A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

On the afternoon of July 15, a torrential downpour fell across the city.

Ke Mingwei stood on the street near the old apartment building, dressed in his police uniform and holding a black umbrella.

Across the street, his gaze pierced the curtain of rain and the windows of the old building, settling on two silhouettes sitting in the living room. One was his daughter, Xia Zili, and the other was his son, Ke Mingqing.

Ke Mingwei—or rather, Rain Crow—had encountered several memorable things today.

First, Clock Maker’s copycat had kidnapped Blue Pigeon. Ke Mingwei had sensed the impostor’s movements early on and arrived at the scene almost immediately.

But he had not stopped them. Instead, he summoned a crow, watched Blue Pigeon faint in the alley, and tracked the copycat who took him away all the way to that underground bar.

From beginning to end, Ke Mingwei merely observed the situation in silence.

He figured that if Clock Maker had truly come to Leijing and set his sights on Blue Pigeon, he would never let a mere imitator waste the opportunity. Clock Maker would show up in person to take Blue Pigeon from those lackeys. That way, Clock Maker could continue the cat-and-mouse game they had been playing for twenty years.

However, Ke Mingwei never saw Clock Maker appear.

Just as he prepared to intervene, someone he hadn’t expected showed up at the bar: the magical girl Ember.The imposing girl in the gothic dress slaughtered every villain in the bar in just five seconds. Ke Mingwei, who always adhered to a strict no-kill rule, made no move to stop her.

This time, he had neither the right nor the standing to interfere.

Ke Mingwei had considered uncovering Blue Pigeon’s real identity.

That would be child’s play for Rain Crow. He only needed to tail the kid back home to find out exactly who this fledgling hero was beneath the mask.

But every time, Ke Mingwei stopped himself.

Maybe the boy was around the same age as his own children. That very thought made Ke Mingwei all the more reluctant—even afraid—to learn the truth.

He feared that if he saw the boy’s true face, he wouldn’t have the heart to keep using Blue Pigeon as bait for Clock Maker.

So he never tried to investigate Blue Pigeon’s identity. He simply let the young man march down a path of extreme self-destruction, turning him into bait to catch a monster.

Ke Mingwei had once made a promise to Grey Owl’s father, the Commander. He swore that if he ever got another chance, he would break his no-kill rule and personally execute Clock Maker, putting an end to this farce.

It was also his most sincere repentance to a grieving father.

Ke Mingwei had waited many years.

Now that the opportunity had finally arrived, how could he let it slip away? No matter how despicable his methods, even if it meant abandoning his principles as a hero, he would see it through.

He knew he was getting old. He didn’t have the time to keep waiting.

After the one-sided massacre in the underground bar ended, the magical girl Ember left with Blue Pigeon.

At that moment, Ke Mingwei suddenly felt the urge to investigate. To his surprise, the direction Ember headed was right toward the Old Jingmai District.

He hesitated for a long time. Ultimately, he didn’t pursue them. He lingered in the sky, watching the girl in the gothic dress vanish into the massive cumulonimbus clouds.

Now, watching the harmonious siblings in the living room, Ke Mingwei slowly relaxed his furrowed brow.

”Was I just overthinking things?”

Ke Mingwei shook his head. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, placed one in his mouth, and lit it. Taking a deep drag, the man lowered his head in the rain, quietly smoking.

At this very moment, a standing fan swept back and forth inside the living room.

The boy and the girl sat on the sofa, each holding a bottle of soda as they watched TV.

The television was tuned to Star TV, which was broadcasting a nostalgic cartoon called MAR. A blond boy swung a hammer adorned with a cross pattern, smashing it into a distant rocky mountain.

”Sis...” one of them on the sofa suddenly spoke up.

”Yeah,” the other replied absentmindedly.

”Sis, sis, sis...”

”What do you want?”

”Nothing. Just calling you.”

”You’re sick.”

”Actually, I wanted to ask... do you think there’s a possibility?”

Amid the rustling rain, Ke Mingqing asked in a muffled voice, chewing on the cap of his cola bottle.

Xia Zili stared at the TV. After waiting a while and realizing he wasn’t going to continue, she took a sip of orange juice, turned her head, and gave him a puzzled look. ”What possibility?”

Ke Mingqing turned to meet her gaze and spoke in a haunting tone.

”That our third sister is a super-human species, just like us.”

Xia Zili froze for a second. Then her cheeks puffed out, and she nearly sprayed her mouthful of orange juice right into his face.

”Cough... cough, cough...” She hacked a few times, wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and stared into his eyes.

Seeing how serious Ke Mingqing’s expression and eyes were, she realized he wasn’t joking. Her expression changed as she lowered her head to think. Now that he mentioned it, their third sister did act very strangely sometimes.

”What’s your proof?” Xia Zili asked.

Ke Mingqing set his drink on the table and spoke solemnly.

”Lately, our third sister randomly dragged you out to elope, and out of nowhere she asked what would happen if I married our second sister. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

”Isn’t her brain just short-circuiting?”

Xia Zili shook her head and sighed. She had to admit, Xia Ningzhi’s recent antics had left her absolutely speechless.

”I’m a super-human species, and you’re a super-human species... We can’t rule out the possibility of a third super-human species in this house, right?” Ke Mingqing reasoned patiently.

Xia Zili fell silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

She stared down at the dark opening of her bottle, her right hand instinctively gripping the TV remote on the sofa. Honestly, having one idiot brother was already enough for her to worry about.

She couldn’t even imagine how exhausting it would be if her sister were a super-human species too.

”What should we do?” she asked. ”Do you want me to tail her?”

”No rush. Let’s not alert her yet,” Ke Mingqing shook his head. ”We have plenty of time.”

”Wait, could she have been possessed by a player?”

Xia Zili suddenly thought of a possibility, her tone filled with shock.

Ke Mingqing rolled his eyes. ”Impossible. She clearly passed the player test with us that day, didn’t she?”

”True.”

Xia Zili muttered softly. She took a sip of orange juice and fell silent for a brief moment before asking, ”If someone in our family was taken over by a player, what would you think?”

Ke Mingqing didn’t even have to think. ”I’d probably want to kill them. How is that any different from bugs infesting the house?”

”Could you actually do it?”

”Of course I could. It’s not that hard, you just close your eyes and it’s over.” Ke Mingqing paused. ”What about you?”

”I...” Xia Zili trailed off, suddenly falling quiet.

Ke Mingqing asked another question. ”What if I got taken over by a player? What would you do?”

Xia Zili was quiet for a moment. ”If you were replaced, I would definitely notice right away.”

”Really?”

”Yeah, obviously,” Xia Zili shrugged. ”We’ve lived together for so many years. If you changed, I’d spot it instantly. If any player takes you over, that’s just their bad luck.”

She hesitated, then added, ”And I would definitely find a way to get you back.”

Ke Mingqing stared blankly for a second, then looked away and said quietly, ”It’s fine, we’re all super-human species. Don’t players only take over ordinary people? We’re safe, okay?”

”Okay.”

As the siblings were chatting, the front door opened once again.

Rain poured in, wetting the entryway, and a howling gust of wind swept into the living room, blowing away the stuffy air.

They turned to look and saw Ke Mingwei walk in with a cigarette in his mouth, casually tossing his folded umbrella onto the rack in the corner of the living room. ”What’s for dinner today?” he asked casually.

”Mom’s not back yet. She’s out taking her yoga class.” Ke Mingqing paused. ”How about we just order takeout... It’s already this late anyway. With Mom’s memory, she definitely forgot she had to come home and cook.”

”Works for me. What do you guys want?” Ke Mingwei nodded. ”Dad will order it for you.”

”I want some roast crow. Dad, why don’t you conjure up a couple of crows for me to taste?” Ke Mingqing wanted to blurt that out, but managed to suppress his urge to be a brat.

”I want yakitori,” Xia Zili said.

”Great minds think alike, sis.” Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow, turning to look at her.

Xia Zili shot him a glance. ”Copycat.”

The rain grew heavier. Massive torrents surged through the streets and alleys with no sign of stopping.

And so, that evening, the rest of the family couldn’t make it home due to the downpour. Some were trapped in a cafe, while others were stuck at yoga class.

Xia Zili, Ke Mingwei, and Ke Mingqing ate dinner together in the living room. They had ordered takeout—Sichuan boiled beef, Japanese yakitori, and KFC fried chicken.

Only Xia Ningzhi was in the kitchen, making herself a light bowl of shrimp noodles, remaining perfectly pristine.

”Oh, right,” Ke Mingwei suddenly spoke up at the dining table. ”I might have to go on a business trip in a few days. I’ll be heading over to America with your mom.”

”Traveling with your wife is called a ’honeymoon,’ not a ’business trip.’” Ke Mingqing rolled his eyes at him.

”It really is something important,” Ke Mingwei mused. ”I have no choice with your mom. Every time I go on a business trip, she insists on coming along, otherwise she throws a fit.”

”Isn’t that just because your credibility is too low, Dad?” Ke Mingqing seized the chance to tease. ”Not only did you miss my birthday party, but you also disappear at the drop of a hat. How could Mom trust you?”

”Exactly, exactly,” Xia Ningzhi laughed, teasing as she ate her noodles. ”Look how much A-Qing is dwelling on this. If people didn’t know better, they’d think he was a little girl.”

”Maybe he’s a magical girl,” Xia Zili chimed in out of nowhere.

Ke Mingqing looked at his sisters speechlessly, while Ke Mingwei gave them a rather helpless look.

”By the way, Dad,” Ke Mingqing turned back to ask, ”how long is this business trip?”

”I should be back around the 10th of next month,” Ke Mingwei replied.

”Oh, oh, that’s good.” In his heart, Ke Mingqing thought, ”If you aren’t there for the battle against Death Crow, it won’t be nearly as exciting. You have to come back right on time, Crow Man.”

After dinner, the rainstorm finally died down. Looking out the window, the whole world was pitch black. The streetlights were out, the streets and alleys were shrouded in darkness, and not a single soul was in sight.

”I’m going out to buy a pack of cigarettes,” Ke Mingwei said, leaning against the shoe cabinet as he put on his leather shoes.

”Smoke less, Dad. I’m hoping you’ll live a few more years.”

Xia Ningzhi puffed her cheeks in annoyance as she slipped on her sandals and walked out.

”Could you stop saying such depressing things? You really are my wonderful daughter.”

Ke Mingwei spoke with a helpless expression, pulling his last cigarette from the pack and sticking it in his mouth before plunging into the night.

Xia Ningzhi turned her head slightly, watching Ke Mingwei’s back out of the corner of her eye. She resolved to figure out if there was something wrong with her dad tonight.

At the same time, standing in the entryway, Ke Mingqing harbored his own ulterior motives.

”I have nothing to do tonight anyway. Let’s go play with Crow Man.” With that in mind, Ke Mingqing retrieved the Tracking Sunglasses from his inventory and pressed the button on the frame.

[Prompt: Tracking Sunglasses have locked onto the A++ Rank super-human species ”Rain Crow”. His position will be continuously marked on the map for the next two hours.]

”Sis, bring me a bottle of Mizone on your way back!” Ke Mingqing shouted out from the entryway.

”I want a Sprite,” Xia Zili’s voice rang out from the living room.

”I’m charging a delivery fee!”

Xia Ningzhi laughed as she tied her hair into a bun and hurried off into the night.

She had intended to keep a certain distance from Ke Mingwei so he wouldn’t spot her, figuring her Wind and Fire Wheels were fast enough to catch up no matter how far he went. But a moment later, when she stepped onto her Wind and Fire Wheels and ascended into the night sky, Ke Mingwei’s figure had already vanished. All she could see was a maze of brightly lit alleys and families coming out to get some fresh air after the rain.

”You’ve got to be kidding me. Where did Dad go...” she muttered, stunned.

Meanwhile, back inside the living room of the apartment.

Ke Mingqing sprawled on the sofa, a Chocliz ice cream bar in his mouth. While he played It Takes Two with Xia Zili using a controller, he simultaneously deployed his Theater Puppet in the alley corner.

He thought to himself, ”My sister is so lame. Looks like tracking is a job left to me.”

[Prompt: Player has deployed Theater Puppet No. 02. Consciousness has been synchronized with the second puppet.]

Not far away, White Jack slowly raised his head, pulling down the brim of his magician’s top hat.

The top hat spun like helicopter blades, quickly generating a massive cyclone that lifted his pale, paper-like body into the sky.

In the clearing sky after the rain, White Jack hid behind the clouds. He pulled the Tracking Sunglasses from his inventory and put them on.

A map appeared in his vision, clearly displaying Rain Crow’s exact location.

Before long, White Jack arrived at District 7 of Leijing, slowly landing on the rooftop of a high-rise building.

Stepping onto the railing, he pulled down his now-still top hat and looked straight ahead.

There, under the pitch-black sky, stood a brooding, imposing figure. He wore a black Bird Beak Helmet and a long black cape, looking as if his entire body had been forged into the night.

A figure lay crumpled at Rain Crow’s feet—a completely naked man with brown scales covering his skin.

The man was already unconscious. A super-human species panel slowly floated above his head.

[Codename: ”Crocodile Man” (Danger Rating: C Rank)]

As White Jack walked toward Rain Crow, he called out, ”If it isn’t the esteemed Rain Crow! Long time no see. I’ve missed you so much I couldn’t even sleep. How about you?”

As he spoke, a doll wearing a Western dress suddenly hopped onto his shoulder.

”White Jack, let’s run away! This upright Crow Man is too scary!” the doll trembled in fear.

”Oh, Miss Zero, how could you say that about our grand hero of Leijing?” White Jack pouted.

Rain Crow remained silent, slowly turning his head to stare into White Jack’s hollow eyes.

”Oh, by the way, something quite serious happened today, and I’m sure Mr. Rain Crow has heard all about it,” White Jack said. ”Your adorable little blue bird got kidnapped by Clock Maker.”

He paused. ”The internet is completely flooded with blame and suspicion aimed at you right now. But of course, you wouldn’t care about any of that. You always turn a deaf ear to public opinion—just like that time Grey Owl was dissected.”

As his words faded, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

[Prompt: You have cast E Rank skill ”Phantom Shift” and D Rank skill ”Rainbow Bubbles”.]

White Jack blew a colorful bubble from his mouth before instantly swapping places with Rain Crow, appearing right beside Crocodile Man. In that split second, Rain Crow found himself inches away from the seemingly harmless bubble.

Through his mask, Rain Crow quietly stared at the bubble hovering right in front of his eyes. He then swapped positions with a nearby crow. The moment the bubble touched the bird, it swallowed it whole like a bog.

Then, the pink bubble slowly floated up into the night sky, carrying the crow along with it.

Rain Crow glanced up at it. By the time he looked back, White Jack had already swung his cane at Crocodile Man’s head.

The strike didn’t just smash the man’s head open—it knocked his entire head clean off. As the head sailed through the night sky, a prompt popped up in White Jack’s vision.

[Prompt: Detected that you have slain a C-Rank Superhuman. Rewarded 500 EXP.]

[Current Level Progress: LV.10 (2100/5000 EXP)]

”Oh yeah, perfect last hit!”

White Jack jumped up and down, twirling his cane a few times. He watched as Crocodile Man’s head flew toward a distant street, sparking a chain of traffic accidents and horrified screams. Rain Crow’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”Wahhh! White Jack killed someone!” Zero cupped her cheeks and shrieked.

”How about that? My golf skills aren’t too bad, are they, Mr. Rain Crow?” White Jack bowed slightly, saluting Rain Crow.

Rain Crow slowly lowered his head, the gloom in his eyes deepening.

”You’re going to regret that,” he said.

”Me? Regret?” White Jack froze for a second, then shrugged. ”The great White Jack never regrets anything. Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Zero?”

”Liar! You totally regretted it that time you went to the bathroom without toilet paper!” Zero tilted her head.

”Keep talking, and I’ll use you to wipe my butt next time,” White Jack threatened.

The doll immediately slapped her tiny hands over her mouth. ”No! Zero does not want to be used to wipe butts.”

Rain Crow walked forward step by step. A massive tide of crows rose behind him like a black tornado, cutting off all of White Jack’s escape routes. In this pitch-black world, the two locked eyes.

”You’re angry, aren’t you?” White Jack said. ”Of course, I’m angry too. How could you be so selfish?”

”What are you trying to say?” Rain Crow asked in a low voice.

The entire sky full of crows shrieked and churned. A sliver of moonlight pierced through the oppressive flock, illuminating White Jack’s face. The howling wind caught the doll’s dress, lifting the hem to reveal her miniature panties.

”Zero’s panties have been seen again! Zero isn’t playing with you guys anymore!” Zero screamed, clutching her dress, before vanishing into thin air.

White Jack raised his hollow eyes and enunciated every word clearly.

”You left our classmate Blue Pigeon out to dry. For your own selfish goals, you completely neglected him and just let him fall into extreme danger.” Truth be told, Ke Mingqing was furious today. He had waited all day, yet Rain Crow had completely failed to step in and save him. As a result, he had gotten pummeled by Clock Maker’s imitator.

Rain Crow said nothing.

Suddenly, a crow streaked right past White Jack.

A pitch-black figure materialized amidst the falling feathers. Without a word, he raised a hand and clamped it around White Jack’s throat.

Lifting White Jack by the neck, Rain Crow ascended straight into the sky.

The frenzied murder of crows swirled around them like a raging storm, their ear-piercing caws ringing out like a doomsday symphony.

”Oh, oh, oh, you really are mad! That just proves I struck a nerve!” White Jack shouted. ”Look at you! So selfish, so weak, so powerless! You’re sacrificing one young man just to avenge the last one. Is there even a difference?”

He paused. ”No, there is no difference. You can’t escape this cycle. Even if you kill Clock Maker, it won’t prove you’re noble, and it won’t prove you’re right. Without that mask, you’re just a despicable man. A selfish old geezer.”

A moment later, a low, hoarse voice echoed from amidst the flock of crows.

”And so...?”

The two continued to rise, moving further away from the city and closer to the night sky.

”So, I can help you protect that poor little blue bird,” White Jack tilted his head. ”Ask me for help, Mr. Rain Crow. We can be great friends.”

”Don’t be so full of yourself...”

Rain Crow growled, enunciating each word heavily. In that instant, he violently wrenched his hand, tearing White Jack’s neck apart and decapitating him on the spot.

”My god,” White Jack rolled his eyes. ”First Owl Judge, now Rain Crow. Do all of you bird-themed guys just love decapitation? Yeah, I definitely need to post on Weibo warning everyone to avoid superheroes with bird names.”

The crows swooped in, lifting White Jack’s severed head to keep it from plummeting.

The gale grew increasingly violent. The high pressure over the city battered their bodies, and Rain Crow’s cape billowed and snapped in the wind, practically transforming into the tail feathers of a bird.

The scarlet light in his eyes seemed ready to outshine the bright moon.

”Oh, it feels so refreshing to unleash violence without any reservations, doesn’t it? You must have been holding back for a long time, right?” White Jack’s head kept rambling on, even as his pale white body plummeted toward the earth below.

Rain Crow remained silent.

White Jack cast his eyes downward, taking a glance at the ground.

Before his body could smash into meat paste, it dissolved into wisps of fading smoke, making a graceful exit.

”How pathetic. That business with Grey Owl made you lose your most basic baseline as a hero, causing you to lose yourself... Would the Rain Crow of the past ever have considered using a young man he’d never even met?”

White Jack spoke hauntingly, ”You don’t even have the courage to uncover his identity beneath that mask. Otherwise, with your skills, you would have done it a long time ago.”

He paused.

”I’m serious. If you keep using him like this, one day you’re going to regret it.”

At that instant, the shrieking tide of crows swallowed White Jack’s head, drowning out his voice entirely. The world fell silent, save for the cacophony of the screaming birds and the endless, howling wind high above the city.

”I will not regret it... Never.” After a long while, a hoarse human voice echoed from within the flock.

The massive murder of crows vanished into the night, while the city below remained ablaze with lights.