Chapter 106: A Big Toy for You

High above the distant crowd, a massive, grotesque monster squirmed bit by bit.

Its entire body was composed of countless human faces, layered one upon another. These faces were even alive, constantly twisting into various expressions, their lips moving soundlessly. Where the creature’s bulk passed, wrecked vehicles were flattened beneath its weight, and the rigidly standing crowds, neat as a formation, instantly toppled sideways along a straight line, collapsing in uniform rows to both sides.

Its destruction of the world unfolded in silence.

The devouring of human Life seemed equally soundless to it.

This Psychic Entity had reached a terrifying scale. It was this sheer immensity that transformed what was once an easily handled entity into something radiating an indescribable aura of dread upon swelling to its current size.

It felt as if one glance at it might lead to being swallowed whole, destined to become one among its countless bloated faces.

…

“Excellent. Thank you.”

Opposite the Monster, Lu Xin heard Mother’s reply. He nodded gently, his expression earnest.

He strode forward with ease, his calm breaths unnervingly distinct in the surrounding deathly silence. The clumsy gazes from the corpses scattered haphazardly across the ground seemed to converge upon him. They appeared to watch his back, his figure looking lonely against the backdrop of the distant ruins, as he steadily approached the suffocatingly vast shadow of the Monster.

Lights from the High Wall behind him cast stiff illumination.

Under the floodlights, his silhouette seemed utterly ordinary compared to the distant Monster.

Yet, the way he walked towards that terrifying face-covered entity put Little Sister on high alert.

She retreated further, too scared to draw near to Lu Xin. A look of near-tears crossed her face, and she shifted her posture as if ready to bolt away at any moment.

“Your reasoning is perfectly sound, of course Mother supports you.”

Mother looked at Lu Xin. Her expression held a subtle nuance.

Yet, her face only showed approving warmth, and she even clapped her hands lightly.

Then, she smiled:

“However, besides eliminating this creature… who else did you plan to get rid of?”

Lu Xin hesitated slightly. He turned his head towards Mother: “Nothing else.”

Mother’s smile remained. She shook her head gently: “Oh, but there is.”

Lu Xin fell silent. He felt Mother’s attitude was somewhat strange at the moment.

Over ten kilometers away, within a dilapidated apartment building, Father roamed his room in a fury, consumed by anxious agitation. He paced to the window repeatedly, pressing his crimson eyes close to the pane, then back to the door, wearing tracks on the floor with his frantic steps.

Mother’s smile was unchanged, elegant and composed, as if they were discussing what vegetables to buy for dinner.

She gestured towards the people still standing rigidly in place, smiling: “I know you’ve always wanted him to come out…”

“But once he emerges, wouldn’t the number he resolves be… greater than you anticipated?”

“For instance… these survivors?”

“For instance… everyone in this entire Satellite City?”

“…”

Lu Xin froze slightly.

Mother, however, laughed with apparent delight, seeming almost gleeful:

“Of course, if you wish for a truly thorough cleanup… Mother still supports you.”

She tightened her fist: “Go for it.”

…

Lu Xin, who had previously clenched his jaw with steely determination, suddenly found his resolve flickering into hesitation.

He wavered for a moment before asking: “Following your suggestion… what should be done now?”

The smile stayed firmly on Mother’s face: “Do you trust your family?”

A brief silence from Lu Xin.

Family. Not a true family. They had taken him in after the Orphanage was destroyed. Now, he couldn’t even recall the exact circumstances of their arrival. It felt as if they’d simply appeared one day, yet somehow seemed to have been by his side for a very long time. Each member of this family had their own troublesome habits. Sometimes, they even encouraged him to do bad things…

They seemed to share secrets, deliberately hidden from him alone.

Each of them seemed incredibly capable, powerful… while he alone was just ordinary.

Trust such a family?

After pondering this, he gave a small nod: “I trust them.”

Mother’s happy smile deepened. Her eyes seemed capable of piercing through everything, yet she made no move to expose Lu Xin’s doubt.

“Since you trust your family, of course you should seek their help.”

Smiling brightly, Mother shifted her gaze slightly to where Little Sister stood.

Lu Xin instinctively turned to look too. Little Sister was peering back at him and Mother with intense distrust, clearly worried she was about to be tricked. Her body was hunched, like a little black cat arching its back. She bared her sharp fangs towards Lu Xin.

“You’ve been borrowing Little Sister’s power all along, but did you ever truly believe in her?”

Mother spoke as though mediating between two unruly children: “Although Little Sister is a bit mischievous, not very pretty, and a little awkward in temperament, she clings to you. You worry she might learn bad things and stay wary of her, but have you ever thought about truly trusting her?”

A shiver passed through Lu Xin as he suddenly understood Mother’s words.

Of course he didn’t trust her.

Little Sister was someone who liked toys different from others’.

Not keeping a close eye on her would lead to trouble.

But it was true that Little Sister had already followed him through so many situations…

After a long while, Lu Xin slowly said, “Can I believe?”

Mother replied with a smile, “Do you choose to believe?”

……

The question seemed to stump Lu Xin.

A moment later, he asked softly, “What do you want to tell me?”

“What I want to tell you is…”

The smile on Mother’s face suddenly turned mysterious. “You’ve been borrowing Little Sister’s abilities…”

“But have you ever thought about lending your own abilities to Little Sister?”

……

A bizarre thought arose in Lu Xin’s heart.

He felt the blood vessels beside his temples pulsating faintly, some unnamed Emotion surging within him.

“Do you truly believe you’re exceptionally ordinary?”

Mother’s smile grew even more enigmatic as she gazed gently at Lu Xin:

“You can enter the influence range of other people’s abilities, just like an ordinary person. But haven’t you noticed that within others’ spheres of influence, you’ve always remained clear-headed? You hear that voice only an ordinary person can hear. But do you think this is because your Psychic Magnitude is as low as an ordinary person’s, or because yours is higher than other Ability Users?”

……

Lu Xin understood Mother’s meaning.

Actually, he had always known these things; he’d noticed them long ago.

……

The situation was urgent. Every second of hesitation would cost many lives.

Thus, after just two seconds of thought, Lu Xin made his decision.

“I believe in you!” he said, looking at Mother.

Then he slowly raised his head and looked toward Little Sister: “I believe in Little Sister too.”

His gaze was unusual at that moment, making Little Sister instinctively back away several steps, radiating full alertness.

Yet, as Lu Xin looked at her, he suddenly smiled.

He raised a finger and pointed toward the enormous, face-like Monster in the distance: “Little Sister, haven’t you always wanted a Toy?”

“This one, I’ll give it to you. How about that?”

……

Little Sister froze instantly, her small face wearing an expression of shock and disbelief.

But soon, that expression transformed into excitement and joy. She straightened up and sprinted toward Lu Xin.

She leapt into the air, spreading her tiny arms beneath the Crimson Moon.

Lu Xin stood quietly, letting Little Sister leap onto his back like a child seeking a piggyback ride, wrapping her arms around his neck, in an affectionate embrace.

Mother watched from the side, gazing at the two delighted children with a blissful smile.

Meanwhile, in the apartment building over ten kilometers away, Father suddenly unleashed a roar of fury. The sound seemed to shake the entire building, vibrating even deep underground. Yet this intense bellow remained unheard. In this city, all those trapped in panic and Fear remained unaware of what had just transpired.

……

At that same moment, Lu Xin’s body hunched low. A sinister, Anomalous smile played across his face.

Then he suddenly started to run, charging forward like a distorted and grotesque Monster.

His speed increased rapidly, his eyes gleaming with intensifying excitement.

“Thank you, Big Brother…”

Seemingly carried within the wind whipping past him came the faint, joyful laughter of Little Sister: “For giving me such a big Toy…”