Chapter 65
“Hahahahahaha! That’s it!”
Upon hearing the little girl’s response, the surreal voice let out an excited shriek.
The blood-red mist swirling around her began to boil and churn as if it possessed a life of its own. Even the murmurs that seemed to echo from countless unseen people grew louder and more intense.
“So then, what are we waiting for?” the voice urged impatiently.
Number Five raised her small hand and wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. Then, with a blank expression, she said, “You go save my brother first.”
The churning mist paused for a moment before the voice laughed again, its tone sinister yet soothing.
“Hahahaha, my little darling, you know very well that your powers can’t control me,” the voice cooed gently. “But I need your soul willingly offered to me. So, as a show of good faith, I can promise you—I’ll go and save your brother first.”
Number Five’s expression softened slightly.
“But…”
Before she could respond, the voice continued, full of temptation.
“You need to show your sincerity too.”
The little girl clenched her fists tightly. “What do you want?”
“Your power, of course!” the voice replied eagerly, barely able to contain its excitement. “Lend me your power, and only then can I save your brother. You know his situation isn’t looking very good right now, don’t you?”
Sensing the girl’s hesitation, the swirling red mist gathered itself and projected an image into the air in front of her.
The scene revealed the research institute—Number Four appeared clearly within it.
The room he was confined in wasn’t particularly harsh, but the mist deliberately magnified the boy’s misery. Number Four sat curled in the corner, his injuries barely treated with a quick spray.
His clothes were still the same damp, white experimental outfit he had worn since leaving the nutrient pod, clinging to him uncomfortably. His chestnut curls were still dripping wet, and his small figure looked particularly disheveled and pitiful.
The mist exaggerated the setting further, making the environment appear even more grim and sinister. It was an image designed to convey suffering and neglect.
Number Five’s eyes welled up with tears once again.
“Brother!” she cried out, reaching out as though to touch him.
But the image vanished instantly. Two of the Star-chain Fruits on the edge of the table fell to the floor with a soft thud. They rolled into the corner, their bright skins battered and torn, leaking red juice from the wounds.
“Well, my dear? Have you made up your mind?” the voice giggled, its tone splitting into countless overlapping whispers.
“For every moment you hesitate, your dear brother suffers even more. Can you really bear to let that happen? Isn’t he the most important person to you? So why are you still hesitating?”
Number Five clutched her head in her hands, overcome by anguish.
“Shut up!”
Her scream was filled with struggle and sadness, like a young lion cub forced to jump through a ring of fire. Somewhere deep inside, she instinctively knew this choice would bring her danger. But…
That was her brother.
Her brother had been taken away by the bad people. He was hurt and waiting for her to save him…
At the thought of this, Number Five slowly lowered her hands.
The beastly pupils that had emerged in her eyes gradually faded, returning to her human form. Yet, despite regaining clarity, her voice was resolute as she said, “I’ll lend it to you.”
“Hehehehe…”
The laughter grew maniacal again. “Then just place your hand on the drawing. Don’t be afraid—it won’t hurt at all.”
Number Five sniffled softly, her gaze falling onto the drawing before her.
Truthfully, she didn’t even know how these drawings came to be. Whenever she felt upset, all she had to do was pick up a crayon, and strange images would pour onto the paper.
It all started on one of the Blood Rain days. That was when she first began hearing strange voices. Since then, every time the weather turned foul and she drew, she could hear those whispers. Eventually, the voices coalesced into one—surreal, ephemeral, yet oddly soothing.
At first, she had been terrified, but the voice never hurt her.
Instead, it told her interesting stories, described the world beyond the nursery, showed her countless beautiful flowers, and even taught her how to use her powers.
Later, the voice even took her out of the nursery to “see” the outside world…
Over time, the girl and the voice had developed an unusually close connection. So now, when faced with a problem she couldn’t solve, she instinctively turned to the voice for help.
And this time, it had provided a solution…
Number Five looked at the drawing in front of her. Her gaze grew more determined with each passing moment.
As long as she could save her brother, she was willing to pay any price!
The little girl stretched out her hand and pressed it firmly against the drawing covered in colorful pigments.
The moment her palm touched the paper, the swirling red mist around her rapidly dove back into the drawing. A faint red light flared under her hand, pulling her down as though trying to swallow her whole. Something began to detach from within Number Five’s small body.
The red light gradually faded, and with it, the light in Number Five’s eyes seemed to vanish as well. Her once vibrant gaze turned dull and vacant.
The previously silent voice reemerged.
“Hahahaha, excellent! The first step is perfect! Now, we need to find one more helper.”
The room fell silent as the murmurs receded. Number Five sat quietly in her small chair, waiting patiently.
*
After a while, the elevator on the first floor of the nursery began to ascend slowly. When it reached the fourth floor, a figure in a protective suit stepped out stiffly from the elevator.
Tap—tap—tap—
The boots, coated in frozen red frost, struck the floor with crisp echoes that reverberated down the hallway.
Soon, the figure arrived at Room 404. As they came to a stop, the frost on their protective helmet began to melt under the indoor warmth, dripping steadily onto the ground.
Behind the glass visor, a young face was revealed.
In the center of the door, a light screen for identity verification lit up.
[Identity Verification in Progress…]
A white light scanned the person’s head, passing through the visor to land on their face.
[Beep—beep—Identity Verification Failed]
[Sergeant Luo Shengfei, welcome!]
[Due to extreme weather conditions (Blood Frost), you are allowed to take shelter within the nursery. However, you do not have clearance to enter the cubs’ rooms. Please wait patiently in the first-floor lobby or proceed to Room 303 on the third floor to seek assistance from Trainee Caretaker Su Ci.]
That’s right. The figure standing outside Room 404 was none other than Luo Shengfei, the captain of the Maintenance Team.
While returning from his work shift, he had failed to make it back to his dormitory and was instead controlled into coming to the nursery.
At this moment, Luo Shengfei’s gaze was blank and unfocused. He ignored the instructions displayed on the screen and reached out to tap the interface, inputting a series of commands.
[Warning! Sergeant Luo Shengfei, please cease this unauthorized behavior…]
The text on the screen began to blur. As Luo Shengfei entered the final command, the previously locked metal door slid open with a soft hiss.
Sitting quietly at her small desk, Number Five turned her head to look at the figure standing in the doorway.
Luo Shengfei stepped into the room.
The longer he stayed inside, the frost on his body melted, and his previously stiff movements became more fluid. Striding forward, he stopped beside Number Five, bent down, and reached out to pick her up.
Bang!
Suddenly, Number Five stood up, the chair she had been sitting on toppling over with a loud noise.
The little girl took two steps back, evading Luo Shengfei’s outstretched hands.
Her eyes remained vacant, her face devoid of expression, yet her body language clearly conveyed rejection.
Luo Shengfei froze in place.
The blood mist reappeared within the room. This time, the swirling, ominous mist vaguely coalesced into a human-like face—something not quite human yet not fully monstrous. Around them, the suppressed whispers and laughter resumed, filling the space with unsettling noise.
“Oh, my dear little one, do you still hate him that much?”
The face within the red mist spoke softly. “Ah, I see… it was careless of me. After all, he killed 4583, didn’t he? He destroyed your closest companion. How could you possibly let go of such hatred so easily?”
At the mention of 4583’s death, the little girl’s previously blank face twisted, an expression of deep resentment surfacing.
The hatred distorted her delicate features, making her once-lovely face appear frighteningly feral.
Sensing the surge of negative emotions within her, the misty face twisted in visible pleasure, as though savoring her inner turmoil. It seemed to say: Yes, that’s it! More! Give me more!
The ethereal, coaxing voice continued to whisper, “Don’t worry, my dear. Once we’ve saved your brother, you can deal with this man however you wish.”
“What happened before was just an accident. That useless spider failed us! But now, the killer of 4583 stands right before you. Just be patient a little longer, and you’ll have all the time in the world to take your revenge, won’t you?”
As the voice continued its persuasion, the hatred on the little girl’s face gradually subsided. Her expression became calm once more.
Yet, the face hidden within the mist knew better—she was merely burying that seed of hatred deeper into her soul, where it would lie in wait, growing stronger and darker until the day it could bloom into the most gorgeous, blood-stained flower.
“Save… my brother…” the little girl murmured again, her voice slow but crystal clear.
“Hahahaha, good girl!”
Under the control of the blood mist, Luo Shengfei bent down again and picked up the little girl. This time, Number Five no longer resisted.
With one arm holding her securely, Luo Shengfei reached for the drawing on the desk, rolled it up, and handed it to the girl to hold. Then, carrying her in his arms, he stepped out of Room 404.
But Luo Shengfei did not leave immediately. Instead, he stopped in front of the neighboring Room 403.
The little girl frowned slightly from where she was being held.
Luo Shengfei ignored the door’s warnings and began operating the light screen next to it.
[Password incorrect. Unable to obtain administrator privileges.]
[Password incorrect. Unable to obtain administrator privileges.]
[Password incorrect…]
[Beep—Three consecutive password failures detected. The interface has been locked. An error report will be sent to the relevant departments.]
Unlike Room 404, Luo Shengfei’s attempt to unlock little Zheng Xing’s room was unsuccessful. Instead, after multiple failed password entries, the door’s system locked entirely.
Luo Shengfei continued inputting commands, completely ignoring the lockout warning on the display.
The blood mist face reappeared, a flicker of confusion passing across its expression. However, it didn’t linger on the failure for long. Instead, it abandoned the attempt to open Room 403 and redirected Luo Shengfei toward Room 402—the room belonging to Number Two.
*
Inside Room 403.
As Luo Shengfei walked away from the door, Zheng Xing slowly opened his eyes.
The little boy hadn’t been asleep.
In fact, he had awoken the moment Luo Shengfei’s stiff figure stepped out of the elevator. Silently, he had remained still, using his mental power to observe everything unfolding outside.
When Luo Shengfei appeared at his door with Number Five in his arms and attempted to unlock the door, Zheng Xing had quietly moved like a little ghost to the metal door.
Then, he pressed both of his small hands against the door.
What happened next was exactly what Luo Shengfei had encountered earlier—the system locked him out.
Now, Zheng Xing stood in the pitch-black room, his pale blue eyes devoid of expression. The darkness posed no hindrance to him at all. His mental power expanded once more, quietly observing everything happening in the hallway.
At Room 402, Luo Shengfei faced no resistance. He quickly gained clearance, and just as he was about to open the door, a small hand reached out to grab him.
“What… are you… doing…?”
“Oh, my little darling, once this door opens, you just need to use your power to make the cub inside follow you,” the blood mist face cooed as it swirled eerily in the air. Strange whispers and laughter echoed around the room, further amplifying the unsettling atmosphere.
However, it was clear that the power Number Five had lent to the mist was only partial. The mist could control Luo Shengfei, but anything more still required Number Five’s cooperation.
“Wh…y…?” The little girl’s voice became slower and more strained.
“Why? Hehehe, to save your dear brother, of course. I need more souls and flesh, my sweet little one,” the blood mist face replied with chilling honesty.
“No…” The little girl shook her head weakly.
“Hehehe, my darling, have you forgotten? The real culprit behind 4583’s death is the pest inside this room. Don’t you want him to pay the price he deserves?”
Under the mist’s manipulative coaxing, the small light of clarity that had appeared in the girl’s eyes dimmed once again, vanishing entirely.
“Yes… Price… He must pay the price…”
Her adorable face contorted once more into an expression of hatred and anger.
The red mist face grinned with satisfaction.
Under its influence, Luo Shengfei input the final commands, and the metal door to Room 402 slid open with a hiss.
When the door opened, Number Two—the red-haired boy—immediately opened his eyes, alert and watchful. He stared at the strange pair standing in the doorway: a grown man in a frost-covered protective suit and a small girl with vacant eyes.
Before he could react, the little girl’s voice—full of hate—rang out.
“You! Come with me!”
The red-haired boy’s expression froze. Within seconds, he lost all control and consciousness.
His movements dulled as he rose numbly from his bed, falling in line behind Luo Shengfei and Number Five as they exited the room together.
Now that things had progressed this far, the blood mist face had no intention of stopping at just two cubs.
After all, every child in this nursery possessed extraordinary talents. Their flesh and blood were the most coveted prize for monsters like it. As the one who had seized the lead, it could hardly be satisfied with taking just two cubs.
Luo Shengfei carried Number Five into the elevator, while the red-haired boy followed blankly, his steps mechanical and unsteady.
The elevator descended to the fifth floor.
In their rooms, Number Six and Number Seven were both deep in a forced slumber. Controlling them would be incredibly easy for the blood mist face, and as for Number Five, the entity knew her condition well enough to manipulate her further without trouble.
The voice continued its relentless, venomous whispers:
“They’re with Number Two!”
“My little darling, have you forgotten? On the day 4583 was killed, how happy they were! Didn’t they laugh so much?”
“That little monkey, hasn’t he always bullied 4583? Before 4583, how many robots had he destroyed?”
“And Number Seven—they’re all in it together, always teaming up to bully you and your brother. I remember how hurt you were when you told me about it. Don’t you want to teach those little brats a lesson they’ll never forget?”
The coaxing, poisonous words hit their marks one after another, each strike aimed at Number Five’s most fragile emotional wounds.
Under the mist’s manipulative influence, Number Six and Number Seven—just like Number Two—fell into a dazed stupor. Slowly, they followed behind Luo Shengfei, exiting their rooms without resistance.
However, when they reached Room 503—belonging to Number Eight, Little Lang Ze—the blood mist face’s usual tactics abruptly failed.
“My little darling, don’t you remember? He once tore up your drawings!”
“He also killed the caretaker robots!”
“And he—”
“Shut up!”
“Eight! No!”
Number Five, who had been speaking sluggishly and haltingly, suddenly regained some clarity, her words sharp and quick.
Her sudden burst of resistance caused even Luo Shengfei to waver, showing signs of losing control. Realizing this, the red mist face paused for a brief moment before decisively giving up on this particularly “difficult bone to chew.”
“Fine, fine, fine! We’ll leave him alone. Let’s go.”
The blood mist face retreated, ceasing its attempts to manipulate little Lang Ze. With its control reasserted, Luo Shengfei turned and walked away, the small girl in his arms falling back into her previous docile stillness.
Number Two, Number Six, and Number Seven continued to follow silently behind him.
However, among the group of controlled children, Number Two—who had been the first to fall under Number Five’s influence—was starting to lag further and further behind.
The red-haired boy’s vacant face twitched slightly as a faint trace of struggle began to emerge. In recent days, his spiritual power had undergone a breakthrough, and it was this newfound strength that now allowed him to push back—however slightly—against the fog of control.
Yet, in the end, he still followed the group into the elevator.
Luo Shengfei reached out and pressed the elevator button, this time heading for the first floor.
If they could successfully take the cubs out of the nursery…
“Hehehe… hehehehehe…”
The blood mist face could no longer conceal its excitement. It broke apart into swirling mist once again, snaking between the children like a predator savoring its prey. The narrow elevator filled with its ecstatic whispers and manic laughter, creating a suffocatingly sinister atmosphere.
The elevator doors slowly closed and began to descend.
At that moment, a small head peeked cautiously around the corner of the stairwell on the fifth floor.
Dressed in his pajamas, little Zheng Xing had somehow slipped out of his room and quietly made his way to the fifth floor using the stairs.
He hadn’t used his mental power to observe—he was careful to rely solely on his sharp senses to monitor his surroundings.
The furry cat-like ears on top of his head had reappeared, standing upright and alert, helping him pick up even the faintest sounds in the environment.
Thanks to the feline traits unique to his bloodline, his keen hearing allowed him to detect the slightest disturbances. He knew now that there were no strangers left on the fifth floor.
However, the hallway still carried an unsettling aura, something that made him feel deeply uneasy. Little Zheng Xing didn’t know what had left behind such a presence, but he was certain that it was dangerous.
Fortunately, the person who had been carrying Number Five had already left, taking Number Two and the others with him.
The small boy tiptoed cautiously out from his hiding spot at the corner of the stairwell.
Moving with the silence and grace of a feline predator, he ran swiftly but soundlessly down the hallway.
Xiao Zhengxing stopped at Room 503, placing his small hand on the metal door. A faint blue glow appeared beneath his palm.
The light screen above the door only flickered on briefly before shutting off again, and the metal door slid open automatically.
The moment the door opened a small crack, the boy slipped inside with deft agility. As soon as the door closed behind him, he finally let out a small breath of relief.
Yet, his nerves remained tense.
Xiao Zhengxing tilted his head slightly, listening carefully.
“Hoo… hoo…”
The steady, rhythmic breathing of someone asleep on the bed reached his sensitive ears. Only then did his shoulders relax completely.
Thank goodness—Lang Ze hadn’t been taken.
The boy stood still for a moment, quietly ensuring that the little wolf cub was indeed safe. Once satisfied, he tilted his head in thought. In the end, he decided not to wake him.
Time to leave…
With that thought, Zheng Xing turned back to the door, placing his small hands on the metal surface again. However, just as he started to activate the door controls, a sleepy voice called out from behind him.
“Xing Xing? Why are you here?”
The little wolf cub’s groggy voice came with a yawn. Rubbing his eyes, Lang Ze sat up, but when he noticed the slightly opened door, his sleepy confusion turned into surprise.
“What’s going on? Why is the door open? Did 4586 come by just now?”
Lang Ze had no concept of time. Without waiting for an explanation, he excitedly leaped out of bed and grabbed Xiao Zhengxing’s hand.
“Let’s go! To the activity room to play the flute!”
With that, the little wolf cub dragged little Zheng Xing along, sprinting happily out into the hallway.
Lang Ze thought it must already be activity time, but soon scratched his head, puzzled. “Huh? Wait, something’s not right. Don’t we always eat breakfast first before going to the activity room?”
Though he wasn’t hungry at the moment, something felt off.
Then, he noticed the doors to the neighboring Rooms 506 and 507 were wide open. Realizing this wasn’t normal, the little wolf cub immediately sprinted inside both rooms to check.
“Where are Youyou and that stupid monkey?”
After finding both rooms empty, Lang Ze dashed back into the hallway, looking thoroughly confused. “Where did they go? Why didn’t they close the doors?”
Meanwhile, Zheng Xing had somehow pulled his metal ball out from nowhere. Now, he clutched it tightly to his chest, his expression betraying clear unease.
“Xing Xing?” Lang Ze bent down slightly so their eyes were level.
After a moment of hesitation, Zheng Xing finally said, “They… they were taken away…”
“Taken away by who?” Lang Ze pressed on.
“I… I don’t know…” Zheng Xing shook his head. “Maybe… monsters.”
“Oh, monsters, huh…”
Lang Ze nodded absentmindedly. After a couple of seconds, the meaning sank in.
“Wha—?!”
Before he could shout, Zheng Xing clamped a small hand over his mouth.
Zheng Xing raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Lang Ze nodded and mimicked the motion, covering his own mouth. Though one thought gnawed at him—Wait, isn’t Xing Xing blind? How did he manage to cover my mouth so accurately?
But there were bigger problems at hand.
Lowering his voice, Lang Ze asked, “When were they taken? Was it just Youyou and that stupid monkey, or…?”
“Number Two… and Number Five…”
“Wha—?!”
This time, Lang Ze cut himself off and quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. Still, the shock and anger on his face were impossible to hide.
Number Five had been taken, too?!
No way! He couldn’t stand by and watch Number Five be eaten by monsters!
“Where did they go?”
Zheng Xing pointed toward the elevator.
“Alright, Xing Xing, you stay here—no, wait, hide in my room. It’s safer there.” Lang Ze’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ll go take a look.”
Though he didn’t fully understand how monsters had gotten into the nursery, Lang Ze knew one thing: monsters only appeared when the weather turned bad. If the Operations Division hadn’t shown up yet, it meant help wouldn’t be coming any time soon.
He had to stall for time. Until the Operations Division arrived, there was no way he would let the monsters eat Number Five or Youyou.
Lang Ze walked to the elevator to take a look. When he turned around, though, Zheng Xing was standing right behind him.
“They went to the first floor. I’ll take the stairs to check,” Lang Ze said, patting the smaller boy’s head. He added another warning, “You stay here, alright? Don’t wander around, got it?”
Then, as if remembering something, Lang Ze pulled out his bamboo flute from his waistband and placed it into Zheng Xing’s hands. “Hold onto this for me. Keep it safe.”
Though Zheng Xing had always been fond of the bamboo flute, he shook his head this time. Holding his metal ball tightly in one hand, he grabbed Lang Ze’s sleeve with the other.
“You want to come too?” Lang Ze asked.
Zheng Xing hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Mm.”
Lang Ze ran a hand through his hair in frustration, trying to convince him. “There are monsters, you know! It’s really dangerous—you could get eaten!”
This time, Zheng Xing’s expression became even more determined.
Su Ci!! your cubs are being taken!!!