Tag: wdbkfmgb

Update! Translator is currently studying for a credentials test. All updates will be postponed till end of February!! Thank you all for your patience and understanding!

Trigger Warnings: depictions of gore 

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     In the snow-covered spiritual sea, a large, injured, red-eyed monster appeared suddenly. It was an enormous white tiger with a pair of broken wings. Gradually, it shrank and became smaller and smaller, changing from a big monster into a small monster, and then from a small monster into a blood-red wisp the size of a thumb.

     This tiny soul fragment flew shakily like a firefly towards the area covered in ice and snow. Like a flame, the red light melted all the snow in its path.

     After the ice and snow melted, a small, curled-up white tiger was unveiled, and it slowly opened his eyes, revealing an azure-blue color as innocent as a newborn’s.

     The red fragment fluttered sporadically around the azure-eyed little white tiger twice before finally landing on the pair of azure eyes like a moth drawn into the flames.

     Two beams of light, one red and one blue, surged out and contorted into two complex bloodline patterns in the air, similarly blood red and deep blue. They intertwined like twin lotus flowers and finally resulted in a deep purple bloodline pattern.

     This was a bloodline pattern only borne by the ancient great monsters, for which every pattern exuded a terrifying aura. The moment the bloodline pattern merged, the Zerg Queen on the Seventeenth Star was shaken, while a great monster on a distant planet was stunned.

     This burst of power from the bloodline pattern was only a momentary leak. When the deep purple streaks submerged into the skin, a voice resonated throughout the spiritual sea:

     “The bloodline pattern is complete, inheritance unlocked—”

    ＊

     [File Read Successful]

     Every living being and object in the world flowed like water in the river of time. The universe in the game became an ocean, inverting black and white, darkness and light, night and day, death and life. Everything fell into reverse——

     The energy cannon bombs returned to their original positions along the same trajectory from where they came, the setting sun rose once again, and the path he previously tred started to rewind. He returned to room 104, and Yellow Ferret stood in front of him, not daring to meet his eyes. (Chapter 46)

     “I thought it would take a while before you would use the three opportunities to participate in the Ice Project. I didn’t expect that you would have already used it twice by now.”

     A familiar dialogue.

     “When are you planning to come for the third time?”

     A familiar gaze.

     He Ruge expressionlessly retrieved the rare item “Miniature Energy Bomb“, and before Yellow Ferret could react from his astonished reaction, shot the other with a single fire.

     A red dot appeared between his eyebrows, and a muffled explosion vibrated on the inside of his skull, leaving only the front of his face barely intact. A pair of yellow-brown eyes were opened unbelievably wide in a reflection of confusion over his own death.

     “Weren’t you waiting for someone?” He Ruge’s voice was icy cold and without fluctuations. “It’s faster to wait in hell. Everyone will meet there eventually, no need to thank me.”

     His chest was rising and falling violently, and He Ruge closed his eyes for a long while before he could regain control of his trembling hands.

     Miao Miao.

     His little monster.

     He Ruge opened his eyes suddenly. He had to go see his little monster. He had told the little monster that he would be back soon; this time, he didn’t want to break his faith. However, he had to deal with some issues beforehand.

     To deal with Yellow Ferret’s corpse, he could possibly ask the Medicine-seeking rat for help. He Ruge went into the Love Mall and purchased a large sack, stuffing Yellow Ferret’s body in with a pale face before sealing the opening of the sack. He Ruge then suddenly recalled the rare prop [Who is the Murderer].

     There were no limitations on its number of uses, so (this prop) was a reusable item.

     He Ruge used the prop on Yellow Ferret’s corpse and asked quietly: “Is he the one behind the scenes of the Starry Sea Orphanage?”

     Writers always had a big brain; once they started doubting something, they could come up with all kinds of dramatic, messy scenarios. For example, ‘the person Yellow Ferret liked had died, so he created this organization to carry out inhumane experiments in retaliation……’

     【No】

     Okay, he thought too much.

     He Ruge dragged the sack all the way into the infirmary with a blank expression.

     The medicine seeking rat was sitting on the desk working on his light brain. He casually glanced up at He Ruge but found no cubs in He Ruge’s arms. The medicine-seeking rat then lowered his head again, and his nose twitched three or four times before he suddenly asked, “Who died?”

     The source of the stench of death originated from the sack.

     He Ruge dropped the sack on the ground and answered coldly: “Yellow Ferret.”

     While the Medicine-seeking rat was frozen in shock, he continued to say: “I killed him.”

     The Medicine-seeking rat almost wanted to tear out his beard, “You, why did you kill him? Are you crazy?!”

     He Ruge replied expressionlessly: “Yes, I’m crazy.”

     “I don’t cure crazy here.” The Medicine-seeking Rat was still stunned. His expression was shaken, and he couldn’t return to his senses for a while.

     “I know you don’t cure crazy, and I don’t want to cure it. You specialize in understanding the field of Spiritual mental consciousness,  so you must know how high the mortality rate for the Ice Project is. Meanwhile, I have a way to let all the experimental subjects of the Ice Project survive.” He Ruge threw out this heavy bomb, blowing up the Medicine-seeking rat to the point where the other was stammering for words: “You, you, you, what did you say?”

     “I participated in the last Ice Project and used my own methods to save Ruan Ruan and…… No. 20.”

     “I need a partner (who will help me) save the victims of the Starry Sea Orphanage. I looked for Yellow Ferret before, but unfortunately, our paths and thoughts were too different. Yellow Ferret was going to betray the plan, so I dealt with the traitor myself.” When He Ruge mentioned Yellow Ferret, the watery softness that previously exuded from his brows and eyes vanished completely, replaced with a layer of gloom.

     The Medicine-seeking rat had yet to recover from this sudden huge amount of information. He looked at the young man before him who had seemingly changed overnight. He hesitated for a while, before finally saying: “Don’t stand there, come sit down for a bit. I’ll go make you a cup of hot milk tea.”

     He Ruge sat down on the chair silently, his lips pallid.

     The Medicine-seeking rat’s hot milk tea was brewed quickly, and soon, He Ruge was looking into his steaming cup of milk tea while asking softly: “Have you poisoned the milk tea?”

     Was the Medicine-seeking rat the hand puppeteering behind the scenes? The side quest “The Mysterious Infirmary” was not yet complete. Perhaps, the Medicine-seeking rat was an unethical medical demon. In order to study the Spiritual Sea, he created this terrible organization to conduct experiments that could potentially exterminate humanity……

     He Ruge used “Who is the murderer” on the Medicine-seeking rat .

     【No】

     The Medicine-seeking rat who was drinking milk tea was so shocked when he heard this question that he almost choked to death on a mouthful of milk tea.

     “Cough, cough, cough, what do you mean by this?! If you don’t want to drink my milk tea, that’s fine! Yet, you drink and then spout so much bullshit!” The Medicine-seeking rat was so angry that he was huffing and puffing with wide eyes, almost jumping up and directly snatching the milk tea.

     He Ruge glanced down and took a sip of the hot milk tea. His cold heart finally felt a strand of warmth.

     Any discerning person could see that He Ruge’s current state wasn’t quite right, and the Medicine-seeking rat didn’t want to argue with a madman. He sighed and asked: “Why did you seek me out for cooperation? Aren’t you afraid I’m the same as Yellow Ferret?”

     Because you helped me before the save file loaded.

     Obviously, this explanation couldn’t be said aloud. 

     He Ruge took another sip of milk tea: “I have energy bombs.”

     “In the worst case scenario, we can die together.”

     The Medicine-seeking rat couldn’t bear He Ruge’s madman attitude anymore. He stomped his back feet angrily before falling into deep thought, “You……can you really save the experimental subjects of the Ice Project?”

     “I lied.” He Ruge raised his eyes and looked at the frozen Medicine-seeking rat, “Just kidding.”

     He seemed to now understand the little monster’s mentality when he cracked a joke before his death. Before the great sadness, one would sometimes don a smiling mask, like a clown with a painted face sitting beneath the stage, with tears streaming down and distorting the happy-go-lucky makeup.

     Distressing……

     He felt so distressed that he couldn’t breathe. He wanted to go see the little monster right now; he wanted to deal with all of these insignificant matters immediately. He wanted to fly to Room 104 and hug his little monster.

     The tiny bit of humor was but a flash in the pan, and He Ruge returned to an indifferent expression. He tried hard to adjust his facial muscles and relax his stiff expression, “It’s true, time shall prove everything.”

     The Medicine-seeking rat gave He Ruge a deep, “I believe you. But, I hope you will not let down my faith in you. If you deceive me, even if I die fighting, I will make sure you pay the price.”

     He Ruge wanted to squeeze out a smile in response, but the unsuccessful smile was even uglier than a crying face.

     “I will help you deal with Yellow Ferret’s death. If you need me for the Ice Project, I will also try my best to help.” The Medicine-seeking rat looked at He Ruge, “Your complexion right now is atrocious. Return and have a good rest. Don’t think too much about it.”

     “Thank you.” He Ruge stood up and thanked him.

     The Medicine-seeking rat waved his hand quickly: “Go, go, go. Next time, don’t come see me with a corpse, I’m old. A bag of brittle old bones doesn’t have the strength to clean up all your messes.”

     When He Ruge left the infirmary, he was going to head back to see the little monster right away. However, after he walked out of the infirmary, he was at a loss of how he should proceed.

     With every step of the stairs, he seemed to be stuck in tar. It was like having a terrible nightmare and being covered with cold sweat after the dream. He wanted to cry, but tears wouldn’t come out.

     He Ruge meandered along in a trance and arrived at the door of Room 104. Holding the door knob in his hand, he was afraid to open the door. If he pushed the door open, would there be a little monster crouched behind, ready to carry out a jump scare?

     He was afraid that he would cry on the spot.

     Cry from sheer happiness.

     He opened the door with a trembling hand. 

     He Ruge held his breath and saw a big white tiger sleeping beside the door. The big white tiger was sleeping deeply and soundly, as if all the suffering and sorrows from before had nothing to do with him.

     [Love]: Although No.20 will not remember the memories with you until long after, his love for you has become instinctual. Favorability 200

     [Complete Awakening]: Xi Guican and the little monster are currently fusing. Please wait patiently for the return of the king to conquer the four cardinal points and whisk you away into the starry skies.

     The sharp eyebrows that had seemingly been frozen by ice and snow finally softened subconsciously when he saw the big white tiger. He Ruge lay down beside the big white tiger and carefully stretched out his hand, gently hugging the warm tiger.

     His actions were feather light, as if he were afraid of waking a light-sleeper from a hard-won beautiful dream. However, the emotions in his black eyes were deep and heavy enough to be an existence of its own.

     This wasn’t a cold, bloody, and bruised corpse, but rather the living No.20.

     Sleeping here was the little white tiger and the little monster, the two cuties he owed the most to. Because of him, one cutie lost his memory, while the other cutie lost his life.

     He Ruge buried his face in the soft fur. As tears moistened his eyelashes and the white fur, he whispered softly as if sleeptalking: “I’m back.”

     I’m sorry, I will not hurt you again this time.

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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     The author has something to say:

     Small Theater:

     No. 20: I am Sleeping Beauty and need a prince to kiss me awake

     He Ruge: Muah~

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HRG returns to Chapter 46 p2 and rewrites everything that happened afterwards by killing off Yellow Ferret.

Mini energy bomb appearance: Chapter 30 p2

Post is unedited. Please let me know if there are any glaring errors! Thanks!

Previous | Index | Next

Hello Dear Readers!! I am currently working on retranslating chapters 1-8 since the last translator removed theirs. Thanks for your patience! Here’s where it all began ^^

To all new readers: Welcome!! Footnotes are located at the bottom of the page. Phrases/sentences in parentheses (…) are mainly implied context and not part of the original raws! I wrote them in to clarify context otherwise lacking in English translation equivalents. I don’t usually put TL notes in the story, but sometimes I just can’t help it ^u^/. Ko-fi Donors’ names and thank you notes will still be posted on the most recent chapters (not 1-8). I try my best to note major trigger warnings. If there’s something you would like me specifically to warn about, do send me a message about it (don’t be shy)!!! And last but not least: this work does NOT have a tragedy tag. Yes, there will be side character deaths, but this novel has a happy ending!!!

Happy Readings!

This chapter is unedited. Feel free to me know if there’s any glaring errors! (I’ll come back to edit later)

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     In a single room apartment, a young man wearing black-framed glasses sat in front of his computer as he finished typing the final word on a document before saving the latest update into the manuscript box of the author’s admin page in Jinjiang Literature City (JJWXC), and then he casually opened up a game.

     The characters on the opening screen of the game were definitely designed to attract the attention of the younger generation.

     [A Jet-black military uniform tightly wrapped around a thin and tall body, the black military cap was fastened on top of his head, and the upper half of (the character’s) face was hidden under the brim of the hat, only revealing a high nose bridge, thin lips, and a beautifully contoured lower jaw.

     The thin blood-stained lips were hooked upwards slightly, and the tip of his tongue sensually licked at the blood stains.

     “The battle in my heart is unstoppable with you who carries the galaxy in your eyes”]

     The colorful opening screen made He Ruge suddenly very excited about the game “Your Exclusive Lover”. He pushed up his glasses calmly and asked himself:

     You’re not a young girl??

     Would you be tempted by a sexy little brother in military uniform?

     –Of course! ! ! (TL note: Of course!!! Uniforms are pretty darn sexy.  Everyone can appreciate them ouo)

     He Ruge completely forgot his original intention in playing the game. The meng (cute) girl in his mind was completely discarded. He eagerly clicked on the continue button and the opening screen disappeared, replaced by the game’s plot summary presented in the form of text.

     The setting was an orphanage, and a red-brown colored text description appeared:

     After the end of the First Intergalactic War, the 17th district produced countless orphans due to (it’s location) as the main battlefield. The Starry Sea Orphanage accepted these orphans and used them to carry out illegal human experiments which were prohibited by the Federation.

     No. 20 is the most special existence. He is the source of all future destruction. But right now, he is but a little monster.

     As an employee of the orphanage, your relationship with No. 20 is closely related to your future results.

     [Skip the plot summary]

     【Yes】

     【No】

     He Ruge clicked [No].

     The game was in first-person perspective. After the text vanished, a group of staff members came in through the door each with three to four cubs in their hands: fox cubs, kittens, puppies, piglets…… (this scene) almost stunned He Ruge into a full daze.

     Was the setting really an orphanage and not a zoo?

     A blonde staff member looked at He Ruge as he held two cubs by the back of their necks, and called: “Hey! Come help!”

     The (game) screen automatically advanced and landed on the white tiger cub in the blonde staff member’s left hand. The cub’s fur was covered in blood, and his blue eyes showed a trace of hostility.

     “You, carry this tiger cub. Be careful, he already bit me before. We’ll put these cubs in Room B6, the higher ups said we’ll be conducting a small experiment……”

     A pair of slender hands appeared on the screen and received the white tiger cub with its fur standing on end. With a wave of his small paw, cold light flashed, blood splattered, and five bloodstains appeared on the back of the hand!

     Obviously, his “self” (his character) in the game had been scratched.

     This little white tiger was akin to a curled up hedgehog, aiming to pierce everyone in cuts and bruises.

     The image then changed to the second floor of the orphanage, focusing on Room B6 which was at the end of the stairwell. The door was slowly pushed open to reveal a space divided into 20 compartments by slabs of iron plates. There were ten iron compartments built against each of the left and right walls. Blood-red Arabic numbers hung on the front door of each compartment.

     Carrying his bloody streaked hand, he carried the white tiger cub and arrived in front of iron compartment “No. 20”. Inside was a cotton nest bedding and a cat litter box.

     The Little White Tiger was thrown into the cotton nest like an upside down plucked green onion. Even though he reacted quickly and had promptly rushed back up to the door, it was still a step too late – the iron door closed with a “Ka-da“, and the little white tiger slammed firmly right into the iron door.

     A moment later, a milky (soft/cub-like) roar sounded from the compartment.

     [End of Plot Synopsis]

     【Game is Starting】

     【Daily Task:

     The cub in room B6 is one of the experimental subjects of the “Ice Project“. As a staff member, you must participate in the “Ice Project” and record the data fluctuations for all experimental subjects. In the “Ice Project”, only No. 20 has special considerations.

     “Note: During the Ice Project, the experimental subject must be contained in an enclosed space. All staff will try to avoid physical contact, verbal communication, and eye contact with the experimental subjects while delivering meals and undertaking cleaning tasks.”]

【Main Mission:

     No. 20’s growth rate is extremely fast. You must gain favorability points while he is still young and weak. After the sixth experiment, if No.20’s favorability level towards you is less than 60, you will die; if No.20’s favorability towards you is 90 or higher, you will unlock military uniform PLAY

     “Note: Military uniform PLAY. No.20 will put on a military uniform and play ♂with♀ you”]

     Sitting in front of the computer, He Ruge pushed up his glasses frames again before falling into contemplation at those two suggestive symbols.

     He Ruge, a romance writer, a straight steel man, would he be interested in this type of spouse-raising game?

     The mouse clicked on continue without hesitation, and a bunch of baby bottles appeared on the game screen.

     【Daily Task:

     Feed the experimental subjects (0/20)]

     With the baby bottle in hand, the screen stopped at the door of No. 1’s iron compartment room. There was a lid at the bottom of the iron door which opened to reveal a round hole just barely big enough to fit the baby bottle.

     【Beginner’s Guide:

     Lift the lid and insert half the bottle into the round hole. 】

     He clicked on the lid with the mouse, and when the lid opened, a pair of big black grape-like eye appeared from behind the hole: “Bark wuuu Bark Bark wuuu~” (Wang Wu Wang Wang Wu~)

     [Warning: During the feeding period, if the experimental subject looks at you for more than three seconds, it will be regarded as eye contact, and the mission will be considered a failure! 】

     A three-second countdown timer appeared on the screen, and the terrified He Ruge used the hand speed of being single for many years ^[1], immediately stuffed the bottle into the round hole.

     Half of the milk bottle was stuffed in while the back half of the bottle was firmly held in He Ruge’s hand.

     The occupant of compartment Number 1 was a small milky dog (puppy)^[2].

     He Ruge recalled the sudden glance he had caught before. It had black eyes and yellow fur, and was very small. Its temper appeared quite good, at least much better than the Little White Tiger’s.

     The details of this game were very well handled. For example, the scratches on the back of his hand were still present.

     The milk in the bottle dwindled rapidly, and He Ruge looked at the emptied bottle with a faint sense of happiness in his heart.

     The happiness of raising a dog was quite extraordinary.

     【Beginner’s Guide:

     When the subject has finished drinking the milk, please extract the bottle and replace the lid (of the door)]

     He Ruge followed the Beginner’s guideline. But, as he closed the lid, he heard whimpering and crying yips, as if (the cub) was begging him not to leave.

     Clearly, this was just a simulated game; yet, unwillingness sprouted from his heart. However, when he recalled the daily tasks’ requirements, his entanglement quickly vanished.

     He Ruge fed from No.1 to No.19 and identified five little puppies and three little kittens through their distinct calls. The other “wuu wuu”, “jii jii”, and “coo coo” were unplaceable, coupled with the fact that the lighting in the compartments was very dim, and he only had three seconds, he couldn’t make out any of their appearances. He Ruge noted a question mark for the identities of those residents, preparing to find an opportunity to fill in the missing information.

     The feeding session finally ended up at No.20’s door, and He Ruge felt that the guilt in his heart from leaving nineteen adorable little cubs in the cold was slightly relieved. He was finally able to properly cultivate favorability with the Little White Tiger.

【Beginner’s Guide:

     When you are in close contact with the No.20, you must avoid the cameras. Each time No.20’s favorability/goodwill for you increases, you will receive a little heart. One little heart can block the surveillance monitors for ten minutes.

     [Note 1] Little Hearts: Little Hearts is the currency used in the Love Mall

     [Note 2] Love Mall: When No.20 begins to build favorability towards you, the Love Mall will automatically become available]

     He Ruge examined the screen for a long time, but couldn’t figure out where to look for the favorability and little hearts. However, at this moment, the novice gift package fell from the sky.

     [Beginner’s Gift Pack *1]

     [Please confirm to receive]

     [Received successfully]

     【You have received

     [Single Use Monitor Shield*3]

     [Candy *3]

     [Common Medicine *3]

     [Bandages *3″]

     He Ruge used one “Single-Use Monitor Shield” to obtain ten minutes of close interaction with the Little White Tiger.

     His mouse clicked on the lid of No. 20’s iron door. However, once the lid was lifted, the pair of blue eyes didn’t appear as he had anticipated. Only an expanse of darkness could be seen through it.

     This…… didn’t conform to the common pattern.

     When He Ruge fed No.1 through No.19, every time he lifted the lid, he could see sparkling eyes behind the hole. Every cub was very enthusiastic. If they weren’t divided by the iron door, he’s afraid they would all directly pounce towards the bottle in He Ruge’s hand.

     At this moment a few selectable options appeared:

     [No. 20 did not immediately appear like the other subjects. You are slightly confused. You choose:

     A. Maintain the current situation

     B. Approach the hole and see examine the situation]

     The ten minutes of interactive time was slipping away little by little. If the LIttle White Tiger slept in the room for the entire ten minutes, wouldn’t the prop be wasted?

     He Ruge unhesitantly selected B, and his character ‘self’ in the game approached the round hole. Because the game was in first-person perspective, his entire screen turned pitch black, and only the outline of a cub was faintly visible within the darkness. However, before He Ruge could even settle himself, a snow-white claw suddenly piercing the darkness through the round hole, swiping accurately and accurately —

     A familiar cold light flashed!

     A familiar sight of blood splattered!

     [You have been attacked by No. 20. There are streaks of blood on the bridge of your nose. Do you wish to use [Bandage*1]?]

     【Yes】

     【No】

     He Ruge: “……”

     So it turns out that the bandages were prepared for me…

     He silently used one bandage.

     With the sudden appearance of the aggressive Little White Tiger, a floating screen emerged with selectable options:

     [Talk] [Touch] [Feed]

     There was also a status bar:

     [Hostile]: No.20 despises everyone in the Starr Sea Orphanage, which naturally includes you 

     [Unawakened]: No one has discovered that No. 20 is a little monster, except you

     No wonder he couldn’t find the love mall nor see the degree of favorability. All of his stats were currently negative, and he didn’t even know how negative his level of favorability currently was……

     This was the first time he had faced such a hostile attitude, and it was from a murderous Little White Tiger cub. He Ruge felt a bit dumbfounded.

     Anyways, he should finish the daily tasks first. The Little White Tiger was hostile to him, but he shouldn’t be hostile to the bottle.

     He clicked on the bottle to feed, and as expected, the Little White Tiger didn’t do anything to the bottle. The bottle of milk was quickly consumed. However, the Little White Tiger who was full from drinking didn’t act like other cubs who wanted a hug, a kiss, and a lift. He returned to his cotton nest without looking back, and even threw out a fierce snarl before leaving.

     【Daily Task:

     Feed the experimental subjects (Breakfast ※Completed)]

     The little White Tiger’s reaction was within He Ruge’s expectations (so he didn’t pay it much attention). Instead, his eyes fell on the three interactive options [Talk] [Touch] [Feed]

     He should just try each one in order.

     He Ruge click [Talk], and a dialogue box appeared:

     No.20

     [No. 20 said nothing, he lays quietly in the cotton nest]

     He Ruge clicked [Talk] again.

     No.20

     [No. 20 doesn’t want to talk to you]

     He Ruge: “……”

     Although he expected this reaction, why did he still feel a little injured?

     He used the mouse to click [Touch].

     The iron door opened and closed again with lightning speed. The little white tiger lying in the cotton nest widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked at He Ruge who appeared before him.

     When the scratched and blood scabbed hand touched the Little White Tiger, He Ruge averted his eyes and couldn’t bear to watch the following development.

     No.20

     [No. 20’s fur explodes. He believes his personal space has been violated. He scratches and bites you again]

     [You were attacked by No. 20 and injured your forearm. Do you wish to use [Bandage*1]?]

     【Yes】

     【No】

     He Ruge: “……”

     It seems three bandages would be insufficient.

     Under the Little White Tiger’s wild cat fists, a pair of black-framed glasses tumbled to the ground.

     It might have just been a coincidence that the pair of glasses on screen was similar to the ones He Ruge wore in reality.

     He looked at the innocent black-framed glasses that landed on the ground, and couldn’t help touching his own glasses frame.

     Due to his appearance, glasses were a major factor of importance in his life. Wearing glasses allowed him to avoid many unnecessary troubles.

No.20

     [Your glasses have fallen. No.20 sees your appearance without glasses. No.20 stops attacking]

     Status:

     [Hostile → Indifferent]: No.20 despises everyone in the Starry Sea Orphanage, but he doesn’t think you look like a bad person.

     He Ruge: “???”

---

     The author has something to say:

     Small Theater:

     He Ruge: Why did you give me a good person card

     Xi Guican: Because you are so good-looking~

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Index | Next

Trigger warnings: SADNESS. Prepare some tissues. But, all will be well. Trust. There’s NO tragedy tag!!!

Title is at the end of the chapter.

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     Another energy bomb exploded on his back, completely ripping off the injured left wing. The severed wing fell from the sky like a falling leaf, spiraling downwards. Everything happening now (gave him a sense) of deja vu.

     However, the little monster didn’t cry out loudly like he did in the past because, for him now, the most precious thing in his life was no longer the Zerg wings.

     “Close your eyes.”

     The person in his arms had been crying non-stop, but he still obediently listened to him. (He Ruge) didn’t open his eyes no matter how much his tears fell. The teardrops fell from his eyes to his jaw like trails of broken pearls, dampening the fur on (the little monster’s) body.

     How was he able to shed so many tears?

     The little monster lapped up his sweet tears again. He Ruge was indeed the sweetest and most delicious. His blood was sweet, and his tears were also sweet. He Ruge was just too delectable, and every sip he took gave him feelings of happiness.

     If he died, he wouldn’t be able to taste such a sweet He Ruge anymore.

     The Monster dragged his battered body and crawled up again with difficulty. Blood gurgled out from the gaping wounds.

     He Ruge felt the warm and sticky blood seep through his fingers, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. He wanted to open his eyes to look at the little monster, but the little monster hadn’t allowed him to open his eyes.

     “He Ruge.” His little monster called out to him.

     He Ruge hands trembled as he stroked the little monster’s head in the darkness, groping at the long tiger whiskers and moist nose with his fingertips, before finally settling on the gaping wound.

     “He Ruge, I’m so stupid, I’m not Xi Guican, so I can’t think of another way to save you.” This was the first time the little monster mentioned Xi Guican.

     “You’re not stupid, our family’s Miao Miao is very smart.” He Ruge hugged the little monster’s neck as he cried till his whole body was shaking violently.

     Another energy bomb hit the little monster. 

     He Ruge shook his head desperately. He breathed deep and hard like (a fish out of water) before he could form a complete sentence: “Miao Miao, does it hurt?”

     “It doesn’t hurt. Have you forgotten? As long as we are in physical contact, it won’t hurt.”

     The Pain Nullifier!

     He Ruge checked the status of the pain nullifier. However, the item was shown to be (currently not in use). Because the sensation of pain was the body’s (natural) protective measure, He Ruge didn’t use the item on the little monster for a long duration.

     It was only when he injected the gene altering solution for the little monster that he would use it for that one night before it was removed the next day.

     Thus, at this moment, the pain nullifier wasn’t being used on the little monster at all. 

     The little monster was lying to him!

     He Ruge used the fastest speed possible to use the pain nullifier on the little monster, “You must not lie to me, Miao Miao, do not lie to me anymore.”

     The little monster rubbed his head coquettishly against (He Ruge), “He Ruge, are you injured?” He had clearly guarded He Ruge so carefully that even his hair was not harmed, but he was still worried that the person in his embrace had gotten hurt.

     The person in his arms cried and shook his head.

     “If not, that’s great. No one in this world is allowed to hurt you, except for me.” 

     Perhaps it was the arrival of imminent death that caused the little monster to finally break down the last trace of his facade. He whispered to the young man whose eyes were closed tightly: “I don’t want to die.”

     His body is growing heavier and heavier.

     “I’m a little tired.”

     The little monster pursed his mouth and cried silent tears. Although he had grown this big and become a Big monster, in He Ruge’s heart, he was still the same little monster who was naughty and childish.

     “My Zerg Wings…… broke again.”

     “It hurts so much.”

     “I think I’m going to die this time. I’m so weak. Xi Guican will definitely take this opportunity to erase me.” Even before death, he didn’t forget to give He Ruge eye drops ^[1].

     “When I die, if Xi Guican comes out, will you be with him? I won’t allow this.”

     The pair of malevolent eyes became redder and redder, the streaks of blood-red consumed all the whites of his eyes, “He Ruge, I must kill you. I will swallow you into my stomach, and you will accompany me in death.” Every word he spoke would make a person terrified.

     “What say you?”

     His tongue lapped up the teardrops on the other’s pale jawline, “……However, my heart aches at the thought of killing you.”

     “It turns out…… I also have a heart.”

     Another energy bomb exploded, and the remaining right wing also fell off. The little monster lunged forwards and smashed the obstacles with his body, arriving at the rooftop while holding He Ruge amid the blaring sirens.

     His blood-red pupils glanced at the starry skies, and then back down at the person in his arms. The previously manic red eyes suddenly softened, and the little monster lowered his head with difficulty to lightly touch the other person’s forehead with his nose. He said softly: “I was lying.”

     “How could I ever kill you.” Like a naughty child who succeeded in a prank, no one could tell whether he was telling the truth or a lie.

     “He Ruge, you can open your eyes now.”

     The little monster watched as the slender eyelashes lifted gently to reveal a pair of black eyes drowned in water, two lines of translucent tears slipped down from the edges of the eyes.  The person in front of him did not look at the starry skies, but rather cried as he looked at him.

     “He Ruge, are you happy?” He heard himself asking He Ruge. However, his voice was faint. Because his ears were filled with blood, it wasn’t easy to hear sounds.

     Fortunately, the other person did not speak, but instead covered his mouth and shook his head.

     “But you have to be happy, He Ruge. Don’t look at me, go look at the starry skies.”

     The blood in the red eyes receded like a tide, revealing the clear blue underneath.

     “I hope you can be happy.”

     I hope you can be happy, and I hope you continue to live on happily.

     And so…… the transferring of strength and memories (to Xi Guican) no longer sounded so unacceptable.

     He Ruge, I will be back. I will become a smarter Miao Miao, and become Xi Guican. But from then on, there will no longer be a ‘little monster’ in this world.

     But, no matter, the existence of the “little monster” was something that should have been erased in the first place.

     Actually, I have a lot of things I wish to tell you, but I don’t have the strength nor the time…

     Just as his blue eyes completely lost their luster, an energy bomb hit him from behind. His huge body seemed to collapse like a landslide, gradually falling to the ground. In the last moment before he died, he used his body as a shield, blocking all incoming attacks for He Ruge and preventing him from being hurt.

     He Ruge hugged the monster’s corpse. His blood-stained hands trembled as he reached out to the other’s nose. But he couldn’t even succeed in the simple gesture of raising his hand.

     He covered the blue eyes weakly with his palms, and He Ruge finally broke down under the light of the dazzling starry skies.

     [Countdown: 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds]

     [File Read Successful]

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Footnotes:

1.“Give him eye drops/medication”: Rubbing salt in the wound

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TL Notes: Hi, all! Sorry for the delay! I’ve been busy with work related stuff recently. I’ve also been working on re-translating chapters 1-8^^

Chapter 49 Title: [File Read Successful]

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Potential Trigger Warning: Descriptions related to battles (ie: blood, wounds, deaths, etc)

I hid the title because I thought it might be a bit of a spoiler. If you would like to know the title, it is at the bottom of the chapter in white text. Highlight over it to see it!

Thank You, MonSoup for your amazing and lovely Kofi donation!!!!!

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     He Ruge was trapped in the brainwashing chamber and couldn’t move around at will. Moreover, it would take 24 hours to load the files, so he decided to exit the game altogether and opted to go write quietly instead. He jumped back online at 7 o’clock in the evening of the next day.

     [Countdown: 00 Hours 16 Minutes 10 Seconds]

     The file reading would be successful in T-minus 16 minutes. He Ruge sat in the brainwashing chamber and contemplated what he should do after the file was loaded.

     Yellow Ferret won’t cooperate, so he should choose to look for the Medicine-seeking Rat. Medicine-seeking Rat’s previous words implied that he wanted to protect (He Ruge) but didn’t have the ability to do so. So, the Medicine-seeking rat should be rather trustworthy.

     While He Ruge was lost in thought, he was suddenly startled by a loud BANG. Because he was wearing a helmet and couldn’t see, He Ruge could only listen tensely to the thunderous crashing BANGS in fear.

     What was going on?

     He couldn’t be on lunch break right as the file was about to load successfully, right!?^[1]

     “Bang Bang Bang-–” He Ruge suddenly recalled an emoji with a similar sound effect – the head banging against the wall emoji pack – and he couldn’t help laughing out loud. However, his smile froze in the next second.

     The iron doors smashed open and an overwhelming, ear-shattering reverberation rattled everyone’s eardrums. (He Ruge couldn’t see anything), but he could hear the sound of countless weapons firing and the nearby rumblings of exploding energy bombs. These sounds intertwined into a grand and impassioned War song, beating into the hearts of every listener.

     A gust of strong wind brushed across the front of his face, carrying a pungent smell. There seemed to be someone standing in front of him. A steady stream of the foul smell of blood emanated from the other, and How Ruge could even smell the scent of gunpowder and rust. There was also a faint burnt odor.

     It might be the smell of energy bombs (burning the bodies), the scorching temperature cooking the flesh.

     The person in front of him didn’t speak, but He Ruge guessed the identity of the person who arrived.

     “…Miao Miao?”

     His heart was a mess and he couldn’t think clearly.

     He Ruge never thought that the little monster would run out to look for him. He hadn’t finished injecting all the gene altering solutions, and the little monster had yet to fully grow up. How could he run out now? Was he in danger? Was he injured?

     The iron chains that imprisoned He Ruge’s hands and feet were sliced through by sharp claws that paused on the helmet. The little monster looked as if he’d done something incredibly wrong, covering his own ears while stealing the bell^[2], “You, close your eyes.”

     His voice was as coarse as sandpaper on stone.

     Although He Ruge wasn’t sure why the little monster said that, he still obediently closed his eyes.

     Sharp claws sliced through the helmet like tofu and He Ruge felt the strands of his hair sway with the wind. He was embraced into the arms of the little monster’s two paws, and (the little monster’s) soft belly gave He Ruge a sense of security. He couldn’t see anything (with his eyes still closed), so when (the little monster arrived in front of him), he could only hold onto him tightly.

     Energy cannon explosions sounded one after another accompanied by the sound of buzzing air. One particular energy bomb sounded like it collided with the little monster’s back. He Ruge’s heart tightened as his hands tightly grasped the soft fur. “Miao Miao, are you hurt?” His voice was tense and raspy.

     However, the little monster didn’t answer immediately.

     “He Ruge, I told you before that I would show you the starry skies.” The youth’s hoarse and fragmented voice overwhelmed all other sounds and struck into his trembling heartstrings.

     This was…… his little monster.

     The Little Monster who, before he could fully grow up, still desired to protect him.

     The one holding him flew upwards at a speed so fast that the sound of explosions rapidly disappeared behind them. The little monster lowered his head and solemnly promised the treasure in his arms: “I will bring you to see the stars now.”

     The monstrous Zerg wings slammed through the air hard. Most of the flesh and skin had melted off the bone wings, so when the wind passed through the open wounds, it would make a whimpering whistle, similar to the whimpers in a monster’s heart, incomprehensible to humans.

     He had once rushed through the Orphanage like this before. However, he was bigger then, twice as big as he was now and so strong that no one could stop him. Xi Guican was also awake at that time and would tell him where he should go and whom to kill.

     But this time, he had nothing. He was completely unprepared. 

     Yet, this time, he was holding onto the one thing he wanted to protect most in his life. 

     The little monster suddenly lifted his gaze, and his blood-red eyes stared straight into the monitor, “Open the door.” He issued an indomitable command to the people in the monitoring room.

     The door of the transport channel opened silently. The huge monster shook off the pursuers behind him, and in this moment where time was of the essence, he firmly carried the person in his arms and flew upwards desperately.

     The eight energy cannons at the top (of the transport channel) had already adjusted their angles and aimed at the monster who was about to break out from the darkness.

     Suddenly, the first energy cannon was launched, followed closely by the second and third…… the dense, goose-bump inducing waves of energy wove into an ineludible net, leaving them with no escape.

     Pain always arrives late. When his left wing was blown clean off, the little monster tumbled like a kite with a snapped string. The intact (right) wing ^[3] flapped desperately and barely flung the tilted kite into the (walls of the transport channel).

     The sharp claws that could cut through iron were embedded deeply into the clay walls. With his broken wings, the little monster climbed slowly upwards using three paws. With the other paw and his tail, he held onto He Ruge firmly.

     “Miao Miao, what’s wrong, Miao Miao?!” The person in his arms was so anxious that his voice was shaking.

     (Hearing his voice), his exhausted body was suddenly filled with renewed strength. The little monster lowered his head and gently licked away the man’s tears with his tongue. His vitality was fading rapidly from his body, and he had to scrounge up 120% of his spirit to prevent himself from making (a fatal) mistake.

     But, he knew……

     He was dying.

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Hidden Title ————> <File Read Successful>

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Thank you all for your patience! @_@ I strained my wrist again, so I’ve been working with one hand for a month. There’s still a bonus chapter in the queue! I haven’t forgotten! ><

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     While (the group) walked towards the brainwashing chamber, He Ruge whispered softly: “I’m not a member of the Intergalactic Police Force. But, I might be a messenger of justice sent by Heaven to deliver a bit of love to this world.”

     The Medicine-seeking rat ignored He Ruge’s mutterings and sighed: “You should talk some more while you’re still conscious now. After you enter the brainwashing chamber, you won’t be able to speak your mind anymore. Did you know? The last person who managed the gene altering solution injections died a few days ago.

     “Scorpion started investigating from that time.

     “Your identity had already been under suspicion for quite a while. You can freely enter and exit the Orphanage, awaken Yellow Ferret’s memories, and block the monitors. (Everything you’ve done) also seems to have a connection with Crow’s rebellion back then. You’ve really put yourself in front of the gun this time. I……I wish to protect you, but I truly can’t.”

     The Medicine-seeking rat coughed louder and louder as he sent He Ruge to the door of the brainwashing chambers. Two strong individuals pushed He Ruge into the brainwashing machine.

     He Ruge suddenly recalled many things, such as when he himself stood in the Medicine-seeking rat’s current position, watching the Little White Tiger being escorted into the brainwashing chamber.

     It turns out that the machine was this large and cold. Was Little White Tiger terrified then? When the (Little White Tiger) was sent into the brainwashing chambers with his own hands, was he (The Little White Tiger) just as sad as when he (He Ruge) was betrayed by Yellow Ferret?

     He had only regarded Yellow Ferret as a trustworthy friend, yet, he already felt like he couldn’t breathe after he was betrayed. As for the Little White Tiger, his favorability was at 100. What kind of emotion did the Little White Tiger who loved him that much feel at the time?

     Did his heart break in half, shatter to pieces; did he carry his broken heart while still firmly saying ‘I like you’.

     Because…… Even at the last moment when Little White Tiger was sent into the brainwashing chambers, his favorability was still 100.

     He Ruge wanted to put his hand over the left side of his left chest and block the overflowing sorrow that was leaking out. However, his hands were fixed in place and he couldn’t move. 

     The moment when the machine was starting up, He Ruge chose to load the saved file.

     【Read files】

     【Yes】

     【No】

    If only real life could be reloaded like a game. 

     He Ruge closed his eyes as he heard the cold mechanical voice flow through his mind:

   [Loading files takes a long time, please wait patiently]

     [A harmful mental wave was detected, activating spiritual sea protection mechanism ——]

     [Resistance Successful]

     【Loading time 1 x 24 hours】

     [Countdown: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds]

     ＊

     The little monster dragged the bedding from the corner of the room to the door. He sat on the bedding He Ruge gave him and waited.

     He waited one hour.

     Two hours.

     Three hours.

     …

     He waited until the sky grew completely dark, until there was no longer light reflected in his blue eyes. He waited until the sky lit back up. However, that pair of dim blue eyes did not brighten again.

     His tail encircled his paws, and the little monster stared at the unopened door without blinking from beginning to end.

     ——Why are you not here yet?

     ——I have been waiting for you for a long time

     ——I was good 

     Finally, the door of the room was pushed open, and the pair of blue eyes exploded with brilliance. The little monster looked expectantly at the visitor, but he only saw an unfamiliar staff member.

     That person was obviously scared of him. He avoided him as he placed the nutrient solution on the ground and left in a hurry.

     The door closed again, and the light in the little monster’s blue eyes went out, like a  turbulent sea submerged under a dark, moonless night. The big white tiger lowered his head and shattered the bottle of nutrient solution with one bite. The glass shards pierced his tongue, but the little monster just drank the nutrient solution mixed with glass as if nothing had happened.

     He waited for another long, long duration. He waited until noon, but the one who came again was still not yet He Ruge.

     And so, the little monster waited by the door again.

     The little monster last night thought that if He Ruge came back at night, he would definitely forgive He Ruge.

     This morning’s little monster thought, if He Ruge came back this morning, he would still not blame He Ruge.

     This noon’s little monster thought, if He Ruge came back at noon, he would give He Ruge a little bite.

     Tonight’s little monster thought, if He Ruge didn’t return tonight, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, then…….

     He would have to kill He Ruge.

     He would rip open that liar, and break him into eight pieces. He would eat him completely, flesh and skin, into his stomach without even spitting out the bones. Then, their blood and flesh would be fused together, and the other person would never again be able to leave. (TL: YANDERE ALERT)

     At night, the door opened, and a stranger carrying the medicine box walked in and injected the gene altering solution into the little monster.

     Without He Ruge’s presence, the pain that had disappeared racked his body once more, and even felt more painful and unbearable than before.

Pain. 

     It was so painful that his dark red vertical pupils emerged, and his violent eyes stared straight at the person in front of him. The blood-agate eyes were ominous and malevolent, and filled with a sense of overwhelming power.

     “Where is he?”

     Though the question clearly didn’t indicate who “he” was, the person being controlled stammered: “In…… brainwashing…… chambers……”

     The Brainwashing Chamber.

     The place where he first arrived into this world, and the place where he first awakened all of his bad memories.

     It turns out that he hadn’t been abandoned. He Ruge was trapped by bad people.

     Very good.

     The little monster snapped the other’s neck in one smooth bite before staring directly into the cameras with his irrational blood-red eyes. He smiled at the person behind the monitors with the deepest malicious intent.

     The monster that had been suppressing himself finally broke through his cage of sanity.

     (The monster) opened his large Zerg wings and soared out of the dreary Room 104.

     —— Don’t be afraid

     —— We’re going home

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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     The author has something to say:

     Small Theater:

     Little Monster: Watch, I will show you a live performance of swallowing glass shards

     Little Angel: Yeah! I can too!

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     The time spent tiger-petting was happy, but short. He Ruge left the game (running in the background) while he pulled out his phone to write.

     The term “playing until losing control” made a lot of sense now. With the game right next to him, He Ruge couldn’t concentrate on writing at all.

     He could only log on to Penguin to seek out Coding Machine for motivation. After seeing pictures of fancy stewed pigeon, knives threatening castration, and not-working authors being thrown in trash cans, He Ruge began writing with tears in his eyes.

     Once he spent the entire afternoon writing an update, He Ruge logged back into the game to inject the little monster with the gene altering solution. With the last gene altering solution injection, the little monster was already one head taller than He Ruge. He was around two meters tall and more than four meters long.

     Watching the process of the little monster’s growth, He Ruge suddenly had this illusion that if the little monster kept growing bigger and bigger, he’d become an invincible creature who could crush the Starry Sea Orphanage with one slash.

     The big monster would be so tall that it wouldn’t even need to fly so that the tips of its ears penetrated the cloud cover. He would be sitting on the monster’s head and could touch the stars with a mere stretch of his hand.

     After injecting the gene altering solution, He Ruge remembered his last chance to participate in the Ice Project. If that matter was left unresolved, it would forever sit in his heart and fester away. Besides, he (left a save point there), so he should just take advantage of that and deal with that matter tonight. Then, he would come back and find an excuse to curl up in the big cat’s arms and sleep. Isn’t that a beautiful image?

     Taking heart wasn’t comparable to taking action. 

     He Ruge stood on his tiptoe and touched the little monster’s head, whispering: “Miao Miao, I have something to do and need to leave first, but I’ll be back soon.”

     Although the little monster was reluctant, he had clearly become more sensible in these past few days. Even if he didn’t want He Ruge to leave, he still nodded and said: “Okay, I’ll be waiting for you.”

     As the door was closing, He Ruge couldn’t help but turn and say to the eager little monster: “I’ll be back soon, this time I won’t let you wait long.”

     The little monster nodded earnestly.

     He Ruge closed the door with a smile and then walked towards Room B6 alone. Due to the universal key card and the Little Hearts shielding monitor, he was unobstructed in entering and exiting all the corridors.

     When he arrived at Room B6, Yellow Ferret had just finished feeding milk formula to the experimental subjects. Seeing He Ruge’s arrival, he lowered his head and left the room in silence, leaving He Ruge room to work.

     Although singing consumed the bloodline pattern’s energy, this would be the last time he sang for the cubs, so it shouldn’t matter if he consumed some energy once more.

     After He Ruge comforted himself, he opened Room 1 and sang a few lyrics for the small pup. If he sang a full song for each experimental subject every time, he would have to sing twenty times. He guessed that by the end, his legs would be so soft that he’d be unable to leave the room.

     Thus, he only sang two or three lines of the lyrics for each cub, just like how he’d hummed to Ruan Ruan. The efficiency of his singing was quite high, and He Ruge arrived at Room 20 in the blink of an eye.

     Number 20 in this time’s Ice Project was a cute little squirrel, and He Ruge particularly enjoyed singing with the little squirrel in his palm. With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he opened the iron door of Room 20, and the first thing he saw was a large gray rat.

     There was no fluffy squirrel tail, no little squirrel who He Ruge’s heart yearned for. It was the medicine-seeking rat with his white beard and hair and a face etched with the vicissitudes of life.

     The medicine-seeking rat sat on the robotic arm. A light screen was suspended in the air with charts recording sound waves. Seeing He Ruge push open the door stupidly, the medicine-seeking rat sighed deeply. He turned off the recording function with one paw and then said earnestly to He Ruge: “Why are you so stupid? Sold off and you didn’t even have a clue…”

     No matter how naive He Ruge was, he instantly realized that he had been betrayed by Yellow Ferret. He held onto the room’s door frame and stood there in a daze. Only the word “betrayal” replayed endlessly in his otherwise empty mind.

     ……How could this be?

     Wasn’t it agreed that he could participate in the Ice Project three times?

     He Ruge’s worst guess was that he had accidentally run into something in Room B6 that revealed the situation.

     How did this happen?

     It was clearly he who helped Yellow Ferret retrieve his memories. He knew Yellow Ferret’s name was Huang Dingxu. In the previous Ice Project, he prevented Yellow Ferret from harming the experimental subject. In total, he had helped Yellow Ferret twice.

     As a person…… shouldn’t gratitude be repaid with gratitude, and wrath repaid in wrath, just like Crow?

     Starry Sea Orphanage was a very dark place. The organization behind it was completely apathetic and void of humanity, but He Ruge’s heart was still biased towards any and all victims.

     Just like how he regarded Crow and Golden Python as friends, and treated the cubs as gently and warmly as his own, he was willing to trust everyone wholesomely.

     He didn’t want to doubt Yellow Ferret. It wasn’t that he was so naive of the world that he was oblivious to the workings of the human heart, but rather, just as how He Ruge said to the little monster: “Exchanging sincerity with sincerity”, he always aspired to treat everyone in the world who deserved kindness with kindness.

     The medicine-seeking rat shook his head, “Of all people, why would you ask Yellow Ferret for cooperation……sigh, is he a credible person?”

     A small wheel emerged from the base of the robotic arm, and the medicine-seeking rat steered the robotic arm around He Ruge, who was still standing in place. He instantly drove (the arm) to the doorway of Room B6 before turning his head towards the still frozen He Ruge: “Follow me. Everyone outside is someone who can repress you. If you walk with me, it’ll at least be better.”

     The tightly closed door opened, and behind the door stood a row of staff members and the pale-faced Yellow Ferret. They were separated by a long and suffocating silence, similarly pale-faced, and looking at each other.

     “Sorry.” He Ruge heard Yellow Ferret spit out these words with trembling lips. They were very familiar words. The day he re-awakened Yellow Ferret’s memories, he had heard Yellow Ferret say:

     “Sorry, I am a small-minded person.”

     At this moment, that memory collided with the present.

     He Ruge took the first step forward. But, because he had consumed too much energy from his bloodline pattern, his steps were a bit unstable. He furrowed his brows strenuously, following after the medicine-seeking rat one foot in front of the other. He took one small and one large step repeatedly, seemingly as if just recovering from a hangover, and walked past the two rows of staff members.

     Maybe he really was drunk and hadn’t fully woken up yet.

     He trekked along in this long, dark corridor as if traversing through a nightmare. He Ruge stopped his footsteps and turned back to look at Yellow Ferret. His voice echoed through the hallway in a surreal manner: “Huang Dingxu.”

     Yellow Ferret’s face paled. His appearance made him look like a ghost imprisoned in this nightmare, “Sorry, I’m sorry, I need……I need to wait for someone’s return.”

     He Ruge glanced at Yellow Ferret silently.

     “But there is also someone waiting for me to return.”

     “I promised them that I wouldn’t leave for too long.”

     “They will be sad.”

     “You see, if ‘Sorry’ was truly useful, why would you need the police.”

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Unedited (may have typos and strange syntax @_@. Will edit later today)

I have also been notified that Chapters 1-8 by the previous translator are no longer available! I will be going back and retranslating these chapters soon! Thanks for your patience!

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     He Ruge exited the game and logged into Penguin to ask 8 Legs about the circumstances under which the bloodline patterns would heat up besides encountering a natural enemy.

     8Legs: “Under normal circumstances, it should only warn you if you encounter a natural enemy. However, you’re a koi (monster), and your bloodline pattern may have other capabilities I don’t know about.”

     8Legs: “Speaking of which, are you really a writer for Jinjiang (JJWXC)? Why do I feel like you’re always living life on the edge? Your bloodline pattern is warning you every single day.”

     Although He Ruge presented an attitude of ‘merely wanting to understand more about bloodline patterns’, the way he asked the questions (was suspicious, and) as long as 8Legs thought about it clearly he could (guess that they were situations) He Ruge encountered in reality.

     Ruge: “……I recently considered raising a big cat.”

     8Legs: “Goddamn, comrade.”

     Ruge: “If the bloodline pattern consumes too much energy, is it detrimental for the body, such as making your legs feel weak?”

      8Legs: “You’re still in your awakening period. It’s best not to consume too much energy. However, every monster is different. It’s like staying up late. Some people can pull consecutive all-nighters and no matter how late they stay up late, they can still feel vigorous and alert. Meanwhile, there’s others who pull consecutive all-nighters and then suddenly fall dead. Do you understand what I’m getting at?”

     Ruge: “Understood, thank you.”

     No wonder he would randomly get soft legs and feet at every turn these past few days. He Ruge took a sip of his Goji berry tea and melancholically returned to writing. Some time back, after he posted that one 20,000 character post, his readers started criticizing his 10,000 character posts for being short.

      Sure enough, it was easy to transition from frugality to luxury, but difficult to downgrade from luxury to frugality.

     He Ruge estimated that with a progress of 10,000 characters a day, the (novel) would end around the end of next month.

     Additionally, his birthday was also at the end of next month. Finishing this novel would be his best birthday gift for himself. Before writing this novel, he was filled with uncertainty about the future and didn’t understand what he had been working towards his entire life. But now, every word he typed daily made his blurred future just a tiny bit clearer.

     After completing his morning update, He Ruge logged back into the game. Because 8Legs said that consuming the bloodline pattern’s energy could potentially cause self-harm, He Ruge planned to visit Room B6 the next day or the day after tomorrow. During these two (break days), he would enjoy his time and raise cubs (the little monster) happily.

     With a bottle of nutrient solution in hand, He Ruge pushed open the door of Room 104 and made eye contact with the little monster standing by the door.

     The little monster was already very, very tall. His overall height was as high as He Ruge’s lower jaw, and his body length was greater than three meters. If he laid down, the bedding could no longer fit (his huge body). The little monster worked hard (to sit on the bedding), and because of his upright posture, his tender white belly was exposed. His appearance was similar to a cub’s as he tilted his head slightly upwards while squatting by the door waiting for He Ruge.

     Indeed, he was still a cub.

      His large size was due to the rapid growth effects of the gene altering solution injections. He had only been released (from room B6) for less than half a year, and every time he did something bad (like making trouble for the other staff at Starry Sea Orphanage), he was sent back to sleep.

     No one had ever liked him, nor sang him a song, told him a story, fed him candy, or touched his head. No one ever told him that he was smart and deserved to be liked.

     This was Xi Guican’s missing childhood years.

     A combination of all the negative emotions during his brief and lacking childhood.

     Little Xi Guican liked his Zerg wings, so the little monster also liked the Zerg wings. The grown up Xi Guican liked He Ruge, so from the beginning, the little monster liking He Ruge was already set in stone.

     However, the dumb little monster didn’t understand that the emotion in his heart was ‘like’. Even the grown up Xi Guican took a while to understand his feelings of affection. How could the dumb little monster understand that the tenderness and happiness in his heart was fondness? 

     He was simply a heartless monster.

     The little monster even believed the emotions surging in his heart belonged solely to “Xi Guican”.

     “Miao Miao, you’re waiting for me again,” the young man lowered his gaze and said softly. His snow-white hands were akin to white lotuses blooming in the air, his long fingers like slender petals. That pure white flower stroked the top of his head.

     The little monster suddenly realized that white was just as beautiful as red, and while staying by He Ruge’s side, his mind was no longer occupied with only kill, kill, kill, but rather just He Ruge.

     His mind was filled with He Ruge.

     After four more injections, he would become very strong and would be able to destroy this dreadful place. When everything was reduced to rubble, he would put He Ruge on his back and joyously carry him off to watch the stars.

     Perhaps he could properly discuss with Xi Guican to allow him to be with He Ruge for half of the time, while Xi Guican could have the other half of the time. If He Ruge could always be with him, then he was willing to be He Ruge’s Miao Miao forever.

     He would never randomly kill again. But, if anyone wanted to hurt He Ruge, then he would shred those people to pieces. He was dumb, not as smart as Xi Guican. If they were comparing brains, he would definitely lose against Xi Guican. But in terms of fighting ability, Xi Guican might not be able to beat him.

     Thus, the two of them together could definitely protect He Ruge.

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     The more the little monster thought about it, the happier he became. He had a stomach full of words he wanted to tell He Ruge, and he already couldn’t can’t wait to make He Ruge happy. However,…… he was also a bit too embarrassed to say it aloud.

     The little monster pulled the bedding back to the corner with his mouth and stared at the nutrient solution in He Ruge’s hand while saying: “I was too hungry.”

     I was too hungry. So, it wasn’t you I was waiting for, but the nutrient solution.

     He Ruge pretended to be persuaded while he sat cross-legged beside the little monster and handed the nutrient solution to him.

     “What does the nutrient solution taste like?” He Ruge asked curiously when he saw the little monster drinking it. The nutrient solution seemed like a good item. If he also had some nutrient solution, he wouldn’t have to spend so much money ordering take out food.

     “No taste.” The little monster’s actions of drinking the nutrient solution stalled, and he dragged the bottle in his mouth over to He Ruge and stuffed it in his hands, “Have a drink.”

     He Ruge was just asking casually, but he unexpectedly received the nutrient solution that the little monster was almost done with. The lip of the bottle was still coated with the little monster’s saliva, and it was so sticky that (He Ruge) couldn’t bring himself to drink it. However, under the little monster’s expectant gaze, He Ruge couldn’t reject.

     Ever since the little monster’s temper became better, when he didn’t speak and just looked at He Ruge with his clear azure eyes, he was similar to the little white tiger.

     Indifferent on the outside, but warm and soft on the inside Little White Tiger.

     The Little White Tiger whom he personally delivered into the brainwashing room to have his feelings of affection washed away.

     (He Ruge) felt like his heart was hanging in midair, as if sorrow and grief had gained substance and stuffed his heart full yet leaving it bleak and hollow. He Ruge looked away and dared not make direct eye contact with the little monster. He poured some nutrient solution on his fingertips and licked it gently.

     It was cold, slightly sticky, and tasteless.

     Was this what the little monster ate every day? If a person leaned against a wall and sat in a corner drinking this cold nutrient solution, it wouldn’t be “consuming a nutrient solution, but rather the embodiment of loneliness”.

     Room 104 had no decor, nor color. There was gray ground and pale walls. No wonder the little monster, who stayed in such an environment, would wait for him at the door every day.

     He Ruge touched the little monster’s head, and the thick and warm fur made He Ruge reluctant to remove his hand. “Does Miao Miao want to eat cake, or play with toys?”

     The little monster nodded curiously, his long tiger whiskers trembling.

     There was a plethora of snacks and toys in the Love Mall, and it was an opportune time to spend money on the little monster!

     He Ruge rushed into the mall and first bought a small strawberry cake. The little monster watched a little cake out of thin air onto He Ruge’s hand, and looked around in perplexion, “Where did you conjure this out from?”

     “This was exchanged for with Miao Miao’s love.” After He Ruge finished talking, he checked the little monster’s status and was surprised to find that the favorability bar was almost full.

     [Favorability]: The Little Monster likes you very, very much, Goodwill 98 

     “You can exchange ‘like’ for things?” The little monster heard this for the first time and found it extremely novel.

     He Ruge couldn’t help but tightly squeeze his big round face and took advantage of the little monster’s shock to withdraw his hand, giving a cough as if nothing happened, “Like can exchange for like, sincerity exchanges for sincerity. I gave Miao Miao a strawberry cake in hopes to exchange for an even sweeter Miao Miao.”

     The little monster stretched out his tongue and licked his own paw, saying solemnly and regretfully, “But, I’m not sweet.”

     He Ruge sent the sweet, soft cake to the little monster’s mouth and said with a smile: “Once you eat the strawberry cake, you will become sweeter.”

     The little monster ate the small cake with one bite, chewing it twice before swallowing it down his throat. The overly sweet and greasy cream made him frown slightly. He rarely ate sweets, and the sweetest thing he’d eaten had been fruit candy, so this cake was a tad bit too sweet for him to accept.

     However, when He Ruge asked him if it was delicious, the little monster looked at that gentle face and subconsciously nodded.

     Consequently, a new strawberry cake appeared beside his mouth. This time He Ruge also asked him to eat slowly. The cream on the tip of his tongue slid down, and the sweetness erupted in his mouth like a landslide followed by a tsunami. The little monster felt complicated, wanting to vomit yet was reluctant to throw it up. Thus, he held his breath and forced himself to swallow the cake. 

     This time, the little monster learnt well. When He Ruge asked him if it was sweet and if he wanted to eat another, his head nodded slightly at first before shaking like a rattle drum.

     “Even if you wanted to eat another I wouldn’t give one to you. If you eat too much cake, you will become too fat.” He Ruge placed the little monster’s big paws on his lap, and said while pinching the paw pads: “Your current weight is just right, if you become fatter……”

     Hmm…It seemed that except for many humans, all other animals are even cuter when they are nice and fat.

     A smile appeared in his black eyes, “Chubbier is also cute, but it’s better to be healthy.”

     Looking at the little monster who was listening attentively, He Ruge couldn’t help but plant a kiss onto the little monster’s paw, “Miao Miao is so sweet~”

     Hearing this, the little monster licked the cream on his mouth, pursed his mouth, and replied seriously: “No, you are the sweetest.”

     They looked at each other and saw themselves in each other’s eyes and their own sugar sweet counterpart.

     He Ruge’s mood became even brighter, and he went into the Love Mall and purchased a salted fish pillow. The pillow was even bigger than He Ruge. Based on He Ruge’s imagination, the little monster who just finished eating dessert would hug the pillow. Two front paws would hug the fish head, and his two hind feet would kick at the fish tail in excitement while his eyes would narrow from happiness.

     However, there was always a certain gap between reality and imagination. When the salted fish pillow appeared abruptly, the little monster was immediately startled because the huge salted fish pillow pushed down on He Ruge, making it look like He Ruge was being bullied. Between the blink of an eye^[1], the little monster stretched out his shadowless cat claws^[2] and used the sharp claws to cut off the head of the salted fish. The cotton filling mixed with catnip spilled out everywhere.

     He Ruge: “……”

     He Ruge explained with a helpless expression: “This is a toy for Miao Miao, a toy you can hold and play with.”

     No matter how naive the little monster was, he knew he had done something wrong. He silently put away his claws and stayed silent.

     He Ruge shook off the cotton filling on his face. When he saw the little monster’s guilty look, he began to feel distressed again, “In fact, this toy can also be torn apart.”

     He Ruge brought over the salted fish pillow with the broken head, thought for a moment before removing all the cotton in the pillow and personally climbing into the salted fish pillow himself. This experience was similar to putting on dinosaur pajamas.

     He-Salted-Fish-Ruge moved to the little monster’s side, showing eight shiny teeth in a bright smile and said: “After tearing it up, you get a new outfit.”

     The little monster’s tight muscles finally relaxed. Under He Ruge’s two wide-open eyes, he rushed over and pounced on He Ruge for a hug, his two front paws wrapped around He Ruge’s waist and his head carefully nestled on He Ruge’s shoulders, “Is this how you hold a toy?” Even if the youthful voice was muffled, he couldn’t muffle his joy.

     (He Ruge’s) entire body was pressed against the big cat’s belly, and this sudden realization of his dreams from last night made He Ruge so touched that he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet, “Yes … yes.”

     The tiger tail was entangled on He Ruge’s ankle, and with a hint of willfulness, the little monster whispered: “Holding on, I don’t want to let go.”

     He didn’t know if it was because the fur was so hot and stuffy that he grew dazed, or because he was so happy that the tips of his ears turned red, “……then, don’t let go.”

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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TL corner: My favorite line in this chapter was: ” As if sorrow and grief had gained substance and stuffed his heart full yet leaving it bleak and hollow.”

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     Once upon a time there was a cub. He was a little white tiger.

     He was taken to the Starry Sea Orphanage, where he was placed under training, beaten and scolded, and bullied by everyone else.

     Little White Tiger lived painfully because there was no one there to show him care, no one to show him love.

     Then, on the brainwashing day, he awakened the monster inside of his heart, and the little white tiger who became a real monster, killed everyone who had bullied him.

     The little monster never listened to the little white tiger’s commands and committed numerous errors. Thus, when he grew up, the little white tiger broke off the little monster’s wings. When the little monster was injured, the big white tiger was also badly injured. Then, someone worked secretly to hurt the big white tiger.

     The big white tiger and the little monster were both very weak (at the time).

     Because the (main) issue (of war) has yet to be resolved, the people needed the big white tiger, and they tried hard to treat the big white tiger’s (injuries). However, the big white tiger was injured too severely……and couldn’t be cured anymore.

     The little monster was plunged into memories of the past, memories of the lingering and throbbing pain, like layers upon layers of vines entrapping him in airtight darkness, like a year immersed solely in midnight.

     He returned to the day he was awakened. 

     A weak cub was crying helplessly inside the brainwashing chamber before he finally broke down crying. When the crying sounds from all four corners of the room gradually dissipated, and everything returned to a deathly silence, dark red pupils faintly surfaced from within those azure eyes.

     The red light in his eyes flashed through the darkness.

     The pounding of heartbeats sounded from the left side of his chest. DON, DON, DON…… mixing in indistinctly with the sound of the original heartbeats.

     Within the pair of cold eyes was a smile filled with malicious intent.

     “I want to slaughter them~”

     His reason degraded slowly, bit by bit, and just as the malicious intent was about to break through the final barrier, a warm touch fell gently onto his head with a familiar strength and cautiousness, as if caressing a precious treasure.

     The little monster resisted the other’s touch, but didn’t outright reject it. Eventually, (he even came to) like this person’s physical contact.

     It was a nostalgic tenderness.

     The young man lowered his gaze. His black pupils were like lakes covered in a layer of fine mist. His movements were gentle and his tone of voice was soft, making the little monster feel that this person’s words were always particularly sweet.

     Truly, they were sweet words.

     There was constantly a hint of a smile on the other’s face. In fact, he would still be beautiful if he wasn’t smiling, but once he did, it could practically mesmerize people.

     “The ugly duckling watched as the swans spread their wings and flew to the icy waters of the not-yet frozen lake. Swans were so beautiful. The ugly duckling was dumbfounded.”

     “When spring came, (the ugly duckling) flew to the lake and saw its own reflection. However, what it saw was no longer the clumsy, ugly and disdainful duckling, but rather — a swan!”

     “The youngest and most beautiful swan!”

     The little monster felt that he had inevitably fallen into a hypnotized trance. The pains that had tormented his spiritual sea of consciousness now felt calmed because of his happiness.

     The person in front of his eyes seemed to have a kind of magical ability to be able to control his emotions so easily.

     He Ruge. He Ruge.

     He chanted this name in his heart, and an unexplainable feeling of joy spread through his heart. It flowed through him bit by bit, leaving hidden ravines within his heart.

     Do you wish for me to become a swan?

     But I am not the ugly duckling in your story. I have never been a swan’s egg, but rather a little monster, so I will never change from a monster into a swan.

     His eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, but the little monster longed for the touches on his head and insisted on not falling asleep. However, every time he was by He Ruge’s side, he would easily become sleepy.

     The frequency of his blinks slowed, and those droopy blue eyes gazed at the person in front of them.

     Although I am not a swan, you are the swan that flew over the wasteland of my soul and became the most beautiful image I have seen in my life.

     It makes me very, very much, long to fly towards you with my entire being.

    ＊

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     After coaxing the little monster to sleep, He Ruge left the game running on the computer before laying down to sleep. In the past, he never felt that sleeping alone was bad, but this night he felt that the bed was extremely empty and no matter how he bundled up, the bed remained cold.

     ……How great would it be if he could fall asleep with a large cat.

     It would be even better if the large cat was bigger than the bed so that he could slip his feet against its soft underbelly and bury his face in its warm fur while sleeping.

     He Ruge pulled his blanket over his head, pretending that it was the underbelly of a large cat, and fell into a beautiful sleep.

     After logging back into the game the next morning and feeding the little monster the nutrient solution, He Ruge went to room B6. Yellow Ferret was mixing the milk formulas, and He Ruge hurried over to help.

     Mixing the milk formula was a very simple matter. Thinking about the fact that the cubs would be drinking the milk formula he personally made, He Ruge busied himself left and right. Although this batch of cubs wasn’t the same as the first batch of cubs, and maybe all No. 1’s were puppies, even if the previous No.1 had golden fur, and the current No. 1 had black fur, both had the same black, grape-like eyes and made He Ruge sprout a feeling that……

     He was being given a chance to right his wrongs. 

     After mixing the milk formulas, Yellow Ferret didn’t stand guard outside the door this time. Instead, he leaned against the wall inside the room with his arms folded in front, avoiding He Ruge’s eyes and staring at the ground, “I want to know how you will save experimental subjects.”

     Because Yellow Ferret knew that He Ruge could block the room’s monitoring systems, he didn’t need to worry that his words would violate the Ice Project’s regulations.

     He Ruge didn’t have a hobby of bursting into song in public, nor did he want to expose his golden finger, “You don’t need to know.”

     Yellow ferret tilted his head and looked at the ground as he muttered to himself: “I thought it would take a while before you would use the three opportunities to participate in the Ice Project. I didn’t expect that you would have already used it twice by now.”

     “When are you planning to come for the third time?” Yellow Ferret’s yellow-brown eyes finally met He Ruge’s when he asked this softly.

     But, suddenly, the bloodline pattern on (He Ruge’s) leg started burning, just like when it warned him of an approaching natural enemy.

     Why was there a warning?

     Was there danger here?

     A sudden burst of anxiety enveloped his heart. It was a difficult to describe feeling, a kind of fear similar to the feeling of facing the grown little monster the night before, but was also very different.

     The fear from last night had a known source. He Ruge knew that the bloodline pattern was warning against the white tiger, who was his natural enemy. But, at this moment, this fear was due to being alerted to an unknown danger.

     It was like an invisible hand was gripping He Ruge’s heart, making He Ruge unable to breath.

     The holographic VR game had both its advantages and disadvantages. When the original version of the game reached a critical point, an A, B option select would definitely appear and remind He Ruge to potentially archive a save point and list actions for He Ruge to choose.

     However, the holographic VR version of the game had none of that, and the high degree of freedom in exchange meant a high risk of the situation going out of control.

     He Ruge didn’t believe in something as intangible as intuition in the past, but due to his new belief in the metaphysical (capabilities) of the koi monster’s bloodline pattern, He Ruge used his last ‘save’ at this moment.

     [Yes/No Save]

     【Yes】

     【No】

     [Save successful]

     With the save, there was a greater sense of confidence. He Ruge said to Yellow Ferret: “Not clear, but our previous agreement didn’t seem to have detailed the participation times? When I come is not important.”

     Yellow Ferret lifted the corners of his mouth stiffly, “That’s true.” He walked out of the room directly after speaking and closed the door without further questioning how “He Ruge would save the experimental subjects”.

     He Ruge stood on the spot and watched the door for a long time. Perhaps he had over thought it and there was no danger. But, when he saved (the game), the heat from the burning hot bloodline pattern suddenly dropped.

     Exactly what happened? Forget it, he already saved; it didn’t matter if he was in imminent danger.

     He Ruge sang to the cubs with a heavy heart, and after walking out of room B6, he turned and glanced at Yellow Ferret who was standing at the end of the corridor.

     Yellow Ferret stood in the darkness, not a trace of light hit his body. Before he recovered his memories, Yellow Ferret would occasionally show a mocking smile or a grin during the Ice Project (chapters). It was a smile that made it quite clear he wasn’t a good person.

     However, it seemed that since recovering his memories, (He Ruge) hadn’t seen Yellow Ferret smile even once.

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     After leaning on the tiger’s back for a while, He Ruge felt like all the fur on the little monster’s back had already been warmed up by his own body heat. 

     The little monster was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even separated by thick fur and strong muscles, He Ruge could feel his bones growing and expanding.

     It sounded extremely painful, the pain that came from tearing muscles.

     Even though he knew that the little monster wouldn’t feel the pain after using the Pain Nullifier, He Ruge still couldn’t help but feel heartache at this moment. “Does Miao Miao feel any pain?”

     The little monster turned his head around, and his big round face appeared in front of He Ruge, “He Ruge, please give me pats.” Even when he acted spoiled, his tone was still stiff as rock. Even while calling He Ruge’s name, he included all three characters with first and last name.

     Only He Ruge’s figure was reflected in those blue eyes. The little monster said such heartbreaking words with an unchanging, expressionless stink face: “If you touch me, I won’t feel pain in the left side of my chest.”

     The little monster lowered his head towards the young man on his back. He didn’t even regard He Ruge’s hand, which was placed on the “king” symbol on his forehead, with dissatisfaction. He docilely put away his fangs and said in an almost pleading voice: “Can you not leave tonight.”

     He Ruge paused his head-patting motion (as the little monster) said: “Whenever I think about you leaving, the left side of my chest would feel really painful.”

     It turned out…… his discomfort stemmed from (He Ruge) leaving?

     He Ruge hugged the little monster’s head and was about to agree when suddenly the VR game’s “Addiction Prevention Mechanism” popped up in his mind.

     Calculating the time, he already seemed to be running out of available game time for today?!

     This spicy chicken game was preventing him from raising lil’ cubs! The little monster was in such a fragile and helpless state and needed someone to accompany him, what did he need “Addiction Prevention” for? It was only right that players should be encouraged to smother the little monster with love!

     He Ruge felt uneasy since he didn’t know when he would be ejected from the game. He really wanted to agree to the little monster, but the situation didn’t allow it. The witty He Ruge turned on his brainstorming mode, and a small light bulb suddenly lit up. Although the holographic VR game had an Addiction Prevention Mechanism, the normal version of the game did not.

     Though it wouldn’t allow any late-night whispering interactions, it was also very fulfilling to continue touching the little monster’s head, touching the little monster’s back, and coaxing the little monster to sleep!

     He had to seize the time he could still verbally communicate with the little monster and say everything he wanted to say in one breath before hopping and staying on the game with the computer, and spending the night watching over the little monster as he slept.

     He couldn’t continue sitting on the little monster’s back while he slept. But, as He Ruge was getting off the little monster’s back, the little monster thought He Ruge was going to leave again, and his eyes instantly dimmed.

     However, when he discovered that the person in front of him was just changing positions and sat back down beside him still holding his paws, saying yes with a smile, those blue eyes trembled and shone brightly again, as if the on off switch that darkened and brightened his life was completely in the palm of He Ruge’s hands.

     He Ruge rubbed the little monster’s big head: “When does Miao Miao usually feel sleepy?”

     “I’m not sure.” Occasionally, he would feel drowsy, but would very quickly be awakened by pain.

     It seemed the little monster was in a very energetic (state right now). He Ruge once again ran his fingers through the (comfortably soft fur on the little monster’s) head, resisting the urge to ravage those tiger ears, while contemplating how parents put their children to sleep.

     Because he was an orphan and had no practical experience, the only methods he could think of for coaxing children were very simple, including singing and telling bedtime stories.

     He sang a song last time, so he should tell a bedtime story this time around. It should be a children’s fairy tale. He Ruge recalled that the little monster was previously lacking in confidence when (He Ruge asked him to name himself), so he was determined to cultivate the little monster’s self-confidence, starting with bedtime stories——

     “Miao Miao, close your eyes. I’ll tell you a fairy tale.” Those blue eyes closed, and his white eyelashes seemed to have been coated with a thin layer of fresh snow.

     He Ruge gently touched the little monster’s head, “Once upon a time, there was a swan egg that was hatched by a duck. Because of its unique appearance, it was laughed at and called an ugly duckling.”

     “It was beaten and scolded, ostracized, ridiculed, and bullied by everyone……” He Ruge whispered while patting the little monster.

     However, he didn’t notice that the pair of azure eyes under his palm was slightly startled. The little monster listened as he fell into a daze.

     Legend has it that a merfolk’s voice could confuse another’s heart. If a (merfolk’s) heart was filled with sincere emotions, their true feelings could penetrate into their voice and make the listeners entranced.

     ＊

{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

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(Unedited)

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{Please read the original translations on SurrealSkyTranslations instead of supporting TL aggregator sites. Thanks!}

     There was one question and one answer, and they fell back into silence. 

     He Ruge held a guilty conscience while coaxing the little monster. He was afraid that the little monster would ask him why it doesn’t hurt when they have physical contact, and why didn’t he allow physical contact before to mitigate the pain……

     He Ruge introspected for a while, thinking that his past self simply had a heart dipped in lard ^[1], even coming up with such a flimsy excuse to deceive his cat.

     But dying while holding onto a cat would also be a fine way to go.^[2]

     If he didn’t go to this extent, when would he ever have a chance^[3] to hold this big cat?

     It’s just that this posture was a bit strenuous. He Ruge didn’t dare to put his entire weight onto the little monster, so he could only bend over to hug the little monster, pressing his torso into the soft fur gently while his waist was supporting himself tiringly.

     The tip of his nose was pressed close to the base of (the little monster’s) wings, and the heat from He Ruge’s exhalations ended up blowing onto the base of those wings. The little monster itched so badly that he wanted to shake out his wings. However, he was afraid of frightening the young man lying on his back.

     He was feather light, and the little monster could barely feel the weight of the other party. This gave the little monster a surreal sense (that everything was an) illusion. Along with the lack of pain, he could no longer distinguish between reality and fantasy. Tonight, he wasn’t left alone to endure the pain while curled up in the corner, the pain that was so strong it made him roll on the ground in pain.

     All this was like a dream, and maybe if he so much as twitched, the other would suddenly turn into a butterfly and flutter away.

     It turned out that it wasn’t that difficult to endure at night when someone else was there (to accompany him).

     Just as the little monster was in a good mood, he realized that the person on his back was moving to get up. The original feather-light weight became completely no weight, and the warmth on his back dissipated.

     Was he preparing to leave?

     This thought sprouted from the little monster’s heart like a pebble hitting the surface of still water, disturbing his state of mind which had just calmed down.

     His tiger tail hooked onto He Ruge’s calf subconsciously. Under the other’s surprised gaze, the little monster pretended to be calm and said: “If there is no physical contact, it will hurt.”

     He Ruge was stunned, he just bent over for too long and wanted to change his posture, but the little monster had……misunderstood?

     Was he so afraid of him leaving? Was it purely from fear of pain, or was there a smidgen of reluctance to part? He Ruge looked down at the entangled tiger’s tail, and the corners of his lips curled up unconsciously. Maybe he should have given the little monster the nickname Little Sticky Rice Cake.

     No, it should be Big Sticky Rice Cake.

     He Ruge crouched down and wanted to grab the tiger tail. The thick tiger tail was very powerful, staggered with black and white stripes. He Ruge couldn’t fully grasp it with one hand, so he made do with grabbing the tip of the tail which was pure black, and contrasted with He Ruge’s fingers, making them seem exceptionally white.

     The texture of the fur on the tail was also luxurious. Each strand of fur felt like it was dipped in deep-sea fish oil. There was not a single trace of split ends from the base to the tip. The white fur was as crystalline clear as fine snow, while the black fur was like ink-dipped fine brush.

     He Ruge couldn’t help but grasp the tip of the tail with one hand and press the palm of his other hand onto the black “brush” tip. Under the little monster’s innocent gaze, He Ruge voiced: “Previously, I helped write out the name Miao Miao. Miao Miao, do you remember how to write the word ‘Miao’?” 

     He looked like a teacher who was spot-checking (a student’s) homework.

     The little monster tilted his head, “I do.”

He Ruge was a little surprised. Perhaps he had always placed the labels of ‘dim’ and ‘fierce’ on his impression of the little monster, so he was unused to the little monster’s sudden show of intellect.

     Blue eyes stared diligently at He Ruge’s palm as he used the tip of his tail to slowly and confidently write (the characters of the planet) Earth on He Ruge’s palm.

     Miao (淼).

     The little monster had never seen this type of writing before, as it did not belong to any of the languages he knew of; even the pronunciation was strange- “Meow Meow Meow”.

     For the little monster who had a brain full of killing and gloom, memorizing words was an arduous task. But he wanted to put full effort into remembering everything related to He Ruge, as if the more he remembered the more important He Ruge was in his heart. Like this, even if he truly loses control and his ability to reason in the future, he would still never hurt this person again.

He didn’t want to hurt He Ruge.

     It wasn’t because He Ruge was someone Xi Guican liked, nor because He Ruge’s blood was delicious, nor because He Ruge’s singing voice was amazing.

     It was simply because He Ruge was He Ru Ge, that’s all.

     When he moved his tail stroke by stroke and wrote out the word “Miao”, he witnessed He Ruge’s dark eyes light up slowly from surprise, glowing brighter and brighter like stars shining in the sky.

     “Miao Miao is so smart.” He heard He Ruge’s warm and sincere praise.

     No one had ever praised him before.

     Maybe it was because he didn’t have any positive characteristics, and even he himself didn’t think he had any good characteristics. From the beginning, he was just an existence that Xi Guican awakened in his time of despair.

     He was the product of an abnormal shift in this body, a separated piece of “Xi Guican’s” soul. He was, through and through, a monster.

     In the endless darkness, he was the weapon Xi Guican grasped to pierce into the light. But he, he who was born in darkness, how could he help Xi Guican find the light. A black hole will devour all light, and he would destroy all the brilliance in Xi Guican’s life.

     The best result for Xi Guican was for (the little monster) to transfer over all his memories and power. The accidentally separated soul fragments would then gradually attach themselves to the gaping hole and sew it whole again stitch by stitch, which could potentially create a complete “Xi Guican”.

……But, he didn’t want to.

     He was a selfish, cold-blooded, emotionless villain who never considered the well-being of others, even if, technically, that person was also himself in a sense.

     Therefore, he had always been hiding in a corner where Xi Guican couldn’t see him, accumulating strength in hopes that one day he could override Xi Guican’s memory and fully occupy this body.

     He Ruge had his entire concentration focused on playing with the tail, and didn’t notice the little monster’s silence. His dream of playing with (the little tiger’s) tail unexpectedly came true tonight. They say happiness came in threes^[4] and He Ruge felt like he was floating (from joy). He stroked the tail back and forth; the originally soft tail fur was about to be petted by He Ruge until it became a mini explosion.

     It’s just… He Ruge felt something was a little off. At the start, he could hold around two-thirds of the tail with one hand, but as he looked, the tail suddenly grew longer.

     Under his gaze, the pair of tiger claws also seemed to have grown a circle larger. He Ruge slowly raised his head and saw that the little monster in front of him was slowly expanding like a balloon. Previously, while standing, (the little monster was around his) waist and abdomen height. But, now, it seemed the little monster would grow up to his chest height, and based on this rate (or growth), it didn’t seem to be ending soon. His body length might even grow to the three-meter mark.

     Oh, right, the gene altering solution would accelerate growth.

     However, watching the little monster grow bigger had a huge impact on He Ruge. Because (the tiger was a fish’s) natural enemy, He Ruge worked hard everyday to overcome his physiological fear response to big cats. After finally adapting to the little monster’s appearance, without even having time to brace himself, he was now going to face an even bigger white tiger!

     Too, too big.

     His legs were a bit soft.

     He Ruge subconsciously grasped onto the tiger tail with both hands just like a person with a fear of heights swaying on a high cable bridge and hanging onto the ropes (for dear life). His legs trembled faintly. Perhaps it’s because he sang for the cubs in the Ice Project and used up all his strength, He Ruge didn’t even have the strength to stand.

     Incidentally, right at this moment, the little monster leaned his head closer while his blue eyes looked at He Ruge’s trembling legs strangely, “Are you tired from standing?”

     His brain was blank, and He Ruge seemed to be able to see his own pallid face through those azure blue eyes. That face gradually transformed into an image of a fish on the chopping board, “Yes, a little bit.”

     The thick-as-an-iron-chain tiger tail wrapped around He Ruge’s waist. In one smooth motion, the tiger’s tail exploded with astonishing power and easily lifted He Ruge up like plucking a radish, suspending him half a meter off the ground. He Ruge’s heart was so nervous that it was about to explode.

     When He Ruge panicked to the point that his feet were swinging wildly, the little monster placed He Ruge on his back, “Grab onto my wings and don’t slide off.”

     He Ruge sat feebly on the tiger’s back. His two hands were so tense that he didn’t know how to control his strength at all, and he could only tightly grasp the thin zerg wings with two fingers.

     The zerg wings, which were originally thin and fragile like a piece of paper, had inexplicably become the thickness of a steel plate at some unknown point in time. Maybe it would even make a crisp clang if he knocked on it.

     “He Ruge,” the hoarse, youthful voice sounded beside He Ruge’s ear, “Do you like the starry skies?”

     Perhaps it was due to the song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars”, the little monster came up with the speculation that He Ruge liked the starry sked.

     Under the state of high mental stress, He Ruge himself wasn’t really aware of what he was saying: “It’s, it’s okay.”

     “Then, in the future, you can sit on my back and I will take you flying to the stars.” 

     The little monster said: “If I do this, will you be happy?”

     He Ruge finally recovered from his state of disorientation, and he spent three seconds recalling what the little monster had said. The scene described by the little monster appeared in his mind, and He Ruge suddenly felt that it was explosively cool.

     Ride the biggest cat and gaze at the most beautiful stars.

     He smiled sincerely like a parent who heard their child say they will be filial when they grew up: “Yes! Of course, I will!”

     Those blue eyes, which had always been surging with the flames of violence, closed slightly, unskillfully attempting to cover the eager yearning swimming under his pupils, as the little monster whispered: “Then, that’s great.”

     I can make you happy, that’s wonderful.

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