A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

[Good morning, not-so-beloved red-name player, ”Ke Mingqing.” Please watch your words and actions today, and behave yourself.]

[The current time is 09:10 on Thursday morning, August 2nd. The time limit for the Exterminate Superhumans task has—148 days, 14 hours, and 50 minutes remaining.]

In a daze, Ke Mingqing woke up.

It was a customary summer morning: a sweat-stained T-shirt, the faint hum of the air conditioner, and the system notifications echoing so often they gave his ears calluses.

And something not so customary... a girl’s breathing. The next moment, Ke Mingqing snapped his eyes open.

He stared blankly at the empty ceiling for a moment, then turned his head on the pillow. Following the faint sound of breathing, he saw a girl in a white nightgown.

Xia Zili was curled up on the bed like a cat. Her chest rose and fell slightly, soft breaths escaping her delicate nose.

Her eyelids were shut. A white shoulder strap hung loosely around her arm, and the morning light spilled over her pale shoulders and calves.

Ke Mingqing quietly watched his sister, who was sleeping like a koala, with the same detachment as if he were observing one at a zoo.

Their faces were very close. The girl’s breath brushed against his face—light, but very ticklish.He remembered what had happened late last night. Xia Zili—no, more accurately, the witch... that stick-figure-like girl had sought him out, pinched his neck, and whispered softly in his ear.

”So it seems... I wasn’t dreaming. Speaking of which, how is this any different from having two younger sisters in the house?” Ke Mingqing muttered. ”One is already annoying enough.”

Just then, a faint, eerie chuckle drifted from Xia Zili’s shadow cast upon the bed.

Ke Mingqing tilted his head and yawned, thinking to himself, Do you witches have some sort of peeping fetish?

He had seen far too many crazy, unbelievable things since crossing over to this world. By now, he was used to it all; even his sister suddenly manifesting a split personality was no longer a surprise.

At least, that was what he thought. He broke character less than a second later.

Noticing the changes on the super-human species panel floating above Xia Zili’s head, Ke Mingqing momentarily froze.

[Code Name: ”magical girl Ember” (Danger Level: A Rank)]

”A Rank... It’s only been a short month, yet her progression speed has almost caught up to us players. Is it because the Witchification is deepening? How is anyone supposed to play if magical girls aren’t nerfed?”

Thinking this, Ke Mingqing turned his head to glance at Xia Zili’s silhouette.

Inside her shadow, there seemed to be a face resembling a stick-figure child. The girl suddenly stretched her mouth, curling into an innocent smile as she silently mouthed something.

Ke Mingqing stared blankly back at the stick-figure girl, thinking:

The witch and magical girl personalities are separate... After transforming into a witch, the magical girl personality will disappear, or perhaps merely fade away gradually, losing control over the body...

But what if the two personalities could coexist peacefully? Could a figure emerge who freely switches between witch and magical girl forms?

Reaching the end of his thoughts, he reached out and grabbed the phone resting by his pillow.

Ke Mingqing first opened the camera and snapped a picture of Xia Zili’s defenseless sleeping face, planning to mock her with it later. Then, he searched the internet for all the witches that had appeared to date.

The answer quickly presented itself.

Not a single witch had ever managed to revert to their original state. Hoping for the two personalities to get along seemed like an impossible feat.

After all, the term ”witch” inherently carried intense aggression. And if a magical girl’s mind hadn’t already become fragile to the extreme and reached the brink of collapse, how could a witch personality ever manifest?

Pitting one’s most vulnerable state against the most aggressive personality—even a saint would likely fail to handle it.

Moreover, this was a mental war devoid of outside assistance. Because of this, the number of magical girls capable of conquering their witch personalities was practically zero.

At the very least, no such case had ever occurred in the world so far.

”I’ll just take it one step at a time...”

Ke Mingqing let out a yawn, shifted his gaze away from Xia Zili, and looked at the red panel that popped up in front of his eyes.

[As of today, the number of surviving players worldwide is: 92 (↓2)]

[The following is an obituary: Players ”Lear” and ”Kasky,” whose spawn points were in the United States, died at the hands of the S Rank super-human species ”Red Baron Yama” (Roundtable Hero No. 6).]

”Roundtable Hero No. 6 is an S Rank super-human species... and the old man has A++ combat strength. I think he ranks seventh on the Superhero Roundtable Council, which means the top six of the Superhero Roundtable Council all have at least S Rank strength?”

Thinking of this, Ke Mingqing shrugged. ”Not bad, it’s not too exaggerated. At this rate, five months from now, we players will still be able to flatten them.”

Ke Mingqing lowered his eyes, pulled the blanket up to Xia Zili’s waist, and quietly slipped out of bed.

He planned to move the evidence and sneak Xia Zili back to the next room before his dear older sisters and brother woke up. That way, he wouldn’t be mocked.

Besides, Xia Zili didn’t share memories with the witch. She wouldn’t remember suddenly running into his room last night, much less help cover for him!

As a result, Ke Mingqing found himself attacked on both fronts, trapped in a dilemma.

He refused to let himself fall into such an awkward predicament. The first step, naturally, was to scout the enemy’s situation: he stopped in front of the door, turned the knob, and opened it a tiny crack.

He peered out through the crack, and seeing that the hallway was completely empty, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

”It’s already nine...” he muttered, slowly pushing the door open and stepping out. ”They should all be downstairs eating... right?”

The very moment he uttered the last word, Ke Mingqing froze in place.

Stepping over the threshold, he immediately spotted three figures hiding in his blind spot, prompting him to stand at attention in the hallway.

After a long pause, he turned his head and looked at the three gossip fiends who had been waiting for him like scouts.

Ke Linye held a hardcover copy of Ulysses, looking up from his book to stare at him. Xia Ningzhi was flushed red, holding her toothbrush and cup. Xia Lingxue had her arms crossed, gently rubbing her temples.

Clearly, Ke Mingqing’s plan had been ruined from the very start.

Damn witch, she’s really got a knack for framing people. No wonder witches end up tied to crosses and roasted like Orleans chicken wings...

He silently cursed twice in his heart, then casually closed the bedroom door as if nothing were wrong. He leaned his back against the doorframe, facing the three of them.

”Can you guys just say what you want to say?” Ke Mingqing sighed.

”A-Qing... Even though you and Little Li have a great relationship, you’re both high schoolers now. How can you sleep together like when you were kids?”

Xia Ningzhi mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste as she brushed, trying to hide her fluster.

”If you and Little Li need to live separately, I don’t mind renting an apartment for you in Old Jingmai... I hope you don’t force your sister to take things that far.”

Xia Lingxue said with an emotionless face, her gaze cold.

”Siblings need to pay attention to safety and boundaries, you understand? ...If things really get out of hand, I’ll sleep between the two of you from now on... Yeah, you can confide any troubles to your big brother.”

Ke Linye covered his forehead with a hand, sounding as if he had a headache.

”Forget it,” Xia Lingxue paused and shot him down mercilessly. ”Don’t ruin other people’s sleep quality. It’s weirdly terrifying.”

Still brushing her teeth, Xia Ningzhi raised her hand like an elementary school student and mumbled loudly:

”Agreed! I still remember when Big Brother intentionally told us ghost stories before bed when we were kids. And after he finished, he used a fake voice to sing creepy nursery rhymes! It scared me so much I didn’t dare sleep alone for months!”

After saying that, she hastily took a sip of mouthwash, sprinted into the bathroom to spit it into the sink, and wiped her mouth with a towel.

”Your words cut deep. Is your big brother’s image really that terrible in your hearts? ...”

Saying this, Ke Linye closed his book and gave a helpless shrug. ”By the way, if you ask me, it’d be better to let A-Qing’s girlfriend supervise them personally. Don’t you think his girlfriend is the perfect candidate to sleep between him and Little Li?”

Ke Mingqing felt like he had just heard the most vicious suggestion in the world, but Xia Lingxue actually nodded and sneered:

”Makes sense. That Kuroki girl is coming over for dinner on Sunday. We can bring this up at the dining table.”

At this time, Xia Ningzhi jogged back from the bathroom and spoke up for him:

”You guys are being way too harsh! I think we should give A-Qing a chance to turn over a new leaf.”

She clapped her hands together, her clear eyes widening slightly. ”Right, maybe there was thunder last night, and A-Qing got so scared in the middle of the night that he dragged his sister into his room?!”

”It didn’t even rain last night. How could there be thunder?” Ke Linye asked curiously.

Xia Ningzhi frowned. ”I said it rained, so it rained. Maybe Rain Crow passed by while hunting criminals. Isn’t his ability summoning wind and rain?”

”Little sis, our entire family is full of Rain Crow fans,” Ke Linye let out a chuckle. ”Comrade Crow was attending a conference abroad yesterday. Do you really think he could teleport back to China all of a sudden?”

Xia Ningzhi clicked her tongue, momentarily speechless.

She didn’t know how to cover for her younger brother anymore. Ultimately, she sighed, patted his shoulder meaningfully, and gave him a look that said, ”You’re on your own now.”

Ke Mingqing leaned against the door, staring helplessly at these three imposing figures, and finally chose to ask Xia Ningzhi:

”By the way, Sis, is the injury on your head fully healed?”

”It’s just a flesh wound. It was pretty much fine after applying some medicine yesterday.” Xia Ningzhi hummed, pointing to the top of her head. Only a shallow scar remained, which she had covered with her bangs.

”Don’t change the subject.”

Xia Lingxue cut the two of them off. ”Why was Little Li sleeping in your room last night?”

Ke Mingqing yawned and waved his hand. ”Sigh, she watched a horror movie last night and couldn’t fall asleep alone. She barged into my room in the middle of the night, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t chase her out.”

”If you don’t believe me, ask her when she wakes up. This is so annoying.” He tossed the problem onto the still-sleeping Xia Zili, then walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Ke Mingqing looked down at his spare phone. He still had plans this morning: attending Top Hero’s funeral alongside Invisible Giant and Shadow Girl.

If he waited any longer, he would be late. So, after heading downstairs, he grabbed two meat buns in his mouth, picked up a plastic cup of soy milk, and sprinted toward the abandoned train station.

Meanwhile, inside Ke Mingqing’s bedroom on the second floor of the house.

Xia Zili woke up to the sound of cicadas. The air conditioner blew cool air steadily against her face.

She didn’t open her eyes, choosing instead to laze in bed for a bit. She subconsciously let out a soft groan, reaching out to grab the pillow beside her and pulling it into her arms.

The pillow felt a bit strange in her arms—loose and baggy. She opened her eyes to look, only to discover that what she had hugged to her chest was a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

It was the pajamas Ke Mingqing had just changed out of.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she sobered up instantly.

With a thump, she sat up straight in bed. Xia Zili blushed, glanced at the pajamas, clicked her tongue, and looked around—only to realize that this wasn’t her room at all.

”What is going on...” she mumbled silently, clutching the boys’ shorts.

Right at that moment, she suddenly heard voices from outside the bedroom and turned her head to look.

She saw three figures standing just outside the room.

The toothbrush in Xia Ningzhi’s mouth dropped into her cup. Xia Lingxue silently unwrapped a lollipop. Ke Linye’s hand, which had been turning a page, trembled slightly.

They had watched with their own eyes as Xia Zili woke up, naturally pulled that set of pajamas into her embrace, and even gently rubbed her chin against the T-shirt’s collar.

The very next second, a red-faced Xia Zili released the men’s pajamas from her arms, suddenly realizing what was going on.

”I... I-I-I, no, this... you guys...”

She opened her mouth, stammering and stumbling over her explanation, steam practically rising from the top of her head.

Finally, Xia Zili seemed to make a massive resolution. She lowered her head, letting her messy hair cover her eyes.

She knew that no amount of explaining could save her now. Rather than staying here to be humiliated, it was better to flee the scene immediately. In the next moment, she threw the blanket over her head like a brave firefighter charging into a blazing inferno and quickly scrambled out of bed.

Draped in the blanket, the girl dashed barefoot across the wooden floor, clattering as she pushed past the three of them.

”Covering one’s ears while stealing a bell?” Ke Linye paused in surprise.

”She’s just strategically ignoring us,” Xia Ningzhi shook her head.

Xia Lingxue remained silent.

The three watched Xia Zili run through the hallway like a white ghost and back into her own room. She locked the door, threw off the blanket, flopped onto her bed, and dug out her phone.

Xia Zili’s fingers tapped furiously against the screen, bombarding Ke Mingqing with texts.

”Hmm... It looks like it really was just a misunderstanding. Little Li seems pretty confused herself,” Ke Linye observed. ”I get the feeling the problem lies entirely with A-Qing.”

Xia Lingxue nodded. ”...I think so too, but haven’t those two slept together since they were kids? It doesn’t feel like that big of a deal.”

”It’s fine. We’ll wait until A-Qing gets back later and let them get their stories straight.” A devious idea sparked in Xia Ningzhi’s mind. ”You guys were downstairs holding a meeting last night while I fell asleep. I definitely have to find a chance to make up for it today!”

The light morning breeze blew open the door to the rooftop, and sunlight poured into the hallway, leaving mottled patches of light scattered across the floor.

It was a cozy morning. An occasional dog bark echoed from the streets and alleys. Yet, on the horizon, cumulonimbus clouds could be seen surging closer, and the wind carried a trace of dampness.

It was about to rain.

Meanwhile, at Platform 7 of the abandoned train station, Ke Mingqing successfully located the Blue Pigeon Battle Suit. Kuroki Hitomi had previously asked Gu Mengqing to completely repair his battle suit and deliver it to the locker.

The boy lowered his eyes and carefully inspected the metallic suit, unable to find even the slightest trace of damage.

”Great. Once again, I have to play the role of the blue lightning bird who’s constantly getting beaten up...”

Ke Mingqing took a deep breath, slipped on the Bird Beak Helmet, stuffed his T-shirt and sports shorts into the locker, and turned around to leave the abandoned train station.

Blue Pigeon checked the map on his spare phone and headed straight for the funeral site.

...

...

Twenty minutes later, at Leijing City People’s Cemetery.

On the way here, the weather had suddenly shifted from clear to overcast, bringing a pattering drizzle. Blue Pigeon passed through the police perimeter and slowly walked into the cemetery.

The sky was gloomy, and the lead-gray clouds hung low. The stone lions at the entrance of the cemetery were stained pitch-black by the rain. A crowd dressed uniformly in black suits stood silently in the downpour.

Police lights flashed red and blue outside the cemetery, illuminating the swirling rain.

As Blue Pigeon approached, he saw two figures—one tall, one short—leaning against the stone lions at the entrance, quietly waiting for him.

One of them was a woman in a pitch-black bodysuit, her face veiled in faint shadows. The other was a boy of about twelve, wearing a blue domino mask and a denim jacket over a purple bodysuit.

”What did you do yesterday? I didn’t see you all day, so I thought you’d died too.” The young Invisible Giant turned his head and looked into Blue Pigeon’s eyes.

Blue Pigeon spread his hands. ”I had important matters to attend to.”

Shadow Girl finished typing on her phone and turned the screen around. A line of text was written at the top of her notes app:

”The funeral has already begun. Top Hero’s family didn’t show up. Only a priest from his hometown came to Leijing.”

”What about Diamond Man and the others?” Blue Pigeon asked after a moment of silence.

”They’re just like us, all orphans. So, no family members came. Most of the people here are kids from the orphanages they used to help, along with a few bystanders.”

Blue Pigeon looked at Lin Yin in the distance, then reached out and patted the shoulders of Shadow Girl and Invisible Giant. He led them into the heart of the cemetery, walking toward the crowded burial site.

”To a Black boy from Mississippi,” an elderly priest with foreign features said. ”He was our brave public servant and our most steadfast defender. Yet, at the same time, he was just a child. His grandfather couldn’t attend due to old age, so I was invited here. I sent this child’s father to his rest, and now I must personally do the same for him...”

He paused. ”Many only know him as Top Hero, thinking it’s a ridiculous name. But few know that this boy’s name was John.”

As the eulogy concluded, coffins branded with the Hero Company’s signature emblem were lowered into the soil.

Suddenly, flames shot up from the ground, instantly engulfing a coffin and the brightly colored flags draped over it.

Everything blazed fiercely. Blue Pigeon crossed his arms and quietly watched the funeral proceed. His dark blue Bird Beak was illuminated by the firelight, and his eyes shone brightly.

The young Invisible Giant clicked his tongue. He turned his head away and rubbed his eyes, which had unexpectedly turned red.

Lin Yin approached from afar with his hands behind his back. He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, remaining perfectly silent.

Amid the patter of the rain, Blue Pigeon and Shadow Girl exchanged a glance.

”You don’t have to blame yourself for failing to protect him. I know you didn’t attend the memorial ceremony yesterday because you felt incredibly guilty.” Shadow Girl typed on her screen and turned it toward him.

Blue Pigeon shook his head and let out a self-deprecating chuckle, staying silent for a long time.

Ke Mingqing wasn’t nearly as guilty as Shadow Girl claimed. On the contrary, he felt quite lucky, completely relieved. Perhaps, the better he got along with someone, the more he hoped that person would die in some bizarre, outlandish manner...

That way, at least half a year from now, that person wouldn’t have to die by his own hands.

He had already made up his mind long ago: if he really had to fight this Black kid to the death half a year from now, he would give him as swift an end as possible.

But he didn’t need to wait for that day to arrive; Top Hero was already in a coffin.

Ke Mingqing figured that for this Black kid, dying in battle beneath a villain’s heel was a much better fate than being betrayed by a friend.

”He was so desperately weak, yet he insisted on showing off. He struggled enough just helping old ladies find their lost cats and dogs. Why did he have to be a superhero of all things? Wouldn’t it have been better to just farm at home...”

Invisible Giant rubbed his eyes and muttered softly.

”Talking like that at a funeral will get you beaten up,” Shadow Girl typed.

The young Invisible Giant’s vision was still a little blurry. Coupled with the rainwater smearing Shadow Girl’s phone screen, he completely failed to read what she had written in her notes app.

Lin Yin chuckled softly and raised a hand to pat the young Invisible Giant’s head. ”This child just has that kind of personality. He doesn’t mean any harm.”

Blue Pigeon looked at the four burning coffins, then lifted his head to gaze at the gray, dreary world through the veil of rain.

Suddenly, he blanked out for a moment. He spotted someone at the funeral—a person he thought would absolutely never appear at such an event.

”That person is...”

Blue Pigeon rested a hand on his hip and stared intently. What caught his eye was a woman with platinum blonde hair. She was very tall—probably around 1.85 meters at a glance—and possessed the figure of a supermodel. The hazy rain did nothing to conceal her stunning curves.

Yet right now, she wore a Russian military uniform complete with a military cap, projecting an awe-inspiring presence.

As the rain fell toward her body, it silently bounced away, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

At that moment, a super-human species panel slowly surfaced above her head.

[Super-human Species Code Name: Officer Girl]

[Danger Rating: S Rank]

[Super-human Species Introduction: She is a figure born for war, as well as a member of the Superhero Roundtable Council. Her ability is to manifest and manipulate an array of firearms and cold weapons.]

Through the curtain of rain, Blue Pigeon locked eyes with Officer Girl.

The woman hooked the corner of her lips in amusement. Almost instantaneously, she appeared by Blue Pigeon’s side, extending a single finger to tilt his chin up.

”Give an evaluation of your idol,” Officer Girl said.

”Which idol?” Blue Pigeon asked calmly.

”That crow. He finished his meetings in the United States and refuses to come back. While getting all lovey-dovey with his wife, he still had the nerve to ask me to watch over you.”

Officer Girl spoke while looking down at him with mocking superiority. She asked, emphasizing almost every single word, ”Do you think you hold any value worth me watching over?”