“Ahem… Speaking of which, weren’t you guys talking about that thing earlier… ‘Operation Cradle Snuff’?”
Qiu Qiqian, worried the atmosphere might become too awkward, took the initiative to find a topic and brought up the events from earlier that day.
“What… exactly is that?”
“Operation Cradle Snuff…”
Hearing those words, the hand Li Meng had extended to pick up some food paused before pulling back.
Her clear gray eyes dimmed for a fleeting moment.
Perhaps wanting to focus on her explanation to Qiu Qiqian, she pointedly set down her chopsticks and held her glass with both hands.
She stared at her own reflection in the water, organizing her thoughts.
Seeing Li Meng act so seriously made Qiu Qiqian regret asking the question a little.
‘I originally just wanted to ease the tension… but it seems this topic is a bit heavy.’
“That… was a global operation ten years ago. During that year, a massive number of Titan and Storm rank Guiyi suddenly appeared across the globe. The specific reason behind it remains unknown,” Li Meng began, her tone heavier than ever before.
“A large number of… Titan and Storm ranks?”
Qiu Qiqian lowered her head in thought.
When Li Meng had explained the ranks of Guiyi to her before, she had heard of these two levels, though she had yet to see one.
“Yes. You might not have much of a concept of that level of Guiyi, Xiao Qian. Theoretically, if a Titan rank Guiyi is left unchecked, it can devour every human in a city within a single day. As for the Storm rank… they are several times more powerful than Titans.”
‘A Titan rank can devour everyone in a city in a day? Compared to that, Chimei rank isn’t even worth mentioning. Was Li Meng really able to handle something like that during her first mission?’
“The Association didn’t know how those Guiyi suddenly appeared, and at the time, they hadn’t yet gained full recognition from various nations. However, for the sake of human safety, they still deployed the Nether Bodies recruited by the Association.”
“Initially, the battle went quite smoothly because more than ten Youxun had already emerged within the Association. By rank, every Youxun can resolve at least one Storm rank Guiyi. Although there were many Storm rank Guiyi, they were generally within a manageable range.”
“Even though Xianyi technology was still immature back then, it was enough to serve as a ‘buffer zone,’ slowing down the movements of those Guiyi to a certain extent.”
“But… just as the tide of battle was turning in humanity’s favor, an anomaly occurred…”
‘I knew it. Something always goes wrong during a winning streak.’
Qiu Qiqian sighed helplessly and took a sip from her glass before continuing to listen to Li Meng’s story.
“On that day, almost all Titan and Storm rank Guiyi across the world were defeated, leaving only four Storm rank Guiyi located in the Polar Regions. Since those areas were uninhabited and the research stations had been evacuated, the Association planned to deal with that region last.”
“However, on that day, the movements of those four Storm rank Guiyi became exceptionally… bizarre. They didn’t cause destruction or scatter. Instead… they gradually moved toward one another.”
“Eventually, drone footage transmitted back to the Association showed that those four Storm rank Guiyi… had fused together.”
“Fused… together?”
“Yes. The powerful Nether Breath generated in the moment of fusion turned the entire Polar Region into… an Inner World. No, to be more accurate, that Inner World replaced the original Polar Region and became ‘reality.’ The Association calls this phenomenon… the Floating Demon Palace.”
“The sky was obscured by endless black clouds, and from then on, daylight was lost. Rootless trees grew downward from the sky, their hanging branches devouring everything they touched.”
“A sorrowful song under the long moon, the chorus of crows. Glaciers turned into seas of blood, and frozen oceans became burning springs… Under the influence of the Floating Demon Palace, the creatures in the sea — no, even the seawater itself — became a type of Guiyi. Furthermore, the Floating Demon Palace continued to expand. It wouldn’t be long before it reached the nearest human settlements.”
“Although analysis of the transmitted Nether Breath data showed that the creature was still Storm rank, everyone knew it could not be measured by the standards of a normal Storm rank Guiyi.”
“At the same time, a large number of Guiyi suddenly appeared across the globe once more. Based on their movements, their destination was… the Polar Regions.”
“All to the Polar Regions… Don’t tell me… those Guiyi were going to fuse too?”
“That was the likely assumption. It was strange, though. Those Guiyi could have moved stealthily without revealing themselves, yet they insisted on causing chaos and passing through key urban areas. It was almost like…”
“Like they were screening for something…”
Qiu Qiqian interjected.
This time, the thought made both her and Li Meng feel a chill.
“In any case, the Association knew that if all those Guiyi were allowed to gather and fuse in the Polar Regions, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
“The Association could have immediately deployed all their combat power to eliminate the fused Guiyi, but they worried that if it were destroyed, the remaining Guiyi would simply fuse with one another. Remember, almost all the other Storm rank Guiyi were located in urban areas.”
“To resolve this crisis, the Association deliberated and finally launched a combat plan: Operation Cradle Snuff.”
“The primary objective of Operation Cradle Snuff was to send the vast majority of Nether Bodies to clear the Guiyi in the cities to reduce casualties. Meanwhile, the remaining elites would stay as close to the Polar Regions as possible to intercept those attempting to fuse while using their own power to slow the expansion of the Floating Demon Palace.”
‘That sounds incredibly grim. They were literally gambling everything.’
“But based on the final outcome, the operation was a success, wasn’t it?”
“Yes… but the cost was that only ten percent of the Youxun belonging to the Association at the time survived.”
Qiu Qiqian paused.
“While a Youxun can typically defeat at least one Storm rank Guiyi on their own, their power eventually runs dry under continuous combat and being outnumbered. In the end, seven Youxun protecting humans in the cities were sacrificed, and four Youxun stopping the expansion and fusion near the Polar Regions also perished. Two of them… were my parents.”
“…”
The living room instantly fell into a deathly silence.
Qiu Qiqian’s breath hitched, and her grip on the glass tightened slightly.
After a long while, Qiu Qiqian broke the silence of the living room with an apologetic voice.
“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked about that.”
“Oh… You don’t have to apologize, Xiao Qian! I’ve long since moved past it. Besides, didn’t I promise to tell you about Operation Cradle Snuff when we were in the cafeteria at noon?”
Li Meng quickly waved her hands, signaling Qiu Qiqian not to worry about it.
“Many people were sacrificed in that operation — not just Youxun, but also those who died fighting other Guiyi in places people couldn’t see. Every one of them is someone worth remembering.”
“Furthermore, because that operation eliminated a massive number of high-grade Guiyi, Titans and Storms have become extremely rare ten years later. At least since I took up my post, I haven’t seen a single Storm rank.”
“I see. No wonder you’re a Youxun who always ends up dealing with… well… low-level Guiyi that are beneath you.”
“Hehe. It’s a good thing that no high-level Guiyi appear. It means everyone can live a relatively peaceful life.”
“Still… your parents were sacrificed because of Guiyi. You… must really hate, or even loathe them, right? Why are you so… friendly toward me?”
“Hmm? Because you’re so cute, Xiao Qian!”
Li Meng smiled as she spoke words that were quite enough to make one blush, causing Qiu Qiqian, who had still been feeling a bit guilty, to suddenly flinch.
“Wh — what do you mean, cute? I’m being serious!”
Qiu Qiqian suppressed her embarrassment, trying her best to speak in a normal tone.
“Pfft… I saw the atmosphere was getting too serious, so I was just trying to liven things up. Hmm… maybe it’s because I’ve known about Number 680 — the Pianist — since I was a child. I understood that even among the Guiyi, there are individuals who possess goodwill, even if the probability is low… so low that…”
Li Meng suddenly looked at Qiu Qiqian again.
The softness and admiration in her eyes were almost overflowing.
“So low that… I thought there would only ever be one Guiyi in the world who was friendly toward humans, until I met you.”
Hearing this, Qiu Qiqian felt a bit awkward.
Mainly… weren’t these the kind of words used for a confession?
Could this girl not use a different phrasing?
However, to maintain her poise, she chose to close her eyes and nod slightly, putting on an act as if this were only to be expected.
“Furthermore, based on the Nether Breath emitted by a Guiyi, I can judge whether they harbor malice toward humans and whether they should be eliminated.”
“Oh?”
This piqued Qiu Qiqian’s interest.
“Then… what does my Nether Breath look like?”
“It’s… a very peculiar fragrance.”
“Huh? Fragrance?”
Qiu Qiqian blinked and raised her arm to sniff herself, not quite understanding what Li Meng was talking about.
‘Why can’t I smell anything? I thought it would be more of a bloody scent… After all, don’t Guiyi usually like blood? But… why would it be a fragrance? It couldn’t be because I’m particularly enticing, could it?’
Qiu Qiqian looked down, glancing at the faint hint of cleavage visible beneath her collar and her snow-white skin…
‘Damn it… it really might be that.’
“Yes, the scent on you, Xiao Qian… it’s a very hollow, strange fragrance. I can’t really describe it. Regardless… it isn’t unpleasant. Besides, it’s the first time I’ve ever felt such a unique Nether Breath. You really are special.”
“Ahem… Fine, fine, I get it. Hurry up and eat, or the food will get cold.”
“Ah, right! I’m not done yet. Well then, I’m digging back in!”