Chapter 12: The Lake

Zhou Qing paused. Who was speaking?

He wanted to ask, but he couldn’t make a sound.

“Come to me.”

The voice was extremely soft and gentle, and it placated Zhou Qing’s nervousness.

Zhou Qing uncontrollably walked forward, moving closer,?step-by-step, to a place unknown to him.

When light suddenly came to him, he found himself standing at the shore of a lake.

The graceful, swaying cattails seemed to spread towards the horizon. There were red and purple fruits nestled amongst the intersecting cattails, and when they touched each other, they let out a tinkling sound, like small silver bells.

In his own world, Zhou Qing had never seen such clear lake water before. He lowered his head and could even faintly see the pebbles at the bottom.

Zhou Qing knew that the beauty it presented was only its external appearance. No matter how much he wanted to reach out his hand, he definitely couldn’t touch it, there was probably something dangerous living in the lake.

He turned around and found that the forest was not far off, he could even faintly see the rear view of Zhou Yu and Wu Yun repairing the car.

What had lured him over here?

When he turned back, a figure slowly emerged from the lake and gently rested by the shore.

Zhou Qing’s pupils instantly dilated.

Wet, black hair stuck to the back of his head and his ears, and he had fair skin that shone with a certain brilliance under the sunlight. Those pair of limpid eyes were like the lake. Those were all of Zhou Qing’s thoughts.

Zhou Qing knew that other than the humans working for Juli Corp who were in Nibelungen, any other humans present.. must be the product of an S rank organism’s mimicry.

He didn’t think that he would meet such a creature at the top of the pyramid so quickly.

Was this an illusion?

“I’m not an illusion,” an ethereal voice sounded in his head.

The S rank organism didn’t open his mouth at all, so the voice he heard really was his imagination.

“The voice in your head isn’t your imagination either, this is only a way to communicate between us, we don’t necessarily need to use ‘sound’.”

He slowly raised his lips into a smile.

Zhou Qing didn’t really have an approximation of the concept of ‘beauty’. Movie stars or women who were lauded to be beauties were all the same in his eyes.

But the organism in front of him was truly beautiful. The outline of his features and his expressions were all like a perfect dream.

“Then, why did you lure me over here? Am I your prey? Or the nutrients you need to reproduce?” Zhou Qing asked in his mind.

He knew that even if he didn’t speak, the organism would still hear him.

“Prey? I don’t need unhealthy prey. As for the nutrients needed to reproduce, you’re not nutritious enough.”

He had a pleasurable voice that made Zhou Qing feel like he was lying in an open plain and staring up into the starry skies.

“Listen, don’t continue to eat the blue pills in your bag.”

“Why? If I don’t eat them, my brain will very quickly be pushed aside by the tumor, and I’ll die.”

“Although the blue pills will inhibit the growth of your tumor, they will also inhibit your bodily functions, causing your muscles to atrophy. They will make you overextend yourself.”

Zhou Qing paused, how did he know all of this?

“In this world, there are trace elements in the air, they will naturally inhibit the growth of your tumor.”

“Why did you tell me all of this?”

“Because.. I enjoy the way you look at me.”

His voice was still slow and gentle as if he would be content to exist with the rotation of the stars.

“Are you real? Is this really not an illusion in my mind?”

“You can try to touch me and see.. whether I’m real or not.” He turned his face to the side.

Time slowed. It was as if mountains that had been shrouded in cloud and mist had finally cleared to reveal their original appearance.

Zhou Qing froze in place.

His rational mind told him not to touch. No matter how beautiful his appearance was, he wasn’t human.

“What are you afraid of? You have long accepted death. Being able to touch an S rank organism that you’ve always wanted to study before your death, isn’t it a good thing?”

It was, and what he said was correct. Even if he was extremely careful, how long would he be able to live for?

If he died just like this, it might relieve Zhou Yu of a burden. He could leave this dangerous world a little earlier, and return to his peaceful life.

Zhou Qing kneeled down in front of him on one knee and slowly raised his hand towards the other. Looking carefully at every inch of skin on the other person, he continuously sighed in his heart at how God was able to create such a perfect being. Zhou Qing’s fingertips made contact with his cheek, and as an imperceptible tremble passed, he felt the warmth that belonged to a human body.

The other being also extended his slender hand with well-proportioned fingernails, as if they had deliberately been crafted that way.

Zhou Qing’s heart rate sped up. The being covered the back of his hand with his own, lightly placing it on his face.

“Am I so different from you?”

He turned his face back with his gaze following. Zhou Qing’s breath caught in his throat.

“Zhou Qing! What are you doing?!”

Zhou Yu’s voice came from behind him.

Zhou Qing’s shoulder shivered, and everything in front of his eyes disappeared. Only the tinkling sound of the cattails and the empty, transparent lake remained.

“I..I’m just looking around..” Zhou Qing stood up.

Zhou Yu had his gun in hand when he cautiously walked up to Zhou Qing, “Looking around? What’s there to look at here?”

“There’s a peculiar plant here that rings. Also, this is the first lake I’ve seen in Nibelungen,” Zhou Qing helplessly smiled, as if he was saying, “you’re too tense.”

After Zhou Yu looked around once, he slightly relaxed, “You know you shouldn’t be out of everyone’s sight. You really gave Dr. Daniel a scare. He only turned around to look at us, and you were gone.”

Dr. Daniel stood not too far away, when he saw that Zhou Qing was safe he clutched at his chest.

“I’m sorry.. I was lost in thought observing these plants, and walked over here without thinking.”

“The car has been fixed, let’s head back.” Zhou Yu patted Zhou Qing’s shoulder.

Zhou Qing nodded and followed everyone into the car.

Wu Yun was smoking. Just as Zhou Yu walked over and was about to pluck the cigarette from his mouth, Wu Yun evaded him, “I know, I know, your brother’s body isn’t well! I’m almost done. If you don’t let me smoke I can’t concentrate on driving!”

While driving, Wu Yun played ‘It’s a Heartache’ again.

Li Qian rolled his eyes, everyone had their first breakfast in Nibelungen in the car—compressed biscuits and energy drinks.

With a car, they could probably make it through the forest before nightfall, this lightened up mood a little.

Han Li and Li Qian started to talk about what they would do if they returned to their original world.

Dr. Daniel noticed that Zhou Qing’s face was expressionless as if he was pondering over something.

“Professor Zhou, what are you thinking of?”

Zhou Qing looked at Dr. Daniel. He was his attending physician, so he must be very clear on his medication use.

“Daniel, are there components in my medication to inhibit the growth of my tumor?”

“Of course.”

“Is it a hormonal component?” Zhou Qing asked.

“Yes.”

In certain aspects, Zhou Qing and Daniel were both academics, Daniel knew that once a logical gap appeared in some things, it can’t be hidden from Zhou Qing for any longer.

Their conversation involuntarily attracted Zhou Yu’s attention, and when Han Li and Li Qian heard them, they also looked over.

If it wasn’t for Zhou Qing, Li Qian would have been killed by the ‘snake scorpion beauty’, so Li Qian had a very good impression of Zhou Qing. As for Han Li, as a battlefield doctor, she’s encountered many people and many situations, and as for a person as calm as Zhou Qing, it naturally made her curious.

“Since it can inhibit the growth of the tumor, will it also have an effect on my body?”

When Zhou Qing looked at Dr. Daniel, Daniel could feel a kind of power in his gaze enter into his mind, thoroughly and firmly.

Daniel opened his mouth, “For example?”

“Causing the muscles of my body to gradually atrophy.”

Zhou Yu subconsciously clenched his fist.

Daniel fell silent.

Wu Yun in the driver’s seat suddenly braked. Everyone thought that something happened, and showed a scared expression.

Wu Yun only slapped at the steering wheel, “Hey, Dr. Daniel, let’s tell the truth here. Professor Zhou is very important, so if there’s a problem with his medication that will affect his body, I need to know. Anything that can possibly happen here will affect the lives of everyone.”

“Yes,” Daniel replied, “But these symptoms will appear at least a year later. A year.. is enough for Juli Corp to complete breakthroughs in many research topics.”

Zhou Yu shut his eyes closed tightly.

Although he had prepared for it, he still didn’t want to see his own brother suffering.

“If my brain’s colloid cyst starts to grow, will you be able to operate on me again, Dr. Daniel?”

“Of course I will,” Dr. Daniel replied very assuredly.

“Then, I won’t take this medication anymore,” Zhou Qin directly threw the blue pill bottle out the car window.

“Professor Zhou!” Daniel reached out but wasn’t able to catch it.

Zhou Yu wanted to get out of the car and retrieve the pill bottle, but he gave up on it.

“Hey, your brother’s medication..” Wu Yun nodded over at it.

“There’s no need for it. He’s already made up his mind. I just need to support his decision now.”

Wu Yun sighed, “Like this, the number of people who need protection has been increased by one.”

“Huh? What’s that mean?” Li Qian asked.

“To be honest, the assignment Mr. Song handed me was that anyone could die, but Professor Zhou can’t die. There are still many research projects involving plants waiting for him.”

“Are we that unimportant?” Li Qian was angered. Although he knew deep down that Wu Yun was just talking bull again, he still couldn’t help but feel unhappy about it.