Chapter Thirty-Six: The Cave

Wu Que had thought he was hiding and eavesdropping, but he had been discovered from the very beginning.

He felt as if a giant hand had squeezed his heart, and he was so terrified that he collapsed backward onto the ground.

In his field of vision, two old women, their faces covered in blood and holding human internal organs in their hands, slowly stood up and stared at him. Their appearance, mannerisms, and clothing were no different from the ordinary grandmothers one might see in daily life, and they wore kind, gentle smiles.

It was precisely because of this that everything felt all the more blood-curdling.

The grandmother on the right spoke slowly: "Outsider, what do you intend to do with the children you are taking away?"

"You bear no brand. If you return now, I can plead your case to the Overseer."

Wu Que did not speak; he merely channeled his strength, crimson runes surging over his body.

"Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike!"

Crimson lightning poured out, instantly engulfing the bushes and the surrounding area, causing them to collapse and disintegrate!

The moment the lightning strike was unleashed, Wu Que did not hesitate. He drew his black blade from behind and slashed wildly in front of him.

"Squelch"—that was the sound of the blade entering flesh.

"Crack"—that was the sound of Wu Que’s radius and ulna being crushed.

Wu Que’s blade had severed the neck of the grandmother on the left, but his forearm holding the weapon had been seized by the grandmother on the right. Her entire body had been charred black by the lightning, and her hand—revealing ghastly white bone—clamped onto his wrist with a death grip. Simultaneously, she turned her free hand into a blade and stabbed straight toward his chest.

Wu Que gritted his teeth, a beast-like roar erupting from his throat as his emotions reached a boiling point.

"You want my life that badly?"

"Do you think you monsters are the only ones who don't fear pain?"

"Anything that stands in my way, no matter what it is, must die."

"Everyone must die!!!"

Accompanying his roar, a sharp, piercing echo reverberated through the forest.

"Brand of Combat!"

A brand filled with black necrotic energy appeared on the necks of both Wu Que and the grandmother simultaneously—a pact of life and death, until one was destroyed.

With a ferocious grin, Wu Que balled his free hand into a fist and smashed it violently into the grandmother’s face.

"Come on! Let’s see who dies first!"

Just as the grandmother’s hand-blade touched his chest, Chen Tianyu’s voice came from afar.

"Xiao Zhang, he’s right there in the bushes!"

"Twilight Art—Misaligned Meridians!"

A surge of golden energy washed over them. The grandmother’s lower abdomen spasmed violently, causing her hand-blade to deviate from its path, though it still carved a deep gash into Wu Que’s lower abdomen.

Wu Que’s fist slammed into her face, and her features caved in at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Grinning hideously, Wu Que raised his fist and struck again.

"Crack"—this time, it was the sound of the grandmother’s skull shattering.

***

The moment the grandmother died, Wu Que’s shattered wrist rapidly healed. However, due to the excessive force of his own movement, his entire body was flung backward by inertia, his head slamming hard against a roadside rock, and the crimson glow in his eyes slowly faded.

Wu Que found himself standing at the door of a familiar hospital ward, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers.

"Am I back in the real world?"

He took a few deep breaths, yet he could hardly suppress the wild joy in his heart.

He pushed open the door. His mother was sitting on the hospital bed, his younger sister nestled in her arms, and both were smiling sweetly.

"Mom!!" Unable to contain his excitement, Wu Que hurried over.

His mother looked up, but there was no surprise on her face. Instead, she shivered and then began to cough violently. His sister bit her lip and turned her head away.

Wu Que hurriedly set down the flowers and went to the bedside to pat his mother’s back.

"Mom, what’s wrong? Did you drink your water too fast?"

"Mom, I didn't suffer much. Look, there aren't many scars on my body. Everything is in the past now, and I’ve returned."

"Xiao Que, I heard you killed many people."

Wu Que’s hand stopped mid-pat, his smile frozen on his face.

"You don't need to explain. Mom has seen everything you've been doing."

"Mom..."

"Get out! Get out! You aren't my brother!!"

His sister grabbed his arm and pushed him away with all her might.

"Mom, Mom, I did it to save you! I couldn't control myself!"

"Click"—the sound of the door being locked from the inside.

Wu Que jolted awake, finding himself inside a cave, his face covered in tears.

"Thank goodness it was just a dream."

"..."

"If only it weren't just a dream."

"You're awake?" Zhang Deshuai looked at him and asked coldly.

"Yeah," Wu Que replied, his hand instinctively reaching behind his back.

"Stop looking. I put it away for you."

Zhang Deshuai pointed to the ground, where the blade, still stained with the grandmother’s blood, lay shimmering.

"Thanks."

He looked around and asked, "Where are the children?"

"Outside, crying. I just finished soothing them; they should be asleep soon," Chen Tianyu’s voice came from behind.

***

"Why are they crying? Is it because of my heroic performance?" Wu Que asked with thick-skinned audacity.

"They said that for some reason, they feel a bit sad that the grandmother died," Zhang Deshuai said coldly.

"That’s why I hate women and children."

Wu Que walked out of the cave. The children, three in total, were already sound asleep.

His heart skipped a beat, and he turned to the two men behind him. "Where is Wang Shuhan?"

"We don't know. We got separated from her," Chen Tianyu said. "The explosion was primarily aimed at you. We three intended to take the children back to the room, but a giant hand suddenly reached out from the thick smoke and snatched Wang Shuhan along with the child in her arms."

"We had no choice but to keep moving forward, stumbling into the forest where we heard your voice. You know the rest."

"But you two are quite formidable. Is this the power gained after entering the dream?"

"Ah, haha, yes. You become stronger in the dream too," Wu Que replied with a laugh.

The sudden, uncontrollable surge of power and the mysterious room in his mind were deep secrets he had no intention of mentioning to anyone.

"You have some skills yourself, always managing to observe the enemy's movements in time."

Wu Que followed his lead and tossed the hot potato right back.

"Me? Haha, I just checked my attribute panel. My perception is at 72. That should be pretty high, right?"

As soon as these words were out, the two brothers were stunned into silence.

"Yeah, not bad."

"Quite high, indeed."

For men, face is everything.

After seeing their true strength, Chen Tianyu lost all his arrogance and became much more affable, volunteering to take the night watch so the two could rest. The brothers did not refuse; they brought their children back into the cave and found soft spots to rest.

As soon as Wu Que lay down, he felt as if every bone in his body were falling apart.

"Brand of Combat—it can't be used again for a short while."

Whenever Wu Que fell into that self-destructive, berserk state, the Brand of Combat was undoubtedly an added layer of security.

"From now until the cooldown ends, I must keep a clear head."

Wu Que calculated in his mind, eventually drifting into a deep sleep while constantly adjusting his posture.

The next morning, the sunlight of dawn shone into the cave, and Wu Que opened his eyes groggily.

Outside, the chirping of morning birds could be heard, accompanied by the cold, mechanical chime of the system.

"Congratulations, Dream Mender. You have successfully accompanied the children for one day. Please choose from the following rewards."