A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

”Red Lotus.” In Ke Mingqing’s memory, there really was such a figure.

She was a vigilante who had helped the police catch numerous criminals. People online joked she was stealing the Super Hero Company’s jobs.

Whenever this vigilante appeared on camera, she usually wore a long, black-and-red metallic coat and a metal mask. Red silk ribbons known as the ”Huntian Ling” were wrapped around her arms. She stepped on Wind and Fire Wheels and wielded a Fire-Tipped Spear.

Of course, in the past, Ke Mingqing never would have imagined that this person was actually his older sister.

”Good morning... Are you still half-asleep? What are you staring at me for?”

As Xia Ningzhi walked past him holding bowls and chopsticks, she freed a hand and gently tousled Ke Mingqing’s hair.

Ke Mingqing swatted her hand away. ”Show some respect. Do you really think you’re worthy of touching my head?”

”Oh? What’s wrong with your older sister touching your head? You even dare to fight back.”

Xia Ningzhi set the dishes on the table, stepped up behind Ke Mingqing, and forcefully ruffled his hair.

”Alright, alright, stop messing around,” Ke Mingqing sighed.

She rested both hands on his shoulders. Looking down at his hair, she lowered her voice. ”When I was in evening self-study at school yesterday, I heard our whole grade talking about you.”

”And?” Ke Mingqing didn’t even look up.

Xia Ningzhi squeezed his shoulders hard and said earnestly:

”Don’t do anything that dangerous again. I was so worried last night I couldn’t even study. Anyway, Dad definitely already lectured you, right? I won’t add to it.”

”Man, why do you two sisters say the exact same thing?” Ke Mingqing said. ”It’s always ’Dad already lectured you, so I won’t say anything.’”

”Who doesn’t know Dad’s personality?” Xia Ningzhi laughed.

Xia Zili chimed in. ”All I know is that someone used my Weibo account to curse people out online last night. My inbox got bombarded, and I had to add dozens of people to my blocklist overnight.”

”Who lacks that much class?” Xia Ningzhi asked, half-joking, as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

She raised her bright eyes, sweeping her gaze over both of their faces with a slight smirk. ”It’s rare for our little Li to complain. I definitely have to teach this person a good lesson.”

”Who knows... I wonder who could be so classless. So hard to guess.”

Xia Zili took a sip of her porridge without looking up.

Ke Mingqing shot Xia Zili an annoyed glare.

Having seen that the rest of his family averaged an A Rank combat power or higher, he compared it to the ”B Rank Combat Power” floating above this magical girl’s head. ’So you’re actually the weakest in the whole family,’ he thought. ’What are you always acting so high and mighty about?’

”What are you looking at?” She tilted her head, a strand of hair falling past her ear.

Ke Mingqing shook his head and said casually:

”Nothing. Just wanted to ask if you knew where I could buy a Magical Girl Ember fan T-shirt. I want to wear one to school to find fellow fans.”

The kitchen fell silent, followed abruptly by a ”Pfft!”

Xia Zili slumped over the table, her head resting on her arms, coughing violently.

She had nearly spat out the mouthful of porridge she’d just swallowed.

”Does your reaction have to be so exaggerated?” Ke Mingqing asked in confusion.

It took a moment before Xia Zili finally looked up.

She stared unblinkingly at Ke Mingqing and said resolutely, practically gritting her teeth:

”You are not allowed to buy one.”

”Why?” Ke Mingqing tilted his head.

”I said you’re not allowed, so you’re not allowed.” The girl’s ears were flushed red, and she squeezed out every word.

”Then surely I can buy an action figure to display in my room, right?”

Ke Mingqing unlocked his phone, turned the screen toward her, and showed her a page on Taobao.

Xia Zili stared blankly at the indecent, highly revealing figures on Taobao, utterly shell-shocked.

Ke Mingqing scrolled the screen so she could see similar products—like Magical Girl Ember in a revealing swimsuit striking a seductive pose, or Magical Girl Ember holding an umbrella and blowing a kiss.

Gradually, it wasn’t just her ears; Xia Zili’s entire face visibly turned scarlet.

Her lips trembled. ”What... what on earth is all this?”

”Is it bad? The sales are really high, though they might stagnate soon.” Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow. ”Wait, no, why have more people been placing orders lately?”

Xia Zili finally recovered her wits. She furrowed her brow and enunciated every syllable:

”You’re not allowed to buy it! If you do, I’ll disown you as my brother.”

Ke Mingqing froze.

Beside them, Xia Ningzhi was also taken aback, not understanding why Xia Zili was taking this so seriously.

Wanting to lighten the mood, she raised an elegant eyebrow and teased:

”Wow, seriously? Even our little Li actually gets this emotional sometimes?”

She leaned close to Xia Zili’s ear and whispered, ”Little Li, are you really this possessive of your idol? Only you’re allowed to like her, but your brother isn’t? That’s so unfair to him.”

”Yeah, exactly! It’s like you’re crazy, getting mad at me for no reason!”

Resting his chin in his hand, Ke Mingqing chimed in with an aggrieved tone. ”Yesterday she even told me ’don’t treat magical girls as idols,’ yet her own possessiveness is off the charts.”

Attacked from both sides, Xia Zili was at a loss for words.

She lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment, her face completely flushed. After an internal struggle, she finally compromised.

”Even if you buy one, don’t let me see those embarrassing things,” she said coldly.

”No way.” Ke Mingqing snorted.

”You...”

”Alright, alright, can you two stop arguing?” Xia Ningzhi threw her hands up. ”Summer vacation starts in a few days. Once our oldest brother and second sister get back, we can all go to Disneyland together, okay?”

”Sis, can you not coax us like little kids?” Ke Mingqing asked casually.

”If you aren’t a kid, who is?”

Xia Ningzhi chuckled. Reaching out, she ruined his freshly smoothed hair all over again.

...

...

After breakfast, the three of them put on their backpacks and headed out the door.

A short while later, Ke Mingqing and Xia Zili were waiting for the same school bus at the stop in the Old Jingmai District.

A heavy rain had just fallen last night, and the sky hadn’t completely cleared. Even though it was summer, it didn’t feel like it. Instead, a gloomy patch of cumulonimbus clouds lingered in the distance.

The air at the bus stop was thick with moisture, and the wet road surface was a dark slick.

Wearing earphones, Xia Zili sat on the public bench memorizing English vocabulary words. Ke Mingqing, meanwhile, leaned against the bus stop sign, playing Tetris on his phone.

As he waited, a blue text prompt popped up in front of Ke Mingqing’s eyes.

[Notice: The ”Player Forum” function is currently under maintenance. The forum will be open to all players within one week, at which point all players will be permitted to exchange information through the forum.]

’A forum?’ Ke Mingqing glanced up from his phone. ’That’s great... This way I can gather information from other players without having to show my face.’

If other players found out he had a bunch of super-human species hidden in his house, every single one of whom could easily end his life, they’d have the easiest method in the world to betray him.

And that was to reveal his identity to his family.

’But there is one person who’s a huge problem. That Japanese exchange student,’ he thought.

When he first transmigrated here, Ke Mingqing hadn’t yet obtained his exclusive talent, ’Disguiser’. As a result, Kuroki Hitomi had seen the player marker above his head and instantly confirmed his identity.

”Hiss—”

The school bus quickly arrived at the stop, its doors swinging open with a hiss of pneumatic brakes. The students inside were drowsy, completely ignoring anyone else.

Ke Mingqing and Xia Zili boarded the bus heading for Leijing City Third High School. The bright yellow school bus trundled slowly down the early morning streets.

In the morning light, Ke Mingqing held onto a strap and rested his face against the window, watching the sky clear up after the rain. Sunlight sliced through the tree leaves, spilling warmly over his head through the gaps in the foliage.

The scent of disinfectant permeated the bus. The swaying motion was sleep-inducing.

He heard someone beside him speak in a low voice.

”By the way...”

”What is it?” Ke Mingqing looked down at Xia Zili.

”Thanks, bro.” Xia Zili didn’t look up.

”For what?”

”For helping me last night,” she murmured. ”Wait, no... for speaking up for her.”

”Why are you thanking me?”

”I just felt... In a situation like that, the fact that someone was actually willing to speak up for her... If I were her, I’d probably be a little moved.”

Xia Zili rested her head against the windowpane. Sunlight struck half her face, her skin so fair it was almost translucent. Her long bangs fluttered in the breeze, and outside the window lay a sky that looked freshly washed.

Ke Mingqing looked at her, falling silent.

He said coolly, ”That’s great. Give me your phone to hold on to, then. Next time, I’ll keep cursing them out. It’s not my account anyway.”

”...Screw off.” After a beat, he received a frosty reply.

Soon, the school bus arrived at the stop near their school.

Ke Mingqing stepped off the bus and walked ahead without a word to Xia Zili. He was currently the center of attention at school. If he walked with her, it would only bring her trouble.

Xia Zili wanted to catch up, but he had already walked far away with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

She opened her mouth, watching his back recede into the distance.