Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao, "I've sent you critical photos twice without a response. Is your intelligence network this incompetent?"

"..."

There was a momentary silence from Li Zhiming, a pause that spoke volumes.

Finally, Li spoke, his voice strained. "I apologize, Lord. I was verifying the information."

Wang Xiao cut to the chase. "Mayor Hasting's house is no more. I trust this will not come as a surprise."

Li Zhiming's response was tinged with a panic barely kept at bay. "Lord, this is serious. The man you're asking about is connected to Zero, under the command of Gabriel, my superior, the leader of the New World Order."

Skepticism colored Wang Xiao's tone. "Are you seeking a scapegoat, Li?"

Li's voice was earnest, almost pleading. "No, Lord! Gabriel is ambitious and ruthless. He's aiming for total control over Zero and has targeted my family to force my submission. I had no idea he'd go this far.'

"..."

Wang Xiao, his silhouette merging with the forest's shadows, pondered deeply on the call with Li Zhiming. "Aiming for complete control over Zero... Is Gabriel some power-hungry individual?" he mused, his voice a whisper among the rustling leaves.

Li Zhiming's reply came through with a hint of resignation, "I have strong ties with Prometheus lord, that might be the reason. Gabriel's recent obsession with Frostholm nation is unsettling. Given that place is closely monitored by Prometheus due to its..."

A thought struck Wang Xiao, "Is Gabriel a Deviant?"

"No, he isn't," Li quickly clarified.

"Then... does he aspire to become one?" Wang Xiao's voice was laced with curiosity.

"That's highly unlikely," Li responded. "He's too tall and big to even enter that place. And the odds of surviving that process are minimal."

"Strange..." Wang Xiao's voice trailed off as he pondered the implications.

The line went silent for a moment, filled only with the distant hoot of an owl and the soft whisper of the wind through the trees.

Wang Xiao let out a slow, measured breath, a mist in the cool night air. 'So, I haven't been discovered yet... He isn't after me...'

Yin Yue's spectral voice floated in his mind, [He must be quite cunning, to make a hell spirit his ally.]

'Possibly... A deal of some sort,' Wang Xiao contemplated, his gaze drifting over the darkened forest.

Back on the phone, Wang Xiao's decision was firm. "Gabriel is your concern, Old Li. Deal with him as necessary. And inform me immediately of any developments. Also, remove all guards from my villa. Their presence is no longer required."

Li's sigh of relief was audible even over the phone, the tension in his voice easing slightly. "Understood, Lord."

Beep!

The call's conclusion left Wang Xiao enveloped in the quietude of the forest, his thoughts swirling in the cool night air.

A sigh escaped his lips, a soft sound in the natural stillness. "Why is this becoming more complicated than it already is?" he mused internally, his brows furrowing in contemplation.

In the midst of his reverie, something caught his eye in the distance.

Squinting, he tried to make sense of the shadowy figure. "Is that a person?" he whispered to himself, curiosity piqued.

Moving cautiously, he approached the spot. But as he drew closer, the scene that unfolded before him was far grimmer than he had anticipated.

It wasn't just one person; there were more than twenty bodies.

They were soldiers, each bearing the same emblem as those who had been pursuing Anran.

Their lifeless forms lay scattered, lying without breath amidst the tranquility of the forest, their guns strewn around them.

[That one, near the tree, is breathing!] Yin Yue's voice echoed in his mind, her tone urgent.

Wang Xiao's gaze snapped to the indicated soldier.

He approached warily, his senses heightened.

The soldier Wang Xiao had been led to believe was on the brink of death turned out to be a woman, her short, silver-white hair reflecting the moonlight that filtered through the trees.

She lay against a tree, her breaths shallow and labored, a stark contrast to her delicate, almost ethereal features.

Her suit, a blend of professionalism and elegance, was marred by dark stains spreading across the fabric, a grim realization to the gunshots that had pierced her.

Wang Xiao approached cautiously, his gaze taking in the injuries that peppered her legs, the torn fabric around them revealing the severity of her wounds.

Blood seeped into the earth beneath her, her skin was pale, beads of sweat on her forehead indicating the pain she was enduring.

Yin Yue's voice, usually dispassionate, carried a note of urgency. [She's still alive, but she won't last long with those injuries.]

Wang Xiao knelt beside the wounded soldier, his hands expertly assessing her condition. "Stay with me," he said, his voice calm and commanding.

The woman's eyes fluttered open, focusing with difficulty on the figure before her.

The pain was a white-hot blaze in her consciousness, yet there was a resilience in her gaze, a steely determination that not even her critical condition could diminish.

Through gritted teeth, Luna tried to speak, her voice a hoarse whisper. "You..."

Wang Xiao's response was both swift and practical. He grabbed a nearby piece of cloth and, with remarkable speed, wrapped it around Luna's right leg to staunch the bleeding, which had been flowing rapidly.

As Luna's eyelashes trembled, her consciousness fading, Wang Xiao gently lifted her onto his shoulder, ready for action. With determination in his eyes, he soared through the air, heading straight for the villa.

A deafening "Booom!" echoed as Wang Xiao touched down right outside the villa's entrance, forcefully pushing the door open in one fluid motion.

"Huh?"

"What's happening here?"

Wang Xiao's voice trailed off, a blend of bewilderment and curiosity in his tone as he crossed the threshold of the villa.

The interior of the villa unfolded before him like a scene from a play. Anran, perched casually on a stool by the dining table, was swinging her legs back and forth in a rhythm that matched the hum of the villa.

The moment the doors of villa opened — Her head turned sharply, her hair following a moment later.

Her eyes darted not just to Wang Xiao, but lingered curiously on the shadowy figure over his shoulder.

A few feet away, Aisha, the freeloader, lounged in her own world. Engrossed in a glossy magazine, she barely looked up until Wang Xiao's presence became undeniable.

!!

As their eyes met, her body tensed, and she quickly ducked behind the magazine, as if it could shield her from the reality of her situation.

The villa itself was a spectacle of cleanliness and light. Every corner shone, reflecting the numerous lights that illuminated the space. The enticing aroma of food filled the air, tugging at Wang Xiao's senses, reminding him of a hunger he had neglected.