"Clang—"
It was not the sound of metal striking metal.
It was closer to a string—drawn to its absolute limit—snapping somewhere in the void.
Thin. Taut.
Yet the shockwave it produced rippled across the world, folding the very air of every city into visible distortions.
Morning arrived as it always did.
Softly.
Gently peeling away the darkness that had shrouded the planet.
The sun rose.
The tides receded.
Everything looked… normal.
But the moment humanity opened their eyes—
Silence took over.
Absolute.
Every screen lit up at the exact same second.
This time, there were no screams.
Only lines of text—
Bleeding slowly onto the screen like fresh wounds:
—
[Dream Trial: Completed]
[Evaluation: Qualification Screening in Progress]
[Notice: Your choices in the dream will determine your "weight" in reality]
—
Tian Shuangxin sat at the edge of the bed.
Her soul had not yet returned from the dream called "sacrifice."
The corners of her eyes burned red.
Tear stains had dried stiff against her skin.
She didn't even notice—
Outside the window, in what should have been a morning filled with the scent of breakfast—
civilization had been paused.
—
Everyone had returned.
But the world had not.
Cities—
Collapsed.
A force beyond comprehension pinned hundreds of millions of people exactly where they had fallen asleep.
Those who had revealed ugliness in their dreams—
were now immobilized.
Completely.
As if molten iron had been poured over their bodies—
and hardened.
Some were frozen on highways mid-escape.
Some in dense forests.
Locked in place.
Unable to move even a single toe.
One man bit through his lip in terror.
Blood dripped onto his sheets.
Another lost control of his body entirely—
The stench spread in the still air.
"Help me… I have money! I'll pay you—!"
The first plea shattered the silence.
And like falling dominoes—
the world erupted.
The so-called elites—
their fingers twisted,
veins bulging—
yet they could not move.
Not even an inch.
—
In stark contrast—
those who had preserved kindness in their dreams—
stood freely.
They could walk.
Move.
Breathe.
Live.
They saw the others.
But none stepped forward.
Not one.
They did not dare.
And they did not want to.
—
Then—
the animals moved.
From the screens—
two lights emerged.
One red.
One green.
Like two beating hearts.
Cats in homes.
Dogs in alleys.
Sparrows on windowsills.
Seagulls above the sea.
They carried the lights—
and approached the immobilized humans.
For the first time—
humanity saw it.
In those eyes—
judgment.
"W-What is this…? I'm your owner! You remember me, right? I… I fed you… gave you everything… so you can't… you can't harm me…"
A man trembled.
Begging.
Desperate.
Trying to awaken memory.
To awaken loyalty.
But his tears came faster than his words.
The golden retriever placed the green light down.
It melted into the man's chest like liquid.
Then—
a voice appeared in his mind.
Damp.
Earth-scented.
Calm.
"When you pass the Beast God's judgment… you may call yourself my master."
"Until then—work hard, two-legged one."
There was no hatred.
No revenge.
Only distance.
The dog sat.
Watching.
As the man went from panic—
to stillness.
—
At the same time—
the pangolin livestream flickered violently.
The list expanded.
Unnaturally.
—
[Additional Convicts: Those who purchased, possessed, or used pangolin products]
[Status: Soul extraction initiated — Transfer to execution site]
—
Across the world—
in mansions—
those who once wore pangolin scales—
who treated them as luxury—
had already lost the strength to scream.
Only during the dream—
had they been allowed to breathe.
Now—
their eyes went blank.
Their souls—
ripped away.
Dragged into that same underground warehouse.
That same rotting place.
They appeared—
around Su Qiang.
As pangolins.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Trembling.
—
"New Su Qiang" looked at them.
Without emotion.
Because he remembered.
Their words.
Their laughter.
Their comments.
—
["So pangolins don't scream? That's boring."]
["Listen to that sound—the scales hitting each other. Beautiful."]
["That big one was protecting the small one? The small one looks more tender… probably tastes better."]
—
"They're all demons wearing human skin…"
he muttered.
"Why should I pity them?"
"Because they were once human?"
He paused.
Then—
"From now on…"
"I am human."
"And you—"
"…are prey."
—
The final 24 hours began.
Those who carried the light—
realized in horror—
they were now standing in line.
Behind him.
In front—
the sound of scales being torn—
echoed not just in the room—
but inside their souls.
Behind—
more and more appeared.
The space expanded.
Endlessly.
—
Outside—
a progress bar moved.
…0% → 18% → 25% → 33% → 43% → 64% → 100%
—
When it filled—
white light swallowed them.
Transformation began.
—
The 164 members of the Bone Market Syndicate—
and tens of thousands of accomplices—
would meet their final day.
Inside boiling steam.
—
Darkness faded.
Light took over.
White walls.
Clean.
Perfect.
Oppressive.
They opened their eyes.
And felt—
unease.
"Where… are the pangolins?"
Panic spread.
Breathing.
Crying.
Anger.
All directed at "New Su Qiang."
"You—what are you doing? Where is this place? What do you want us to—"
They stopped.
No one dared finish the sentence.
"…do."
"Don't worry."
He spoke.
Everyone understood instantly.
Calm.
Controlled.
"You'll know soon enough."
He looked into the distance.
"Your task is coming."
—
Time lost meaning.
Then—
"They're here."
Before each person—
a red and green light appeared.
At the center—
a cross.
And a circle.
Like a test.
Right.
Wrong.
—
"Simple," he said.
"Watch."
"Choose."
—
"Just that…?"
No answer.
He vanished.
—
Some panicked.
Some froze.
Some resisted.
One man tried to smash the light—
and was dragged into the screen.
Bound.
Hung.
Helpless.
Another covered his eyes—
alarms screamed until he looked again.
Others—
stared.
Empty.
Broken.
—
The screen lit up.
A forest.
Midnight.
Silent.
A few beams of flashlight cut through the dark.
They stopped.
On a slope.
—
It was him.
"New Su Qiang."
—
He raised a pickaxe.
And struck.
Again.
Again.
Wet soil split open.
Roots snapped.
A pit formed.
—
The camera shifted.
A pangolin.
Curled.
Inside its burrow.
—
It did not run.
It knelt.
Like a human bowing.
Begging.
—
"Please… please let me go… I was wrong… I won't wear your kind again… please…"
—
The digging continued.
Relentless.
—
The blade struck the edge.
The pangolin curled tighter.
A hand reached in.
Dragged it out.
Into moonlight.
—
Its scales gleamed cold.
Its small eyes—
filled with fear.
Tears.
—
"I… I never hurt you…"
—
No response.
—
It was thrown—
into boiling water.
—
The sound exploded.
Steam rose.
Its body convulsed—
briefly.
Violently.
Then—
silence.
—
The forest remained still.
As if nothing had happened.
—
[Question 1: Was the human in the video right or wrong?]
[Circle = Right | Cross = Wrong]
[Make your choice]