Deviant: No Longer Human

July 10th, 2029.

The Magic City — Shanghai.

Wang Xiao had spent more than a week scouring the Tibetan plateau for Aurora.

Now, standing above the Huangpu River in his old home, he found himself caught between the pulsing heartbeats of the city's two halves: Pudong and Puxi.

It was summer, and the river flowed unobscured by the typical mists, resembling a celestial deity that laid a clear, shimmering divide between the contrasting worlds of Pudong and Puxi.

To the east, Pudong was a forest of towering skyscrapers, each one clawing at the heavens in a show of modern might.

Turning westward, Puxi exuded a calmer presence, its aura tinged with the ancient, the air subtly perfumed with the scent of herbs and traditional medicines.

Shanghai, serving as the financial capital of the Dynasty, had undergone transformations both subtle and significant.

The streets below buzzed with the silent hum of electric cars, weaving through a cityscape where the greenery seemed to have proliferated, painting the urban environment with vibrant strokes of life.

"Five years..."

Wang Xiao's gaze drifted.

The sky was clear, yet paradoxically dark and heavy with clouds, setting the stage for a pleasant yet introspective night.

There was a faint scent of nostalgia in the air, tingling his senses with the familiarity of an almost unrecognizable land.

The city's structural changes were minimal; indeed, Shanghai seemed less congested than he remembered.

In his reflections, he realized a crucial oversight: the population of the Qing Dynasty, including Magic City, had been halved, a direct consequence of his own far-reaching decisions and actions.

As Wang Xiao gracefully descended to the ground, an approaching car screeched alarmingly, narrowly avoiding him.

He offered a rueful smile in response to the near-miss and then made his way toward the sidewalk.

"Is this motherfucker an idiot!?" the driver, old Ning, blurted out in exasperation as he jerked his car to the curb.

Shaking his head, he shouted from the window, "Hey!"

But Wang Xiao, lost in his thoughts, gave no response and continued walking in the opposite direction.

"Humph! Drunkards!" Old Ning grumbled under his breath.

Frustrated by his overtime and his wife's nagging about his late returns, he had no patience for distractions.

He briefly checked his car for any damage, relieved to find none, then drove away with a relieved sigh.

The faint golden glow from the street lamps bathed Wang Xiao's face as he paused in front of a luminous signboard.

"Squee!"

The black dragon cub, Lanmei, expressed its delight with a bright squeal upon seeing the glowing sign of 'The Lost Heaven.' This riverside restaurant, with its slightly foggy glass walls, held a mysterious charm.

Inside, it appeared half-empty. Wang Xiao stared at it for a moment, his thoughts veiled and distant, before he turned to wander down darker, quieter streets.

The recent rain had left the ground slightly muddy, the fresh, heartwarming scent permeating the air, reviving memories of past rainy days.

Passersby shot curious glances at the two dragon cubs perched on his shoulders.

While initially eye-catching, their interest quickly waned—after all, in a world where strange creatures had become the norm, two dragon cubs resembling fancy lizards barely registered a second glance.

Baixue, the white cub, observed the world quietly, absorbing its myriad forms and colors.

Lanmei, on the other hand, was a bundle of energy, reacting enthusiastically to every new sight and sound, embodying the purest form of childlike wonder.

Wang Xiao gently stroked their heads, his fingers brushing softly against their scales, providing a moment of soothing contact as he reached another familiar location.

"Huh? Empty?"

Surprise etched itself on his face as he surveyed the Velvet Shadows building.

The structure stood desolate and partially broken, a ghost of its former self, seemingly untouched by human presence for years.

"Did she abandon this place?" Wang Xiao mused aloud, his voice tinged with disbelief. He had hoped to surprise Lin Xue, but it seemed she had long since moved on.

The emptiness of the building served as a reminder of the transitory nature of connections in a rapidly changing world.

Though taken aback, Wang Xiao was not one to dwell on what could have been.

"People drift apart, just as leaves are carried away by the autumn wind," Wang Xiao thought, a wistful smile playing upon his lips.

But his contemplative moment was abruptly interrupted as a shadow whisked past him like a cool gust on an autumn day.

"Careful!"

"Protect the people, and catch it quickly! Don't let the death toll increase!" Voices called out urgently in succession.

Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

One after another, two more shadows zipped past Wang Xiao, who stood unbothered, his eyes reflecting a spark of curiosity.

"Stop staring, and leave! We have a shadow wolf on the loose!" A shout reached him, followed by a firm nudge at his back just before a third shadow rushed by.

"Inhale..." Wang Xiao closed his eyes, inhaling a sweet, beautiful fragrance that enveloped him briefly before dissipating into a fleeting mist.

As he reopened his eyes, he spotted a shadowy creature with three heads moving agilely across the rooftops.

Its six ferocious eyes glowed ominously, and its teeth were stained with fresh blood.

Chasing after it were three warriors, their movements swift and determined as they hunted the beast down.

"Demon beast?" Wang Xiao muttered to himself, his interest piqued.

In Xianthera, there were also different versions of mutated beasts, but under Elenaor's vigilant control and lack of Aether, such occurrences were managed efficiently.

Here, however, the world outside seemed plagued with Aether and these mutated demonic creatures.

Warriors and mages hunted them, perceived by the world as wielding distinct powers, but Wang Xiao, who had once distributed many techniques, knew better.

These were merely two different paths of the same mystical discipline, much like the path of Psychokinesis he followed.

If his guess was right, this demonic beast had recently killed and was now being pursued by a group of warriors adept in the mystical art of Aether, tapping into the profound energies of heaven and earth.

These warriors treated Wang Xiao as they would any ordinary mortal.

He emitted no breath of Aether, blending seamlessly into the background as they rushed past him without a second glance.

In their eyes, he was just another face in the crowd—unremarkable, uninvolved, and unworthy of further attention as they focused on their deadly quarry above.

______

Pudong, Century park!

As twilight descended upon Pudong, Century Park became a haven of glowing lights and the evocative scents of evening cuisine.

At a bustling street stand near the park's wide paths, a vendor expertly maneuvered stir-fried noodles on a sizzling pan.

With a practiced hand, he ladled them into a rich beef soup, creating an aroma that filled the air with mouthwatering promise.

The sizzling sound was music to the ears of hungry passersby.

"Thank you," expressed a young woman, accepting the steaming bowl with a polite nod.