Recently, Tao Fangyi’s friends had a question.
【Which band is that mummy you keep posting in the group?】 someone finally couldn’t help asking, 【Is that a mask on his face? Why is there no eye socket or nose bridge structure under the bandages?】 They all knew Tao Fangyi had recently gotten into heavy metal.
【That’s a fierce ghost I recently adopted.】 Tao Fangyi explained, 【He doesn’t want his photos on social media, but he’s okay with me posting them in the group.】
After a moment’s thought, he added: 【As long as there’s no one from the Combat Department in the group.】
Wang said he was allergic to Combat Department people.
Immediately, another friend in the group popped up to ask: 【Is he a foreign fierce ghost?】
【Domestic.】 Tao Fangyi continued explaining, 【Not a mummy, just wrapped in bandages. All his internal organs are still there.】
【Do you have a good relationship with him? Isn’t he afraid of you?】 Normally, people from the Nineteenth Level could only interact with each other; very, very few people were unafraid of them.
【He was a bit scared at first.】 Tao Fangyi recalled.
The first time he met Wang, Wang was probably startled—though after being startled, he actually seemed even more excited.
【Is he afraid of us?】 someone else asked.
【No, he’s met other people and had no reaction.】 At most, Wang had been a little surprised.
The friend was astonished: 【Is there something off about this kid you picked up?】
【But he’s such a sweet kid.】 Tao Fangyi sent another photo.
In the photo, Wang faced the camera, a flower wreath placed on his head. He wore a huge grin, all his sharp teeth exposed.
【A brilliant smile.】 Tao Fangyi praised.
His friends fell silent.
But many of them had also been imprisoned in the Nineteenth Level before getting permanent employment, so they knew not to judge by appearances. They invited Tao Fangyi to bring his kid out to meet them.
Coincidentally, one of the friends had tickets to the opera house, but that friend wasn’t sure if the kid liked opera.
【He likes it. After all, he’s over a hundred years old.】 Tao Fangyi remembered Wang saying before that he could appreciate opera.
The friends fell silent again.
【You can’t call someone over a hundred a child. Ordinary humans die before reaching that age.】 someone said.
【But he doesn’t act old at all. He’s lively and noisy.】 Tao Fangyi still thought of Wang as a child.
【Noisy isn’t a compliment, you know.】
【Then he’s talkative.】 Tao Fangyi revised, 【But I’m not sure if he’d want to meet you all. Let me go ask him.】
After sending the message, Tao Fangyi got up to find Wang.
Wang was crouching in the backyard, staring at the sunflower beds.
“Wang.” Tao Fangyi called.
Wang cupped his own face with his hands and struck a cute pose for Tao Fangyi.
These past few days, Tao Fangyi had been taking photos of Wang constantly. No matter what Wang did, Tao Fangyi had to take a picture.
Wang was happy to cooperate. Every time Tao Fangyi took out his phone, Wang would strike a pose.
Although his current face was terrifying, his true form had considerable experience being photographed; he was very good at working the camera.
Tao Fangyi took out his phone and snapped a picture: “I didn’t come to take photos.”
“Hm?” Wang tilted his head.
“I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to meet my friends.” Tao Fangyi saved the photo and then considered setting it as his wallpaper.
This was his first time raising a child.
Even if the child was over a hundred.
Still, Tao Fangyi roughly knew the process of raising a kid.
First, you had to change your wallpaper, profile picture, and every place on social media that could display a photo to pictures of your kid.
But Wang didn’t want his face seen by Combat Department people, so Tao Fangyi, being quite trendy, commissioned a cartoon drawing from an artist in the Nineteenth Level.
Now all of Tao Fangyi’s social media showed cartoon images of him and Wang cheek-to-cheek: his image was his initial doll form, and Wang was a chibi little mummy.
His friends probably thought he was idol-chasing. After all, for some reason, Wang didn’t want the image to show him holding Wang like a child.
“Meeting your friends?!” Wang was surprised.
“Yes, they haven’t regained their bodies yet.” Tao Fangyi knew Wang didn’t like the chibi form. “Uh, would you mind turning into…”
“Turning into a plush toy? Sure.” Wang agreed quickly.
Tao Fangyi: “Huh? You’re okay with it?”
“Yeah.” Wang showed not a trace of reluctance.
Why?
Tao Fangyi didn’t understand.
He made plans with his friends. Then Wang asked about the friends’ ages and confirmed he’d be the youngest among them.
After turning into chibi form, Wang proactively put on a blue-and-white tracksuit.
Tao Fangyi also transformed back into a doll, and when they left, Wang took the initiative to hold his hand.
Tao Fangyi brought their joined round hands up to his face, examining them from all angles.
Is this what raising a kid feels like?
Tao Fangyi felt a little happy, so much so that he didn’t know what to do with himself. Following his heart, he hugged Wang and nuzzled him.
Wang: ?!
“Look.” Tao Fangyi stretched out a foot. His foot was covered in a little black leather pouch, while Wang’s foot was in a white canvas pouch. “I’m the grown-up.”
Wang looked into Tao Fangyi’s button eyes and saw white thread-stitched cross-star sparkles in them.
Tao Fangyi was genuinely happy.
“I like grown-ups,” Wang said.
Tao Fangyi ruffled Wang’s head again, then led him to the meeting place with his friends.
The Nineteenth Level had entertainment venues too, and their entertainment street was extremely bustling.
Tao Fangyi and Wang left the small town, boarded a bus within the Nineteenth Level, and the vehicle took them through the residential area to their usual relaxation spot.
The bus passed through tunnels and layers of forest, and then an incredibly bustling and distinctive street appeared before them.
The architecture looked like the ancient streets built in tourist areas, but the buildings here were very tall. Though called a street, the roads were stacked layer upon layer.
Looking down, Wang could see roads and vehicles beneath them. “Is this an overpass?”
“Not exactly. The space here is rather magical.” Tao Fangyi explained. “It’s a lot of fun. A great senior designed it.”
Saying this, he pointed to the sky: “Look, a giant virtual projection.”
“Giant… what?!” Wang looked up where Tao Fangyi was pointing and indeed saw a semi-transparent half-body avatar floating in midair.
At that moment the space was in nighttime mode, making the projection particularly conspicuous.
The figure seemed to be dressed as a warrior maiden, and she was singing something.
Is there no sound?
Just as he thought that, Wang heard gongs and drums beside his ears.
Wang: ?
“If you stare at her long enough, you’ll hear what she’s singing,” Tao Fangyi liked this design. “It doesn’t disturb people who don’t want to listen to opera. Pretty nice.”
“Wait, is this the future?” Wang turned his head, and the opera sound disappeared. He looked the other way and, tilting his head up, saw intricate and beautiful upturned eaves and brackets.
“Are these buildings made of wood?” After observing closely, Wang noticed the columns had a jade-like sheen.
“There’s wood and stone. Oh, the stone is what everyone calls jade.” Tao Fangyi pointed into the distance. “Over there, there’s even a shop made of diamond.”
Wang: “You mean diamond?”
“Inside, you can play with funhouse mirrors.” Tao Fangyi had been there many times.
Wang: …
“This entire world was designed by that senior? He must be pretty old.” Wang felt his eyes couldn’t take it all in.
“Yeah, he was captured and imprisoned over three thousand years ago. At that time, he almost dragged an entire small country into his barrier,” Tao Fangyi said. “Lately he’s been into cyberpunk style.”
Wang: “Don’t tell me it’s the Hu Tian Realm Master?”
“Right! Huh? How do you know him?” Tao Fangyi was pleasantly surprised.
“The Combat Department has been studying him.” This person, along with that wooden fragment Tao Fangyi, was in the Combat Department’s “textbook.”
It was said that those who entered the Hu Tian Realm Master’s secret realm back then forgot who they were and kept reincarnating in that small world.
The Hu Tian Realm Master didn’t kill, but his methods were more terrifying than killing.
Countless life dreams; many of those dragged into the small world by him became disillusioned with the mortal world.
And this person was actually in the Nineteenth Level.
… But it made sense. Besides the Nineteenth Level, where else could house him?
“I really want to meet this ruthless character,” Wang said.
“You want to meet him?” Tao Fangyi tilted his head.
“Probably can’t.” That guy was also a tough figure within the Nineteenth Level.
Just as he thought that, Wang suddenly heard a beeping sound.
He looked at Tao Fangyi and saw him holding a large phone with both round hands, making a call.
Wang leaned over to look at the contact name—Yi Shan?
“Looking for your friend?” Wang asked.
“Oh, no. Didn’t you want to meet the Hu Tian Realm Master?” Tao Fangyi said.
Wang: …
Tao Fangyi smiled.
Wang was silent.
They exchanged a wordless glance.
Meanwhile, the video call Tao Fangyi had placed had already connected.
“Fangyi!!” A rough male voice rang out, startling Wang.
“Senior!!” Tao Fangyi turned his head toward the phone screen and greeted him excitedly.
“Is your mission over? Hey, why do you still look like a doll? Oh? Your background… you’re out having fun! Hey, what do you plan to play today? I recently set up a few new projects. Do you want to play a life scenario murder mystery?” The other party rattled off a bunch of things without giving anyone a chance to react.
“My mission isn’t over. I brought the kid I just picked up out to play, and he wants to meet you,” Tao Fangyi turned the phone toward Wang.
Wang: …
Wang raised a hand and greeted the other party: “Hello.”
Yi Shan: “Wow!! This little mummy has such a big mouth, hahaha, that’s good. A big mouth eats the whole world.”
Wang: …
