"But I do agree with you…

...this is truly disgusting."

​​

The group continued to look at the dozen people that were sprawled around them, lying unconscious on top of tables.

"Just what are they doing here?" Xinyan, the only woman in the group, continued to utter her breaths as she covered her mouth in disgust.

"Hm…" Their leader, Qiye, could not help but shake his head, "They used System Holders to suppress the normal population… and now that they could no longer control their System Holders, they turn the normal population into something more…

...How poetic."

"Is it truly like that?"

"They are control freaks are what they are."

"But how are they even doing this? Shouldn't their technology be inferior to ours?"

"Does that matter? Why did they tell us to wait in this creepy place?" Feng butted in on the conversation, "These things are not going to wake up, are they?"

"Stop jinxing--"

And as soon as he said that, one of the people lying on the bed slowly started to sit up.

"..."

"So that was that, huh…" Feng once again spat on the floor as he cracked his knuckles, "Even the Circle here is full of slithering fucks. What was the name of the orange-haired monkey again?"

"Ronald."

"Tch," Feng once again spat on the floor, "Well, if they wanted us to test their toys, they should have just told us. We need the warm-up anyway before we destroy Charlotte…

...Let me handle all of these things."

"...Go ahead," Qiye said before he and the rest of the group stood to the side of the room.

"You guys don't even need to blink!"

***

"G… guh."

Xinyan was currently grasping her arm, blood profusely trailing from it. Her breaths were loud enough to make her own ears ring as she leaned her body at a corner of the spacious room.

She then looked beside her, the smallest and youngest one in their group was also leaning his back on the wall. His eyes, however, were lifeless.

"W… wake up, brother… please wake up."

She tried to wake up her brother, but the only answer she received was his body dropping to the floor, folding in half as his caved stomach caused his spine to snap. The sound of his brother's bones snapping in the air made Xinyan let out a light gasp.

However, this was not the time for her to relax, as in front of her, were a dozen naked people, looking at her without any emotions in their eyes.

"S… stay away!" She stretched her hands and a thousand miniature icicles instantly appeared in front of her. The icicles quickly flew, shooting towards the naked people.

But alas, the icicles shattered instantly as soon as they made contact with their bodies. Seeing this, Xinyan could only bite her tongue as she closed her eyes.

"I am taking all of you with me!" She screamed, but before she could do anything, a loud voice reverberated throughout the whole room.

"That's enough, all of you can take a break now."

With those words, the dozen humans in front of Xinyan fidgeted. And soon, a smile appeared on their emotionless faces.

"Did you see that!?"

"We… we defeated System Holders!"

"This… this is amazing!"

"Why do we need to be naked though?"

"Who cares! This is all worth it"

"Let's go get something to eat then!"

"W… what?" Xinyan's eyes could only tremble as she watched as the previously emotionless people in front of her started walking away, their laughs echoing through her ears.

"...What?" She once again repeated as her mouth remained open, letting out all the confusion that clouded her mind.

And soon, she heard a series of claps. She quickly turned her head towards the noise, only to see the orange-haired man, Ronald, approaching her.

"You…" Xinyan muttered, "What you have done here will not remain unpunished! Once my country gets news of what--"

"Oh, but China is aware of what we are doing here, dear."

"W… what?"

"Did you really think that they'd be sending only 5 of you to deal with someone like Charlotte? Pft…" Ronald could not help but burst out in laughter as soon as he finished his words.

"Charlotte is the epitome of System Holders," he said as he stretched his arms and turned his head upwards, "You think low-quality System Holders like you will be capable of actually scratching her? Even a thousand of you are not capable of doing that."

"...What?"

"But alas, she too, is but a relic of the past." Ronald then once again put his hands together.

"Just… what are you saying?" Xinyan let out a deep breath, "Why keep me alive!?"

"Well, that's always been our deal with your country," Ronald muttered, "We only need one of you alive to report back to them."

"Huh?"

"Clean up, you will be leaving in a few hours." Ronald then nonchalantly waved his hand as he gestured to Xinyan to leave, "Also… tell them to send stronger ones next time, we will have more the next time. Oh, and tell them...

...Welcome to the future."

And with those words, Ronald casually turned around and left, no longer giving Xinyan any mind as he jumped over one of her dead comrades.

There were more? Just what are they trying to do here? Xinyan was completely at a loss. Are they using them to clear the Portals faster? But the birth rate of System Holders was climbing up exponentially year by year… It doesn't make sense to create something like this.

Xinyan then remembered what their leader said, about losing control of their citizens… Are they creating them… to suppress their population? Was that just it? A desire to stay relevant? But why was their country involved?

Just what… is the Circle planning?

"..." Xinyan's eyes could only widen as they once again trailed across her dead comrades. They… they were just a part of the deal? Their country sold them? Her brother died for something like this?

With her thoughts racing inside her mind, Xinyan's jaw started to tremble as a small stutter whispered from her mouth.

"You think… I would just let this go?"