Chapter 42: The World in the Dream (Complete)
Evan's appearance hadn't changed much from before, except for a red mark that had appeared at the corner of his right eye, a mark that seemed to symbolize something, extending all the way down to his chin.
Evan's features had become somewhat sinister, and his temperament had shifted as well. If before he still possessed the兽人's rusticity and boldness, now only coldness remained.
He seemed to have matured in an instant, all emotion drained from his eyes, leaving only blank indifference. It was difficult to gauge his true thoughts from his gaze alone.
Qi An squinted his eyes, disguising the startled expression, and discreetly surveyed his surroundings.
The dream was extremely dim. Aside from Evan and the beasts standing right before him, Qi An could also see flowers densely scattered across the ground in the distance. These flowers were beautiful—black and white blossoms intertwined with each other, the sinister black flowers hidden within the darkness, like a black ocean slowly devouring the sparse white flowers within.
Compared to the black flowers, their numbers were far too few, and perhaps because there was no sunlight, these white flowers appeared somewhat listless, their stems curved, not standing straight like fine carvings.
"Do you have something you want to say to me?" Evan walked up to Qi An and spoke in his usual tone, completely devoid of the madness and darkness from before, just like the sunny boy in Qi An's memory.
But from the moment he spoke, the beasts around them had their eyes turn to vertical pupils. Their eyeballs stared fixedly at the completely defenseless boy, as if gazing upon some precious treasure, their fur bristling to clearly display the powerfully explosive muscles on their bodies.
Evan wanted to give him a reason.
Qi An knew this clearly, but he said nothing, merely lowering his head slightly, his beautiful eyes fixed on the ground. All Evan could see was the hair whorl on his head.
He didn't want to see him anymore?
Before it was because of shyness, now it's because of fear.
No, it's all fake.
A self-mocking expression appeared in Evan's unfocused gaze. He watched Qi An's thin silhouette in the darkness, and his eyes darkened abruptly.
Compared to the beasts surrounding them, Qi An's frame appeared even more slender, and he had completely run out of retreat options. Not a single person would defy Evan to help him, so he could only stay in place, too anxious to move a muscle, awaiting his judgment.
The red mark deepened in color. Evan walked lightly toward Qi An, deliberately slowing his pace, moving elegantly and unhurriedly, even knowing this might be torment for the other party.
As expected, the other's figure began to tremble, like a tree shivering in the cold wind. He seemed to want to retreat but was immobilized by the watchful beasts, helplessly waiting for Evan to approach.
Evan took the other's trembling hand, then asked as if out of nowhere, "Are people whose inner feelings don't match their outer appearance looked down upon?"
The other's hand trembled even more violently, the bluish-tinged hand like it was enduring the depths of winter. Evan smiled, using his other hand to pat lightly at his cheek, then caressed gently, "What's wrong, I just want to tell you a story."
With that, he dragged Qi An to the outer perimeter without giving him a chance to refuse. The first time he used great force, pulling Qi An stumbling a step, then quickly softened his grip.
When Evan realized his instinctive action, his eyes darkened several more degrees. "Do you think these flowers are beautiful?"
The response was a soft "Mm" that Qi An finally made after a long pause.
"These flowers are very strange. They're clearly two but are intertwined so closely together." Evan didn't release Qi An's hand, merely crouching down and plucking one at random. "They both detest each other's existence,恨不得对方消失, but due to various reasons they barely maintain surface harmony. Neither knows the other's thoughts. Strangely, this black flower made a miscalculation and was sabotaged by the white flower."
"Really strange. White represents purity, black represents darkness, but the one to strike first was this white flower. It deceived the black flower with its seemingly holy and pure exterior. After the black flower let down its guard, it set a trap. But unexpectedly, the white flower also miscalculated one thing—they're intertwined, after all. The two depend on each other. They're twisted together, inseparable."
Evan threw the flower to the ground and trampled it with his foot, reducing the blooming black flower along with the white one to ashes. He gently lifted Qi An's hand, causing the other's fearful dark eyes to fall upon his face once more.
"The black flower never knew the white flower's true feelings, and the white flower always appeared so friendly. Do you know what made the white flower drop its mask of kindness?"
"What?" Qi An looked at Evan.
"They both want the same thing." Evan smiled again. "When they both learned that something was coming, they both wanted to seize the initiative. When the white flower realized it was one with the black flower, it thought of another way, intending to make the black flower completely forget about that thing. It succeeded, but it also received the black flower's counterattack."
Qi An turned to look at the beasts drawing closer, then continued watching the ground.
"However, none of that matters anymore. The important thing is..." Evan didn't continue speaking, merely toying with Qi An's jade-like fingers, his expression ambiguous and teasing. "Even if you seek Moor's protection, he's not reliable. I've still entered your dream. Do you really think he can hold me off for long?"
"I won't hurt you, because I... can't bear to." When Evan saw Qi An's complexion turn even paler, he continued, "Moor's not a good person, you know. The 兽人 were able to transform so quickly because they long ago lost the protection of the beast god. He gathered more energy in order to... In short, Moor watched it all happen coldly. As long as there's sufficient benefit, what couldn't he do? How do you know he won't abandon protecting you in the end?"
The boy's lips grew even whiter. Evan's eyes became compassionate. "So, would you like to seek my protection? I can forgive all your past transgressions."
When he saw the boy hadn't answered, only cowering and not daring to look at him, Evan coldly laughed, completely ignoring Qi An's weak resistance. "When those 兽人 transformed, did you see Moor take any countermeasures? Those were clan members who respected him so much normally, who loved and admired him so deeply. But when these people faced this situation, he didn't even spare a change of expression."
Qi An lowered his head to observe his surroundings. Upon noticing some white flowers gradually flourishing, he lightly raised an eyebrow. He seemed to hesitate, then glanced up at Evan, only to find the latter seemed not to have noticed this anomaly.
Evan had entered his dream. Even if he wouldn't notice at the start, Moor could still sense it.
Wake up from the dream.
If considering emotional fluctuation alone, the morning's Evan should have reached that threshold, yet the dream hadn't shattered.
Could it be because this violent emotional upheaval came from only one person?
When Evan saw the hesitation in the boy's eyes, the darkness in his gaze deepened into something like congealed ink, but his smile grew increasingly tender, like a demon with a low voice tempting, "Didn't you always like me before? I like you too. As long as you nod, we'll be happy together. These transformed 兽人, I can restore them too. Everything here will return to how it was, except for Moor."
"As long as you're willing to be with me, everything will get better."
The white flowers being devoured by the black ones seemed to receive some kind of stimulation, beginning to spread in vast patches. Within mere seconds they could rival the black flowers. This change encountered no obstruction—Moor's attention was entirely focused on the boy before him.
The other was hesitating. Confirming this fact, the corner of Evan's mouth curved into a satisfied arc. Finally, he saw the boy nod hesitantly. He saw the other raise his head, using those lips that made him want to lick carefully, "Okay, because... I like you."
A strong wind swept through the dream.
The white flowers bloomed more and more vigorously, faintly showing signs of overwhelming the black ones. The always energetic beasts suddenly fell into unconsciousness. The arc of Evan's increasingly wide smile froze, his expression turning unfavorable as he watched Moor suddenly appear in the dream.
"An'an, do you really like him?" Moor glanced at Evan coolly, his tone carrying indescribable mockery. "Since you've recovered your memories, you should know the truth of all this. Why are you still deceiving yourself?"
They were born as gods. The moment they first gazed upon this world, they had already mastered the power to change it. Both Moor and Evan could effortlessly alter the world through their inner thoughts. It was only because of the two of them existing and counterbalancing each other that no chaos had emerged in the world.
Until during one observation of the world's trajectory, they witnessed a group of people's sudden arrival, and also saw a certain boy who made their hearts stir.
This fragile balance was thus shattered. Moor plotted to kill Evan, but in the end discovered he simply couldn't kill him, so he could only seal him away, making him lose these memories.
And Moor also came to the 兽人 world, preparing to welcome the boy's arrival. Who would have thought each of them had been assigned an identity.
"And what about you, aren't you the same?" Evan coldly smiled, the red mark on his face seeming to have grown longer. "Besides, do you think you can defeat me now?"
"Then you can try." Moor's eyes chilled, then he gently said to Qi An, "An'an, come over here, so you won't get caught in the crossfire. When I win, we'll return to the temple."
Qi An glanced at them with things unsaid, then under both their urging gazes stood to the side.
[Are we just going to let them fight like this?]
Just as Qi An was about to nod, he discovered Zhang Zhaoqi's figure had appeared nearby. The boy frowned, looked at Evan and the others already fighting, then slowed his pace and walked to Zhang Zhaoqi's side. "How did you appear here?"
Zhang Zhaoqi clearly relaxed upon seeing the intact Qi An. "I don't know either." The barrier around the temple suddenly grew weak, and he seized the opportunity to slip inside, only to find the boy had actually fainted to the side. He could tell the boy's soul had left his body. Just as he was preparing to find a way to wake him, the moment the thought formed, he arrived here.
"Mm." Qi An concealed his deep thought and nodded.
Due to them sharing the same roots, Moor's and Evan's strengths were actually evenly matched. Otherwise, Moor wouldn't have needed to rely on treachery back then to suppress Evan. When both were injured and had to stop, they found another person had appeared beside Qi An.
The other stood at the boy's side in a protective stance.
A particularly jarring posture, as if he might harm the boy they both cherished.
This feeling was very familiar.
As if they had also witnessed before how the boy had walked away from them without hesitation and into another's embrace.
The two exchanged a glance, and after some silent communication, they simultaneously stopped their next vicious moves, both swiftly turning toward Zhang Zhaoqi.
Black and white halos surged from their hands, the astonishing pressure contained within something even Qi An could clearly sense. But strangely, the target of their attack, Zhang Zhaoqi, remained unharmed.
Zhang Zhaoqi retreated outward with particularly quick reflexes, but the halos seemed to possess tracking capabilities, heading straight for Zhang Zhaoqi. Yet just as they were about to reach his body, they turned transparent.
"...So that's how it is." This was the last sentence Qi An heard before departing this world.
[Main Quest: Wake from the Dream (Completed)
穿越者 Number: 4
Survivors: 4]
[Due to some connection, forced exit from world, proceeding directly to next world.]
[The Paranormal Society recently organized an expedition, agreeing to explore a certain ancient castle together. However, they ended up trapped here. This is a haunted mansion. The master of the castle has fallen into a long slumber, sleeping forever. The spirits within the castle, having lost their约束, run wild and cause mischief. Can these people with no reverence for ghosts and gods survive?]
[Main Quest: Kill the Castle Master (Incomplete)
穿越者 Number: Unknown]
"Why can you be immune to our attacks, and why can you appear in this dream. It turns out because..."
"We're the same person."
Both Moor and Evan self-mockingly smiled, gazing at Zhang Zhaoqi with envy. "You really are lucky. But it's not over yet."
"We'll be waiting for you in the next world."