Chapter 42: Malice

Blocking their path as they prepared to head downstairs stood none other than the Overseer, the entity that had driven them to the brink of despair multiple times within Rusty Lake.

Upon seeing him, Wu Que instinctively drew his black blade from behind his back, while Chen Tianyu hurriedly raised his giant moon-shaped crossbow, aiming it directly at the Overseer.

The Overseer looked at Wu Que and spoke slowly: "Was it you who killed the old woman of Rusty Lake?"

Wu Que met his gaze without a hint of fear: "It was."

The moment he received the answer, the Overseer’s eyes grew even more somber. Just as Wu Que and Chen Tianyu braced themselves for an inevitable clash, a trace of melancholy flickered within the Overseer’s dark expression. He sighed softly and stepped aside.

"Very well. I suppose that was a release for them, in a way."

"Your friends are all upstairs. Please, follow me."

With that, he manipulated his stiff limbs, turned around, and began walking up the stairs.

Chen Tianyu’s chest heaved violently; his voice trembling as if he were about to wet himself, he shouted, "How could the Overseer appear here? What on earth is going on!"

"Don't worry, he shouldn't attack us again," Wu Que said, sheathing his black blade with one hand as he continued to head upstairs.

As they ascended, they reached a bifurcated hallway featuring a long green plastic bench. Two other "Kangkangs" sat upon it, looking utterly miserable. Before Wu Que could react, the "Kangkang" he had been holding onto suddenly pulled his hand away and sat down on the plastic bench with the same dejected expression.

Just like that, four identical children sat in a row on the bench, their faces pinched and sad.

"They shouldn't be coming up the stairs anymore," Wu Que said, turning back to Chen Tianyu. "Let's go up ourselves."

The pair climbed another flight of stairs to find a lobby resembling a reception area. Everyone inside was an acquaintance, save for a man in a white lab coat. The man was busy compounding medicine; he formed a hand seal with his left hand, snatched at the air with his right, and then pressed his palms together, causing a vial of medicine to materialize out of thin air.

Zhang Deshuai lay sleeping on a sofa, while Wang Shuhan sat upright on a tatami mat, a game of Junqi set up before her.

Wu Que looked at everyone in the reception room. For some reason, despite the fact that everyone was safe and sound, he felt an inexplicable sense of irritation.

The Overseer moved his mannequin-like limbs, walked slowly over to Wang Shuhan, and plopped down on the chessboard opposite her.

Wang Shuhan wore a cunning smile, her small hand twisting a lock of hair as she watched the Overseer’s troubled expression. She spoke slowly: "Have you figured out your move yet?"

The Overseer clawed at his forehead, his toes twitching restlessly inside his worn-out, peeling military boots, his eyes locked firmly on the board.

"N... no. Your friends have arrived; I brought them up."

Wang Shuhan covered her mouth, feigning surprise as she looked back at Wu Que and Chen Tianyu.

"Oh? It's you two."

"Quite impressive, actually, that you survived long enough to get here."

Listening to her sharp, biting words, Wu Que felt a nameless rage surge in his chest. He took a deep breath, swallowing the retort on the tip of his tongue. He held back, but Chen Tianyu, who had been suppressing his frustrations since entering the dream, could no longer contain himself.

Chen Tianyu clenched his fists, his face turning beet red. He lunged forward a step and shouted in rebuttal: "You were the one who got captured, yet you turn around to lecture those who weren't! You are truly impudent, girl!"

His eyes were wide with fury, veins bulging, and he nearly spat on Wu Que’s face. "I should have let the Overseer finish you off back then."

"Bang!"

Wang Shuhan flipped the chessboard over, sending the pieces scattering across the floor and over the Overseer. Her eyes welled up with tears, yet she stood before Chen Tianyu, glaring at him viciously.

"Too bad I didn't die. And I even managed to win the Overseer over. What have you done?"

She let out a cold laugh, crossed her arms, and continued: "Oh, I know—your 'golden touch.' You must have talked a big game, provided a plan to a client, only for it to be a trap set by someone else, leaving you with no choice but to commit suicide."

"You fucking bullshit!" As if struck by a sore point, Chen Tianyu shed his initial veneer of gentle elitism. With disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes, he raised his hand high.

Seeing him about to strike, Wang Shuhan was not afraid; instead, she escalated the situation, thrusting her face forward and chattering incessantly. "Go on, then! Hit me! You’re useless at breaking nightmares, but you’re quite the expert at hitting women!"

Seeing the air thick with tension, Wu Que suppressed his inner irritation and stepped between them. "Stop arguing, both of you! We can fight all we want once we’re out of this dream. Right now, there are more important things to do!"

As he tried to mediate, Zhang Deshuai, lying on the sofa, spoke slowly: "A bunch of trash and mongrels. Useless at everything else, but experts at infighting."

"Wu Que, isn't it your goal to save your family? I advise you to give up."

"If your loved ones knew you had become so bloodthirsty in the world of dreams, they would be terrified of you, too."

"Even if you did manage to save them, are you certain you could return to the real world? Are you certain you could reunite with them?"

"Why not just join the Ascetic Order early, forget the troubles of the world, become a carpenter, and just scrape by?"

His tone was calm, yet every word felt like a sharp blade piercing Wu Que’s heart.

"What did you say?"

Wu Que’s eyes instantly turned blood-red, and a shrill, demonic sound escaped his throat.

The jade pendant pressed against his chest emitted a cool sensation, bringing him back to his senses slightly. Wu Que shook his head and retorted with a cold sneer:

"At least I don't have to play the clown every day."

"Does doing those shameful things give you a sense of accomplishment, or does it make your family in the real world proud?"

"My family is all dead." Zhang Deshuai kept his face cold and spoke calmly. "At least I have always known what I must do, rather than acting like a buffoon, letting this dream influence my emotions."

As the group bickered, Dr. Deng, who had finally finished preparing the medicine, spoke up slowly: "Fighting and shouting are prohibited in the infirmary. Everyone, please control your emotions."

" 'It' and the children are listening."

Afterward, he took off his white lab coat, hung it on a hook behind him, and walked to the staircase under everyone’s gaze.

"The infirmary is closed. There is an accommodation area on the third floor. My personal advice is for you to take the children and get some rest. Tomorrow, I will take you to find 'It'."

Wu Que couldn't help but ask: "Dr. Deng, what exactly is 'It'? Where is 'It'?"

The doctor paused, pondered for a moment, then looked back at everyone and said:

" 'It' can be anything."

" 'It' is everywhere."