“Wait! The ‘sister’ you’re talking about… don’t tell me you’re referring to…” Ling Mo was initially taken aback, then a hint of disdain flickered across his face. If his thoughts were conveyed directly in words, they might go something like this-“So you really are a pervert!”
Tang Hao froze for a moment, then quickly shook his head vigorously, saying, “No, no, no! That’s definitely not what I meant! How should I put it…” He hesitated for a while before finally coming up with a suitable explanation. “That gender transformation is indeed his own body, there’s no actual second girl involved. But he regards his female side as his sister, Butterfly… I once heard him mention that his mother was originally expecting twins-a boy and a girl. But during childbirth, only he was born. So, in a way, he considers himself to embody both siblings, as if he’s the fusion of that pair of unborn twins…”
“Of course,” Tang Hao added quickly, “I think he made this story up himself. Maybe it’s his way of coping, giving himself an outlet for his misfortune… You know, for someone in his situation, life must be incredibly difficult, even if it doesn’t show on the surface… But even if no one else knows, he must be suffering deeply. You might not believe this, but when his gender switches, his personality changes dramatically as well, and it doesn’t seem like he’s just faking it…”
“You don’t need to elaborate. We’ll be meeting him soon anyway,” Ling Mo suddenly said, turning his gaze forward.
Tang Hao couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart. This bizarre situation, and yet Ling Mo listened to it without even batting an eye… If that composure was an act, it would mean this man had an extraordinary ability to mask his emotions. If it wasn’t an act, it could only mean that he had an incredibly stable temperament and had encountered countless strange occurrences before…
In fact, Tang Hao’s guess wasn’t far off the mark… While Ling Mo had never encountered someone who could freely switch genders, he did live with a zombie girl who essentially had a dual personality every single day. One could switch between male and female; the other could switch between human and zombie. Honestly, in comparison, the latter seemed way more extraordinary!
On the other hand, there was Ling Mo’s undeniable confidence… However, in Tang Hao’s mind, he attributed Ling Mo’s impressive tracking ability to his mental ability superpower and the presence of the mutation panda. But honestly, this tracking range was simply too far… From the moment they left the restaurant to where they were now, if not accounting for the winding path, just the straight-line distance was likely close to a thousand meters.
As for why Ling Mo believed the little girl was still alive, it was most likely because she was the target he had been tracking… But Tang Hao wasn’t quite as optimistic. He thought to himself, though he had already sold out a lot of information about Qi-Ge, the most terrifying thing about Qi-Ge was his ability to switch personalities along with his gender. And this, Tang Hao wasn’t about to disclose unless directly asked by Ling Mo.
“From what you’re saying, it sounds like his switching is pretty complete. But at most, that’s just his mutation system ability. What about his transformation ability? And besides, this transformation ability you’ve all gained-it was something he came up with through research, wasn’t it?” Ling Mo asked.
Tang Hao snapped out of his thoughts and answered, “Actually… it’s quite the opposite. The gender switching is his transformation ability. By manipulating a mutated virus, he’s able to alter both his appearance and voice, completing the switch entirely. As for his mutation system ability… that’s an unusual superpower called… Butterfly. And regarding the transformation ability… yes, he developed it through his own research. To be honest, I wasn’t originally from this area; he was the one who found me. Not just me-everyone here was brought in by him. I have my suspicions that he might have once worked for Rosen Company, and that the survivors in this area might all have been…”
Tang Hao shuddered at the thought, as if recalling something horrifying. For a moment, he even mumbled to himself, “Otherwise, this place was once a bustling commercial district. Why wouldn’t he search for allies here instead? …But anyway, that’s just my theory. Whatever the case, I owe my survival to him…”
“But… Butterfly?” Ling Mo muttered, seemingly lost in thought.
In truth, the name of a superpower often revealed its essence. Learning what someone called their ability could sometimes provide critical insights into their true nature. For example, Ling Mo’s “Puppet Control.” A name like that, if exposed, could let others easily deduce the truth behind his actions.
Someone like Mu Chen, who had spent so much time with him and knew that something was off, still couldn’t grasp the truth. The reason was simple-he had no understanding of the essence of Butterfly’s superpower.
But… even after learning about the name “Butterfly,” its true nature was still impossible to decipher.
This time, Tang Hao took the initiative to explain: “He doesn’t use his ability often. Even when he does, it’s rare for me to witness it directly… So, I can’t provide specific details, but I can give you a general idea. The ‘Butterfly,’ as the name suggests, is quite literal. His superpower can be summed up in one word: Transforming from a Chrysalis to a Butterfly.
“Most of the time, he’s like the larval stage of a butterfly…”
“I’ve only seen his chrysalis transformation once. When he’s pushed to a breaking point-an extreme emotional or physical stimulus-he begins the transformation process. And when the Butterfly emerges…”
Before Tang Hao could finish, a loud “bang” echoed from up ahead.
Ling Mo immediately increased his pace, rushing out of the alley.
They emerged into an old residential area where the upper floors were homes, and the lower levels were lined with small shops. In the middle of the road stretched a wet market, filled with colorful tarps and chaotic stalls. Not far off was an open space, also cluttered with makeshift vendor booths. But now, the area was in complete disarray. Amid the wreckage, it seemed as though something-or someone-had crashed heavily into one of the stalls with that resounding thud.
As Ling Mo and the others arrived, the figure was struggling to pull itself out of the debris and dust.
Tang Hao’s eyes widened in shock, and then he snuck a glance at Ling Mo.
Sure enough, things were unfolding exactly as he expected. From the looks of it, the little girl wasn’t dead yet-but she had already suffered terribly. Of course, this was entirely in line with Qi-Ge’s methods. Once Qi-Ge targeted someone, even a zombie, he would torment them slowly. According to him, their pain and screams reminded him of his own existence.
“If his opponent is the little girl, that madman must be even more thrilled,” Tang Hao thought to himself, a strange excitement stirring in his chest. “Heh, just like me… Even imagining it makes this body shiver with pleasure…”
But what frustrated and confused Tang Hao was that Ling Mo remained completely calm.
“Just you wait. You’ll be scared out of your mind soon enough!” Tang Hao thought bitterly to himself, though a wave of fear crept in a moment later. “But what if he kills me first? If he really plans to use me as a hostage, Qi-Ge definitely won’t come to save me… What should I do?”
As Tang Hao’s chaotic and conflicting thoughts spiraled out of control, the figure finally pushed aside the wooden planks and got to their feet. As the dust settled, the figure’s appearance gradually became clearer. They stood hunched over, and then suddenly let out a peculiar laugh-distinctly a girl’s voice: “Hehe… how impressive…” 𝑅𝙖Ꞑо฿Ё𝙨
The moment Tang Hao heard that voice, his eyes widened in terror, and he nearly screamed.
“No way… No way…” he stammered instinctively, his voice shaking.
But before he could make sense of the situation, the figure’s voice changed again, eerily shifting tones:
“Whimper whimper… Butterfly, I’m so scared! Hurry up and kill her! Kill her already! Wipe out all those people who treat us like monsters!”
This time, it was a man’s voice, laced with a distinctive tone of flattery, as though he were pleading with or trying to charm a young girl. Hearing a man speak like that would normally come across as unsettling and nauseating. But for Tang Hao and Ling Mo, the effect was something far more chilling-bone-deep dread.
“Hehe… Brother, what are you saying? She’s not even human, you know…”