Chapter 48

Translated by boilpoil Edited by boilpoil

The seventh episode has started shooting. Other than cameras, nobody is willing to stay near number 199.

Unlike when he was picked on before, this time it is because of the atmosphere about the man that is making everyone feel fear. Even staff members who had to endure a slight glance from those pair of brown eyes froze stiff and feels as if their legs have developed their own consciousness and wants to run away ditching the body and brain above.

The young werewolf who is extremely sensitive to danger would rather stay by himself than go one step closer to his roommate. His expression shows worry. Since the man returned a day before the competition, he has been awry. He even ensured several times when he was sleeping last night that his bedroom door was properly locked.

“What’s wrong with him?” Ginger Ronald approaches him and asks cautiously. Since Bright saved him from the sharks in the last episode, he has stopped concealing his affection towards the man. Or rather, it has become impossible to conceal. Even if number 56 Piers, who is waiting for him, is starting to look impatient, he doesn’t catch up immediately.

Wolfie shakes his head showing he doesn’t know either. He tells him what he knows, “he went to Beauty’s club and only came back the next day. Try asking him instead.”

Ronald goes looking for Beauty immediately, who is also paying close attention to them in return. He says to Ginger directly, “I incidentally had something to do that day so we didn’t do anything. I told him to enjoy his own time there and he left with a group of customers afterwards, leaving a message behind for me. I don’t know about the details either, but, given that he was able to leave a message, it meant he wasn’t threatened and left willingly.”

Ronald gives a guess, “did those people deceive him?”

“Perhaps, you know, he’s a bit dense in some respect,” Beauty couldn’t help riling Ginger a bit, “like how he sees you…”

Ginger angrily calls Beauty’s name to stop what he is going to say. Piers, on the other hand, is at his limits waiting so he can only let it go for now and go back to his protector. Though his mind is still completely preoccupied with the taciturn man.

The man is painful. Angry.

Something must have happened.

The camera is recording the shade of Bright’s eyes accurately, but it does not help the humans decode the secrets within. The brown seems deeper than usual, and Hopkin knows it is not lighting-related because he can recall the man’s image under the camera clearly, from every angle. He has a copy of the edited videos from the show and fans, he even enjoys viewing them often.

At this time of day, with this amount of lighting and this angle, those pair of eyes should have been brighter and clearer, but right now it is still clear yet the clarity does not reach into the depths. If he had to describe it it would be like a lake whose waters is clear enough for you to look at the stone and fish at the bottom, appearing shallow, but it is actually a misled conclusion and the lake is actually more than 50 metres deep, with dangerous currents below.

The talk between the contestants and the movement records of Bright and other information has been collected and sent to his smart chip. He immediately reads them and furrows his brows.

His investigation has been interfered and he is unable to immediately retrieve the exact movements of Bright that night. Nobody can pull the rug from under an Inner City resident unless it’s another Inner City resident.

This conclusion is making Hopkin terribly irritated. Shit! Someone has transgressed the unspoken coordination and rules everyone maintained, and got their hands on something not belonging to them without the owner’s approval. He will give the other person an unforgettable retribution. He will find out the truth as well, he just needs some time.

He issues a few commands on his smart chip quickly, before turning his attention back to the screen.

The seventh episode is focused on the rise of the apes. Apes have evolved into some advanced sentient species and built a rudimentary tribe in the dense jungles. Humans have sent out braves to conquer them.

This is the warm-up competition before the one-on-one fight. Killing apes will grant contestants different tools, the most attractive of which is the ‘Battle Refusal’ card. If someone encounters a strong opponent in the fight, they can use it to become a seed candidate that round and immediately advance into the next round. The contestants will enter the forest and collect as many useful tools as they can to prepare for the upcoming fight.

After the episode started, Bright immediately heads towards the depths of the jungle, unlike when he would usually do some preparation or interact with other people. He is like a hungry tiger dashing towards the hunting grounds.

There is no dumb soul left among the contestants who have survived up until now. They either chose another way forward or is giving him a wide berth, none daring to close in.

Hopkin’s brows have not returned to normal since he discovered Bright’s abnormalcy.

Something must have caused such a huge change in the man.

The aristocrat, despite looking indifferent and collected on the surface, is already fuming.

In the past, he has used numerous cruel and torturous procedures on the man, and he still manages to self-adjust in a short time and regain his calm. Those suffering and hardship applied onto him are like pebbles falling into a deep pond. They cause ripples that dissipate quickly.

Every time Hopkin spends a Herculean effort ripping his disguise apart, he always manages to reequip that quiet taciturn outer shell of his. He has treated this slave with such care and delicacy, but then someone came along and did it!

Who made you so painful? How did they do it?

Damn it…

Hopkin can taste the rustedness of iron in his mouth. He swallows his blood that is mixed with anger expressionlessly.

How can Bright descend into such a deep violent emotional vortex because of others?! His everything, both his joy and his sadness, his happiness and his pain, should be his endowment!

Right now number 199 is in contact with more than a dozen apes. Apes are communal species and their intelligence is close to that of humans, which can be seen from the crude spears and axes they hold in their hands. They see a foreign creature invading their territory and immediately howls signalling their hostility.

Bright does not pay it any mind. His movement forward does not stop at all and is still heading in the fixed direction with his original speed as if those apes do not exist.

The Inner City aristocrats, always eager for excitement, meet again in their virtual space.

“He is in for surprises. The creations of Scientist should never be taken on surface value.”

Even if they know number 199 is physically strong, the Inner City aristocrats doubt his chances of winning, since he’s one against many. Especially when the fighting power of apes is already higher than a normal human, and given they’re faster, more agile, know the terrain better, especially adept at traversing forests, contestants will have a hard time just encountering one of them, not to even mention when they meet a pack of them. What’s even scarier is that the apes know how to tactically cooperate with each other.

“There’s ape archers 200 metres away. Number 199 will be entering the effective range soon.”

Unlike other Inner City aristocrats, Detective remains silent. The man in this state has given him an especially dangerous feeling. It is not an exposed and potent ambition, but a highly suppressed form of rage. It’s as if the water in a pot is already boiling, and there’s still steam blowing out in all directions when someone is holding the lid down forcibly. He is absolutely outraged.

This appearance is completely unlike before when he was calm and introverted in the café.

Detective upgrades this mystery to a grade of S in his mind. His mystery-solving instincts are tingling.

After that, many Inner City aristocrats can feel their cheeks burning with pain. They are stunned to see the man, covered in blood and battling nonstop. None of the blood is his. He has defeated all apes unarmed and unfazed. One of the apes in charge of shooting him in secret saw that it has gone badly and ran away to inform his companions in the back. The man has discovered that but did not stop it, like he is trying to attract more enemies.

He does not even so much as look at the bodies on the ground, and continues moving forward with the previous speed.

This ambush plays itself over and over again, with more and more apes, which are stronger and more cunning, each time. The man, though, only paid his price in light bruises and is still resolutely, unwaveringly, heading for his target.

In complete silence, Detective gives his judgement, “he is heading for the pack leader.”

“For the Battle Refusal card?” Someone asks, “how is he sure it would be where the pack leader is?”

“A common-sense deduction,” Detective says.

“Then in actuality?”

The Director confirms, “it is in the pack leader’s hands.”

What’s more surprising, is that through all this process of advancing——fighting——advancing, the expression of number 199 does not change the slightest. He is neither tense nor excited. The Inner City aristocrats have all encountered or themselves are deviants who enjoy torturing and seek excitement in slaughter and blood, to feel the sense of being alive by taking lives. Number 199 is clearly not one with such personality. He has only killed out of necessity, every single time.

Just unlike usually, the ‘necessity’ this time carries a great cost. Perhaps only achievable by murdering an entire ape community.

“This is not how he does things. If we extrapolate from his past action patterns, he should have sneaked in and directly approached his target. He will not be murdering along the way,” Detective advises after his analysis, “something has changed in him. Evidence is insufficient to suggest whether it will have a positive or negative effect. We need to secure him.” Detective also has ulterior motives here. He wants number 199 out of Gentleman’s grasp and into his own hands.

While other Inner City aristocrats are chattering, the Scientist is there, silent. He believes this is related to the information he has provided Bright. He is hiding his guilt because he doesn’t want that to be discovered.

“That’s too much trouble. We could just make an accident and problem solved forever.” After killing him completely, his body can be recycled and made into a tree. The Scientist is wracking his brains formulating an ingenious plan, the fricative sound surfacing again from his excitement, “Or you can give him to me. I’ll ss…send him directly to the operation room. If we cut off his frontal lobe and eliminate his personalities, then we train him a bit, he’ll be the most obedient dog.”

“How boring that will be,” Detective still wants to solve his mysteries, and glares at Scientist, “at least until after I dig out the secrets in him.” They’re discussing how to deal with number 199 without seeing him as something alive.

“While we’re at it, you’re useless, Detective. We gave you a chance last time, how come you’ve come up with nothing?”

“It’s because of that meddling miscreant Gentleman…”

Director interrupts Detective, asking, “how come he’s not here today?”

Detective chuckles coldly, “probably afraid his toy will be sought after again.” So he avoids coming altogether. His instincts tell him Bright’s change must be related to Hopkin.

Just after he finishes speaking, the distinctive, indifferent voice of Gentleman is heard about the place, “unlike you who is dithering about, I’ve done some investigation and actually came up with something useful.” Then he turns to someone else, “will you say it yourself, or do you want me to help you say it, Scientist?” As everyone is displaying a stupefied expression around him, Hopkin says emotionlessly, “what did you do, to my Bright?”

Author’s notes: Hopkin has started referring to Bright by name, instead of calling him number 199 or toy, meaning he’s started to become something special to him. Whether it is the possessiveness of a pervert or if he’s already been poisoned is a comprehension exercise left to the reader~

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