The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 75: Power Ranking

“Of course. Where there are people, there is jianghu[1]; and where there is jianghu, there is ranking.”

Nursing a can of beer, War Tiger patted Wu Dahai on the head. “No rush. Once news gets out that the Twelve Zodiac Signs have acquired the second Rune Circuit, your rank will go up.”

“True!” Wu Dahai then asked, “By the way, has the Rune Circuit been examined? What type is it?”

“Psyche.”

“Damn!” Wu Dahai sounded disappointed. “Why can’t it be Element? I want to reach level 4!”

War Tiger chuckled. “Songstress can’t be happier. Her Requiem can finally get to level 4 too.”

“Ahhhh why can’t I do the same?” Wu Dahai whined. “What kind of luck is this?”

“Well, our newcomers are with you,” said War Tiger.

“Yeah, my Talent is only level 2,” Gao Yang chimed in. “Although one’s number 26 and the other’s 18, and both are somewhat near the top of the list, Level 2 Talents are quite useless.”

“Stop your fake whining if you’re gonna boast!” Wu Dahai got even angrier. “You have two Talents! What more do you want? You’re gonna get to level 3 in no time, and with two level 3 Talents, you’re gonna catch up to me in ranking!”

I actually have three Talents, Gao Yang didn’t say. On one hand, it was always better to have a hidden card up his sleeve, and on the other hand, he didn’t want Wu Dahai to get a stroke.

War Tiger spread his hands. “If the Element Rune Circuit were found, the organization could make a deal to borrow it so that you could level up, but it hasn’t been found yet. Whining about it won’t change anything.”

“Fuck it!” Wu Dahai plopped himself down on the bean bag and shut his mouth.

“Element-type Talents have great potential,” War Tiger assured him. “It’s like the AP-type in MOBA games. At the beginning, the magical output does nothing. However, with enough time and cultivation, they become the key AOE damage dealer in a group clash.”

“In comparison, my Talent makes me more of an assassin. In the beginning stage, I have a great advantage.” War Tiger crossed his legs and drank his beer while scanning the names sliding up on the screen. “This isn’t me being boastful, but in a one-on-one duel, I can kill everyone outside the top ten as easily as swatting a fly.”

“No wonder you’re ranked ninth.” Qing Ling found War Tiger’s name.

“There’s room for me to climb up the ranks still. At the moment, I haven’t been pushed to the verge of death yet, and my Talent makes me stronger the more seriously I’m injured.”

“I had first-hand experience with that.” Officer Huang’s face darkened as he remembered the terrible fight.

Gao Yang quietly stared at the list. Among the Twelve Zodiac Signs, two members were at the top ten.

War Tiger, ranked ninth.

And Dragon, ranked third.

Gao Yang had thought the Twelve Zodiac Signs were at best a middle-of-the-road organization given how few members there were, but it seemed that he had found himself a great thigh to latch onto.

“Who made this list?” asked Gao Yang.

“Qilin Guild.” War Tiger flipped to his feet and crushed the empty bear can with his left hand, checking the recovery of his injured arm.

“Qilin Guild?”

“They own the Walled City of Ten Dragons.” Wu Dahai had finally gotten out of his self-wallowing. “In the world of awakeners, they are the most influential organization with more than fifty members. Their leader is Qilin, the one ranked at the top.”

“That’s...quite an edgy name,” Officer Huang said with a laugh.

“Well, it’s always best to have a memorable code name,” said War Tiger.

“It’s a ranking they made on their own,” said Gao Yang. “Is it even credible?”

“It may not be the authoritative ranking, but it is the most credible one at the moment. The Walled City of Ten Dragons is the biggest hub for trades and exchanges between awakeners, and thus they get the most holistic information. Moreover, there’s a tournament every six years. This ranking is calculated based on a comprehensive evaluation of every awakener’s strength, reputation, and contribution.”

War Tiger opened another can of beer. “In truth, the top fives are all powerful beyond one’s imagination, and they generally stay away from each other. They are ranked based on their reputation and contribution alone.”

“So the top five haven’t fought to find out who’s stronger?” asked Gao Yang.

“Yeah.” War Tiger nodded. “And don’t be misled by those shonen mangas. There is no absolute ranking for power. Real-life battles aren’t one-on-one matches in an arena, but a mix of schemes, exploitations, ambushes, lies, poisons, psychological warfare, traps, and the age-long tactic of going after someone with greater numbers. There are more tricks than one can feasibly predict and prepare for.”

“Take Wu Dahai and I as an example.” War Tiger reached out to ruffle Wu Dahai’s broom head, getting him an irritated ‘Stop it!’ from his student.

War Tiger ignored the protest and said, “If he got his Lightning to level 8, he would be able to burn everything inside and outside the building to charcoal in three seconds. If I happen to be drinking coffee here, or if all top ten awakeners happen to be having a party, at least half of us would die, including me.”

“But would you say I’m weaker than Wu Dahai?” War Tiger smiled. “One on one, he would last less than two seconds against me.”

His three new students nodded in understanding.

“So don’t focus too much on the ranking. It would lull you into the false belief that survival and fighting are as simple as it presented. Moreover, our real enemies aren’t going to be part of the list.”

“Such as pride monsters, life monsters, death monsters, and...” War Tiger’s gaze grew icy. “The Spectres.”

“The Spectres are...”

Gao Yang’s question was cut off by War Tiger. “I’ve heard from White Rabbit that you are the most curious among the three of you, Gao Yang, and I know you can’t wait to find the answers to your questions. But be patient and take one step at a time. There are things you are better off not knowing at the moment.”

“And regarding the Spectres, there are only three things you should know for now.”

War Tiger extended a finger.

“First, Spectres are awakeners, but they’re not like us.”

“Second, they are the nightmares of all awakeners.”

“Third, If you ever run into them, don’t ask anything, don’t think about anything. Run, at once.” War Tiger’s eyes were steely. “If you encounter a Spectre, things will be more dangerous than my ambush today.”

“What do they look like?” asked Gao Yang.

“I don’t have to tell you. You'll know when you see them.” War Tiger smiled bitterly. “I don’t want to be all doom and gloom, but if you ever run into them, it means they have decided to kill you, and there’s no escaping that.”

“Not even you, Teacher War Tiger?” Gao Yang was shocked.

“One on one, yes, I can put up a fight. But two, and I’m dead. You’ve seen the altars for the Twelve Zodiac Signs and the masks displayed there. I don’t have to tell you how the original owners of the masks died, do I?”

The three of them fell silent, and the air in the room stilled.

“One day, you may come to regret your awakening. It’s actually a great fortune to be able to live in peace among the monsters until you die of old age.”

“I already regret it.” Officer Huang smiled wryly.

Gao Yang echoed the sentiment. “What he said.”

“Still,” War Tiger chuckled, “I welcome you to join us in hell mode!”

1. In the general sense, jianghu is used to refer to a society with conflicting interests, resentments, and all the complex human relationships, and this is a quote from Jin Yong’s The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. ?

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