Chapter Thirty-Four: The Overseer-Fadiga Eterna(Viver sozinho por dez anos)

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The children laughed and hugged one another, while the adults gathered with grave expressions.

"You've all understood the System's rules, right? We must stick together," Wu Que said.

Zhang Deshuai and Chen Tianyu nodded, but Wang Shuhan’s face clouded over.

"You mean... we *must* stick together?"

Zhang Deshuai looked at her, his voice cold. "What is it?"

Anxious, Wang Shuhan toyed with the ribbon on her wrist. She looked hesitant, but eventually forced herself to speak: "Then why is my first rule..."

"Unity is the most useless thing."

The statement sent a wave of shock through the group.

"Are you sure you aren't lying?" Zhang Deshuai’s face darkened as he stared at her coldly. "You’d better tell the truth. If you jeopardize the mission, I won't mind eliminating you right here."

Accompanying his threat, a golden aura flared around his body.

Facing the intimidation, Wang Shuhan didn't show fear; instead, she clenched her fists and stepped forward. "I am telling the truth, and you are the one acting like a lunatic. Don't try to pressure me with this 'veteran' attitude. I don't think you're anything special, and if there's no trust, I don't mind going my own way."

Seeing the tension between the two, Wu Que quickly intervened. "Let’s not argue. Everyone, state the rules you heard so we can compare them. I'll start."

He recited the rules he had heard, and the expressions of the other three grew uncertain.

Chen Tianyu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said slowly, "My second rule is: There are no dream demons in Rusty Lake."

Zhang Deshuai crossed his arms and said in a deep voice, "My third rule is: There is only one Overseer. If you encounter the Overseer, do not engage in direct confrontation."

Wu Que gasped, realizing something. He asked in a low voice, "Is your fourth rule... the same?"

"Yes," Wang Shuhan said, looking at him, enunciating each word. "Our fourth rule is: Children’s words are not to be trusted; do not believe everything they say."

"Big brother, big sister, what are you talking about?"

"..."

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The childish voice came from behind them. The four adults stopped their discussion and turned around, only to see four little boys holding hands, tilting their heads as they watched them.

Identical faces, identical clothes, identical movements.

Wu Que suddenly realized something. He bent down and asked, keeping a smile on his face, "Which one of you is Kangkang?"

"I am Kangkang!"

The four children shouted in unison.

All... all of them are Kangkang?

"What on earth is going on!" Wang Shuhan couldn't help but exclaim at the eerie scene.

Wu Que signaled for her to stay quiet and continued to smile. "Which Kangkang was holding big brother's hand just now? You all look so much alike that I can't tell you apart." He reached out toward the four boys. "Kangkang, can you come over and hold big brother's hand again?"

The boy on the far left hesitated for a moment before running over to take his hand.

Wu Que smiled and patted his head, simultaneously tapping his finger against the boy's forehead. "You’re so naughty; you forgot about me as soon as you met the others."

A blood-stained fingerprint remained on the little boy's forehead.

The other three in the group caught on, and following his lead, they each took hold of their own "Kangkang." They locked eyes, a silent consensus passing between them: to prevent further chaos, each person would keep a close watch on their own boy. From now on, it was like a parent-child game—one adult, one child, paired up, never to be swapped.

The weather in this dream was bizarre. While it had felt like a torrential downpour inside the house, the rain inexplicably began to subside once they stepped outside. Or rather, "condensed" would be a more fitting term. As time passed, the rain falling from the sky grew viscous, its color shifting from transparent to a sickly, putrid green. And there hung the sun, shining brightly amidst the green rain.

Not long after they left the house, the acidic rain soaked them through.

Wang Shuhan pinched the cheek of the boy beside her dotingly. "Kangkang, tell sister, is Kangkang the best-behaved boy?"

"Yes!"

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"Yes!"

"..."

Wang Shuhan ignored the other three voices, as her "Kangkang" had already answered her.

"Yes!"

Wang Shuhan brushed back her damp bangs and removed her false eyelashes, smiling sweetly. "Then, can the best-behaved boy tell sister when the Overseer usually returns?"

"About an hour, I think."

"The Overseer isn't coming today."

"The Overseer is probably eating right now."

"The Overseer has been here the whole time!"

Seven pairs of eyes fixed directly on the boy Wu Que was holding.

"You mean... the Overseer... has been here the whole time?"

"Isn't he watching us from the roof right now?"

"Watch out above!" Chen Tianyu suddenly cried out, grabbing the boy he was holding and lunging toward Wang Shuhan, tackling her to the ground.

With a thunderous crash, the Overseer descended from the sky. Though he appeared to be merely a frail, middle-aged man, the moment he landed, the ground shook and rocks shattered. A massive shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust, obscuring everyone's vision.

As the dust settled, the Overseer’s palms were pressed together, his entire body suspended in an anti-gravity, handstand position. His attack had been blocked by a golden, semi-circular shield, beneath which Zhang Deshuai was forced to one knee, struggling to hold his ground.

"Spread out!" Wu Que shouted. He shielded the boy in his arms with his left hand, drew a black blade from behind his back with his right, and shot forward like a phantom.

The black blade shimmered with a murderous light, aiming straight for the Overseer.

Facing the sudden attack, the Overseer calmly lowered his body. The black blade grazed his straw raincoat, slicing a large gap through it. Seeing his first strike miss, Wu Que twisted his body without hesitation, bringing the blade down in a heavy, gravity-fueled slash.

He expected to land a blow, but instead, he heard a sharp "clang." The blade, which could cut through iron like mud, was stopped by some unseen force, leaving him suspended mid-air.

He looked closely and saw a horrifying sight.

From the tear in the Overseer's raincoat, a massive mouth had emerged, rows of sharp, shark-like teeth clamped firmly onto the black blade. The teeth ground against the steel, producing a piercing, grating screech. Had the blade not been incredibly durable, it would have been snapped and chewed to pieces by those jaws.