The next day, when Coco woke up, Feng Ye had already prepared breakfast. The little girl pressed down her unruly hair while yawning as she shuffled out of her bedroom. She climbed straight onto the sofa and sat down. Glancing at Feng Ye bringing out the breakfast, she actually drifted back to sleep on the sofa, hugging her plush toy.
Feng Ye didn’t notice at first. When he went to her room to wake her, he found the bed empty. Scratching his head, he circled the living room and finally spotted her sleeping on the sofa again, much to his amused exasperation.
After waking Coco up, Feng Ye led her to the bathroom. He made her stand before the mirror to brush her teeth while he combed her hair with a damp comb.
"Brother."
Coco mumbled through her toothbrush, watching Feng Ye in the mirror.
"Hmm?"
Surprised she’d called him "Brother" for once, Feng Ye asked, "What’s up?"
"How long until Rollroll comes back?"
"You mean that goof?" Feng Ye’s lips twitched slightly. "Probably within two or three days. At the latest, no more than five." Rollroll was the Siberian Husky the siblings had adopted. Strangely, that husky had somehow become an Awakened too.
"Oh."
Coco murmured softly, but Feng Ye still heard her worry. He comforted her, "Don’t worry. That silly dog’s such a coward, he won’t get taken out easily."
"I’m not worried about that stupid dog," Coco spat out the foam, then glared unhappily at Feng Ye in the mirror. "Brother, you’re going out today, right?"
Every time Feng Ye had to leave, Coco always had a premonition.
"Yeah, I haven’t finished the Awakened Association’s Beast-hunting quota. I need to team up to eliminate one." As he spoke, he finished tidying her hair.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Not really. In the city, we rarely meet dangerous Beasts. Even if we do, the Awakened Association handles it. Their reinforcements arrive fast." Feng Ye watched his sister in the mirror—freshly washed and lovely again—and patted her hair. "Alright, let’s eat breakfast."
Breakfast was well-balanced: sandwiches Feng Ye made himself, stuffed with fried eggs, ham, and lettuce. Each had a glass of milk too. Feng Ye watched until Coco drank every drop, then wiped the milk from her mouth despite her grumpy face.
"I’m heading out. Stay safe alone, Coco. Order takeout if you’re hungry—have the downstairs security guard bring it up." After cleaning the dishes, Feng Ye adjusted his clothes while speaking to her.
"Got it! Got it!" Coco replied absentmindedly. Post-breakfast, she’d bounced back to her usual self. But biting her lip, she added, "Brother... you be careful too."
Being an Awakened brought perks but also high risks. Mortality rates were brutal, especially in Overdeity tasks—only two or three out of ten often survived. Though Coco had never joined a mission, she’d read the stats online. She knew her brother’s job was deadly.
Feng Ye smiled. "Don’t worry. I’ll bring you tasty treats later."
Closing the door, Feng Ye felt a pang of guilt leaving her alone in the empty apartment. He steeled himself and left, sighing inwardly, "Rollroll really got summoned at the worst time." Before, that husky always kept Coco company during his missions. This time, the goof was gone... At least this trip would take less than a day. He gathered his thoughts, determined to finish fast and return. Truth was, he’d retired years ago largely to care for Coco.
...
The Celestial Observatory sat in Zone 7 of Haven City. Feng Ye took the subway there. Though he rarely left home, the map kept him from getting lost. After a few transfers, he reached the nearest station.
Ads lined the station walls. Unlike old times featuring movie stars, these showcased famous Awakened. For instance, Alice, the Enchantress—an A-Rank Awakened ranked top thousand in Haven City—filled a billboard projection. She struck a seductive pose, shiny lipstick in hand. Though static, her bewitching gaze was hypnotic. Male pedestrians kept walking into walls, too entranced by her fair legs and ample chest.
"No wonder her ads are banned near roads..." Feng Ye instantly grasped the city planners’ wisdom. If her face lit up crossroad LEDs, traffic would collapse.
Nearby, Mr. Mike—the so-called Awakened Father-in-Law—beamed in a family photo, cradling his newborn daughter and wife. A pyramid of powdered milk buckets sat on their table.
Seeing this, Feng Ye couldn’t help wondering: if he hadn’t retired, would he drown in ad offers too? What would he pick?
Lost in thought, he exited the subway. Ahead loomed a huge oval building—the famed Celestial Observatory. Rumor said it housed Beast research labs, focused on detecting interdimensional rifts to lock Beast positions the moment they crossed over.
"Celestial Observatory. This is it." Feng Ye studied the peculiar structure thoughtfully, then moved on to find Entrance A as arranged.
Soon, in a crowded spot, he spotted a gate marked "Entrance A." Just before it stood a small fountain, ringed by benches—a clear rest area.
...
