A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

Torrential rain poured down, yet flames blazed across the People’s Cemetery. Coffins crumbled into ash, scattering in the rain.

The priest bowed his head, tracing a cross over his chest as he murmured a eulogy. The crowd of mourners stood in silence beneath their black umbrellas.

Yet, right in the middle of this solemn occasion, a woman in a Russian military uniform suddenly strode over and tipped Blue Pigeon’s chin up.

Officer Girl lowered her gaze, her brilliant golden eyes staring down into his.

Her gaze was intensely aggressive. Through the curtain of rain, her golden pupils shone like candle flames.

The fine drizzle did nothing to conceal her imposing 1.85-meter figure. Most men wouldn’t feel lust for her—or rather, they wouldn’t dare. Standing before such an overly perfect woman only made them look like wet-behind-the-ears boys. The innate sense of inferiority alone was enough to defeat most men.

”Uh, ma’am... don’t you think this is a little inappropriate for a funeral?” Blue Pigeon asked, reaching up to slap Officer Girl’s hand away.

Even before he spoke, he was already imagining the day’s news headlines:

—Rising Star Hero ’Blue Pigeon’ and Roundtable Hero ’Officer Girl’ Caught Flirting at the People’s Cemetery! Comrades Barely Cold, Yet the Two Make Eyes at the Funeral!

To make matters worse, most of the reporters present were here waiting specifically for Blue Pigeon.Ever since the battle over the Comet Fragments ended, Blue Pigeon had been missing for an entire day.

At the height of the controversy, everyone on the internet was asking if Blue Pigeon had even survived the battle at the port. Yet, right at this incredibly sensitive juncture, Officer Girl had decided to tease him in public.

Ke Mingqing didn’t even dare to imagine how fiercely public opinion might blow up once opportunists started fanning the flames.

Then again, Officer Girl might not be doing this on purpose.

In the eyes of someone at her level, public opinion was utterly meaningless. With a snap of her fingers, she could trigger natural disasters and reduce an entire city to ash.

Why would a falcon soaring through the skies care about the gossip of ants? They were doomed to crawl on the ground for their entire lives; no matter how loudly they screeched, it wouldn’t change a thing. That was the mindset of a top-tier super-human species.

Of course, the most important factor was her status within the Superhero Roundtable Council—no one possessed the authority to impeach her.

”Not many people dare to speak to me like that,” Officer Girl said suddenly.

”Should I be honored, then?” Blue Pigeon spread his hands.

Officer Girl tipped her military cap down slightly, the corners of her lips curving into a smirk. ”I heard you put on quite the show the other night, trading blows with Death Crow’s people... Not bad for a rookie. So here I am, to offer you some praise on behalf of that inarticulate crow.”

With that, the Russian woman suddenly leaned down. Putting her face right next to Blue Pigeon’s ear, she licked her lips and lowered her voice. ”I hope you can perform just as well in my bed.”

Blue Pigeon was thoroughly shocked. Are all of you Roundtable Heroes this wild? he thought.

The roar of the rain was loud enough that neither Shadow Girl nor the Invisible Giant boy heard what Officer Girl had said.

However, in their eyes, Blue Pigeon’s image suddenly became ethereal and profoundly mysterious. What ordinary hero could possibly receive this kind of special treatment from a Roundtable Hero?

Even though the police had set up barricades and were aggressively blocking the entrance to the People’s Cemetery, camera flashes continued to pop incessantly.

Through the rain, countless cameras clicked away, capturing Blue Pigeon and Officer Girl whispering intimately. Blue Pigeon was half a head shorter than Officer Girl; she had to lean down just to meet his height.

From a distance, it looked incredibly awkward—like a grown adult teasing an adolescent child.

The priest read the eulogy while turning his head to stare at the two of them, who appeared to be flirting. He spoke in a trembling voice, ”To the unsung heroes... may the Lord bless their souls on their journey to heaven.”

Shadow Girl seemed to notice Blue Pigeon’s embarrassment. She stepped forward to shield him, her fingers flying across a screen as she typed, ”Please exercise some restraint. The funeral isn’t over yet.”

Officer Girl straightened up. She glanced at Shadow Girl before turning her gaze back to Blue Pigeon.

A smirk touched her lips. ”It seems you’re quite popular.”

You really should be glad my brother and sister don’t know my secret identity. Otherwise, once those two control freaks go rabid, they’ll chase you down and bite a chunk of flesh right off your bones—even if you are a Roundtable Hero... Ke Mingqing grumbled mentally. On the surface, however, he didn’t dare voice a single word of protest.

Black Hand Zorro’s obsession with taking revenge against the Roundtable was proof enough: this batch of Roundtable Heroes, bathed in radiant glory, were not necessarily good people. If Officer Girl simply snapped her fingers and reduced him to bloody paste, who could he possibly complain to?

This was his real body. If he had been using Theater Puppet, he could have messed around as much as he wanted—the legend of the white perky ass wasn’t just for show.

Endure...

The word popped into Blue Pigeon’s mind. Resting one hand on his hip, he ignored Officer Girl and turned toward Top Hero’s coffin instead, tossing the bouquet he had bought on the way into the blazing fire.

Officer Girl tilted her head, watching his retreating figure from the corner of her eye. ”What a cute little boy. He looks to be about fifteen... His eyes are very similar to Rain Crow’s... I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before. Oh well. Rain Crow will tell me sooner or later anyway.”

The Invisible Giant boy sniffled; standing out in the rain had given him a slight chill. He looked back and forth between Officer Girl and Blue Pigeon, still utterly dumbfounded.

Shadow Girl simply turned her head, silently watching Officer Girl walk away.

As the internet frenzy continued to brew, the crowd of onlookers flocking to the People’s Cemetery swelled. Eventually, the police were forced to fire warning shots into the air just to maintain order.

The funeral did not last long. By the time it was over, the corpses of Top Hero, Diamond Man, and Swamp Woman had already turned into wisps of residual smoke and faded away.

As for Vending Machine Specialist, the Superhero Association staff had been unable to locate his body at the scene. His coffin was completely empty...

No one would remember him. People were already making memes about vending machines and beverages, mockingly blaming the superhero’s death on the Sprite and Choclitz ice cream stocked inside one.

The world was a cruel place.

In this era of information overload, their deaths didn’t even amount to a firework.

By that night, the news of Roundtable Hero Officer Girl appearing at the People’s Cemetery topped the trending searches. Photos of her interaction with Blue Pigeon spread across the entire internet.

Instantly, speculation regarding Blue Pigeon’s true identity surged once again. Some people even began to theorize that Blue Pigeon was the secret love child of Officer Girl and Rain Crow, which explained why his path as a hero had been such smooth sailing.

Regardless, this news had undoubtedly reached Clock Maker’s ears. Ke Mingqing was certain that the day the clock freak finally made his move was fast approaching.

Also on that same night, Ke Mingwei and Xia Wenna cut their trip short, taking a long-haul flight back from New York.

Ke Mingqing guessed this was largely because Ke Mingwei had caught wind of Blue Pigeon getting caught up in Death Crow’s attack. Uncertain if he was dead or alive, he had hurried back in a panic.

After all, Rain Crow had already entrusted him to Officer Girl’s care, which just showed how highly he valued Blue Pigeon... Still, Rain Crow definitely hadn’t expected Officer Girl to pull such a stunt at the funeral. It felt like blatant retaliation—punishment for dumping a wet-behind-the-ears brat on her.

But after knowing her for so many years, Rain Crow should have long been used to that woman’s erratic, reckless way of doing things.

After Ke Mingwei and Xia Wenna returned from their honeymoon, the five siblings reached a mutual consensus: none of them would mention what had happened over the past few days.

Right now, in the second-floor bathroom, Ke Mingqing was brushing his teeth while scrolling through Weibo on his phone. Every so often, he’d come across a post that made him narrow his eyes.

The older generation really isn’t easy to deal with either, he thought. Why do I get the feeling that that upright Crow Man has something going on with Officer Girl... Could it really be like these brain-dead netizens are guessing? Did that old Russian woman fail to seduce my old man, so she’s making a move on me instead?

Knock, knock, knock! An urgent rapping echoed from the hallway.

He glanced over his shoulder. Judging by the reflection on the frosted glass door, it had to be Xia Zili standing out there.

Ke Mingqing gargled and spat his mouthwash into the sink. Wiping his face with a towel, he walked over and opened the door.

”What is it?”

He asked the question, fully unprepared for the girl outside to march right in and shove her phone screen in his face. His younger sister had just taken a shower; her hair was still wet, carrying the faint scent of orange shampoo.

Ke Mingqing looked up at Xia Zili’s phone screen. Displayed there was a photo of Officer Girl lifting Blue Pigeon’s chin, staring into his eyes with a playful expression.

After a long pause, she spoke, enunciating each word clearly:

”What’s going on?”

Seeing this, Ke Mingqing reached out and closed the bathroom door to keep the rest of the house from overhearing them.

”I have no idea.” He leaned back against the door and let out a sigh. ”I’m guessing Rain Crow sent her. How on earth would I know a big shot like her?”

Xia Zili stared at him motionlessly. After a long moment, she asked softly, ”Really?”

”Of course it’s true... That repressed freak Rain Crow is just like that. The second he heard I was in trouble, he scrambled to find someone to keep an eye on me. The person he called in just happened to be a bit of a pervert, that’s all. Relax.”

Ke Mingqing explained casually as he picked up the hairdryer resting on the edge of the sink. Plugging it in, he started drying her wet hair.

Xia Zili froze for a second.

She still had a million questions, but instead of asking them, she slowly lowered her phone and closed her eyes.

It had been a long time since Ke Mingqing had blow-dried her hair. Was the last time back when they were in school? She couldn’t quite remember. Subconsciously, she pushed everything else to the back of her mind.

Under the hum of the hot air, Ke Mingqing’s fingers gently combed through her hair. Before long, the damp locks draped across Xia Zili’s shoulders were completely dry.

”Alright. I’m going to sleep.”

A moment later, Ke Mingqing set down the hairdryer and opened the bathroom door. Outside stood Xia Ningzhi, staring at the two of them in utter astonishment, her mouth hanging open like Bugs Bunny’s.

”Are you two so close now that you even go to the bathroom together?” Xia Ningzhi exclaimed in shock.

At that exact moment, Xia Wenna walked by, carrying a basket of clothes she had brought in from the rooftop.

The scatterbrained mother tilted her head and drawled leisurely, ”My, my, is that so strange? Mom still remembers when little Li was little. She used to be afraid of going to the bathroom at night, so she’d always make Ah Qing stand guard outside the door. She even forced him to cover his ears so he wouldn’t hear her pee.”

”Th-there was no such thing!” Xia Zili stammered, blushing furiously. ”Mom, please stop exaggerating!”

”Please, her arm just cramped up, so she asked me to blow-dry her hair for her.”

Ke Mingqing walked out of the bathroom as he said this. He lazily made his way into his air-conditioned bedroom and shut the door behind him, locking all the noisy chatter outside.

With a click, he switched on his stand fan and lay down on the tatami mat next to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The boy basked in the night breeze, gazing out at the brilliantly illuminated overpasses in the distance. Tonight, there were no high-speed trains rumbling across the tracks.

The night was tranquil. Reveling in a rare moment of peace, Ke Mingqing opened the player forum to scroll through the day’s latest posts.

The first thread to catch his eye was: [Discussion regarding the red-named player ”Jin Chengwu”, plus early estimates on the Roundtable’s combat strength — Poster: Fanquan]

”Jin Chengwu” was the fake player ID Ke Mingqing had generated using his Disguiser talent. He raised an eyebrow. Hesitating for a moment, he clicked on the thread with a mounting sense of trepidation.

As it turned out, Fanquan hadn’t really deduced anything. After all, the guy was in America; his intel was heavily restricted. The post was mostly a fishing expedition using leading questions to dig a pit for both him and the other players in Leijing.

But there was no way Ke Mingqing would be stupid enough to reply, and Kuroki Hitomi would never let the others reply to the thread either.

As a result, the discussion about ”Jin Chengwu” fizzled out completely, sinking to the bottom of the forum without making a single splash.

As for the ”combat strength of the Roundtable,” Fanquan’s deductions were incredibly simple and blunt. Players in every region shared the super-human species stats of key figures they encountered, so the Leijing players had naturally shared Rain Crow’s stats.

The majority of players already knew that the terrifying Crow Man was an A++ Rank super-human species who ranked seventh among the Roundtable Heroes.

That morning, an announcement had revealed that the No. 6 Roundtable Hero, ”Crimson Baron,” was an S Rank super-human species. From this, it was easy to deduce that the top six heroes of the Roundtable were all S Rank monsters.

Since he was bored, Ke Mingqing backed out of the thread and kept scrolling. Before long, he spotted one or two threads that he knew would be absolute garbage, yet he still couldn’t resist clicking on them.

[’Could this Blue Pigeon be a player? Did he pick up some kind of incubus skill? Otherwise, how come every time he’s on the news, some new woman is flirting with him? Last time it was that magical girl, and now it’s a Roundtable Hero.’ — Poster: Moyuyu]

Ke Mingqing took a deep breath and clicked on the thread, immediately spotting comments from several familiar faces.

[’What kind of player would have a super-human species stat panel? Try using your brain before posting.’ — Poster: The Family’s Black Cat]

[’You’re going crazy with jealousy, bro.’ — Poster: Meng Qing]

[’I personally feel that Blue Pigeon’s charm cannot compare to... Lord Pianzhi.’ — Poster: Pianzhi]

Unsurprisingly, Kuroki Hitomi had shown up with her army of bot-like players to hijack the comments. A thread this brainless naturally didn’t stay relevant for long; it sank like a stone and was swiftly forgotten.

Mom’s home now. I need to find a chance to sit down and have a serious talk with her. I have to figure out exactly what her attitude is toward her family and super-human species. Once I know that, I’ll be able to judge where she stands...

Shutting the chaotic forum, Ke Mingqing rolled over and sprawled out on his stomach across the tatami.

Turning to face the whirring fan, the boy let his eyes slide shut. A few moments later, he drifted into a deep sleep.

..........

..........

”Chirp... chirp, chirp...”

Early the next morning, Ke Mingqing woke to the sound of midsummer cicadas. Looking like a sun-dried piece of pork jerky, he sprawled out flat on his back across the tatami, spread-eagled and staring blankly at the ceiling.

Feeling the sweltering heat and his sweat-drenched tank top, he immediately knew the power must have tripped again during the night. He turned his head and, sure enough, the AC’s indicator light was glowing red.

”Case solved. Damn aliens...”

Grumbling under his breath, Ke Mingqing pushed himself up by his elbows, climbing to his feet covered in sweat.

He had finally noticed a pattern: every time Xia Wenna came home, the power would inevitably trip. Yet, during the two weeks she and Ke Mingwei had been in America for their honeymoon, it hadn’t happened a single time!

[Good morning to the not-so-beloved and perhaps even detestable red-named player, ”Ke Mingqing.” Life is precious. Please mind your words and actions today, and strive to contribute to the player community.]

[Current time: August 3rd, 09:05 AM, Friday morning. Remaining time limit for the ”Exterminate Superhumans” task: 147 days, 14 hours, and 55 minutes.]

Ke Mingqing picked up the remote from the windowsill and turned the AC back on with a beep. Right then, a knock echoed from the hallway.

”What?”

He turned to glare at the door. Having lived with his family for so long, he had reached the point where he could identify who was standing on the other side just from the sound of their knock.

The only person in the house who knocked that lightly and briskly was his third sister. Nobody else knocked with such a gentle touch—least of all Xia Zili, who was the most impatient person he knew.

Sure enough, Xia Ningzhi’s voice soon drifted through the door.

She cleared her throat twice, then called out softly, ”Ah Qing, come shopping with me today! They just opened a really good Western restaurant over at Wanxiang City. Don’t pretend you’re still asleep—I know you heard me.”

Tugging at the collar of his tank top, Ke Mingqing gave a blunt refusal.

”No.”

”Not an option!” Xia Ningzhi twisted the doorknob and shoved the door open.

Ke Mingqing lunged forward and immediately tried to slam it shut, but Xia Ningzhi stuck her hand in the gap, blocking him.

The two siblings wrestled for control of the door for a moment. Knowing he couldn’t match the little demon’s strength, Ke Mingqing finally sighed. He relented slightly, poking half his head out through the crack to glare at the bun-haired girl outside.

”I said I’m not going! Stop being so annoying. Seriously, am I the older brother or the younger brother here? Who acts like this as an older sister?”

Xia Ningzhi took his scolding in stride, merely blinking innocently. ”It’s not just me, Little Li is coming too. She said she wants to walk around Wanxiang City today, but she doesn’t want to go alone with you.”

”Why not?”

”Because you carried her into your room and used her as a body pillow the other night, so she asked me to come along as her bodyguard.” Xia Ningzhi paused. ”Comrade Ah Qing, this is the perfect chance to redeem yourself!”

”I’ve told you a hundred times. She got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, walked into the wrong room, and sleepwalked right into my bed.” Ke Mingqing sighed. ”The truth is the truth. Believe what you want.”

”Alright, alright, forget about the other night.”

”How can I not?” Ke Mingqing shrugged.

Xia Ningzhi giggled and reached out to ruffle his hair. ”Oh, come on, we were just pulling your leg. As if our Ah Qing would ever do something like that to his own sister! Your big sis knows you best.”

”No way, I demand a formal apology.” Ke Mingqing turned his head away. ”That joke inflicted severe emotional damage upon my fragile soul. What kind of creep uses his own sister as a body pillow?”

He grabbed a slice of square toast off his desk and shoved it into his mouth. ”By the way,” he mumbled through a mouthful of bread. ”Is the old man home?”

”Same as always. He ate breakfast and went out to buy cigarettes again.” Xia Ningzhi shook her head and sighed in utter disappointment. ”Middle-aged men are all the same. The honeymoon ends, and they instantly slip into Great Sage Mode.”

Ke Mingqing thought for a moment. ”Oh. What about our oldest brother and second sister?”

”They headed over to the cafe. If we have some free time this afternoon, we can go hang out there for a bit,” Xia Ningzhi said. ”I’ll treat you to a cappuccino. Wait, never mind—little brats usually think coffee is too bitter. How about I get you an ice cream milk tea instead?”

Ke Mingqing bit off another chunk of toast, secretly thinking to himself, Perfect. If I take my third sister and younger sister out of the house... Mom will basically be left home alone for the entire day. That’ll give me the perfect opportunity to make my move.

”So, what do you say?” Xia Ningzhi stared at him, eagerly waiting for his answer.

Ke Mingqing feigned hesitation. After a brief silence, he tore off a piece of his toast and handed it to her. ”Give me a minute to wash my face. I haven’t even eaten dinner yet. You’re treating, Third Sister.”

”I’ll feed you until you turn into a fat pigeon,” Xia Ningzhi promised, taking the bread with her mouth.

”A fat pigeon?” Ke Mingqing’s tone suddenly turned strange.

Xia Ningzhi froze. Under his suspicious stare, she quickly snapped her mouth shut. Hiding her hands behind her back, she averted her eyes and scrambled to cover up her slip of the tongue.

”Well, pigeons are chubby and cute, right?”

Ke Mingqing couldn’t be bothered to press the issue. Xia Ningzhi wasn’t going to admit she knew his secret identity anytime soon anyway.

”Could you two hurry it up? What’s taking so long?” Xia Zili walked out of the bathroom.

His younger sister was already dressed. Today, she was wearing a spaghetti-strap tank top paired with a denim skirt, with a Winnie the Pooh bag slung across her waist.

Ke Mingqing met her gaze. He quickly threw on a change of clothes and followed the two girls out the door.

Thus, the lonely alien was left to guard the empty nest once again. Xia Wenna was the only one remaining at home. Hanging clothes on the rooftop, she looked down at their retreating figures and called out a reminder, ”The sun is fierce today! Make sure you don’t get sunburned!”

Xia Ningzhi turned back and waved at their mother. Grabbing Xia Zili by the hand, she skipped off down the street.

The summer breeze was refreshing, and the semi-enclosed dome of the commercial street blocked out most of the glaring sunlight. On the way to Wanxiang City mall, Ke Mingqing deliberately dodged the sun, sticking to the shadows.

Xia Ningzhi and Xia Zili chatted animatedly with each other, but Ke Mingqing remained entirely silent. A while later, his absentminded gaze dropped to the cold sweat pooling in his palms.

It was the first time he had ever felt this nervous. After all, Xia Wenna operated on a completely different level from the rest of the family—this alien possessed Question Mark Rank combat strength. At the absolute minimum, she was a full tier above an S Rank.

But he had to do it...

If he couldn’t get past the hurdle that was Xia Wenna, no amount of struggling in the future would mean anything. For a player, gaining early intel on the movements of the alien forces was the single most important objective.

The very next second, Ke Mingqing let his eyes slide shut. In that instant, a bird’s-eye view stretching over a sixty-meter radius blossomed in his mind.

Just like a chess player, he used his consciousness to pinch an illusory, bone-white chess piece and set it down in a deserted alleyway. With that, White Jack made his grand debut into reality.

White Jack was in no rush to move. He waited patiently until Ke Mingqing’s real body, Xia Zili, and the others were far away. Then, the top hat on his head began to spin at high speeds.

Acting like the rotors of a helicopter, the top hat whipped up a fierce cyclone, lifting his body high into the sky.

It wasn’t long before White Jack arrived on the rooftop of the old building back in the Old Jingmai District.

He sat perched on the railing of the rooftop, gripping a comic book titled Mom, Please Hit Me Again. Slowly raising his eyes, he stared at the ajar iron door, waiting for a certain housewife to arrive.

The midsummer sun beat down mercilessly. For Ke Mingqing, this was destined to become the most unforgettable day of his entire summer vacation.