Chapter 46: The Unbearable Truth

Not only was Ye Yang’s boss shocked, but Qi Fang was as well. At first, she couldn’t play at all; Ye Yang had to patiently teach her how to execute special moves step by step. Yet in the end, she managed to defeat her opponents and even pulled off a one-against-three duel.

“A genius! Truly a genius!” the boss exclaimed, dumbfounded.

Ye Yang gave a wry smile. A gaming genius… it hardly seemed something to boast about, but he didn’t argue; as long as the girl enjoyed playing, that was enough.

“Boss, where is everyone?” a voice called from outside. A young man around seventeen or eighteen entered, pausing in surprise. “Huh? Someone playing KOF?”

Ye Yang turned to see a teenager dyed with white hair, wearing a T-shirt. The boss immediately brightened and went up to him. “Xiao Yu’s here? Perfect timing—we’ve got an expert today! Want to have a match? Uncle’s buying the credits!”

“Expert? Sure!” The boy nodded, glancing at Ye Yang and Qi Fang with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Ye Yang chuckled. He’d met plenty of kids like this back in his arcade days—never willing to admit defeat to anyone except themselves, always convinced that knowing two special moves made them unbeatable.

Ye Yang wasn’t arrogant; he was genuinely skilled, especially at fighting games. He had once even participated in a competition organized by the Nanjing arcade scene and won a pair of KITTY plush toys for his girlfriend.

As for the boy before him, judging by his age, he probably wasn’t very familiar with these old games, so Ye Yang wasn’t worried.

Though challenged, Qi Fang still played the first character, with Ye Yang as backup. Unexpectedly, Qi Fang was KO’d almost without contest—this boy clearly had some skill.

“Bodyguard, it’s your turn! Teach him a lesson! How dare he KO me!” Qi Fang gritted her teeth and handed the second character over to Ye Yang.

“Alright!” Ye Yang laughed. “Learn to take revenge yourself—that’s the real fun.”

Qi Fang nodded eagerly, urging them to start quickly. She had completely fallen for this kind of fighting game, finding it even more thrilling than Plants vs. Zombies, especially the tension of facing a real opponent.

It was a showdown between Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi—originally a balanced match, but the skill gap made it one-sided. Spotting an opening, Ye Yang unleashed Iori’s legendary “Trash Wind” infinite combo. With hands raining down attacks like a storm, Ye Yang KO’d the boy, leaving both the boss and the boy stunned.

“Wow…” the boss and Qi Fang were utterly dumbfounded. Was that really possible?

Ye Yang chuckled dryly. Back in his day, anyone could pull off Iori’s Trash Wind infinite combo; now it was considered astonishing. It was a shame there were no KOF tournaments anymore—he would have easily taken first place.

“Again!” The boy was furious, embarrassed to have lost so badly. He grabbed over ten coins from the boss and shoved them all in.

But stubbornness aside, he lacked the skill to back it up. After using all his credits, the boy had exhausted them all, unable to defeat even one of Ye Yang’s characters—each fell to Iori.

“Who is this guy? So strong! Why wasn’t he strong when I played?” Qi Fang’s eyes nearly popped out. Like many girls, after Ye Yang explained the character’s background, she completely fell for Iori Yagami—the foolish yet twisted fighter.

“Got the guts to try something else? Samurai Shodown?” The boy, still unwilling to accept defeat, challenged again, though he knew KOF was lost.

“Samurai Shodown? Great!” Ye Yang rubbed his hands and followed. He had played Samurai Shodown even earlier than KOF, and was even stronger there. Ukyo Tachibana was unbeatable!

The afternoon passed in a near endless cycle of fighting games—from KOF to Samurai Shodown, then to Bloody Roar, and finally a few rounds of The Last Blade. Ye Yang utterly crushed the boy, never losing a single round.

Watching the boy’s face flush with anger, Ye Yang actually admired him a bit. The boy wasn’t bad—he remembered most special moves perfectly and reacted quickly but lacked knowledge of combos and how to exploit openings.

Most importantly, coming from a different generation, he had mastered these old games without guidance, which was rare.

“Hmph, I’ll get my revenge,” the boy stormed off in a huff. Well… bad temper is common at that age. Still better than some weirdos Ye Yang knew.

“Bodyguard Number One…” A soft voice came from behind. Qi Fang, eyes sparkling, threw herself at Ye Yang, clutching his arm. “I just realized… I admire you! You’re amazing! Teach me, please!”

“Okay! But once I teach you, no pestering me every day, alright? You have to learn to play on your own. Hmm… From now on, make that guy your target. Work hard and get your revenge!” Ye Yang smiled, forgetting that others might want revenge on him first.

Ye Yang and Qi Fang had arrived at noon and played until the boss closed up shop late at night. It was the most intense and enjoyable gaming spree Ye Yang had had since waking up. After all, Wang Feng had told him to rest these days, so this rare diversion was no problem.

“Iori’s super move is forward quarter circle then reverse quarter circle plus punch! Kyo’s super move is reverse quarter circle then forward quarter circle plus punch! The Trash Wind infinite combo execution…” On the way back, Qi Fang kept mumbling the moves under her breath. Ye Yang chuckled—he had memorized move lists like that too, more eagerly than studying.

“Alright, I’ll write out all the move lists for you when we get back,” Ye Yang said, patting the girl’s head.

“Yay, hooray… Bodyguard Number One, you’re the best!” The girl almost jumped up in excitement, even happier than when Lin Tian had given her a motorcycle.

Back at the dorm, the move lists were quickly prepared, but Qi Fang had no time to play—because they were moving house.

“Our cozy little nest! Finally moving in,” Lin Tian strolled over early with a mischievous grin, only to get a playful kick from Qi Fang. She didn’t mind being a little cheeky; Lin Tian liked their banter.

The apartment Lin Tian rented for Ye Yang was really nice—a tenth-floor high-rise, the easternmost unit with excellent sunlight. Though just a modest two-bedroom, Ye Yang was very satisfied.

The furniture was complete, except for a TV, but shortly after they arrived, Wang Feng sent one over.

“That guy… I don’t even know if he’s human or ghost,” Ye Yang shook his head with a wry smile. Wang Feng was actually quite good to him, caring about his daily life, but when it came to training his abilities, he was as harsh as a demon. Plus, after that incident during his internship when Wang Feng refused to help, Ye Yang found it hard to like him much.

Lin Tian laughed and tried to console him. “He’s just like that, not many like him. But don’t hate him too much for what happened during your internship—he’s looking out for you. He’s a good guy, just a bit too intense.”

“Yeah.” Ye Yang nodded. Though he was mad then, a good night’s sleep had mostly eased the anger. After all, Wang Feng wanted to help him improve.

Besides… after talking with Yao Jun, Ye Yang understood that Wang Feng and Lin Tian had pinned everything on him, and seemed very anxious, as if something was about to happen.

“By the way, is something about to happen soon? I see Wang Feng acting so urgent,” Ye Yang frowned.

Lin Tian’s face stiffened and he remained silent, but his expression spoke volumes. Ye Yang suddenly realized—this calm wouldn’t last much longer.

“I’ve been wondering about something,” Ye Yang said thoughtfully. “Our strength is far weaker than those monsters. Why haven’t they wiped us out yet?”

At first, Ye Yang thought the hunters were powerful, but after spending time at the academy, he saw that only a few were truly strong. Besides Wang Feng, only Ling Fengyan ranked among the elite.

Their enemies were terrifying. A mere Rank 91 Magu could easily overpower Ling Fengyan. What about those stronger ones? If they attacked, could humanity hold out? Would the defenses outside Northern Capital even help?

Ye Yang used to believe planes and artillery were effective, but encountering Magu changed his view completely. These modern weapons were useless against such demons; as the data said, only atomic bombs could cause large-scale damage to them.

Only someone like Wang Feng—a freak—could beat a Magu into submission. But if demons came in great numbers, even Wang Feng might be helpless.

Ye Yang had asked Lin Tian why more hunters weren’t trained, but was told it was too difficult. Most bodies were incompatible with evolutionary cells; forcibly implanting them only produced Level 1 fighters like Lin Tian, and some even died from the procedure.

“The reasons… you’ll understand in time,” Lin Tian said with a bitter smile and walked away. Ye Yang was frustrated—every time it was “in time.” When, exactly?

Luckily, Ye Yang was no longer alone. If Lin Tian wouldn’t tell him, he could ask Yao Jun.

“Don’t blame him for keeping you in the dark,” Yao Jun sighed over the phone. “The truth is complicated and disappointing.”

“What three reasons?” Ye Yang was immediately interested.

“First, the monsters aren’t united. Even demons are divided into factions—the three largest led by Level 5s. They check and fight each other constantly, and smaller demon groups create a balance. That’s why things are as they are.”

“I know that,” Ye Yang nodded, “but I still think even one demon faction could slaughter the entire Chinese Alliance.”

“True, but no one wants to make the first move. The first to strike consumes their strength, leaving themselves vulnerable to others. Though we can’t beat them, we can fight to the death. That’s reason one.”

“Reason two: demons are destructive, but they understand that if humans go extinct, Earth will die too. A desert Earth can’t sustain life. They’re not stupid—they came from another dimension, not to destroy Earth.”

“As for the third reason… it’s disheartening. Kid, tell me, what do demons eat?” Yao Jun’s tone turned somber.

Ye Yang was stunned. Demons? Humans? Of course, some animals too, but mainly human organs—they’re picky eaters.

“Now, what if humans go extinct? What will they eat?” Yao Jun was already smiling bitterly.

Ye Yang shuddered. He understood completely. A furious thought surged in his heart. Indeed, the truth was unbearable.

Why haven’t human cities been completely destroyed? Why do poorly defended villages still exist? It’s not that demons can’t wipe them out; pure zombie hordes could easily do so.

As Yao Jun said, if humans died out, demons would starve. So they’re holding back. What does that mean? Ye Yang stood abruptly, teeth clenched, voice filled with hatred.

“We’re being farmed? Raised like livestock… for food?”

Yao Jun smiled bitterly. “Sounds unbelievable, right? Hard to accept, but it’s the truth. Still, things aren’t all bad. We have a fighting chance. But humans are no more united than demons. There’s more I can’t tell you now—you’ll understand in time.”