A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

August. The hottest month of the entire summer.

Chirping cicadas. A forest of power lines and internet cables. The overpass. The rumbling Iron Dragon speeding by.

Ke Mingqing dragged his gaze away from the all-too-familiar scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window and struggled out of bed.

He scratched his messy hair, toying with his spare phone as he headed for the door.

[Red Lotus: 5:00 PM, see you at the Zero Overpass.]

Reading the message on his screen, Ke Mingqing turned the knob and opened the door. His body froze. Suddenly, every movement felt like walking on thin ice.

He slowly raised his eyes from the phone and was met with a sight that made his pupils tremble. Five people were gathered in the hallway, standing right outside his room.

Aside from Xia Ningzhi and their father—who was so perennially absent he wasn’t even worth mentioning—everyone else in the family was here.

Before he opened the door, they had been whispering among themselves, their faces a mix of surprise and suspicion.

The moment they saw Ke Mingqing, they immediately shut their mouths, falling as silent as winter cicadas. Silence descended over the hallway, and the atmosphere dropped to freezing.Unfortunately, the only person who could liven up the mood, Xia Ningzhi, wasn’t there.

The group looked at a stunned Ke Mingqing, then peered past him to glance into the bedroom.

Inside, Kuroki Hitomi lay fast asleep on the bed. A corner of her nightgown was still damp, a lingering consequence of Ke Mingqing dragging her through the pouring rain the night before.

Finally, as if on cue, they all fixed their gazes squarely on Ke Mingqing.

Their expressions, however, were wildly different. An Youlu was deadpan, yet her eyes shone with wonder. Xia Zili looked furious, staring at him unblinkingly. Xia Wenna wore a gratified ”my boy has finally grown up” smile. Xia Lingxue’s face was as cold as frost, and Ke Linye looked purely amused, clearly eager to watch the world burn.

”...Are you kidding me?” Ke Mingqing sighed, dropping his head.

He finally understood. In this gossip-obsessed household, one could never afford to show the slightest weakness, otherwise they would be ganged up on and humiliated, exactly like today.

Wait, the shaming hadn’t started yet. But it was coming.

Surprisingly, the first to charge into battle was the one who usually seemed like the most marginalized figure in the family.

”I see. I was wondering why I couldn’t find the young miss when I woke up this morning.” An Youlu rested her hand against her chin, looking like a reincarnated Sherlock Holmes:

”Case closed. The senior student brought her to his room.”

She hesitated, wondering if she should mention what happened last night. She had woken up with a start, only to see Ke Mingqing carrying Xia Zili into their bedroom.

She had been so incredibly tired at the time that she couldn’t even keep her eyes open, so she hadn’t asked any questions. But thinking back on it now, it was utterly baffling—why would such a scene occur?

Did Xia Zili and Kuroki Hitomi sneak off behind her back to have a meeting in Ke Mingqing’s room?

Was she being ostracized again? Sure enough, city kids always looked down on country folks.

As if her brain had completely short-circuited, An Youlu suddenly blurted out an incomprehensible string of words:

”The senior student truly kills two birds with one stone, divides his attention flawlessly, keeps his hands clean, and enjoys two wives at once...”

No one else spoke for a moment. Xia Zili in particular said nothing; she simply turned and walked away.

Xia Wenna clapped her hands together and sighed regretfully. ”Oh my, A’Qing, you silly child... If the two of you were going to sleep together, why didn’t you ask Mom to help you prepare in advance?”

”Prepare what?” Ke Mingqing turned to look at her. ’If I’d asked you for help, all hell would have broken loose,’ he thought. ’Don’t you have any idea what you did last night?’

”Why, get two blankets ready ahead of time and lay out a mattress on the floor, of course. Doesn’t it get hot with two people squeezed together?” Xia Wenna muttered. ”She rarely visits our home; we can’t make her uncomfortable.”

’Hey, hey, who was the alien female spy that dragged her off for an interrogation last night?’ Ke Mingqing couldn’t help but roast her in his mind.

”Mom, if he did what you’re suggesting, it would defeat the whole purpose,” Ke Linye said with a smile. ”They were just enjoying the feeling of lying in the same bed, chatting about everything under the sun while listening to the midnight rain and the chirping cicadas.”

”Look who’s talking, the guy who’s never even dated,” Xia Lingxue mocked.

”Honestly, the moment he mentioned having his girlfriend stay over, I saw this coming.” Deadpan, Xia Lingxue popped a lollipop into her mouth. ”Ah, the joys of youth. Sneaking into each other’s rooms in the dead of night to whisper sweet nothings.”

Suddenly, she sneered. ”Having a lot of fun, aren’t you, A’Qing?”

”Yeah, a ton of fun,” Ke Mingqing replied dryly.

”Fun is one thing, but you didn’t do anything out of line, did you?” Ke Linye leaned against the wall, the corners of his mouth ticking up. ”High schoolers should keep their hands to themselves.”

”What are you thinking? We’re good kids.” Ke Mingqing rolled his eyes at him. ”Didn’t we have torrential rain last night? The thunder woke her up, so she came to my room.”

He turned his head to look at Kuroki Hitomi, who was still fast asleep in the bedroom. ”See? Then she ended up sleeping like a log, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. Does anyone understand the struggle?”

”You said the exact same thing last time Xia Zili ran into your room,” Xia Lingxue said after a moment’s thought, her face expressionless. ”Though it wasn’t raining that day, and it actually did rain last night. I’ll take your word for it this once.”

”Doesn’t that mean Xia Zili is actually more suspicious?” An Youlu whispered, covering her mouth as she nibbled on a piece of sliced bread. ”Since it wasn’t raining, why was she in her older brother’s room?”

As soon as she finished speaking, silence smothered the hallway once again. The atmosphere, which had just begun to thaw, plunged straight back to freezing.

Ke Mingqing turned to look at her, thinking, ’Little Red Riding Hood, you really are a master instigator.’

”Can’t a girl seek out her brother in the middle of the night for a heart-to-heart? She has so many teenage troubles—it’s not like she’s going to talk to you, right?” Ke Mingqing pointed a disdainful finger at Xia Lingxue.

”Or you.” He pointed at Ke Linye next, looking at him as if he were an indescribable Cthulhu creature.

”What’s wrong with your older sister?” ”A’Qing, I’ve always been curious. What exactly did I do?”

Xia Lingxue and Ke Linye spoke in perfect unison. One looked cold and detached; the other sounded genuinely curious.

”See? Neither of you has any self-awareness,” Ke Mingqing sighed. ”That is your biggest problem. I won’t spell it out for you. Think about it yourselves.”

Xia Wenna supported her elbow with her hand, tilting her head as she thought it over. After blanking out for a moment, as if struggling with a brain teaser, she asked:

”Then why didn’t Xia Zili go to A’zhi for a heart-to-heart? Why specifically A’Qing?”

Ke Mingqing snapped in annoyance, ”Because Third Sister isn’t normal either. If you go to her with your problems, she’ll just bare her teeth and laugh it off.”

An Youlu took a piece of toast from her box, took a bite, and mumbled, ”I can attest to one thing, though: the young miss really doesn’t like rainy days... She’s been like that since she was little. Whenever it rains and thunders, she always asks the servants to keep her company. So it’s not weird that she went looking for you, senior.”

”Right?” Ke Mingqing glanced up at her.

An Youlu pondered for a moment, then added, ”The young miss probably likes snowy days. When it snows, she always stares out the window in a daze for a long time. You should keep her company and watch the snow together when you have time.”

’Snowy days, huh...’ For some reason, Ke Mingqing suddenly spaced out.

He remembered his past life, the day he said goodbye to Kuroki Hitomi at the orphanage gates. The sky had been dumping an endless, heavy snow.

’But we’ll probably all be dead before it even snows this year. How am I supposed to watch the snow with her?’ Ke Mingqing mocked himself internally.

Leijing didn’t necessarily get snow in December, but December in Leijing would undoubtedly usher in a storm of blood. No... not just Leijing. At that time, the players, having bided their time for so long, would unleash the most brutal, hideous massacre across the globe.

Ke Mingqing fell silent for a moment. He plucked a piece of sliced bread from the toast box An Youlu was holding and dangled it from his mouth.

”One dollar,” An Youlu said, holding out her hand to him. ”I brought this myself.” She paused. ”I rarely ate breakfast in Japan. Since coming here, I usually substitute it with sliced bread.”

”Zero people asked you why you eat sliced bread.” Ke Mingqing shrugged. ”I don’t have money, but I can give you a Rain Crow fan T-shirt. It’s in my bedroom closet. Go claim it yourself.”

With that, he turned and walked into the bathroom under everyone’s watchful eyes.

”Oh, right. Where’s Third Sister?” Ke Mingqing asked casually before shutting the door.

”She went out. Said she was going to relax with some friends today,” Xia Lingxue replied.

”I wonder if that child has gotten herself a boyfriend.” Xia Wenna tilted her head and sighed. ”Mom really wants to hold a grandchild soon. Why aren’t any of you working hard at this?”

She paused, looking at Ke Linye and Xia Lingxue. ”Right, Xiaoxue? Xiaoye?”

By this point, however, Ke Linye and Xia Lingxue had already silently walked away. Clearly, neither of them had any interest in romance. Ke Mingqing couldn’t even picture what it would look like for those two control freaks to date.

He shut the bathroom door, blocking out the noise.

.........

.........

Time flew by, bringing the dusk of that very day.

Beneath a blood-red sky, the Zero Overpass loomed high above the city. The bridge was desolate and empty. A moment later, a figure wearing a white top hat descended from the heavens.

White Jack landed on the overpass railing. Tipping the brim of his hat down, he looked up at the flushed sky. It didn’t take long for him to wait for the person he was expecting.

Riding her Wind and Fire Wheels, Red Lotus streaked in from the distance, slowly hovering to a stop right in front of him.

”Long time no see.” White Jack crossed his arms. ”What did you want to ask me?”

Red Lotus hugged her own shoulders, tucking her Fire-Tipped Spear against her arm. She remained quiet for a moment.

Finally, she spoke. ”Before we get into that, there are a few things I need to tell you first.”

White Jack covered his face with one hand while waving the other dismissively. ”Please, don’t do this, Miss Red Lotus. We’re just friends. It’s a little too early for you to confess your love to me. You’re crossing the line.”

He pulled out his phone and opened a certain red app. ”Did you know? If you keep this up, I’ll take a picture of you and post it on Xiaohongshu as a warning to others.”

Red Lotus shook her head. ”No, we weren’t friends before this.”

She was probably the only one among White Jack’s numerous collaborators who could stomach his incessant nonsense, simply because she was just as full of nonsense. Birds of a feather flocked together.

”Oh, then what are we?” White Jack looked up from his phone, feigning curiosity.

”Before... we were barely even collaborators.” Red Lotus paused. ”But now, I recognize you as a good friend.”

”Why?” White Jack asked. ”Did I do something particularly moving?”

”Of course. A few days ago at the port, not only did you find someone to save me, you also took my sister away.” Red Lotus spoke softly. ”I used to think you were only keeping me around for profit... but if you just wanted to use me for something, you wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.”

She paused, raising two fingers and pointing them at his eyes:

”Simply put, I owe you two lives, and I haven’t even given you a proper thank you yet. Do you want to hear it?”

White Jack stared at her fingers, clad in their metal gauntlets, and cut her off:

”You’re welcome, Miss Red Lotus... since we’re already friends, there’s no need for ’thank yous’.”

”Then what do you want in return?” she asked again.

”How about this? Next time, you treat me to a meal of True Samadhi Fire, and I’ll treat you to my Calamity Dice.”

As he spoke, a black-and-red die suddenly appeared in his hand. He flipped his palm, placing the die on the back of his hand, and watched it roll back and forth.

Red Lotus gave the die a passing glance, paying it no mind.

”Alright, enough with the mushy talk. Time for business,” she said. ”I’m very curious, who exactly was the person who saved me? I recall she used ice!”

”Stop!” White Jack said. He held his left palm down and pressed an index finger from his right hand against it, making a time-out gesture.

”Why?” Red Lotus raised an eyebrow, her lively red eyes fixed on him.

”I have a non-disclosure agreement with her, and I’m not one to break a promise.” White Jack shrugged. ”That’s all I can say. Unless we have a falling out someday, there’s no way I’m telling you her identity.”

”Oh, so that’s how it is.” Red Lotus frowned. ”Nope, now I’m even more curious.”

”Curiosity won’t get you anywhere.”

”Forget it. I’ll ask you something else. Before I passed out, I thought I saw my sister...”

”Don’t worry, she only temporarily became a witch... to be precise, she underwent partial Witchification.”

”I see...” Red Lotus fell silent. Even though the situation seemed to have settled down, the true underlying problem remained unresolved.

As a mythic vessel, she would inevitably lose control sooner or later, and her sister was the same—destined to eventually corrupt into a witch...

The sky gradually darkened. The very last smudge of blush remained on the horizon of Leijing as the massive sun sank below the skyline. Neon lights flickered to life one after another.

Catching the fleeting sorrow in the young girl’s eyes, White Jack suddenly spoke up:

”This is perfect timing. In about sixty seconds, the sun will sink below the horizon. Do you know what happens after that?”

”What happens?” Red Lotus asked, intrigued.

White Jack stared at the die rolling around on the back of his hand and said nonchalantly, ”Guess.”

”I can’t. Don’t keep me in suspense, or I really will feed you some True Samadhi Fire.” At her words, wisps of flame ignited along Red Lotus’s Fire-Tipped Spear.

”Alright, alright. Impatient people truly have no sense of romance. I guess I’ll reveal the answer.”

With that, White Jack tilted his hand. The die slid off his right hand, falling slowly toward the deck of the overpass. It tumbled a few times before coming to a stop.

The die landed on 3. Just yesterday, he had finally figured out exactly what event this number represented.

[Roll 3: show me the flowers (A fireworks display blossoming at this very moment)]

The next second, dusk vanished, and the dark night abruptly blanketed the entire city. The world plunged into pitch black, yet a dazzling beam of fire suddenly rocketed straight up from the overpass.

Startled, Red Lotus looked up at the sky.

Boom—!

A thunderous roar rolled through the night as brilliant, multicolored fireworks exploded above them. The white bursts formed lilies, the yellow bursts became peonies—it was an unimaginably beautiful sight.

Red Lotus’s eyes were illuminated by the fiery glow, shining brilliantly. It was as if the myriad colors were swirling in the very depths of her pupils.

”Do you just love setting off fireworks for me?” Red Lotus tilted her head and asked after a while.

White Jack looked up alongside her, the blossoms of fire reflecting in his hollow eyes. ”Of course. No one else has seen this.”

”Alright, I’ve admired them enough... I’m really happy. You prepare a gift for me every time we meet, yet I have nothing to give a weirdo like you.”

Red Lotus fell silent for a beat. Suddenly, she reached out. Her gauntleted right hand touched White Jack’s face, her fingers brushing against his bizarre, ugly skin.

”White Jack, you’re so ugly. You must not have many friends, right?” she asked. It didn’t sound like a joke; her tone was earnest, carrying a tiny hint of heartbreak.

”Miss Red Lotus, that is a severe judgment based on appearances,” White Jack replied seriously. ”In fact, my sheer charisma is more than enough to attract a wonderful group of friends.”

”Such as?”

”Such as Mr. Owl Judge. He frequently discusses how to slice sashimi with me—by which I mean he regularly chops me into pieces. And Miss Ember. We often practice marksmanship together, which translates to her repeatedly shooting at me with her umbrella. I run, she chases, and I can’t escape even if I had wings. And then there’s Mr. Rain Crow, who uses my neck for daily strength training. He’s incredibly gentle.”

As she listened, Red Lotus suddenly burst into laughter. Even though White Jack was mocking himself to make light of these things, her laughter carried a touch of sadness.

She shook her head. ”Are you really happy being a rat in the street that everyone wants to beat?”

”I am.”

”Why?” As she spoke, Red Lotus pinched slightly with her right hand, puffing out his cheeks. That nauseating, horrifying face suddenly looked a whole lot cuter.

”Oh, it’s like this,” White Jack said, his voice muffled by her grip. ”This way, I can feel a bit less guilty in the future. Yes... guilt is a very strange thing. People can only charge forward at full speed when they have a clear conscience.”

”Guilty... about what?” Red Lotus was confused.

”Something like...” White Jack paused. ”When the time comes, I’ll be able to shout without any reservations, ’You bastards! This is karma for kicking and beating Lord White Jack for an entire month! Go to hell!’”

He threw his hands up, murmuring in a relieved tone, ”And then, I’ll deliver an invincible super flying kick, punting them straight into a black hole in the Milky Way, never to be seen again!”

”Sometimes, I really have no idea what goes on in your head,” Red Lotus whispered.

She couldn’t understand this guy’s ravings, but she found his tone hilarious.

For some reason, she suddenly felt that the person in front of her was pitiful. Xia Ningzhi had seen a lot of material about White Jack these past few days. Every time he appeared on camera, he looked so incredibly lonely, throwing tantrums and rolling around like a mad dog, begging for attention, only to receive nothing but malice in return.

At first, she hadn’t trusted him either, even ”kicking and beating” him exactly as he described. Yet he had helped save Xia Zili, and even found someone to rescue her from the Death Crow’s clutches.

’If it weren’t for him, Xia Zili and I probably wouldn’t have made it home safe,’ she thought.

Boom, boom-boom... Wave after wave of fireworks continued to explode over the overpass, illuminating Red Lotus’s downcast eyes. The colors of the fireworks were growing dimmer, and the entire world was slowly sinking into darkness.

As the evening breeze blew past, Ke Mingqing silently looked into her eyes through White Jack’s perspective.

’One day, when she learns about the concept of a player, her opinion of me will change,’ he thought. ’Third Sister is still too naive. It’s so easy for her to be victimized by a villain masquerading as a harmless little bunny.’

”It’s a good thing you don’t know what I’m thinking. A very good thing, because I’m a psychopath,” White Jack said lightly. ”If you understood me, wouldn’t that make you a psychopath too?”

”I want to understand you because you’re my friend. But you won’t tell me the truth.”

”That’s only because some things aren’t meant to be said in the first place.” White Jack was quiet for a moment. ”Miss Red Lotus, do you think true feelings maintained through lies can still be considered ’true’?”

Red Lotus shook her head. ”I don’t understand complicated stuff like that. I’m just a simple person.”

’Yeah, and that’s exactly why your sister doesn’t go to you for heart-to-hearts,’ Ke Mingqing chuckled drily to himself.

At that moment, the final round of fireworks faded. The thick night pressed down, shrouding the faces of the two figures on the overpass in darkness. A sudden, dead silence followed.

Red Lotus lowered her wrist, releasing her pinch on White Jack’s cheek.

”Right, there’s one more thing I want to ask you,” she suddenly said after a moment of silence.

”Speak freely.”

”About the fire in Anhe District ten years ago... have you found out who the culprit is?”

White Jack abruptly fell silent. He had actually been considering whether or not to give Third Sister this clue, as doing so would earn her goodwill and trust.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he didn’t really want to.

After a moment, White Jack spoke in a faint voice. ”Miss Red Lotus, perhaps the clue to the source of that fire is hidden in the room of someone in your house. If you are interested, you will definitely be able to find the truth.”

”My house? Whose room?” Red Lotus paused, her head snapping up.

”That is also a secret.” White Jack shrugged. ”It’s no fun if the mystery is solved too early. It’s getting late. Farewell.”

As his words fell, his figure slowly dissolved into wisps of fading smoke, leaving Red Lotus standing completely alone on the overpass.