The Creatures that We Are

Feiyang District, two days later, ten o’clock at night.

The bar street pulsed with colorful neon, teeming with all walks of life. Youths chased thrills, office workers sought respite from daily pressures, heartbroken souls nursed their wounds, and thrill-seekers itched for action. For some, the night was just beginning; for others, it ended in them doubling over at a street corner, vomiting and crying.

At the street's entrance and exit, crowds surged like violent waves. Braving this human tide, the curbs lined with vehicles included an unremarkable gray car, its plate ending in 36.

Inside sat two average-looking, averagely dressed middle-aged women - Chen Ying and White Rabbit in disguise. Chen Ying took the wheel; White Rabbit, the back seat.

"You certain this is the spot?" White Rabbit asked.

"Should be." Chen Ying's tone betrayed a hint of uncertainty.

Earlier that day, White Rabbit's Intangibility had reached level 4, kickstarting their mission to locate Dr. Jia. Disguised, they'd driven to Feiyang District, beginning their ground search from the Walled City of Ten Dragons.

Beneath the Black Tortoise building in the Walled City lay the hyperloop system's main station. In theory, it connected to an underground tunnel network housing Dr. Jia's secret lab somewhere within its maze.

With most awakeners divided between two factions, Li City streets rarely saw their kind. This made Chen Ying's task of finding a level 6 Sensory awakener relatively straightforward.

Indeed, hours later, Chen Ying had pinpointed her target - about a hundred meters below the bar street's exit. There, a lifeform with minimal energy aligned with Dr. Jia's profile: an active brain in a frail body.

"Check again," White Rabbit urged.

Chen Ying closed her eyes, blocking out the cacophony around her. She extended her sensory power like countless intangible tendrils, probing beneath her feet.

Ten seconds passed before her eyes opened. "Right below us. Not moving."

"At all?" White Rabbit pressed.

"Not a bit. Maybe he's asleep?" Chen Ying offered, uncertain.

"This early?" White Rabbit quipped. "Shouldn't a character like him sleep by day, wake by night?"

Chen Ying chuckled. "Not necessarily. That's the norm these days, isn’t it?"

"Fair enough. No use speculating. We should head down and see for ourselves." White Rabbit exhaled softly. "Ready to begin?"

Chen Ying drew a deep breath. "Ready."

White Rabbit activated her level 4 Intangibility and leaned forward, her hands phasing through the driver's seat to encircle Chen Ying's waist. With a swift yank, Chen Ying found herself swinging through the seat, landing on White Rabbit's lap. Fascination gave way to awkwardness.

"Try not to move. Close your eyes," White Rabbit instructed, holding Chen Ying tight. Her chest pressed against Chen Ying's back, chin resting on her shoulder, breath warm on her ear.

"I need to maintain precise control over the surrounding space's energy state to take you underground. A mistake could leave you stuck, or worse, irreversibly fuse parts of you with the underground..."

Chen Ying smiled wryly. "Not helping. Now I'm more nervous."

"Don't worry. I'll take responsibility if anything happens," White Rabbit joked. "Keep sensing as we descend. Alert me immediately if I'm off course or if something's amiss."

"How?" Chen Ying asked. "We can't talk while submerged, can we?"

"Unless you fancy a mouthful of soil, no." White Rabbit's eyes darted around before settling on a solution. "Here, place your hands on mine, finger to finger."

Chen Ying complied, covering White Rabbit's hands on her waist. She was surprised by their softness and small size, reminiscent of a child's. The realization tugged at Chen Ying's heart.

White Rabbit outlined their silent communication system: taps on different fingers for directions, pats on the right hand for warnings, and a pinch to continue.

Chen Ying committed the gestures to memory. "Got it."

"Alright. Grip the wheel. Here we go." White Rabbit tightened her hold.

A slight numbness enveloped Chen Ying as her physical senses blurred. Her body seemed to gently disintegrate in a weightless void.

Moments later, they plunged into darkness—White Rabbit guiding them through the car's chassis and into the ground below.

Chen Ying quickly adapted to the sensation of moving through earth, focusing intently on her Sensory. She tapped White Rabbit's fingers periodically, adjusting their course.

As they neared their target, merely ten meters away, Chen Ying's perception sharpened, revealing more details.

Something felt off. The energy signature seemed lifeless, nearly static. Even in deep sleep, a living being's energy wouldn't be this still.

Chen Ying grew certain: this wasn't a person. The energy, while not strong, didn't feel threatening either.

After a moment's hesitation, she chose investigation over retreat.

Guided by Chen Ying's silent signals, White Rabbit decelerated their descent. About ten seconds later, Chen Ying felt a disorienting flip, the numbness in her head dissipating.

"Open your eyes," White Rabbit whispered.

Chen Ying's eyes fluttered open, shock rippling through her. Their heads dangled from the ceiling like surreal lightbulbs, bodies still lodged in the earth above.

As her vision adjusted to the dim light, Chen Ying took in their surroundings. They'd emerged into a small railway tunnel, clearly part of the hyperloop system. A metal track ran along the center, while a hidden cabinet on one wall housed a device resembling a battery box. It contained some Black Gold. On the box was a blinking signal light.

Realization dawned on Chen Ying: this was a large battery storing vital energy.

"That's what you sensed," White Rabbit murmured.

"Yeah," Chen Ying replied, her initial disappointment giving way to understanding. When Little Tian was alive, the Qilin Guild would have needed safeguards against the Hundred Rivers Union to keep Dr. Jia hidden. This trap for Little Tian's Sensory made perfect sense.

"What's our next move?" White Rabbit asked.

"I'll scout the area first." Chen Ying deactivated Sensory, switching to Skeleton Key to explore their surroundings.

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