The Savior’s New Purpose

A terrifying vortex of desire merged sky and earth into one, while howls accompanied the cries of pain and lamentation. This was the end of the world.

A colossal red monster gazed down upon the despairing masses. It was impossibly tall, its head almost reaching into the clouds. The monster awaited its dinner, which would be the most lavish meal of its life.

Flames and blood painted the landscape everywhere. Desperate people roared in grief and fury, weeping uncontrollably.

“Zhuo,” someone called his name.

The monster narrowed its pitch-black eyes, spotting a figure standing calmly at its feet amidst the chaos.

It was the Savior. Its main course.

Zhuo reached out to seize this Savior, but he had to control his strength, lest the fragile human die in his grasp. He watched as the Savior opened his mouth.

Of course I’ll devour him.

“What happens after you eat me?” the Savior asked.

After devouring the Savior? Naturally, after that…

Zhuo froze.

Then he jolted awake, exclaiming, “I don’t want to!”

“Don’t want what?” Yuan Anqing, lying beside him, inquired. “Aren’t you going back to sleep?”

Zhuo was still disoriented, blinking at the bright hotel ceiling. “You’re still alive?”

Yuan Anqing pondered for a moment before earnestly replying, “I believe I am not dead.”

Zhuo didn’t immediately express trust. He reached out and pinched Yuan Anqing’s arm, confirming that the man was indeed solid and breathing. “You’re so lucky.”

“Huh?” Yuan Anqing once again struggled to follow his bodyguard’s train of thought.

But Zhuo had no intention of explaining. He now perceived Yuan Anqing as incredibly fragile, prone to dying easily.

And Zhuo didn’t want Yuan Anqing to die.

Indeed, he didn’t want Yuan Anqing to die; he no longer wanted to eat him.

However, Yuan Anqing couldn’t know this. Zhuo felt that Yuan Anqing would be deeply disappointed by this change of heart, and their relationship would plummet.

“Have you had breakfast?” Zhuo decided to change the subject abruptly.

“Not yet, but we can have lunch together now.” Yuan Anqing curled a finger and tapped Zhuo’s crystalline horn. “It’s already noon.”

Yuan Anqing had barely moved after Zhuo fell asleep in his arms the night before.

During his non-working hours, Yuan Anqing, who rarely bothered to analyze his own actions, uncharacteristically began to reflect on whether he had been too harsh yesterday. In truth, Yuan Anqing felt his attitude was acceptable; it was Zhuo’s pitiful, clinging reaction that seemed a little over the top.

Yet, it wasn’t necessarily an overreaction. Zhuo genuinely might not be able to handle emotional rejection. After all, the monster lacked social experience, so Yuan Anqing felt he ought to have a good talk with him about these matters.

“You haven’t even had breakfast?! You have a stomach condition!” Zhuo interrupted Yuan Anqing, who was about to speak. “Why do you always forget you have a stomach condition? You’ve had a bleeding ulcer before!”

“I know that, but my stomach condition hasn’t flared up much recently.” Yuan Anqing rubbed his forehead, his thoughts disrupted by Zhuo’s mother-hen routine.

“Stomach conditions need care!” Zhuo felt Yuan Anqing was too irresponsible with his own body. How could he live healthily past six hundred years like this?

“I know. It’s just an exception today.” Yuan Anqing tried to steer the conversation back.

“No exceptions! One exception leads to another. Your entire way of thinking is problematic!” Zhuo persisted.

Yuan Anqing: “Tsk.”

Zhuo, who had just been acting imperious and demanding, immediately wilted at the sound of the annoyance. He shrank his straightened back and unconsciously coiled his tail around his own body in a defensive posture.

Yuan Anqing’s intended complaint died in his throat.

He couldn’t handle Zhuo like this. He always felt that Zhuo in this posture looked as if he had been physically abused—timid and cowering. Zhuo’s overwhelming, soul-deep confidence seemed to have vanished into thin air.

“I don’t have a problem with you,” Yuan Anqing said, quite helpless.

“Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter,” Zhuo mumbled softly, refusing to look at him. “Because I’m right.”

Yuan Anqing: “…”

He was mistaken; Zhuo’s soul-deep confidence had never vanished, it just wore a different mask. “Was my attitude yesterday too much of a blow to you?”

“I know you were having emotional issues,” Zhuo said, looking into Yuan Anqing’s eyes.

“Then do you know why you’re still acting like this?” Yuan Anqing pointed at Zhuo’s defensive tail.

Zhuo couldn’t give Yuan Anqing a reasonable explanation, so he resorted to his universal coping strategy: “Why do you care?”

Yuan Anqing sighed helplessly. “Are you sure you’re not having problems?”

“Absolutely not.” Zhuo quickly climbed out of bed. “We’re going to eat lunch together. You can’t procrastinate any longer.”

“There’s no food in the mini-fridge; we can just order takeout today.” Yuan Anqing still felt there was something off about Zhuo, but since Zhuo didn’t want to reveal it, he wouldn’t press further.

Yuan Anqing pulled out his phone and discovered that Bai Tian had sent him a text message much earlier, asking him to call once he woke up.

“Didn’t we agree to order takeout?” Zhuo frowned as he leaned closer over Yuan Anqing’s shoulder. Upon seeing Bai Tian’s name, his features scrunched up. “Why does he have so much trivial business?”

“Our field report still needs to be filed.” Yuan Anqing patted Zhuo’s arm soothingly. “You’ll have to get used to this kind of corporate life.”

The government provided Yuan Anqing with additional funds, which served as Zhuo’s living expenses. After all, it was too difficult for an ordinary person to support Zhuo; his appetite was simply beyond what an average household budget could afford. All this money was in Yuan Anqing’s hands, so Zhuo couldn’t order food himself while Yuan Anqing was on the phone.

Seeing Yuan Anqing about to ignore him to make the call, Zhuo added awkwardly, “You… you should listen to your friend’s advice.”

Friend?

Yuan Anqing looked at Zhuo, who immediately averted his gaze. It was clear that using the unfamiliar word ‘friend’ made the monster feel deeply embarrassed. The tip of Zhuo’s tail twitched frequently behind him, yet his expression remained composed.

Yuan Anqing dialed the number and pressed the speaker button, then hid the call page and opened the takeout app. “What do you want to eat?”

“Ah?” The call connected, and Bai Tian sounded a little bewildered.

“He’s not asking you, he’s asking me,” Zhuo quickly snapped at the phone, squeezing next to Yuan Anqing and pressing tightly against his side. “You’re not that important.”

“Oh, okay.” Bai Tian thought Zhuo’s tone sounded somewhat excited.

“Apologies, we just woke up and are about to order takeout.” Yuan Anqing opened their frequently visited restaurant’s menu, then handed the phone to Zhuo, letting him choose for himself.

“You’ve worked hard,” Bai Tian sighed. “Actually, you could have called me back after eating. It’s not a life-or-death emergency.”

“I’ll finish and submit the report as soon as possible.” Yuan Anqing’s gaze remained fixed on Zhuo.

Zhuo looked genuinely happy scrolling through the menu. He ordered a vast amount of food, enough for about eight people. His tail continuously lifted and fell, rhythmically tapping the floor.

“It’s not about the report. The Vortex has been resolved, and we’re not in a hurry for the paperwork,” Bai Tian said.

Yuan Anqing reached out and placed his hand on Zhuo’s head. Zhuo didn’t resist; instead, he narrowed his eyes, leaning into Yuan Anqing’s caress. Yuan Anqing half-expected a cat-like purr from Zhuo’s throat, but this was clearly unrealistic. Zhuo merely rubbed his cheek against Yuan Anqing’s palm in return.

“The Breeding Body you caught yesterday has been brought to the facility,” Bai Tian explained. “We might need you to come take a look at him.”

“Why?” Yuan Anqing asked, puzzled.

“Because he seems to have taken a liking to you.”

Zhuo’s smiling face instantly stiffened, and Yuan Anqing was also somewhat bewildered.

Bai Tian continued, “He thinks you’re great.”

“I want to kill him.” Yuan Anqing couldn’t comprehend this logic. “He should be terrified of me.”

“He is indeed terrified of you. But because of that overwhelming fear, he recognized your absolute power and believes you’re an excellent breeding partner,” Bai Tian explained clinically. “He’s taken a fancy to your dominant genes.”

“But we are both gentlemen!” Yuan Anqing was profoundly shocked.

“That doesn’t apply to him,” Bai Tian said. “His original body was biologically male, yes, but as a Breeding Body, he’s grown everything necessary for reproduction.”

Yuan Anqing understood the implication and was greatly horrified.

Bai Tian summarized, “In any case, he’s fallen in love with you.”

“Then you should keep him as far away from Yuan Anqing as possible!” Zhuo exploded, leaning toward the phone. “Why do you still want Yuan Anqing to go there?!”

“We plan to use his ‘love’ to extract information,” Bai Tian candidly stated. “A Breeding Body’s affection is based entirely on a biological drive for superior genes. It is extremely stable.”

Breeding Bodies didn’t possess much rationality; otherwise, they wouldn’t have done something as foolish as hijacking a bus in broad daylight. Their existence was solely for reproduction, so their emotions were so overwhelming and abundant that normal people couldn’t comprehend them.

“I do not accept this,” Zhuo declared furiously.

Bai Tian was prepared for this reaction. “We’re not asking Mr. Yuan to date him! Just to help us interrogate him.”

“Why didn’t he fall for Zhuo?” Yuan Anqing was very curious. “Zhuo’s head regenerated even after being cut off; Zhuo is clearly more physically powerful.”

“Perhaps Zhuo didn’t directly threaten his life with psychic dominance.”

“I can go threaten his life right now,” Zhuo growled. “He can’t have it both ways: attack us, and then expect Yuan Anqing to speak to him gently!”

Is deceiving someone’s feelings some kind of prize? Bai Tian didn’t understand Zhuo’s jealousy. “Actually, there’s no need for that…”

“I really can’t do this,” Yuan Anqing interrupted Bai Tian. “Can’t you just use torture?”

“Torture is a bit inhumane,” Bai Tian’s voice wavered.

“There’s no need for humanity when dealing with assassins who endanger society.”

“His power has enhanced his physical resilience,” Bai Tian said helplessly. “Moreover, it’s always better to turn such a formidable character to our side if possible. We can’t let every interaction become a fight to the death.”

Yuan Anqing understood. “What if an individual as powerful as me were to interrogate him?”

Bai Tian stroked his chin on the other end of the line. “The Breeding Body might be interested in another strong candidate, yes.”

Yuan Anqing immediately declared, “I want to meet the previous Savior, Chen Jiao.”

“Huh?” Bai Tian was stunned.

Yuan Anqing lowered his eyes. “It’s time for her to start working.”

In the facility hospital room, Chen Jiao, who was peacefully watching a soap opera about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, suddenly felt a chill down her spine. Goosebumps erupted all over her body. After three consecutive sneezes, she hugged herself.

“Hiss.” Chen Jiao couldn’t shake the feeling that some nefarious corporate manager had set their sights on her.

Zhuo retrieved the takeout from the delivery driver and neatly arranged it on the table. He asked Yuan Anqing, “Do you really want to go see that former Savior?”

“Yes,” Yuan Anqing nodded. “She should really take on some shifts.”

“Do you think she won’t fall for that Breeding Body?” Zhuo inquired. “Breeding Bodies have very passionate emotions. They can be persuasive.”

“She’s a gloomy, lifeless individual,” Yuan Anqing said dismissively. “And her original profession was a teacher. A high school math teacher.”

Zhuo didn’t understand Yuan Anqing’s meaning, as he had never attended school.

“A beautiful high school female teacher would not lack youthful admirers,” Yuan Anqing explained. “High school students’ affections are equally passionate.”

However, Chen Jiao was a math teacher; she was clearly the one who brutally broke up early romances and crushed youthful dreams.

Moreover, Chen Jiao was 51, and that Breeding Body was only 19. This meant that the Breeding Body’s original form was born when Chen Jiao was 32. Although humans in this world could live for a long time, the Saviors had grown up on Earth. No 51-year-old teacher would be interested in such a child; a teacher would only think such a teenager was incredibly foolish.

“You see, the foundation for a deeply miserable, unrequited love is already set,” Yuan Anqing calculated expressionlessly.

Zhuo: “…Wow.”