside and looked at where he’d tripped, but the ground was empty.

He froze, then tried to stand but felt something strange in his pant leg.

He lifted his trouser cuff with his blood-covered hand. Just then, a vivid flower suddenly bloomed from inside his pant leg.

Zuo Chensheng stood stunned, his eyes completely captured by that flower.

‘...Dog’

Zuo Chensheng muttered to himself, his pupils contracting. ‘I’m a dog. I should go... gnaw bones.’

The people around him looked at Zuo Chensheng strangely, having no idea what he was talking about.

But at that moment, Zuo Chensheng suddenly got up and started crawling on all fours like a real dog. He bolted toward a little restaurant nearby, kicked over a trash can under everyone’s shocked stares, and began gnawing the bones inside.

‘Mr. Zuo?!’

‘What are you staring at? Come help pull him away, woof!’

‘Whoa, the dogification is that bad? I’m not gonna start fighting over trash can bones later, am I, woof?’

‘Mr. Zuo, get a grip!’

After watching the farce, Shen Wang gave a cold laugh. He felt a bit more satisfied now.

He snapped his fingers, the blood-red in his eyes lazily fading, and headed back in a good mood.

Just as he got back to the little restaurant entrance, Shen Wang spotted someone crouching at the door.

The person wore a brown vest, his dog face full of hesitation, crouching there waiting for who knows who. Though Shen Wang wasn’t good at remembering faces—and was dog-blind to boot—looking at him he vaguely recalled: this seemed to be the dog who’d come along with Zuo Chensheng earlier.

Shen Wang walked over and looked at him. ‘What are you doing here? Spying?’

The dog startled, as if he hadn’t expected anyone to come out. He nearly jumped up, then looked at Shen Wang in alarm.

‘N-no...’

‘Then what are you doing here?’ Shen Wang fixed his eyes on him.

The dog hesitated again, then murmured, ‘...Defecting.’

Shen Wang: ?

The dog’s name was Qi Run. He’d been trapped in the City of Order for two years. Although he’d joined Zuo Chensheng’s group, he wasn’t really one of them. He only stayed because he’d handed over all his collateral and had no way to leave, so he just went along.

He’d always thought he’d been out of his mind to actually believe Zuo Chensheng. Zuo Chensheng could never turn this world into what he wanted.

‘Why do you think that?’

‘Zuo Chensheng’s group has three hundred sixty-nine people total,’ Qi Run said, still crouching. ‘He can’t possibly remember everyone’s wishes, let alone create a world that satisfies everyone. That would throw the world into chaos, even more chaotic than now.’

‘You’re pretty self-aware.’ Shen Wang asked him, ‘Then what did you want the world to become?’

Qi Run hesitated, then spoke. ‘I don’t want much.’

‘I just want to see my wife and daughter again. They died during the Doomsday Era.’ Qi Run’s voice was very soft. ‘Even if it’s only for one week, I want to spend that time with them again.’

He didn’t need to change the world or show off any power. Qi Run just wanted to see his dead loved ones again.

Seeming afraid he wouldn’t be accepted, Qi Run added, ‘I have a lot of information on former chosen ones.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Zuo Chensheng, he studied those chosen ones,’ Qi Run said very quietly. ‘He believed the Wheel wasn’t entirely random and there must be some pattern. So after a chosen one’s seven days were up, he’d capture them for research. That’s also why I think he’s unreliable.’

Shen Wang frowned.

‘Shit, dogs can’t stop eating shit.’ He cursed. ‘Shouldn’t have let him off so easy.’

A small segment of briar slid out along Shen Wang’s pant leg, racing off into the distance and vanishing in an instant. Qi Run didn’t notice a thing.

Shen Wang glanced back, then said, ‘You come in with me.’

When they entered the restaurant, Shen Wang saw Zhou Qing feeding the child. The child was still expressionless, but eating with big bites—seemed to really like it. Zhou Xiangzhe had barely touched his chopsticks. He didn’t need to eat anyway, having no sense of taste only made him lose interest after one bite.

They spotted the dog behind Shen Wang.

‘Your partner’s got another dog on the side!’ Zhou Qing said to Zhou Xiangzhe like that.

‘Are you asking for it?’ Shen Wang walked over and sat opposite Zhou Qing. ‘Master, a monk should not speak falsehoods, but you’re already getting your mouth dirty.’

Zhou Qing rolled his eyes and looked at Qi Run. ‘Who’s this?’

‘Someone here to defect.’

Qi Run hurriedly repeated what he’d told Shen Wang outside. When they heard Zuo Chensheng was researching the winners, both Zhou Qing and Zhou Xiangzhe frowned.

As staff of the Anti-Contamination Center, their duty was to protect ordinary people. While they turned a blind eye to some of the Science Academy’s dirty dealings, they didn’t approve, and even found them disgusting.

Just thinking that those bastards pulled this kind of stuff outside, and kept at it even inside another contaminant’s stronghold, was truly repulsive.

‘So, did he find anything?’ Zhou Qing asked.

‘Some of those chosen as king all had an intense obsession with becoming king,’ Qi Run said. ‘They were just one step away from going mad.’

‘Like the current chosen one.’

‘And those people tend to disappear quickly, vanishing in the City of Order.’

Zuo Chensheng studied it for a long time before he finally discovered that pattern.

The deeper their obsession, the less likely they might be chosen at first. You could even say the King’s Wheel was designed to drive them mad—pushing them to the brink of collapse, and then the Wheel would choose them, making them king for a week.

Having their wish granted after extreme despair and breakdown only made them more deranged, turning them completely into slaves of desire.

They were purely sacrifices to the King’s Wheel.

Because they were abnormal, that week’s world became abnormal too. And that abnormality sparked intense resentment in others, making their own desire to become king even stronger.

‘But...’ Zhou Xiangzhe considered it, then said, ‘why do they so badly want to become king?’

Qi Run paused, then answered, ‘Because becoming king lets you change the world and make your wish come true.’

Now Zhou Qing also sensed something off.

He looked at Qi Run strangely. ‘Why would you think becoming king lets you change the world? Shouldn’t you fulfill your own wishes?’

‘But I can’t bring my dead family back to life on my own!’

‘Then why do you think a contaminant can bring them back?’ Zhou Qing said, puzzled. ‘The Anti-Contamination Center has educated everyone. Didn’t you receive the handbook?’

‘People don’t come back to life. If someone comes back after death, it’s 100% a contaminant.’

Qi Run’s fingers trembled. His eyes widened, and he sank into confusion.

He wanted to say something, but felt he couldn’t even convince himself, let alone the three uncontaminated people before him.

In the end he just held his head, crouching down, muttering brokenly, ‘It can... it can...’

‘Change the world, see my family... it can...’

Insidious mental contamination, altering their fundamental thought logic on a deep level—that was the most imperceptible and dangerous aspect of a Grade S contaminant.

‘Master, keep an eye on the child and him here.’ Shen Wang stood up. ‘Zhou Xiangzhe and I are going to meet this week’s chosen king.’

‘Then this humble monk obeys.’ Zhou Qing said. ‘The king usually wanders around Central Street, the street where the Wheel is. You should find him if you go there.’

‘Be careful.’

/

Zhou Xiangzhe was great with directions. His memory was excellent, so he could remember every route they’d walked. After Zhou Qing mentioned the location, he immediately led Shen Wang back there. And Zhou Qing’s info was spot-on: they indeed found the king on Central Street.

The king was walking alone on Central Street, holding a dog. He was very thin, not tall, wearing simple, tattered clothes, his face dirty. The dog in his arms kept licking his cheek, looking quite lively, but his eyes held no happiness.

He was like withered grass in autumn, devoid of life, with no will to sprout again come spring.

People on the street were all avoiding him.

Because they were all people who had bullied the king, terrified he might take revenge now.

During these seven days, the king could do anything, could take revenge on anyone unconditionally.

Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe walked forward.

He stopped, looked up at the two strangers. He didn’t seem to care, his gaze neither avoiding nor curious, not tense.

After watching them for a moment, he spoke. ‘This world is fake.’

‘Can you tell? This world is entirely fake.’ The king hurled the dog in his arms to the ground. ‘My dog is also fake.’

The dog hit the ground with a pitiful yelp, but the king didn’t even glance at it.

‘I know it’s dead. It’s clearly dead. Why did I ever think it could come back to life?’

‘That’s right, it’s dead!’ The king began to cry.

Zhou Xiangzhe frowned. ‘He awakened.’

After being chosen as king and resurrecting his dead dog, he’d awakened a talent and become a mutant. The moment he became a mutant, his contaminated mind had a moment of clarity, and he finally realized the dog he’d resurrected wasn’t his.

Because his dog had long been gone.

He was already mad; this only made him break down further.

The king crouched on the ground wailing. The dog on the ground, after its pained cry, limped to its feet and crawled over to him, licking the tears from his face.

The king’s crying halted. He looked at the dog with a tear-streaked face.

After a while, he reached out and grabbed the dog’s throat. ‘You’re not it!’

Then he let go. ‘But you were born here for me. Even though you’re not it...’

Finally the king stood up, cradling the dog, and stumbled past Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe. As he walked he said, ‘I know what I have to do.’

‘I’m going to find the one who stole it. Now that I’m king, I say I can find them, I can.’

‘Find him, kill him!’

Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe hurried after him. They saw the king leave Central Street, and after walking only a short distance, he spotted someone. The instant he saw that person, the hatred in his eyes turned physical.

It was actually an acquaintance.

Zuo Chensheng.

Right now Zuo Chensheng was on the ground pawing through a trash can gnawing bones. His men kept pulling at him, but he’d shake them off every time. His white clothes had been torn into strips.

The king’s breathing grew ragged; he stared fixedly at Zuo Chensheng.

‘So it was you. You stole it!’

The affected Zuo Chensheng stopped gnawing and looked up dazedly, only to see the king standing there.

The moment he saw the king, a flood of memories rushed into his mind. His pupils contracted sharply.

‘No, no...’ He kept crawling backward.

‘It wasn’t me who stole your dog, not me.’

But the king had already decided. During these seven days, nothing could deceive the king.

Under the king’s venomous gaze, Zuo Chensheng suddenly clutched his heart. His breathing turned rapid, his face flushed crimson from lack of air. He pounded at his chest, struggling, eyes rolling back.

Zuo Chensheng vomited a mouthful of blood.

‘Not me... I didn’t steal... your dog.’

‘Didn’t...’

Shen Wang watched Zuo Chensheng struggle appreciatively, then spoke to Zhou Xiangzhe.

‘Want to try stopping it?’

‘Stop it?’ Zhou Xiangzhe was a bit surprised. ‘I thought you’d be happy watching him die.’

‘I am happy, but I like breaking rules even more.’ Shen Wang said. ‘Look, in the Power Lust Layer, as long as you become king, you can do anything. The world itself changes for you, let alone killing one person. But what if, under someone’s interference, that person didn’t die?’

Zhou Xiangzhe looked at Shen Wang, thought for a moment. ‘You want to run an experiment, but you don’t want to harm innocents, so you want to use Zuo Chensheng to test it?’

‘Exactly, babe, you really get me.’ Shen Wang was quite pleased.

Zhou Xiangzhe’s fingers trembled. He hadn’t expected to be called... baby at this age. He felt his ears heat up, and what had happened before flashed through his mind for an instant.

He shook his head, clearing those shameful images from his mind.

‘Let’s try.’ Zhou Xiangzhe said calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Shen Wang glanced at him. ‘What are you thinking about?’

‘Nothing...’

‘Normally wouldn’t you retort with “what should I be thinking about?”’

Zhou Xiangzhe: ...

He could never beat Shen Wang at this. Forget it.

Shen Wang stopped teasing. He walked up behind the king; the king’s thin, small frame couldn’t block his figure at all. Zuo Chensheng eyes widened, blood still spilling from his mouth as he stared.

His pupils slowly tinted red, while one eye gleamed a pale moonlight white. His black hair lengthened, like a fairy who’d been pretending to be human, now suddenly dropping the act.

Shen Wang placed a hand on the king’s shoulder. The moment the king turned around, he smiled and said, ‘No talent use allowed.’

In an instant, the king’s eyes flew wide open. The dog in his arms dropped to the ground. Zuo Chensheng, who had been about to suffocate, felt his breathing clear.

He coughed, curling up where he was, tears wetting the black fur around his eyes, but his gaze held solid terror.

What? What happened?!

This person who hated him so much, who’d clashed with him... could actually stop the king?!

A Grade S mutant?! And a Grade S mutant whose talent wasn’t suppressed!

He’d looked down on him, thought he was just some minor lackey from the Anti-Contamination Center...

‘Sorry, I stopped your revenge, but there’s something I want to confirm.’ Shen Wang wrapped an arm around the king’s neck. ‘But now you know who your enemy is, so you got what you wanted. You can take revenge later, there’s plenty of time.’

The king looked at him wide-eyed. He wanted to say something, but didn’t dare. One thought echoed through his mind.

He stopped the king, he stopped the king...

With a screech, a sharp sound came from not far away. The King’s Wheel, in less than a day, was rising and spinning again.

[Alert! King’s Wheel anomaly detected! King’s Wheel anomaly detected!]

[Current king rights revoked. Re-selecting king!]

Shen Wang looked up at the spinning wheel ahead. It wasn’t just him—everyone was watching this unexpected event in shock.

‘What’s going on? The wheel is spinning again? Picking a new king?’

‘But it’s been less than a day.’

‘Seems like there was some anomaly?’

With a ding-dong, the wheel stopped, displaying the new king candidate. Shen Wang frowned, releasing the former king.

Zhou Xiangzhe watched for a moment, then turned to Shen Wang with some puzzlement in his tone.

‘The new king.’

‘Is me?’