The Thirsting Bloodkin Mutual Aid Society

This marked the fifth iteration.

Emerging from the depths of [Time] back into reality, Yao Jing immediately guided Wu Liyun to the very bar they had discovered in their previous iteration.

To their surprise, the designated spot revealed nothing more than a room, its door firmly shut.

“Hmm… could this be a spatial ability?”

Recalling the Supervision Bureau’s reports of suspects vanishing without a trace, Yao Jing mused that such an ability would be perfectly within The Doctor’s grasp.

The question remained: how were they to gain entry?

Perhaps a direct assault on the door was in order?

“Bang!”

Before Wu Liyun’s astonished gaze, Yao Jing shattered the room’s iron door with a single, powerful punch.

Witnessing his companion’s blatant disregard for the law, Wu Liyun, a man with a lingering sense of justice, couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Brother Yao, what on earth are you doing?”

“Ahem.”

Peering through the mangled iron door, they saw only mundane household furnishings.

Yao Jing, turning away with an embarrassed cough, conceded his own impatience.

The sheer proximity of The Doctor, coupled with the frustration of being barred from entry, had fueled an undeniable surge of anxiety within him.

Amidst his thoughts, he resolved to divulge a portion of the truth to Wu Liyun, hoping that as a fellow Bloodkin, he might possess a solution.

“The Doctor might be here, but it appears to be situated in an entirely different space.”

“Another space?”

Wu Liyun, seemingly struck by a sudden realization, approached the doorway and extended his left hand.

From his palm, a cascade of yellow tentacles unfurled, and to Yao Jing’s utter astonishment, a grand, golden-glowing portal shimmered into existence before them.

Wu Liyun explained, “This is a minor space crafted by the Bloodkin.

Entry is only possible with the correct key or under the guidance of one of its members.

Still, Brother Yao, how did you come to know of this place?”

Without further ado, he ushered Yao Jing through the shimmering portal.

****

The lights cast a gentle, swaying glow, and soft music drifted through the air.

Pale yellow walls were adorned with an assortment of paintings, a stark contrast to the ruined state they had witnessed before.

Today, the bar presented itself as spacious and impeccably clean.

“I genuinely hadn’t anticipated your ability to locate this place.

Regrettably, it’s not currently operating hours.”

Seated on a stool at the bar, a man lifted his drink in their direction.

He possessed short, greying hair and a formidable physique, beneath which bulging muscles were subtly discernible.

His face was concealed by a full-face mask, save for three circular apertures carved into the forehead.

The living [Doctor], indeed.

After mentally juxtaposing the corpses he had encountered with the man before him, Yao Jing solidified his conclusion.

“Shall I escort them out?”

The question came from the bartender, who was meticulously polishing a glass in his hand.

“They are guests, Gang.”

Dismissing the bartender’s suggestion, The Doctor rose and offered a polite bow to the two newcomers, stating:

“Gentlemen, welcome to the Thirsting Bloodkin Mutual Aid Society.”

“……..”

“……..”

A heavy silence descended upon that corner of the bar.

Yao Jing’s gaze remained fixed on The Doctor, who, in turn, was casually sipping his drink, his mask subtly parting with each movement.

“Was it from this very place that Huang Siying made his escape?”

Ultimately, it was Yao Jing who broke the quietude.

“Ah, Huang Siying.

I knew him.

He was so tantalizingly close to achieving his transformation, yet he abandoned the path to become a Bloodkin and departed from here.

A true pity, a profound lament.”

The Doctor’s voice was laced with profound regret.

“Within the Mutual Aid Society, coercion has never been tolerated; we are all partners united by common goals.

When he sought our assistance, we welcomed him, and when he wished to depart, we allowed him to go.

It is truly unforeseen that he met such a tragic end.”

Despite the Doctor’s ostensibly compassionate tone, his words churned Yao Jing’s stomach.

This individual, even if not the ultimate progenitor of their plight, was undeniably a crucial link in the chain of events.

Forcing down the burgeoning urge to lash out, Yao Jing knew he needed to glean more information before the inevitable confrontation.

Cutting straight to the chase, he inquired, “What is your ultimate objective?”

“I intend to oppose the Association.”

Without even a flicker of hesitation, The Doctor delivered his unequivocal response.

“……”

“……”

A profound silence fell over Yao Jing.

He had envisioned numerous potential answers, yet this particular one remained utterly incomprehensible to him.

The Association stood as an impenetrable bulwark against the Black Blood Species, and it was precisely this formidable barrier that ensured the fragile peace between the Inner and Outer Realms.

Yet now, a single individual sought to dismantle this very line of human defense.

Was he a madman?

A fool?

Or did he harbor some ulterior motive?

A flicker of curiosity stirred within Yao Jing, prompting him to continue listening before formulating any further plans.

Perceiving Yao Jing’s skepticism, The Doctor offered a light chuckle before dropping a bombshell.

“Are you aware,” he began, “that an ambiguous connection exists between the Association and the [Black Blood Species]?

They may even have entered into some form of treaty, all in exchange for the tranquility of the Inner Realm.”

“Consider, for instance… the Black Blood Species known as [Silent Moon], which roams the wilderness yet never once assails humanity.”

“What? What utter nonsense are you spouting?”

“I once resided within the Inner Realm for a considerable period.

The peace there was… excessive.

Not only were Black Blood Species absent, but even Derivative Species were nowhere to be found.”

“Do you, then, favor chaos and conflict?”

“Peace is, of course, a benevolent state.

However, it differs significantly from the Outer Realm.

From my observations, the majority of humanity within the Inner Realm has utterly lost its will to fight.

Though barely a decade has passed, they now perceive their comfortable existence as an inherent right.

Can you truly comprehend the gravity of such a situation?”

“Are you implying… that the Association is actively eroding humanity’s fighting spirit?

And what of the heroes?

How could they possibly sanction such an egregious act?”

“Do you honestly believe those heroes still belong to the same species as us?

In this world, what truly resembles them most closely are… the Black Blood Species.”

The Doctor’s words detonated within Yao Jing’s mind like a sudden clap of thunder.

In this world, the cultivation methods of fiction were mere fantasy.

Humanity’s sole reliance lay in armaments and a technology that was progressively failing to keep pace with the evolving threats.

What, then, were these heroes who wielded such incredible power?

Observing Yao Jing lost in contemplation, The Doctor decided to fan the flames further, remarking:

“As a scientific researcher, I have relentlessly pursued the genesis of heroic power.

It was not until I encountered the [Spirit] of the Rising Sun—a Derivative Species that nonetheless retained a degree of human cognition—that the striking resemblance became undeniable.

Don’t you find it remarkably similar?”

“……”

“A tedious conjecture.

Regardless of what these heroes truly are… I, along with countless other living humans, stand as testament to their salvation.

Even if they are indeed Black Blood Species, they are, at the very least, currently aligned with humanity, are they not?”

Beyond The Doctor’s expectations, Yao Jing had not succumbed to his rhetoric.

Just as he prepared to steer Yao Jing’s thoughts further, he found himself impaled by a pair of eyes that gleamed with a predatory intensity.

The young hunter, his voice sharp with indignation, cut him off.

“Now,” he declared, “I fully comprehend the extent of your actions.”

“These so-called Bloodkin are nothing more than monsters you fabricated, mimicking [Spirits] or other Derivative Species.

You’ve used ordinary citizens as experimental subjects, and no matter your purported goals, they cannot possibly conceal your inherently malevolent nature.”

“…….”

At the scattered tables of the bar, an acrid scent of gunpowder seemed to permeate the air, creating a volatile atmosphere.

Wu Liyun, lingering near the bartender, felt an imminent clash brewing between the two, convinced they would erupt into a full-blown fight over their irreconcilable differences.

“Brother Gang, perhaps you should try to mediate?”

The towering bartender paid him no heed, merely continuing his silent task of polishing glasses behind the bar.

Even if a conflict were to erupt, he harbored profound confidence in The Doctor’s capabilities.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

The sudden, resonant impacts drew every eye in the room towards the bar’s entrance.

Had it arrived?

The very source of the calamity?

Yao Jing’s senses sharpened, his nerves taut.

The bar’s isolation from the external world had precluded him from monitoring the situation outside, leaving him to roughly infer the timeline of events.

Given that some time had passed since the ‘skyfall’ (TL Note: Refers to a catastrophic, world-altering event in this setting), the identity of the impending arrival could only be…

“An unwelcome guest has arrived, Gang.

Go and extend our… welcome.”

Having just been cornered by Yao Jing, The Doctor’s mood was evidently sour.

He dispatched the bartender to deliver a minor lesson to their impending visitor.

The bartender emerged from behind the bar without uttering a single word.

It was only then that Yao Jing noticed his lower body was entirely composed of machinery.

Cyborg.

The archaic term surfaced in Yao Jing’s mind, a relic of an almost forgotten era.

Prior to the Great Migration, governments worldwide, in their desperate struggle against the Black Blood Species and the escalating abnormal environments, had resorted to mechanizing certain soldiers through extensive human modification.

These modified individuals were capable of fighting in environments lethal to ordinary humans, offering immense aid during the rescue efforts and wars of that period.

Alas, they were eventually and entirely superseded by hunters wielding [Armaments] (TL Note: Specialized weapons or gear used by hunters in this world).

Following a significant disbandment, some of these highly decorated warriors chose to retire to civilian life, while others transitioned into the urban security systems.

“Boom!”

The bartender’s attempt at reception, however, proved futile.

He had barely reached halfway when the very space housing the bar was violently torn asunder by an unknown force.

Amidst the collective shock of those present, the arriving figure materialized…

It was a face so profoundly familiar it might as well have been their own reflection.

“That face…”

For the first time, Gang Gubo’s impassive expression fractured.

“You are…” Wu Liyun, having abruptly risen to his feet, trailed off in astonishment.

“Oh, my, my… what an extraordinarily significant figure has graced us with their presence.”

The Doctor’s hand, gripping his wine glass, betrayed a subtle tremor.

He attempted to take a sip, yet failed to notice the liquid spilling onto the floor.

“………”