A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

In the days since parting ways with Red Lotus at Highway 0, Ke Mingqing had been living a routine, entirely unremarkable life.

For ordinary people, this would be a vacation. For him, it was merely watching his life quietly slip away.

He had no choice, however. Clock Maker had yet to make a move, so he had to stay vigilant.

Early on the morning of August 10, Ke Mingqing was fast asleep when he suddenly felt his pillow vibrate.

At first, he thought it was an earthquake and sprang out of bed. But when he peered down through heavy eyelids, he realized it was only the phone ringing beneath his pillow.

Ke Mingqing yawned, pulled out his spare phone, and glanced at the screen. It was a text from Commander Lin Yin.

[Lin Yin: Come to the Hero Company today if you have time. We have a new hero. He’ll be joining Team Blue Pigeon, and as the captain, you need to come and show your face.]

”A newcomer? Someone actually dares to join my team at a time like this, unafraid of Clock Maker dragging them off for human dissection experiments? Commendable courage...”

Ke Mingqing muttered silently. He crawled out of bed, glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window, and stared blankly at the sunlit street for a moment.

Just then, a blood-red prompt box slowly appeared before his eyes.[Good morning, beloved Red Name Player, ”Ke Mingqing”.]

[The current time is 09:00 on Sunday, August 10. The time limit for the ”Exterminate Superhumans” mission has—140 days, 15 hours, and 0 minutes remaining.]

[The number of surviving players globally has changed: 90 (↓1)]

[Obituary: player ”Honda Taiga”, whose spawn point was Tokyo, Japan, was killed by the B Rank supervillain—”God of Bosozoku”. Players are advised to be wary of the ”Rampage Gang” active in Tokyo, Japan.]

”Even Japanese delinquents get to Level Up in the world of the super-human species?” Ke Mingqing stared at the text on the blood-red panel, his morning sluggishness instantly vanishing as his nerves pulled taut.

A short while later, he finished washing up, left his apartment, and changed into the Blue Pigeon Battle Suit at a deserted train station. Then, he set off for the Super Hero Company in the city center.

Blue Pigeon retrieved his ID badge from the receptionist. The woman averted her gaze, lacking her usual enthusiasm.

He could feel everyone in the building deliberately avoiding him: veteran heroes, rising stars, and regular staff alike.

It wasn’t hard to understand why. The news that Clock Maker had arrived in the city had already spread. In their eyes, Blue Pigeon was a plague; getting involved with him meant getting involved with Clock Maker.

Nobody wanted anything to do with a lunatic who toyed with time and lives.

Blue Pigeon, however, couldn’t care less.

Humming the tune of ”Hotel California,” he strolled over to the elevators and swiped his badge in the slot to Unlock the elevator.

Crossing his arms, Blue Pigeon gently tapped his fingers against his forearm as he waited by the left elevator. The people around him were as silent as a winter cicada, terrified of getting too close, quietly cramming themselves toward the right elevator instead.

In the end, Blue Pigeon rode the left elevator completely alone, while the right elevator was packed so tight it was nearly over its weight limit. Seeing the two side by side in the same scene was more than a little absurd.

’Great, Mom never has to worry about me squeezing into a crowded elevator again,’ Ke Mingqing thought, reaching out to press the button on the panel.

As always, he took the glass-walled elevator up to the 15th floor.

The elevator rumbled upward. When the doors opened, Blue Pigeon slipped his phone back into his pocket and stepped out, heading into Lin Yin’s office.

He glanced up and saw that the commander wasn’t alone. A pitch-black figure stood silently in the corner of the room.

Lin Yin looked up from behind his desk, glanced at him, and offered a faint smile.

”Let me introduce you. This is the newcomer to our team,” Lin Yin said. ”He joined the Hero Company just recently, and his codename is ’Dark Crocodile’. The kid is only seventeen, so make sure you look out for him.”

’Should I mention that he’s a year older than I am?’ Blue Pigeon thought, turning his head to study the stranger.

He saw a teenager dressed in a pitch-black skin-tight suit and draped in a black cape. Atop his head rested a dark red helmet modeled after a crocodile.

The top of the helmet was etched with crocodilian eyes, while the lower jaw extending toward the cheeks featured pitch-black, fang-like protrusions that framed the teenager’s face without actually digging into his skin.

Dark Crocodile looked at Blue Pigeon and extended a hand. ”You’re Blue Pigeon?” He paused. ”I’ve heard a lot about you.” His voice was cold and deep; he didn’t sound like a teenager at all, but rather like a gloomy middle-aged man.

”Yeah. Blue Pigeon.”

Blue Pigeon grasped his hand and introduced himself.

Just then, a super-human species panel slowly popped up above Dark Crocodile’s head, drifting into his line of sight.

[super-human species Codename: ”Dark Crocodile”]

[Type: mutant]

’A mutant, huh.’ Ke Mingqing felt a twinge of disappointment.

Generally speaking, mutants were divided into two categories. The first were those created through modification experiments, who were relatively weaker. The second were those who experienced genetic mutations, either innately or later in life, functioning on the same principle as an esper.

The biggest difference between an esper and a mutant was that espers could not be artificially manufactured through experiments.

And in Ke Mingqing’s eyes, this ”mutant” classification of the super-human species didn’t have a very high ceiling.

Their abilities always felt too rigid, making them completely predictable at a glance: turning into a leopard, inheriting the speed of a rabbit... They were nowhere near as dangerous as an esper like Shadow Girl or Clock Maker.

After all, in battles between the super-human species, the ”unpredictability” of an ability was crucial. It determined whether you could catch your opponent off guard and secure a victory in a single move.

A player was fundamentally an unpredictable entity. Their bizarre, ever-changing player skills gave them the initiative, which was precisely why they had drawn the attention of the Hero Company and the Control Bureau.

Of course, this didn’t completely rule out the potential of all mutants...

Ke Mingqing knew that a mutant on his eldest brother’s level could overcome any trick with sheer, absolute force. In terms of both speed and destructive power, Ke Linye stood at the very apex of the entire A Rank super-human species system; no one could surpass him.

Lowering his gaze, Blue Pigeon read the rest of the text through his goggles.

[Threat Level: B+ Rank]

[super-human species Introduction: Lost his father at a young age and was adopted by the supervillain ”Clock Maker”, becoming a member of the ”Clock Art” organization. Under Clock Maker’s mutant experiments, he inherited the traits of a crocodile and became a mutant.]

[Weakness: He follows Clock Maker’s orders unconditionally and is completely incapable of defying his commands.]

Blue Pigeon froze.

The final lines on the panel struck him like a bolt from the blue. He was thoroughly shocked, but he managed to keep his utter astonishment from showing on his face.

’You’ve got to be kidding me...’

Blue Pigeon muttered to himself in silence. He crossed his arms and tilted his head. It took him a long moment to collect his wits, and when he did, he studied the teenager in front of him with a completely different look in his eye.

Dark Crocodile remained completely expressionless, lifting his cold eyes to meet the stare.

The two of them stared at each other in total silence.

’So you’ve actually planted a mole right inside the Hero Company. Could you be any more underhanded, Uncle Clock Maker? You love cooking up surprises for me, but it’s too bad you never realized I’m a player.’

Looking into the teenager’s eyes, Blue Pigeon wanted to laugh, but he forced the urge down.

He knew this was a golden opportunity. He could simply keep this a secret and use the very pawn Clock Maker had planted in the Hero Company to feed him false information, leading the villain into a fatal miscalculation at a critical moment.

That would give him the perfect opening to bite back at that arrogant, time-manipulating esper.

”Can you let go of my hand now?” Dark Crocodile asked coldly.

”Of course,” Blue Pigeon said, releasing his right hand.

He considered the boy for a moment before speaking slowly. ”You know, I’ve always wondered why superheroes absolutely have to wear outfits that match their abilities. For instance, what if you wore a rabbit helmet and dressed up like a little white bunny, but your actual power was turning into a crocodile? Wouldn’t that be much better?”

Dark Crocodile merely stared back with a frosty expression, offering no answer. Lin Yin picked up his thermos and took a sip of hot tea, answering on the boy’s behalf.

”Because it’s memorable. In this day and age, the first rule is that you have to be remembered, or none of it matters. Besides, superhero battles aren’t secrets. The moment you’re caught on camera, someone is going to figure out your powers sooner or later.”

”Fair point.”

”Do you two want to head down to the training grounds and spar?” Lin Yin chuckled. ”Getting into a fight is the simplest way to get to know each other.”

’You want me to fight a B Rank super-human species while pretending I can’t use my other skills? Are you serious?’ Blue Pigeon sighed and politely declined. ”Forget it. I’m not really in the mood today.”

”No matter. We might have a mission coming up in a few days that will require you two to work together,” Lin Yin said, pushing up his glasses. ”That will be a good opportunity to familiarize yourselves with one another.”

”Does everything have to revolve around fighting?” Blue Pigeon turned back to Dark Crocodile. ”How about we grab a drink together after work?”

Dark Crocodile shook his head. ”No. I’m busy.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Blue Pigeon watched him go, debating whether he should relay his discovery to the commander and Rain Crow. But he was worried they might beat the grass and startle the snake by arresting the kid immediately.

It was far better to keep the spy in play and use him to turn the tables when the time came.

’Forget it, I’ll just handle it through White Jack. Keep things simple and direct.’

As Blue Pigeon weighed his options, Lin Yin’s voice called out from behind him.

”Is something on your mind? Or do you just feel our new teammate isn’t to your liking?” the commander asked, his tone mild.

”Uh... I think he’s fine. Our team was definitely missing the ’icy cool guy’ persona anyway; this will give us more diversity for magazine shoots,” Blue Pigeon said breezily. ”Anyway, I’m heading out. Call me if anything comes up.”

He turned and followed Dark Crocodile, catching up just in time to step into the glass-walled elevator together.

The teenager had already pressed the button for the ground floor. The elevator doors slid shut, and the two descended in complete silence.

Through the glass wall, Blue Pigeon gazed out over sun-drenched Leijing. The distant Ferris wheel turned at a sluggish pace. The entire city was baking under the blazing sun, with the occasional seagull darting past the suspension cables and steel chains.

”You seem to have a problem with me,” Dark Crocodile suddenly said after a few moments.

’You’re a massive undercover agent working for Clock Maker. How could I not?’ Blue Pigeon thought.

He mulled it over for a second. ”It’s not that I have a problem with you, exactly. I just have a lot of questions.”

”Such as?” Dark Crocodile asked, his face a blank mask.

”Such as... you should know that I’m being targeted by Clock Maker. Why choose this exact moment to apply for my team?” Blue Pigeon asked bluntly.

Dark Crocodile fell silent for a moment. ”It’s very simple. I want to be famous. If I manage to capture Clock Maker, everyone will remember my name. That’s all there is to it.”

”I get it, ’That’s All’ Bro,” Blue Pigeon said, pausing. ”Even if doing that is practically a death wish, you still want to go through with it?”

”Yes.”

’Keep pretending, you two-faced traitor,’ Blue Pigeon scoffed inwardly. Out loud, however, he continued his probing.

”Second question. What’s your personal take on Clock Maker?”

”He’s beyond saving.” Dark Crocodile hesitated for a split second. ”I find it hard to believe that someone like him actually has an army of followers. Those people are indescribably stupid.”

’If I recorded this and played it back for Clock Maker, would he get angry?’

Blue Pigeon made a mental note: he definitely needed to have White Jack kidnap this kid, tie him to a chair, and dissect him right in front of Clock Maker.

”I get it now. That makes us great friends.” Blue Pigeon slung an arm around the teenager’s shoulders, mimicking Top Hero’s overly familiar manner. ”Bro, since Rain Crow just got back and basically stole all our work, we barely have any missions right now. When are we getting those drinks?”

”Socializing is entirely too superficial for me... Unless it’s strictly for work, do not contact me.” Dark Crocodile slapped his hand away.

”So you’re an edgelord on top of it all.” Blue Pigeon shook his head.

Shoving his hand into his uniform pocket, he silently extracted the Tracking Sunglasses from his inventory and pressed the button on the frame while it was still concealed.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and the doors glided open, revealing Shadow Girl and the Invisible Giant. The former was still clad in her pitch-black skin-tight suit, her body and face shrouded in living shadows, while the latter wore his bizarre red and blue uniform.

Dark Crocodile gave the pair a single cursory glance before stepping out of the elevator. He brushed past them without a word and headed straight for the company’s main exit.

”Wasn’t that the newcomer? What’s he acting so cocky for, Jiahao?” the Invisible Giant shrugged dismissively, tearing his gaze away from the teenager’s retreating back to look at Blue Pigeon.

”What are you looking at me for?” Blue Pigeon asked. ”Did he flex on you?”

”What were you two talking about in there?” the Invisible Giant asked. ”That brooding weirdo actually gave you the time of day? When we ran into him earlier, he wouldn’t say a single word.”

Shadow Girl popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth and tilted her head, giving him an equally curious look.

”Nothing much,” Blue Pigeon said, throwing his hands up. ”I just told him we have a beautiful, caring older sister with a great figure on our team, and asked if he wanted to grab some drinks with us. But... obviously, he shot me down. It seems the honey trap doesn’t work on Jiahao.”

Resting her hand on her chin, Shadow Girl studied Blue Pigeon’s eyes for a moment. Then, she suddenly reached out and pressed a button on his helmet. The bird beak extending over his mouth abruptly lengthened.

”Your nose grows when you lie,” Shadow Girl typed on her phone, turning the screen for him to see.

”I guess I really am the reincarnation of Pinocchio...” Blue Pigeon scratched the elongated bird beak and pressed the button again, restoring it to its original length.

Shadow Girl offered him a piece of chocolate. He took it and casually stuffed it into the Invisible Giant’s mouth, which immediately earned him a flurry of muffled curses from the little brat.

”Forget the newcomer. When are you going to grab drinks with us?” Shadow Girl asked. ”And I don’t mean in our suits. I mean as our regular selves.”

Chewing on the chocolate, the Invisible Giant scratched the star tattooed at the corner of his eye. ”Yeah, we still have no idea what you look like under that mask. All we know is that you’re just some little brat.”

”Until I butcher Clock Maker, I won’t be revealing my identity to anyone, not even you two...”

Blue Pigeon had been watching Dark Crocodile’s retreating back out of the corner of his eye the entire time. After offering that random excuse to brush them off, he made his way toward the ground floor exit of the Hero Company.

As he stood at the doorway, he briefly closed his eyes. Shifting his vision to a top-down perspective, he spawned a Theater Puppet right behind the bus stop sign outside.

Using the ”Mirror Clothing” ability, the ghastly white puppet instantly copied the outfit of a nearby passerby. Then, utilizing the ”Disguiser” talent, it morphed its appearance into that of an ordinary, dark-skinned young man.

Fully disguised, the puppet stepped out from behind the bus stop in broad daylight, pulling the Tracking Sunglasses from its pocket and sliding them onto its nose.

’Let’s see just how many little friends Clock Maker brought with him,’ White Jack thought.