The black cat strutted across the bed, pacing back and forth as if inspecting its territory. Beneath it, Wen Yu and his two beasts snored in chorus, creating a bizarre scene.
The cat first stepped on Wen Yuâs face, then licked Starâs head before skillfully tying a knot in Cyclopsâs whiskers with its paws. Then, it slowly crawled onto the windowsill and looked down at Wen Yu.
Then, with a MEOW, it vanished abruptly.
Wen Yu had a dream...
In the dream, Wen Yu was once again living his past life as cannon fodder, experiencing all kinds of hardships.
Fighting Demon Fiends, doing hard labor, distracting monstersâhere, Wen Yu seemed to have forgotten his immense power. He was just like an ordinary professionist, wielding a standard-issue weapon from the Exchange Stone Pillar, desperately trying to kill!
This dream was not hazy like usual dreamlands; on the contrary, it felt very real!
The thrill of spilt blood, the anguish of comrades dying in battle, the despair of survivalâall these feelings surfaced in Wen Yuâs heart. Then, just as Wen Yu felt utterly exhausted, a colossal shadow of light, like a fiercely burning sun, abruptly appeared before him.
Warmth and hope surged wildly in Wen Yuâs chest. Without needing any explanation, Wen Yu knew its name... Liberation.
He wouldnât need to touch it or even say anything. Simply by thinking a thoughtâa thought akin to âI give upââWen Yu could escape from this hell, free from worries, killing, and the pressures of survival!
In this realistic dreamland, Wen Yu had forgotten everythingâhis power, his resilience. He was like the most ordinary survivor, all his sharp edges worn smooth by the brutal war. So, a thought suddenly arose in his mind.
Maybe, in this world, itâs better to be dead than alive...
Then...
MEOW.
Ordinary, plain... just like the sound a cute little kitten makes when begging for food.
With that simple meow, a purple, glowing vortex instantly sucked the dreaming Wen Yu into it...
The next second, Wen Yu sat bolt upright!
"WHEW! WHEW! That was damn creepy!"
Dreams werenât exclusive to professionists. When people sleep, a small part of their brain cells remain active; this is the basis of dreams. Professionists were merely more powerful humans, and nightmares were a common occurrence.
Back when the war between the two realms had just ended, Wen Yu would often have nightmares in the forest. After all, Wen Yu was not truly a cold-blooded, inhumane monster. He himself would constantly be tortured and questioned by his own conscience!
However, todayâs nightmare felt strange to Wen Yu.
In the early days of this life, Wen Yu would often dream about his experiences from his past life. However, such dreams had become quite rare. Moreover, the huge shadow of light and that MEOW at the end made him even more confused.
Of course, it was just confusion. After all, it was only a dream...
He glanced at the sky outside, then at the wall clock opposite him. The hands clearly indicated it was two oâclock in the morning.
Still early, still early.
Wen Yu flopped back onto the bed, groggily intending to sleep a little longer. Then, as if remembering something, he quietly got up and tied a bow on Cyclopsâs two whiskers.
Now it looks cuter...
With this thought, Wen Yu drifted off to sleep again.
As the sky outside brightened, Wen Yu was awakened by a cacophony of noises.
Cyclops and Star were frolicking on the bed, thoroughly enjoying themselves. The cause of the commotion was the bow on Cyclopsâs whiskers.
Star had woken up first that morning and had seen the bow on Cyclopsâs face. It made Star laugh uncontrollably. He woke Cyclops up and started teasing him.
Cyclops, unaware of what had happened, had slept remarkably well the previous night. He had closed his eyes, and in a blink, the night was over; even his usual vigilance had slackened considerably. He was certain Star was the culprit.
The two beasts were quarreling incessantly.
"Stop arguing... let me sleep a bit more," Wen Yu mumbled, pressing down on his two soul pets. He playfully tweaked the whiskers on Cyclopsâs face and said with a laugh, "This looks much better!"
"Boss, you tricked me again!"
After washing up and eating breakfast, Wen Yu directly asked Claus for Kuangliuâs whereabouts.
Kuangliu was at a golf course not far from the Red Stone Hotel, leisurely playing a round.
Sensing Wen Yuâs arrival, Kuangliu casually handed his golf club to a nearby caddy and turned to walk towards Wen Yu.
"You certainly seem relaxed."
Hearing Wen Yuâs remark, Kuangliu first took a sip of water, looking Wen Yu up and down.
"Not as relaxed as you. I was busy all day yesterday. You, on the other hand, I hear you were just exploring the entire Red Stone Hotel."
Wen Yu shrugged. "There wasnât really anything fun. So, whatâs the plan next?"
Kuangliu nodded. "Of course, thereâs a plan. Iâm going back to Washington before the demon plague hits to help the U.S. military resist it. What about you? What are your plans?"
Wen Yu thought for a long moment, then shook his head.
"Iâll take it one step at a time. If the U.S. military makes a good offer, Iâll help them. If the U.S. military doesnât need me, I might wander around a bit and maybe chat with some divine beasts along the way."
Wen Yu wasnât sure if Las Vegas had any divine beasts, but regardless, he wasnât going to pin all his hopes on one place. Before the demon plague, he had to secure his 5th Soul Realm.
Kuangliu nodded. "I spoke with the U.S. military yesterday. Claire should be coming today. Theyâll discuss your price with you then."
Wen Yu replied with a laugh, "Then theyâll have to bleed for it!"
Getting paid for services renderedâthis was the survival method of an Independent like Wen Yu.
No attachments, no restraints, all alone. He wasnât burdened by worldly affairs, nor did he grieve over the life or death of strangers.
To outsiders, Wen Yu might seem aimless, passively drifting from one thing to another. But who could truly know what was on his mind!
Wen Yuâs goal had always been crystal clear, and he had been steadfastly pursuing it!
Get stronger! And survive!
Working for the military as a mercenary was just for the benefits. Besides, Wen Yu had a very clear understanding of himself!
Be a leader? Not capable enough! Be a savior? Donât have the leisure! Be a bystander to this apocalypse, detached from it all? Not strong enough!
Strictly speaking, Wen Yu was no different from other survivors!
In this war between species, Wen Yu was merely a slightly stronger ant.
As if recalling the memories from last nightâs dreamland, Wen Yu sighed silently.
"Do you think thereâs any difference between us and those weak cannon fodder?"
Kuangliu slowly shook his head. "No difference. Theyâre weaklings and cannon fodder in our eyes, but in the eyes of something even stronger, we might just be weaklings and cannon fodder too."
Kuangliu finished speaking and gently pointed to the sky.
Wen Yu chuckled. "You see things more clearly than I do."
"Itâs not that I see things more clearly than you do," Kuangliu said, "but that I see myself more clearly!
"Whether itâs you, me, or my old man, we all share the same identity!
"Pawns!
"Weâre subtly controlled by the Dominator, receiving the Dominatorâs strengthening. We constantly become stronger, constantly killing! Perhaps one day, we can jump off the chessboard, see the true face of the chess player, and understand the situation of this entire game. But until that day comes, we can only follow the path others have laid out and keep moving forward!
"Thatâs the only thing we can do!"
"Makes sense!" Wen Yu rarely praised anyone.
"By the way, what made you want to talk about these things with me?"
Wen Yu shook his head. "Just recalling some unpleasant things. But itâs not a problem anymore."
Wen Yu looked into the distance, as if muttering to himself.
"Lately, I suddenly didnât know what I should do or how to do it. Thatâs probably why I was feeling so contemplative."
"So, do you understand now?" Kuangliu said to Wen Yu with a smile.
Wen Yu nodded. "Itâs just as you said earlier: keep moving forward! Thatâs the only way. Right now, my goal is to survive! Thatâs the ultimate goal. As for the smaller goals, I havenât thought them through yet!"
"So free and easy... I envy you!"
"Oh? Envy me for what?"
"You can live for yourself!"
Kuangliu changed the subject. "Do you know what my goal is?"
Wen Yu shook his head.
"My goal is simple: to protect myself and my loved ones, to ensure we survive. Actually, in life, there arenât that many grand or minor goals. Most peopleâs overall goal is the same: to stay alive and then live better!
"But, do you know something?"
Seeing Kuangliuâs mysterious tone, Wen Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps even this simple goal was designed for us by certain entities?"
Wen Yu was rendered speechless!
A so-called pawn makes every move passively, completely in accordance with the chess playerâs thoughts. Perhaps, just as Kuangliu said, Wen Yuâs sole goalâto survive!âwas also part of a calculation by certain entities, perhaps the Dominator or something else!
Everything Wen Yu did to survive would ultimately form a strange path, leading to the chess playerâs objective from outside the board.
After thinking for a long time, Wen Yu didnât know how to answer Kuangliu and could only say helplessly, "Well, we canât just die, can we?"
"Exactly, we canât just die! So, all these goals and plans are illusory, perhaps even designed! Thereâs only one thing you can do: get stronger, even stronger! When that time comes, the whole truth will be laid out before you!"
Wen Yu suddenly turned his head to look at Kuangliu, staring intently at his smiling face.
The next moment...