CR CH62

Chapter 62: The Ring

In memory, the child’s figure stretched, overlapping with that splash of dark green on the ring.

They were far removed from the past, yet every now and then, certain shadows of it could still be glimpsed.

Below the ring, silence had fallen at some unknown moment; everyone had quieted down to watch this thrilling, dangerous duel.

Blood pooled into a messy heap, dripping continuously beneath their feet.

Concept of time gradually faded from their minds; both of their sanity and stamina were approaching the rock bottom, leaving behind only a frantic, headlong violent streak.

“Hoo…”

Liang Chong stumbled from blood loss. Grabbing the opportunity, Jiang Tianji lunged forward and slammed him to the ground, his grip locking dead on Liang Chong’s throat as electrical currents surged relentlessly into his opponent’s body.

A massive tail reared up high, its tip condensing a sharp stone blade that snaked around to Jiang Tianji’s back.

“Ngh!”

“Ugh—cough—”

Two muffled groans sounded simultaneously. The tail impaled through Jiang Tianji’s chest and abdomen, spraying bright red blood across Liang Chong’s face.

At the exact same time, the lightning blades carved countless bloody gashes across Liang Chong’s body, while Jiang Tianji’s fingers dug into the torn wound at the side of Liang Chong’s neck.

Just before the pair’s final, near-mutual-destruction explosion of colliding energy could fully clash, a deep-blue crack tore open, sweeping in and devouring all the energy.

Liang Chong’s tail limply pulled free, slamming heavily onto the floor.

Jiang Tianji stood up, his body swaying twice before tumbling backward—falling right into a reassuring embrace.

The instructors followed closely behind. You Li’s gaze darted back and forth between the two severely injured fighters.

His communication device chimed like a death knell. He glanced at the incoming call with tightly furrowed brows, instructed Wei Jiangming to take over his duties, then accepted the call, his voice faintly audible as he uttered, “Bureau Chief Liang.”

Behind Liang Chong was the medical team rushing over at high speed. Ling Kongmiao had only taken a single step forward while supporting his charge when he was yanked back with sheer force.

Jiang Tianji’s breathing was erratic; the delayed onslaught of pain left him somewhat drained of strength. Sensing Ling Kongmiao stepping to move closer toward Liang Chong’s direction, he suddenly turned sideways and pinned him against a pillar.

When his sanity had burned away completely, Jiang Tianji entirely forgot the instructors’ lectures, sinking his teeth into Ling Kongmiao’s shoulder as blood spread between his teeth.

“Don’t you dare go over…”

He panted heavily, using his very last thread of strength on Ling Kongmiao without a shred of mercy.

“Tss.”

Restrained by the other’s injuries, Ling Kongmiao endured it without moving. As his hand stroked the back of his shirt and felt a patch of warm moisture, he gently knit his brows.

Witnessing all this, Irene lightly held her forehead: “Lord, this kid doesn’t bite anyone else, what a curse…”

Ling Kongmiao heard this murmur. Just as his knife-sharp gaze swept over, he saw He Qian rushing over.

“Dr. He.”

“Captain Ling, let me check his condition.”

Dr. He greeted him. A few demi-beasts stepped forward to take over Jiang Tianji, but Jiang Tianji stubbornly clutched the clothes at Ling Kongmiao’s waist, refusing to let go.

Two buttons on Ling Kongmiao’s uniform were ripped off by him and rolled onto the floor. Left with no choice, he could only follow along toward the medical team.

“Captain.”

You Li’s voice came from behind. He had just finished his call and returned; seeing that Liang Chong had already been sent to the medical department, he looked at Ling Kongmiao with an inquiring gaze.

“Regarding Bureau Chief Liang’s side…”

“It was a standard ring match. If he’s truly that worried, he shouldn’t send the kid to the frontlines.”

Hearing the icy tone in his voice, You Li walked two steps alongside him.

“However…”

“No howevers,” Ling Kongmiao cut him off.

The hand clutching his clothes was covered in blood, now limply loosening as if about to drop; he reached out and gently held it.

“Whose kid isn’t someone’s kid?”

Sensing something off in his words, You Li’s gaze fell upon Jiang Tianji. Before he could figure out that hint of strangeness, he heard his own captain throw down a line.

“If he has a problem, tell him to come find me.”

“…Understood.”

In the research institute’s medical department, the emergency repair light turned on.

Ling Kongmiao remained in the hallway sorting through his wrecked clothes, giving up entirely after realizing it was useless.

The ring was different from ordinary competitions—severe injuries were the norm, though they usually just wanted to win.

Under the condition that team members did not voluntarily surrender, instructors would monitor both sides in real-time, forcibly calling a halt when red lines were reached.

Crazy situations like today’s weren’t rare; Ling Kongmiao had seen even more back when he was still a team member.

“Why the terrible face?”

Irene leaned against the wall behind him.

“Someone used to be even crazier than him back in the day, listening to no one’s advice. Can I call this ‘what goes around comes around’?”

Ling Kongmiao raised his hand, his energy devouring the dried blood on his skin. He remained silent for a long while.

Only when Irene felt bored and let out a soft yawn did he finally speak.

“Do you have nothing better to do?”

“My mission is to keep you stable and fight; anything else isn’t within my signed scope of business, that requires extra pay,” Irene said with a beaming smile. “This was ordered by General Lu himself. If you have a problem, go find your master.”

Seeing him stay silent, Irene reined in her expression.

“The theory won’t change, provided the person using the theory doesn’t change.”

“People are conceited in matters of emotion, thinking they can control it, and so they let it develop unchecked,” Irene flicked her nails, speaking nonchalantly. “I’ve seen many people; by the time most actually realize it, they’re already stuck in a very awkward position—one could say caught between a rock and a hard place.”

“Generally speaking, reason and emotion can coexist. But if they become a single-choice question where you’re forced to pick one, the nature of the situation becomes entirely different.”

After Irene finished speaking, she pointed at the large bloodstain on his chest.

“Alright, Captain, go change your clothes now. Leave it any longer and it won’t wash out.”

Ling Kongmiao took off his outer jacket, speaking flatly as he passed by Irene’s side.

“Clothes are made for people to wear; if it won’t wash out, it can be thrown away.”

“If this single-choice question is prepared for two people, then both of those people are free.”

“Is that so?” Irene smiled: “I hope the question you receive doesn’t exceed your imagination.”

Ling Kongmiao paused his steps, then continued walking outward.

“Captain.”

“Mhm.”

Tang Min happened to come to the medical department to back up data records, bumping straight into Ling Kongmiao and greeting him.

Seeing his cold expression, Tang Min turned her head while looking at Irene in surprise.

“Sister Irene, what happened to the captain?”

Irene sighed: “There’s nothing to say to this bunch of straight guys.”

Sensing the scent of gossip, Tang Min leaned in and asked: “What is it?”

“It just feels strange.”

Irene lightly pressed her hand against her forehead, knitting her brows as she murmured, “He’s an alpha himself, and his stealth abilities are so ridiculously sky-defying. I’ve laid it out so clearly, why can’t he just think in that direction?”

Tang Min was a spirit-system user herself and fairly sharp. Hearing this, she thought for a moment.

“You couldn’t be talking about…”

Irene: “I used to think this kid might just like biting people, but after observing for a while, I realized he seems to merely be expressing a certain alpha’s instinct.”

“This completely shattered my past impression of him… Actually, I can’t entirely blame the captain. After all, who could’ve guessed this kid would be so bold? He might not even have figured it out himself, but his instinct has already reacted.”

Tang Min stared blankly at Irene: “You mean?”

“He wants to mark the captain.”

This short sentence packed no less punch than a cannonball. Tang Min asked in utter disbelief:

“That shouldn’t be right—isn’t the captain mainly focused on the mental control domain?” She was thoroughly baffled. Realizing her volume was too loud, she quickly lowered her voice: “Can’t he feel it?”

Irene rolled her eyes dramatically.

“The guy’s practically riding on top of him, and he’s still over there saying ‘whose kid isn’t someone’s kid’.”

She curled her lips, softly mocking in a high-pitched tone:

“My place isn’t a daycare, and I don’t have anyone named Jiang in my family either~ eww~”