Chapter Thirty-Three: Unity-Fadiga Eterna(Viver sozinho por dez anos)

Wu Que gently patted the little boy’s head, smiling softly as he comforted him.
“Big brother will quietly go take a look. You stay right here and don’t move, okay?”
The boy nodded tearfully. Wu Que gripped his black blade and slowly approached the door.

On the door hung a heavy bronze lock, fastening the latch firmly from the inside.

What dreadful thing could be outside?

From beyond the door, voices called out anxiously, “Kang Kang, I know you’re in there. It’s raining outside, and the food’s about to get soaked!”

Wu Que said nothing, pressing his ear against the door.

As if sensing something, the knocking outside slowed, and after a long silence came a rhythmic “thump, thump, thump, thump.”

Wu Que listened to the eerie knocking, peered through the peephole, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Outside, a figure was standing on his head and hands, inverted, his left foot resting on a porcelain bowl filled with porridge diluted by the rain.

His right foot wore a mud-stained Liberation Army cloth shoe, tapping the door in a steady “thump, thump, thump, thump.”

He stuck out his tongue, repeatedly licking a gap beneath the doorframe—exactly where Wu Que’s foot was visible.

Startled, Wu Que instinctively wanted to step back but forced himself to remain calm. He only shifted slightly without making a sound.

Sensing the unusual presence inside, the knocking grew more urgent.

The heavy pounding, combined with the howling wind, made the scene all the more chilling.

Wu Que held his breath, motionless. The creature outside seemed unable to break through the door’s barrier. When no response came from inside, it placed the bowl on the ground and muttered in a muffled voice,

“Kang Kang, you’re a naughty child. Next time you bring friends over, remember to tell me in advance.”

“The food is at the door. Remember to come out and eat.”

Silence followed again.

Though Wu Que remained unaware of the creature’s strength, no system prompt had arrived, so he dared not act rashly.

Then a tender child’s voice broke the tense stalemate:

“Regulator, I understand. Please go deliver meals to the other rooms quickly.”

At these words, rustling sounds came from outside.

Wu Que hurried to look through the peephole. The “Regulator” set his feet down and, using his hands and feet, crawled out, arching his back and pushing his belly high, still inverted at the doorway.

His expressionless face stared forward, his dark pupils like burnt caramel pearls overboiled and melted in a pot, fixated on the door.

With the creature’s departure, Wu Que finally exhaled, turning back to the little boy.

“What exactly is the ‘Regulator’...”

He stopped midway, sensing the boy’s vacant expression and the cold, mechanical sound emanating from his throat.

***

“Congratulations to the Dream Completer for successfully entering the dreamscape. The theme of this dream is—Plague. The mission duration is three days. If the task is not completed within three days, the dream exit will be permanently sealed.”

This mission involves a continuous dream. Completing the following two objectives will break the nightmare.

1. Unlock all key locations.
2. Eliminate all dream demons.

“Key location unlocked—Rust Lake. Below are the Rust Lake rules for the Dream Completer.”

1. Unity is very important.
2. There are no dream demons within Rust Lake.
3. There is only one Regulator. If encountered, kill on sight.
4. Children are the key to breaking the impasse. Trust the children unconditionally.

“Please gather clues promptly to complete your mission and save the living dead. The Dream Space offers its sincerest respect for your contribution.”

As the system voice faded, Wu Que opened his task panel to review.

Key locations unlocked: 1/3—Rust Lake.
Dream demons killed: 0/1.

This dream only contained three key locations and one nightmare.

Wu Que recalled the books he had perused in his study; generally, the dream’s difficulty correlated with the number of key locations and dream demons.

“Could it be that I’ve really drawn an easy mission?”

The thought briefly surfaced but was immediately dismissed.

“No matter what, this is the world of nightmares. No room for carelessness.”

“First, let’s understand the current situation.”

He approached the boy, gently stroked his head, and asked as kindly as possible,

“Kang Kang, can you tell me what happened?”

The boy bit his lip and began to recount.

“My name is Kang Kang. I’m from Sick Village. I have three older brothers named Ping Ping, An An, and Jian Jian.”

“We were driven out by the villagers. Before leaving, our parents told us to keep running south, but we lost our way and ended up at Rust Lake.”

“We were captured by the Regulators and placed in four separate rooms. The Regulators patrol around Rust Lake daily. Any outsiders they catch turn into creatures like them.”

Kang Kang’s chubby finger pointed to the wall.

“But why didn’t the Regulator harm you?” Wu Que asked in confusion.

“I don’t know,” Kang Kang answered.

***

“We came to the edge of Rust Lake and were spotted by the natives, who brought us before the Regulator.”

“He said we were unmarked ones and placed us in separate rooms, delivering food regularly.”

“If I hadn’t seen with my own eyes the Regulator tear other outsiders apart and stuff them into the walls, I might have thought he was a good person.”

Wu Que began to grasp the situation in Rust Lake, gently prodding further,

“Can you find your three brothers?”

“Yes,” Kang Kang replied confidently.

“Actually, the Regulator doesn’t harm us. We’re just terribly afraid of him.”

“Every time the Regulator leaves after dropping off food, that’s when we come out to meet. It’s almost time again.”

Wu Que’s mind stirred. Smiling, he said,

“Then, why don’t you take me to find your brothers now?”

“But... I’m afraid you’ll be discovered by the Regulator.”

“It’s okay. Big brother runs fast. If I’m seen, I’ll come running back immediately.”

Kang Kang hesitated, biting his lip, but finally nodded.

“All right.”

He pulled a rusted key from his pocket and unlocked the latch on the door.

Wu Que clearly saw that the rust on the key had visibly increased the moment it was drawn out.

The door creaked open. Wu Que took the boy’s hand and stepped outside.

At that instant, three familiar figures also pushed open doors and emerged, each holding a small boy’s hand.

“Is this... a bit too much of a coincidence?”

The four were stunned but quickly regained composure. Behind them, the children could no longer contain their longing, crying out as they rushed together.

“Ping Ping, An An, Jian Jian, it’s so good to see you.”

They laughed, danced, held hands, embraced, and parted—like little ballerinas in a school performance. The eerie human-shaped houses behind them only deepened the surrealism.

“Twins... multiplied into four.”