QT: Against My Will

154 3.14.59 – Ho Ho Ho – Downfall of Humanity

Bing Shi pushed Kuro into his arms, “Don’t forget to return it to me tomorrow. In case you don’t want it to see something, cover it with a towel. Ah, I forgot something.” She went inside again and returned with a squished mouse plushie, “Kuro’s toy. Do you know the saying? Who needs love when you have a dog? In my case, a snake. Take it as a thank you gift for revealing information about Sharkie,” she patted Kuro’s head and waved at the stunned Ziek, “Good night.” She closed the door with a happy smile.

She was afraid that the HQ would put Xuan Mu into a reincarnation cycle. Bing Shi squealed excitedly in her mind. How should she celebrate it? She picked up her unfinished cup of ramen and slurped in the cold noodles, her appetite returned.

From Ziek, she could tell that Xuan Mu wouldn’t appear. How could a few memories overthrow a person? Especially a stubborn boy like Ziek? Also, what would be the point for all these missions? She was sure that the moment she slags off, the HQ will punish her by taking him away. Still, it felt nice to know that Xuan Mu’s soul was nearby.

While tears fell down her eyes, she grinned happily. It’s fine; she went through worse before. A sleeping healthy Xuan Mu was much better than the sickly mute Xuan Mu in the hospital bed. After finishing her noodles, she picked up her tablet and continued to make plans for her missions.

· · — · ???· — · ·

Ziek sat on the bed opposite of his laptop. With Kuro on his lap, he chatted with it through the screen, typing, “Is it possible to build a similar system like you?”

Kuro: It’s possible, but without infusing it with energy points and HQ’s approval to possess a body, you’ll be unable to use it.

“Can Bing Shi see me? What is she doing right now?” asked Ziek. He didn’t know if Bing Shi was irresponsible or not. She was telling him all of these secrets for free. Was she not afraid that he’ll take advantage of it? He doubted it. There were still many things he didn’t know about her.

Kuro: Only if she wants to. She’s currently working on a mission.

.....

He picked up his phone to see the pictures she sent to him. “Do you think she is pretty?” asking, he showed Kuro the photo of Bing Shi in her worst state.

Kuro nodded enthusiastically.

Kuro: My host is the prettiest.

This snake was face blind like its host... How could she say that her boyfriend, covered in acne, was the most handsome man on earth?! When she showed him that man’s picture during his puberty, he couldn’t recognize him at all! And worst of all, he was becoming one of them! Dammit, why did he find her chubby side cute?!

If it were before, he would accept Fu Lian’s offer. But now? He didn’t care at all! Bing Shi was flipping his world view upside down! She was so... argh!! He was thinking about her all day long! So frustrating!

“Go back,” after getting enough information, he ordered Kuro to return.

Kuro tilted its head.

Kuro: Why?

Ziek looked at Kuro with a deadpan expression, “You know why.”

Kuro covered its mouth with its tail and started to giggle.

Ziek’s mouth twitched, grabbing the snake and the mouse, he threw it out of his room. Smiling, he closed the door and took off his clothes. Laying down on the bed, he went through the things she loathed.

“She doesn’t like to be courted?”

“She doesn’t like surprise gifts?”

“She doesn’t like to cook?”

“She doesn’t like to wash the dishes?”

“She doesn’t like children?”

.

.

.

That girl really knew how to make a man run away. If he didn’t know better, he would feel repulsed by the sheer amount of things she disliked.

Ziek put away his phone and closed his eyes.

She would be free in two years.

But would it still be him in two years?

· · — · ???· — · ·

[“Kuro, exploration time ??.”]

Kuro picked up the mouse toy with its mouth, looking around, it slithered around the narrow halfway. This ship was not a combat ship. In the past, it was used for transportation and deployment of special forces as well as equipment and supplies.

Kuro stopped before a large steeled double door, going inside, Bing Shi watched in amazement at the scenery inside.

The moon outside shined brightly through the rooftop windows at the dimly lit, humongous indoor greenhouse. Row after row of fresh leaf and delicate petal sprouted through the fertile soil.

The variety and amount of vegetables were more than enough to cook a hearty winter soup. There were plenty of carrots, cabbage, potatoes, bunches of cilantro, and other herbs.

Grow pipes – small diameter heating tubes that ran through the impressive tall crop canopies helped plants like cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, and zucchinis, to grow properly.

Dwarf fruit trees like apples, pears, oranges, tangerines, plums, peaches, blueberries, and lemons lined the perfect lawn in their large ceramic pots. One could drink in the beautiful lush colors and aroma like a panacea.

Slithering to the center, there was a pond as large as a small lake with flowering lily pads and a wooden bridge that crossed the middle so you could look down at the fish, swimming lively in all directions.

‘Where did he find living animals?!’

Because this world was contaminated by the virus, during the trial, most animals went into extinction. Wind pollinated crops like wheat, rice, corn, rye, barley, and oats, was agriculture, which was unable to thrive without worms. Humans were forced to take the bee’s and worm’s job – pollinating the crops and oxidizing the soil.

The only ecosystem, which didn’t require any care and thrived beautifully during this disastrous Apocalypse were trees and weeds in the forests and woods. With no animals, there were no pests, which resulted in an abundance of unedible greenery.

Plants were slowly killing the abandoned cities. It’s as if mother nature was taking her revenge on us, ungrateful humans...