Su Jianglou’s conclusion was indeed one he reached after serious thought.
Among the many worlds swallowed by the Weird World, the Wasteland World was indeed somewhat special. Because before the Weird World appeared, the Wasteland World had already given birth to its own transcendent system: the Hunter System.
Therefore, the conversion rate values detected among the Outer District residents who underwent mandatory checks every year were, strictly speaking, not produced under the influence of the Weird World.
When the situation in the Wasteland World was not yet so dire, and most of the management still followed an elite strategy, the Outer District residents whom the management actively sent into dungeons using the props they had obtained often became hunters first, and only then players in the dungeon game.
Since they were hunters, before entering the dungeon, they already possessed certain powers and had undergone rigorous training. These hunter players, brainwashed from childhood, were mostly able to carry out the management’s human wave tactics very well, never attempting to decipher the dungeons, only brute-forcing their way through.
“Big Brother, Second Brother, I remember that in the last two years, you two were anxious for quite a while because of Xiao Xi’s physical changes. During that time, Big Brother, every time you came out of a dungeon, you gave the researchers fakes, and kept all the real ones for Xiao Xi.”
Su Jianglou was talking about their last two years in the Wasteland World.
When Xiao Xi first appeared before them, he did not need to drink water or eat, and he wouldn’t get hurt from half the attacks he encountered.
Thinking back now, Xiao Xi’s state at that time was very much like some of the little weirds in the dungeons.
Combined with what Xiao Xi himself said, that before entering the Wasteland World, he had seen a big toy bear that wanted to play hide-and-seek with him, it wasn’t hard to infer that at that time, not only was the Weird World invading the Wasteland World, it had actually already extended its tentacles toward the Blue Star World.
Xiao Xi was a player selected by a Weird Dungeon. Because he was too young and his mental strength was weak, not long after entering the dungeon, he already showed signs of being assimilated by it.
Just then, the dungeon was broken by a foreign weird, and Xiao Xi was also influenced by that foreign weird and thrown into the Gray Mist Zone, where by a twist of fate, he found the already fragile barrier of the Wasteland World.
Thus, the dungeon’s assimilation and influence on Xiao Xi stopped, and the Wasteland World’s assimilation began to occur silently and subtly.
Therefore, in those last two years, Xiao Xi started to occasionally feel hungry, and he would get hurt from falls—that was the assimilative influence the Wasteland World had on him.
Since it was an assimilative influence, why couldn’t Xiao Xi’s body contain the hunter genes of the Wasteland World?
Finally, the Wasteland World ushered in its apocalypse, and Xiao Xi disappeared.
“On this point, Big Brother later speculated as well. He thought it was possible that the Blue Star World where you were, Xiao Xi, had found and activated some prop that restricted player ages during that time period.”
“Over these years, among the player groups in the Blue Star World, child and elderly players seem to have never appeared.”
“So, even though you were already a player of the Weird World, Xiao Xi, it was only after you became an adult that my dungeon selected you again.”
Whether human or weird, emotions were always more stable during happy times, and one could analyze more rationally.
Regarding their separation from Xiao Xi over these years, after Su Jianglou first learned of this conclusion from Big Brother, he had the impulse to destroy that prop through some means.
But later, he thought again—even if they hadn’t separated from Xiao Xi back then, was it really good for Xiao Xi?
During that time in the Gray Mist Zone, he had nearly been driven insane for real. If Xiao Xi hadn’t gone home back then, was he supposed to stay here and suffer the same hardships with them?
Later, when they left the Gray Mist Zone, the situation didn’t immediately improve much.
At that time, they didn’t fully have the ability to protect Xiao Xi or even themselves.
The most dangerous time, if Second Brother hadn’t held back a final trump card, they would have nearly been eaten alive by a powerful weird.
Even so, he had been thrown into a fire pit by that weird back then. His main body still hadn’t fully healed, and if he used too much power now, his body would crack open with ugly fissures like flowing magma.
Thinking that Xibao at least hadn’t suffered the same torment as him, Su Jianglou felt that it was fine, so that prop could stay.
Su Ximu’s hand unconsciously stroked the little whiskers of the Little Mushroom as he listened to Third Brother methodically analyzing the origins of his complex bloodline step by step.
The more he listened, the more he felt Third Brother’s explanation made sense, and he couldn’t help but believe it.
After finishing the analysis of Xiao Xi’s component mysteries, Su Jianglou rested for a bit, then reached out and somehow produced a teacup from somewhere, lowering his head to take a sip to moisten his throat.
Su Wuzi looked at the trust and confusion intermingling in Xiao Xi’s eyes, and following Jiang Lou’s words, he spoke warmly: “Jiang Lou’s analysis this time is mostly correct.”
“So, the changes that appeared in you today, Xiao Xi, are more like the fusion of the Wasteland World’s Hunter System and weird power.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
Su Ximu heard Big Brother say this to him, then handed him the orange he had peeled.
“The Hunter System is like a yellow cactus flower blooming in the desert.” That was Second Brother’s voice.
Upon hearing this, Su Ximu immediately thought of the ‘treasures’ he had collected as a child. With a flash of insight, he looked at the brothers before him in the same way, and that bit of rejection toward the Hunter System in his eyes finally completely faded: “So, just like the transparent stone and the flower, this is also a gift from the Wasteland World to me, right?”
The world itself had no good or bad; the difference was only the creatures living in it.
“Right.”
The bit of rejection Su Ximu felt toward the Hunter System mainly stemmed from the Wasteland World’s excessively cruel testing methods.
Even though he was young back then and had a relatively high tolerance for bloody scenes, just thinking of the pain his brothers and Ox Grandpa had suffered—the sight of those chunks of flesh laid out on trays—still became a faint childhood shadow in his heart.
But after being enlightened by Second Brother, the youth who had begun to fully accept that he needed to become strong too couldn’t help but start pondering what exactly his ability was.
From a perspective of complete acceptance, the Hunter System was indeed very interesting.
It was full of randomness and uncertainty.
When the meeting ended and he had brushed his teeth again, Su Ximu seemed to think of something. He stepped on his slippers and pattered back to the desk in the bedroom.
He extended one finger, trying to touch two of the Little Green Mushroom’s whiskers at once, just like before.
Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother had all said before leaving that he could experiment freely with his ability. They would pay special attention to his side during this time and wouldn’t let anything happen to him.
The instant he touched the Little Mushroom on the desk again like this, Su Ximu widened his eyes and looked at his fingertip.
White light appeared again.
But the size of the light orb was much smaller than before.
The white light once more merged into the Little Mushroom’s body from the canopy position like a little bouncy ball. This time, he felt as if a tiny connection had formed between himself and the Little Mushroom.
In his mind, a segment of obscure and hard-to-understand information involuntarily surfaced.
Su Ximu tried to comprehend it.
After several minutes, he was brought back to his senses by the Little Mushroom wiggling under his fingertip. He muttered to himself softly.
【Rule 1: Welcome to my world.】
Just as analyzed before, the fusion of the Hunter System and weird power.
He… finally had his very first rule.
“Welcome to my world?” He repeated uncertainly.
But the Little Mushroom on the desk thought he was talking to it and hurriedly responded: “Mm! Mm!!”
The youth who received such an enthusiastic reply bent down. His deep brown eyes were warm and melting when filled with laughter as he spoke to the Little Green Mushroom on the desk: “You can’t say many words yet, right?”
“Say, say.”
“Learn, learn.”
After this fussing, Su Ximu saw that it was already getting light outside. He simply grabbed some mushroom fertilizer from the balcony, circled around the Little Mushroom’s stem, and buried the fertilizer.
After finishing this, the Little Green Mushroom let out two comfortable purrs on its own and fell silent, focusing on absorbing the nutrients.
Su Ximu finally lay down on the bed properly and went to sleep.
Fortunately, his cram school classes were scheduled for the afternoon; otherwise, with how late he had stayed up tonight, he definitely would have been late the next day.
The next day when heading out, Su Ximu originally wanted to bring the Little Green Mushroom along too.
But the Little Mushroom during the day seemed to lack the energy it had at night.
Su Ximu analyzed that it was probably due to plant characteristics. Therefore, he didn’t insist on bringing the Little Mushroom to class.
The cram school’s classes ran from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
At 5:30, the two cram schools on Glory Avenue let out at the same time.
Su Ximu walked out of the school holding his drawing board and waved to Third Brother, who had come to pick him up.
Today, it was Third Brother picking him up.
But before meeting up with Third Brother, Su Ximu turned his head to look at the gate of the adjacent cram school.
He ran into that boy with the injured hand from last time again.
Walking in front of that half-grown teen were Qianqian and Xiao Ming, who were also finishing cram school.
Compared to last time, the boy’s condition hadn’t improved much.
The wound on his hand had fully healed, and the fingers that had been completely severed had all grown back.
But new wounds had appeared on his face.
There was a high, swollen palm print on his right cheek, and blood seeped from the corner of his lips.
The boy forcibly acted as if it was nothing and wiped the blood from his lip corner with his thumb, but the blood seemed endless. Even after one wipe, it soon overflowed from the corner again.
It was as if there was a larger, more horrific wound inside his mouth than on his cheek.
The boy’s friend seemed to know he couldn’t speak right now and kept teasing him from the side. It looked like a carefree, cheeky jab at a friend, but on closer inspection, one could see the fear of being made an example of in that other boy’s eyes.
The half-grown teen grew impatient with his friend’s teasing, reached out, and shoved him aside, then strode off in the other direction.
As he walked, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth again. He wanted to wipe it again but found his hand already smeared with bloodstains, completely useless for cleaning his mouth.
The boy frowned in frustration, casually wiped the lower half of his face with his clothes, and then walked ahead with his head down.
Su Ximu, standing just a bit off directly in the boy’s path, lowered his head upon seeing this and pulled a small pack of tissues from his pocket.
Su Jianglou, who had already reached Xiao Xi’s side and was originally about to kick out, saw Xiao Xi’s action and retracted his foot.
Su Ximu, having taken out the tissues, looked up, just about to try handing them over, when the next second, the back of his hand bumped lightly against the back of the angry boy’s hand as he flung it forward.
It was as light as a dragonfly skimming water, even less contact than what Su Ximu had with other students when coming out of the crowded school gate earlier.
But in that one second, the boy who had been about to rush forward abruptly halted, watching wide-eyed as white light merged into his brow.
He turned his head back with such force it nearly snapped his neck, utterly shocked.
If he could speak right now, he would definitely have to ask: Which big shot was this domineering, openly under the broad daylight, in full view of the public, just… just snatching him away like this?
Was it because he was too pleasing to the eye or what?
Could it be…
A domineering weird’s forced love?
Did he need to hurry home right now and say goodbye to his parents?
