A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

The cinema restroom was dead silent. The only sounds were the drip of running water and... footsteps.

Inside one of the stalls, Ke Mingqing sat perfectly still on the toilet lid.

The footsteps drew closer and louder. To him, they sounded like a rising tide about to drown the world.

The young man's pupils contracted, his heart pounding violently.

He wasn't just sitting there waiting to die, though. He had immediately brought up his player Chat Panel, using his thoughts to type out a message. [Ke Mingqing: How far are you from Wanxiang Movie Theater?]

Kuroki Hitomi replied in less than a second.

[Kuroki Hitomi: I just finished a dungeon with them. Isn't your movie theater on the next street over? I'm very close. Just a few steps away.] [Ke Mingqing: Come over as fast as you can. When I send you a message, use the Red String of Fate to pull me away immediately. Understand?]

[Kuroki Hitomi: Understood. But what happened?]

[Ke Mingqing: No time to explain. Hurry.]

Deathly silence.

The entire world went absolutely quiet; even the running water seemed to have stopped. Ke Mingqing clamped a hand over his mouth and nose, cutting off his breathing entirely.

He knew exactly what would happen if Ke Linye opened that door right now and found a second "Ke Mingqing" hiding behind it. Without a doubt... he would be a dead man.

A tornado raged through Ke Mingqing's mind, his thoughts spinning in a torrential storm.

I could use my Disguiser talent to take on Giovanni's face, Ke Mingqing thought. But would that really get me off the hook?

No, absolutely not. He immediately vetoed the idea. With Big Brother's personality... even if I had Giovanni's face, he'd still attack me. He might even tie me up and drag me back.

No matter what form I take, if I step into his line of sight right now, I'm finished.

Even in the absolute best-case scenario where he doesn't capture me... the moment he realizes someone is in this restroom, he'll check the cinema hallway's security footage.

Giovanni entered the hallway with Bai Ziling. Big Brother would eventually figure out that the white-haired girl who lured him away was with Giovanni.

That would just make him more suspicious of the connection between Giovanni and me, and I'd still be dead meat in the end.

So I can't let Big Brother get suspicious of Giovanni. I can't let him see Giovanni at all. It's the only way to guarantee they won't go digging through the security footage later.

He absolutely cannot see me. I can't give them a single reason to be suspicious.

The moment his thoughts reached this conclusion, Ke Mingqing suppressed his breathing to the absolute limit and raised his other hand.

A small paper doll with a gloomy expression abruptly appeared on his palm.

It was unmistakably the philosopher summoned by the Gate of Truth:

Plato.

Ke Mingqing stared at the stall door, then lowered his gaze. Through the tiny gap at the bottom, he checked the shadow standing outside. Tap...

Tap, tap...

The flow of time seemed to slow to a crawl.

So slow that a single second stretched into a century.

At that instant, the person outside applied a fraction of force. The stall door shuddered, threatening to burst open in the next second.

Ke Mingqing moved. Pressing his index finger against the small paper doll's mouth, he issued a silent command in his mind:

Allegory of the Cave.

Instantly, the cold voice of the system rang in his ears.

[Philosopher Plato's skill activated—Allegory of the Cave (Briefly teleports your body into a cave, returning you to reality after 10 seconds. However, during this period, your mind will be continuously subjected to hallucinatory interference. There is a probability that you will be unable to leave.)]

In a flash, Ke Mingqing was swallowed by a sudden spatial rift.

Like a wad of toilet paper flushed down a drain, the young man vanished from the stall without a single sound.

When Ke Mingqing opened his eyes again, he was standing inside a pitch-black cave.

Deep within the cave behind him, a few torches seemed to be burning.

Outside the cave was pure darkness; looking out, he could see nothing but a flowing expanse of chaos, like the universe at the dawn of creation. Right now, by the faint, scattered firelight, he could see mottled shadows swaying against the cave walls. The shadows occasionally bared their fangs and brandished their claws, sometimes warping into the seductive figure of a woman, and at other times shifting into a girl on a burning pyre, letting out a low, mocking laugh.

Listening to the laughter echoing from behind him, Ke Mingqing's nerves drew taut.

"Don't look back, don't look back." The small paper doll shivered, hugging its knees as it curled up in his palm.

Ke Mingqing swallowed hard.

[After a 10-second countdown, you will return to reality from the cave. Please remain conscious during this period.]

At that moment, the illusion cast by the firelight on the wall—a presence that resembled both a beast and a wanton woman—suddenly leaned out and threw its arms around Ke Mingqing's shoulders.

Ke Mingqing's body sank as if entangled by an earthbound spirit. The laughter abruptly grew clear, piercing his ears like a demonic screech. He took a deep breath, clamped his hands over his ears, shut his eyes tight, and chanted silently in his heart:

The longer I stay in this cave, the higher the chance Big Brother leaves. If I return to that stall before he's gone... I'm finished.

[9 seconds...]

Stay conscious. The young man fought the pulling force from behind him.

[8 seconds...]

I need to stay conscious. The young man gripped his head, carefully pacing his breaths.

[7 seconds...]

"Stay conscious... I absolutely can't pass out. I have to leave the cave before the final second ends, or I'll be trapped here," the young man hissed.

[6 seconds...]

"Survive," he murmured softly.

[5 seconds...]

"I have to survive."

His consciousness began to blur; he suddenly felt all the strength drain from his body.

[4 seconds...]

"Did Big Brother leave...? Where am I?"

He looked up. The world was a hazy blur, like a sea after the tide had gone out.

[3 seconds...]

"So sleepy..."

His eyelids drooped. The force behind him wrapped him up like a chrysalis. He felt incredibly comfortable, like an infant falling into a deep slumber in its cradle.

[2 seconds...]

Ke Mingqing swayed on the verge of collapse. The hands clutching his head fell limply away, and the girl's laughter rang clearly in his ears.

[1 second...]

He was about to close his eyes completely.

But in that very moment, a Chat Panel suddenly Popped up in front of his eyes.

[Kuroki Hitomi: I'm here. I'm right outside that alley you mentioned.]

[Kuroki Hitomi: Are you there?]

Seeing the text on the panel, Ke Mingqing's pupils abruptly contracted.

In an instant, he snapped wide awake.

In the final second before the countdown ended, he tightened his grip on the sluggish paper doll. Shrouded in deep blue lightning, he launched himself forward like an arrow released from its bow, streaking straight toward the cave's exit.

The world shattered like a fleeting dream. Amidst the sound of fragmentation, Ke Mingqing's vision went black, and he briefly lost consciousness.

Ten seconds earlier, in reality, outside the restroom stall.

Ke Linye slightly lowered the brim of his baseball cap and stared at the stall door. He slowly reached out, rested his hand on the doorknob, and gave it a light twist.

Surprisingly, the door was unlocked.

Slowly and effortlessly, Ke Linye pushed the stall door open.

When he looked inside, he saw only an entirely ordinary scene: a roll of toilet paper dropped on the floor, a couple of cigarette butts in the trash can, a perfectly clean toilet lid, and faint traces of waste in the bowl.

Ke Linye raised an eyebrow.

He stepped into the stall, checked his surroundings, and found nothing unusual.

Was I overthinking it?

Even so, the corners of his lips curled up, and he suddenly gave his hand a slight raise.

In an instant, pitch-black moonlight flashed through every corner of the restroom, slicing through the air like a gouging blade.

If anyone had been hiding in the restroom right then, they would have been minced into a pile of mangled flesh by the black moonlight. Blood would have splattered all over the ceiling.

However, nothing happened. The black moonlight snuffed out in a flash, leaving only Ke Linye quietly standing in place.

"I really was overthinking it... This is all Second Sister's fault for making me so paranoid."

Ke Linye shrugged in self-mockery. Then, he slowly turned around. He was just about to step out of the restroom when a subtle noise came from behind him.

The sound was incredibly faint and light.

It was as imperceptible as the dripping of water, yet it still fell into Ke Linye's ears.

His expression shifted slightly. In the very next second, he spun back around, quickening his pace as he headed toward the final stall. At the same time, inside that exact stall...

Because the maximum time limit for Allegory of the Cave had been reached, Ke Mingqing had been forcibly ejected from the otherworldly cave, returning to reality.

And so, he found himself sitting on the toilet lid once again, met with the same restroom and its mediocre sanitation.

His consciousness was not yet fully clear; the hoarse whispers of the cave still seemed to linger around his ears.

He held his breath and slowly raised his head, immediately assessing his surroundings. The door was open, which meant Ke Linye had already investigated the stall and left.

But in the very next second, Ke Mingqing heard it again.

Those despair-inducing footsteps.

Tap...

Tap, tap...

Feeling as if he had fallen into a hallucination or been dragged exactly ten seconds back in time, Ke Mingqing abruptly widened his eyes.

Ten whole seconds passed, and Big Brother still hasn't left? What a fucking monster. The young man's eyelids twitched, his gaze darting around. Ke Linye's footsteps were significantly faster this time, as if he was absolutely certain someone was in the stall.

In less than two seconds, his brother would step right in front of the stall and spot him inside!

Hunching over, Ke Mingqing sat quietly on the toilet like a dead monk, not making a single sound. Yet his heart beat violently, as if thousands of tiny people were furiously stomping on it, threatening to burst it open in the next second!

Ke Mingqing's mind was still groggy, but his consciousness was rapidly clearing.

Tracking the hurried footsteps, he instantly opened the Chat Panel and sent a single digit.

[Ke Mingqing: 1.]

In the very next instant, the young man lowered his head slightly and witnessed an unbelievable sight.

Above the pinky finger of his right hand, a red string abruptly appeared. The string hung down to the floor and trailed off into the distance, climbing out the window to connect with the alley outside.

It was unmistakably Kuroki Hitomi's Red String of Fate.

Staring at the string, Ke Mingqing snapped out of his daze. The massive boulder hanging over his heart finally plummeted. In the very next instant, he vanished from the restroom.

At that exact moment, Ke Linye stopped outside the stall. Eyebrows raised, he stared quietly inside.

The stall was still completely empty, and the other details were no different from what he had seen moments ago.

Oh? Could that noise have come from outside?

Thinking this, Ke Linye turned his head to look at the window at the end of the restroom.

He walked over and pushed it open a sliver. Through this narrow gap, he could peek into the adjacent alley. Pressing his cheek to the glass, he peered outside.

He saw it. A sight he couldn't tear his eyes away from.

In the cramped alleyway below, a young girl in a cotton-linen dress had her back pressed against the wall. A teenage boy had his arms raised, cradling her head.

He lowered his head and leaned in close.

The two of them kissed, locked in an embrace like passionate young lovers.

Ke Linye couldn't see the girl's face from this angle, but he had a clear view of the boy.

He tilted his head, quietly observing the young man's face.

It wasn't a familiar face; he just looked like an utterly ordinary high schooler.

"Sigh, kids these days..."

Ke Linye blinked and withdrew his gaze from the window. After a long moment, his lips curled into a helpless smile.

A few seconds earlier, a girl in a cotton-linen dress had hurried into the narrow, empty alleyway directly behind Wanxiang Cinema.

Finding it empty, she kept walking. Just then, the Red String of Fate tied to her thumb suddenly pulled taut, transmitting a pulse.

It meant Ke Mingqing was nearby.

At the same time, a Chat Panel Pop-up abruptly appeared in front of her eyes.

[Ke Mingqing: Pull me away, now!]

Kuroki Hitomi activated the third ability of the Red String of Fate with almost zero hesitation.

[Description: When you are close enough to your Contract target, you can use the Red String of Fate to instantly pull them to your side.] As the system notification chimed in the very next second, a teenage boy in a theater attendant uniform suddenly materialized beside her. Shrouded in the alley's deep shadows, the boy stood dazed for a moment before his right foot kicked an empty soda can.

"Are you okay?"

Kuroki Hitomi looked up, staring quietly into Ke Mingqing's eyes. His expression was vacant.

It took Ke Mingqing half a second to react. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and marched her briskly toward the alley's exit.

"What on earth happened?"

Kuroki Hitomi asked his back, completely stunned.

"Never mind that, just walk," Ke Mingqing hissed, keeping an eye on the cinema restroom window in his peripheral vision. Kuroki Hitomi nodded and fell silent, quickening her pace to keep up.

But before they could reach the end of the alley, Ke Mingqing saw it. A bony hand pushed the restroom window open. Then, a person leaned out slightly, peering straight into the alley.

Ke Mingqing's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly reacted.

Yanking his right hand, he pulled Kuroki Hitomi back and gently pinned her against the alley wall. Then he leaned forward, pressing close to her face.

Kuroki Hitomi stared at the face so close to hers. She gazed blankly into his eyes, failing to comprehend what he was doing.

The next moment, the young man lowered his head and kissed her lips.

He raised his arms in an embrace, using them to shield the side of her face.

It was the only way to prevent Big Brother from seeing what she looked like. Otherwise, Ke Linye would recognize her as Kuroki Hitomi at a single glance.

Feeling his lips on hers, the tear-mole girl froze entirely in place. A long moment later, a drunken flush crept over her cheeks. At first, she raised her hands to push against his chest in an attempt to resist, but in the end, her arms fell limply to her sides.

The very next second, she gently wrapped her arms around his back and closed her eyes.

At the same time, Ke Mingqing used the Disguiser Talent to alter his appearance, turning himself into a random high school boy. He kept Kuroki Hitomi's face hidden with his arms, but deliberately left his own cheek exposed so Ke Linye could get a clear look at his current face from the window.

A moment later, as the figure shut the restroom window, Ke Mingqing slowly released the tear-mole girl's wrists and leaned back.

Their lips parted.

The tear-mole girl stood rooted to the spot, completely flustered. Her ears and cheeks were flushed beet red. She had no idea how to react.

But Ke Mingqing simply grabbed her hand and headed for the exit without looking back.

The boy and girl hurried away, their figures soon melting into the bright sunlight. The buzzing of the cicadas was deafening.

At the same time, inside the men's restroom of Wanxiang Cinema.

In the quiet, Ke Linye closed the window, fished his phone out of his work uniform pocket, and opened WeChat. He sent a message to the contact saved as "Dearest Second Sister."

[Ke Linye: Second Sister, I hate you.]

The other party quickly replied with a single punctuation mark.

[Xia Lingxue: ?]

Ke Linye yawned, his fingers tapping away on the screen before hitting send.

[Ke Linye: You've made me just as high-strung as you are. Promise me you'll learn to relax a bit from now on, okay?] [System Notification: You have been blocked by WeChat user "Xia Lingxue".]

Looking at the red exclamation mark on the screen, Ke Linye chuckled softly and tucked the phone back into his uniform pocket.

Then, he strolled out of the stuffy restroom and soon returned to Screening Hall 4.

The air conditioning was blowing cold air into the dim screening hall. Looking ahead, "Ke Mingqing" was still sitting motionless in his seat, the Brain Imaging Helmet firmly on his head.

Ke Linye shoved his hands into his pockets, quietly walked down the center aisle, and took a seat beside Xia Lingxue.

He didn't say a word, only raising his head to watch the screen.

After a moment of silence, Ke Linye finally spoke up:

"Nothing strange. Ah Qing probably just went to the restroom."

"Is that right. No one asked you to go check."

Xia Lingxue had her arms crossed and a lollipop in her mouth, her expression deadpan as she toyed with her phone.

Ke Linye shrugged. "More importantly, are Ah Qing's test results out?"

"The Brain Imaging Helmet didn't detect any anomalies. The images his eyes perceive are no different from an ordinary person's," Xia Lingxue said, looking at the data page on her phone. "Since that's the case, we can confirm that Ah Qing is fine, right?" Ke Linye asked.

Xia Lingxue nodded.

Ke Linye stood up as if a great weight had been lifted. Reaching past Xia Lingxue, he pulled the pitch-black helmet off Ke Mingqing's head.

"Great Enforcer, remember to ask the cinema staff to delete the surveillance footage later," he reminded her, the corners of his lips turning up slightly. "I had them turn off the cameras before I even entered the screening hall," Xia Lingxue replied.

"Then I'll get going," Ke Linye said, holding the helmet. He let out a yawn, his eyelids drooping. "I was already exhausted, and you dragged me all the way here to waste my time. How are you going to compensate me?"

"Is your time worth anything?"

Xia Lingxue retorted.

"Saying things like that will break your brother's heart," Ke Linye said mildly. "Remember to apologize to Ah Qing later."

"I'll apologize when he finally figures out our identities."

"Truly my sister. More awkward and stubborn than anyone."

Smiling faintly, Ke Linye tucked the helmet under his arm and left the screening hall.

The screening hall was quiet. The movie had reached its end.

As the ending theme played, the credits rolled through the darkness.

A moment later, the Theater Puppet sitting next to Xia Lingxue woke up.

It slowly opened its eyes and held its head, muttering:

"What just happened? Why am I so dizzy?"

"You fell asleep," Xia Lingxue said. "How does it feel to dream in a movie theater?"

"It's alright, I guess." The Theater Puppet yawned. "Not as good as sleeping at home. Let's head back."

Xia Lingxue nodded and handed him a lollipop.

The Theater Puppet took the lollipop and cast her a confused glance.

"A friend of mine used to apologize to me like this, even though I don't like sweets."

"Baffling." The puppet unwrapped the candy, popped it into its mouth, and stood up, walking out of the screening hall ahead of her.

Xia Lingxue sat quietly in the dark until the credits finished rolling. Only then did she get up and follow the Theater Puppet.

The two of them soon left Wanxiang Cinema and walked down the street.

The bustling atmosphere of everyday life washed over them. A vendor hawked candied haws by his cart on the sidewalk. Delivery riders zipped past the street corner on electric scooters with beeping horns, and pedestrians came and went in the bright sunlight.

The Theater Puppet was looking down at its phone when it suddenly clutched its stomach.

"Sis, my stomach hurts a bit. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that popcorn." Its stomach let out a gurgle. Xia Lingxue stopped and looked around. "There's a public restroom over there. I'll wait for you here."

"Oh, okay. I'll be quick!"

The Theater Puppet nodded and scurried into the public restroom, clutching its stomach.

Public restrooms on the street were generally far more gruesome than the ones inside the cinema, since movie theaters didn't see nearly as much foot traffic.

The puppet walked straight to the middle stall and pushed the door open. Ke Mingqing's true body was already inside, waiting.

The young man had his head lowered, pressing a wet tissue over his nose. He clearly couldn't stand the stench.

The Theater Puppet silently closed the stall door. In the next two seconds, they exchanged their clothes—the T-shirt, shorts, sneakers, and the attendant uniform.

At the same time, the Theater Puppet shifted its appearance to that of the Italian youth, Giovanni.

Ke Mingqing deactivated his Disguiser talent, reverting to his original appearance. He laced up his sneakers, slowly stood up from the toilet lid, and opened the stall door.

Toying with his phone, the young man stepped out of the public restroom ahead of the puppet.

Giovanni's Mobile Phone is still in Screening Hall 5, Ke Mingqing thought. I didn't have a choice. If Heimeng had seen everything that just happened, she would be suspicious of me.

Thinking of this, he sighed and put away his phone, looking up at the ice-cold woman standing in the distance.

"Let's go, Sis," Ke Mingqing said as he walked over. "Why don't we go sit at that cafe Big Brother always goes to? I think it's nearby."

"Do you want to go?" Xia Lingxue asked, crossing her arms.

"Yeah."

"Then let's go," Xia Lingxue said. "But on one condition. If you see a white-haired old man in the cafe, don't talk to him." "Why not?" Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow.

"He'll be a bad influence on you."

As she spoke, Xia Lingxue reached out and gently ruffled Ke Mingqing's hair.

Not long after the siblings left, back inside the public restroom.

In the silence, Giovanni changed into the attendant uniform and hit the flush button. Amidst the rush of running water, he got up from the toilet and headed back to the cinema.

He scanned his ticket at the entrance to get back in.

The viewing corridor was dead silent, save for the muffled roar of movie sound effects drifting out from behind closed doors. The walls were lined with movie posters from 2010 to the present, making him feel as if he were walking through a bizarre, kaleidoscopic tunnel.

A moment later, Giovanni pushed open the door to Screening Hall 7 and stepped inside.

He looked around in the dim light until he finally caught sight of the white-haired girl.

Bai Ziling sat alone in a corner seat, hugging her knees as she quietly watched the movie playing on the screen. She was very obedient; she hadn't taken a single step out of the screening hall from start to finish, simply waiting in silence for him to come back.

Giovanni stayed silent for a moment before walking over and sitting down beside her.

Bai Ziling turned her head and gazed blankly at him. It was a long moment before she spoke softly:

"I was waiting for you."

Giovanni stroked her head, her snow-white hair slipping through his fingers like water.

"Yeah. Everything is fine now," he said softly. "My phone is still in Screening Hall 5. I'll go get it in a bit. Then we can book tickets again?"

"Watching this movie is fine too," Bai Ziling replied.

"Didn't you want to watch the Doraemon movie?" Giovanni asked.

Bai Ziling shook her head.

"I just wanted to watch a movie with Giovanni. It doesn't matter what we watch," she said.

In the darkness, the girl looked up from beneath her snow-white bangs and gazed at him quietly. The glow of the screen illuminated her red eyes. Their eyes met.

Giovanni was stunned for a moment. Then, he looked away from her face, turning his gaze back to the screen.

"Giovanni, do you want me to tell you what happened in the plot just now?" Bai Ziling asked softly.

"Alright, since I missed half an hour," Giovanni said mildly. "Tell me about it."

"Don't you need to get your phone?"

"I'll get it after the movie."

"Okay."

"Bai Ziling."

"What is it, Giovanni?"

"Thank you."

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