Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
Sitting in the cabinet, Shu Xun watched as Ye Jian swiftly bought a pile of items, filling the corner of the room in just a few minutes. After browsing the screen for a while, he got up to organize the things he had bought through the spatial transfer station. Observing Ye Jian’s movements, Shu Xun realized that Ye Jian was probably purchasing supplies to replenish the study room items that were dismantled yesterday.
After a moment, Ye Jian returned to the living room, holding a box and heading towards the kitchen area. Shu Xun, who was initially leaning in the cabinet, suddenly became alert. Through the narrow gaps, he stared fixedly at Ye Jian. As Ye Jian sat at the dining table and opened the box, a tempting aroma of food gradually wafted through the air. Apparently, the solitary General had no intention of cooking for himself and relied entirely on purchasing meals.
Upon seeing this, Shu Xun abruptly realized that he had an urgent issue regarding a food source that needed addressing. Judging by Ye Jian’s demeanor, there was no intention to store food, and it seemed like the refrigerator would continue to remain empty. This matched Ye Jian’s typical style of doing things.
However, a problem also emerged simultaneously. If Ye Jian didn’t store food, it meant Shu Xun wouldn’t have any food either. With the room’s owner back, Shu Xun obviously couldn’t continue using the nutrient pod for an extended period to play games. As a result, up until now, the only food Shu Xun could eat in the room was still: fish!
Thinking about the study room that was dismantled yesterday, Shu Xun suddenly pulled his hair in frustration, contemplating if there were any other possible solutions. While Shu Xun was still pondering without concluding, Ye Jian had quickly finished his breakfast. Being a disciplined military man, Ye Jian had the habit of not wasting anything, and he had devoured every last grain of rice in his breakfast.
After organizing the breakfast box, Ye Jian stood up, preparing to throw the trash into the bin. However, just as he took a couple of steps, he suddenly heard an extremely faint gurgling sound. The sound was so weak that if Ye Jian’s senses weren’t sharp, he wouldn’t have noticed it. Ye Jian stopped in his tracks, turned toward the direction of the kitchen, and then with a stern expression, briskly walked towards the kitchen. He arrived at the cabinet where the noise seemed to originate, bent down, and forcefully opened the cabinet door. Inside the cabinet, various tableware with white patterns neatly arranged could be seen.
Several porcelain bowls were stacked upside down, some white porcelain plates were neatly placed on the shelf, and other tableware was categorized and neatly arranged in their designated positions. Ye Jian’s sharp eyes scanned every corner of the cabinet without missing a detail. In his deep pupils, there was an ultimate sense of ruthlessness and coldness. Ye Jian was evidently very confident in his memory. Even if he had been away on a business trip for half a year, he would immediately notice if any item in the room had moved even a few millimeters.
This was also the reason why Ye Jian was puzzled. In the current era, every race highly valued their personal space. Places like houses had extremely high entry and exit permissions. Without the owner’s permission, unless the room was destroyed, there was no way to enter. Ye Jian had already checked the entry and exit records of the room and found no evidence of any lifeform invasion.
Half of the fish in the fish tank had disappeared, and there was no abnormality in the room except for the original-sized nutrition pod. Ye Jian pondered all night but couldn’t figure out why his fish had vanished. Could it be a side effect of “Winter’s End”?
Ye Jian even checked his own body last night because the light blue amber potion not only enhanced mental power and physical fitness but also had a chance to trigger the Blue Butterfly race’s abilities. Since the abilities were random, Ye Jian wondered if he had awakened an ability unknowingly, causing the fish to disappear like the Blue Butterfly under specific conditions or upon entering the room. Ye Jian looked at the unremarkable cabinet and felt that he should find some time to check his body and mental power.
The cabinet door was slowly closed again, and Ye Jian’s footsteps gradually faded away. The stack of inverted bowls suddenly moved lightly, and then two chubby hands appeared at the edge of the bowl. Holding the bowl’s edge at a sufficient height, Shu Xun stealthily emerged from it, gently placing the bowl back without the slightest deviation.
Ye Jian was confident in his memory and observation skills, while Shu Xun was equally confident in his own memory and observational abilities. Due to his size, Shu Xun was more meticulous and sensitive to distances. In practice, as confident as Ye Jian was, he was slightly disadvantaged compared to the confident Shu Xun.
Shu Xun, emerging from under the bowl, quietly covered his little stomach, trying to suppress his breath and hoping his hungry stomach wouldn’t growl again. Fortunately, this situation didn’t last too long. After having his meal, Ye Jian stayed in the living room for a moment before leaving.
At the moment the spacecraft departed, Shu Xun sat down in the cabinet, letting out a long sigh. However, soon he furrowed his small brows again. This couldn’t go on; he needed to find a way to leave and quickly figure out how to claim the game rewards. The sound of hunger resonated once again, a clear growl from his stomach.
After some internal struggle, Shu Xun refrained from touching the fish tank and instead drank a belly full of water. Holding the ancient tablet he brought from Earth, he delved into studying it. In these continuous days of learning and experimentation, Shu Xun explored the patterns of the virtual network and exercised his consciousness. He gradually realized that his consciousness, as long as not emitting hostility, seemed to go unnoticed by defensive mental powers. However, most network information had a high mental defense, making it impossible to modify the information or find vulnerabilities without attacking.
Simultaneously, Shu Xun found that hiding in the cabinet brought many inconveniences, and once discovered, there was no chance to escape. In the end, Shu Xun chose to return to the familiar space under the sofa. Nowadays, awakened individuals generally have large statures, and the furniture they use is naturally spacious. At least, for Shu Xun, the sofa was large enough.
After spending a day earnestly hiding under the sofa for research, Shu Xun was once again awakened by the growling of his stomach. Stiffening his little head, he controlled the desire to turn and look towards the study. He silently chanted, “Not hungry, not hungry, not hungry.” Finally, to prevent Ye Jian from discovering the brightness of the tablet under the sofa, he went to sleep early, huddled in his little blanket, sinking into dreams with an empty stomach.
As a result, the next day, Ye Jian still did not return. Shu Xun immediately thought of a very bad speculation. Was the owner of this room going to leave for a long time again? Shu Xun started pulling his hair, contemplating why he hadn’t bravely spoken up earlier, leading to another predicament.
The entire day passed, and Ye Jian still didn’t come back. Shu Xun, feeling dizzy from hunger, eventually headed toward the fish tank. He picked a fish that looked three times larger than himself and skillfully ran to the kitchen carrying the fish.
After eating and drinking his fill, Shu Xun continued to indulge in the virtual network. He vaguely felt that consciousness and mental power had a certain commonality, but it seemed that the level of consciousness was higher than that of mental power. If manipulated skillfully, one could freely roam the virtual network. Of course, the prerequisite was not to initiate attacks.
In the midst of continuously exploring methods, Shu Xun was very spirited. He even thought that perhaps within a few days, he could find a solution, create a virtual identity for himself, and two days later, he could resume using the nutrition pod for real gaming, temporarily alleviating the food crisis.
However, Shu Xun was about to make a mistake this time because, on this night, Ye Jian returned. With a cold moonlight aura, he once again entered the room with an expressionless face. At that moment, Shu Xun, hiding under the sofa in a half-asleep state, immediately woke up. He watched as Ye Jian, with his large feet, headed towards the study. It was only after Ye Jian entered the study with long strides that Shu Xun realized he was in trouble!
Sure enough, Ye Jian, accustomed to checking on the fish, almost instantly noticed that there was one less fish in the tank this night! And it was a particularly large one! The chaotic atmosphere dispersed in an instant, and under the influence of anger, Ye Jian didn’t even try to control it. The erupting energy once again damaged the study extensively. Thinking about the previous examination results, there were indeed signs of awakening abilities, but the awakening direction seemed to be towards ultra-low temperatures and wouldn’t cause the disappearance of living organisms for no reason. A sinister aura slowly enveloped Ye Jian’s eyes.
Shu Xun, who had already curled up into a ball, faced a difficult choice: starve to death or get squashed.
Although Ye Jian realized that something was amiss in his room, he still hadn’t found any clues. Who would specifically target the fish? What kind of hobby was this? Ye Jian thought that his adorable fishes must have attracted the attention of some strange individuals who managed to get their hands on them! Thinking about this, Ye Jian’s gaze became more ominous, feeling that he could still salvage the stolen fish. Clearly, as a decorative fish owner, Ye Jian never thought that decorative fish could also be in danger of being eaten.
Taking out the newly bought fish food, Ye Jian began manually feeding the fish. At the same time, he seemingly casually operated the touch panel on the fish tank wall, which, resembling a peculiar wall, couldn’t possibly have only the function of fish-keeping. Ye Jian wasn’t interested in placing surveillance devices in his own home, but the fish tank had a certain recording function. This function was designed to capture the health status of the fish and some aesthetically pleasing scenes. However, Ye Jian rarely used this feature. Now, suspecting that there might be a pair of eyes monitoring his movements in his home, this function was once again activated.
After feeding the fish, Ye Jian returned to the living room, cleared accumulated work with his mind, and once again dedicatedly researched the possible identity and traces of his round teammate.
Shu Xun’s guess was correct: Ye Jian was Ye Qian, a member of the human military professional team, and held a high position as a general.
These survival games, which seemed extremely challenging, were not just ordinary end-of-the-world scenarios. Ye Jian’s initial duty was to enter various planets through the game to collect valuable information or resources. However, “Winter’s End” was the first game world Ye Jian participated in without specific orders. Ye Jian didn’t know the reason for this change.
While Ye Jian was diligently examining the information, he was unaware that beneath his feet, in the shadows under the sofa, there was a mini bedding with a little creature curled up on it. One big and one small, one in the light and one in the dark, both quietly immersed in their own worlds.
Due to his professional responsibilities, Ye Jian’s time outside the game was quite busy. He also knew that when he was at home, the fish thief would not dare to come. Moreover, Ye Jian still couldn’t figure out how the person managed to steal the fish without leaving a trace when there was no entry or exit from the room.
After Ye Jian left, Shu Xun also realized that Ye Jian had become suspicious. However, reluctantly, knowing was one thing, but to survive, Shu Xun still had to firmly continue on the path of fishing. However, this time, Shu Xun was much more cautious. For example, he easily noticed the recording function activated by Ye Jian and then turned off the recording function. Fishing, eating fish!
Late at night on the second day, confident Ye Jian returned home again, looking at the gradually emptying fish tank, his stoic face showing pulsating veins. He opened the recording function, and the screen interrupted twice, not recording any valuable clues. This time, Ye Jian wanted to dismantle not just one study room but the entire room. Who could easily track his movements and steal his fish without a trace? And it seemed they didn’t steal many each time—picking and choosing specifically a few nearly extinct fish!
In an extremely gloomy mood, Ye Jian skipped dinner, leaving the fruits sent by Bai Ya and the background information of the new game world on the coffee table untouched. After flipping through two pages without much interest, he went back to the bedroom to rest.
The living room gradually darkened, and a small head emerged from under the sofa, sticking out its neck to glance in the direction of the bedroom. The pitch-black bedroom revealed no specific details, and Shu Xun looked towards the bedroom and then at the seemingly delicious peaches on the coffee table. After much hesitation, he finally tiptoed towards the table. With a forceful push, he jumped onto the slightly low sofa and then leaped onto the coffee table. Patter, patter, he ran to the pile of fruits.
Circling the seemingly massive pile of fruits twice, Shu Xun contemplated the possibility of Ye Jian noticing the number of peaches. In the end, he concluded that Ye Jian probably wouldn’t pay attention. So, Shu Xun climbed onto the fruit pile, picked a not-so-big peach, hugged it, and walked to the edge of the table. He was about to jump onto the sofa when his gaze inadvertently swept over the information on the table. A hunch told Shu Xun that there was something very important there, but Shu Xun still didn’t check it. Holding the peach, he jumped twice lightly and landed smoothly on the ground, almost without making any noise.
Holding the peach, Shu Xun ran back to the sofa, then carefully lowered the peach, cradling it in his arms to prevent it from hitting the sofa. Once again, Shu Xun returned under the sofa.
The next morning, Ye Jian’s gaze inadvertently swept over the coffee table, and his eyes showed no emotional fluctuations. He then turned his gaze away and continued ordering breakfast, eating, dealing with work, and checking information. Hidden beneath the sofa, Shu Xun scratched his cheek and silently continued researching his modified tablet, trying to become more proficient in controlling his consciousness.
The daylight was perfect, bright and spacious in the room, conveniently concealing Shu Xun’s deliberately dimmed tablet glow. However, using this faint glow, one could see that the little ball of fur seemed a bit different, the color appearing somewhat off, slightly reddish.
Shu Xun once again extended his claws and quietly scratched his little arm. Shu Xun did not expect that he would be so sensitive to the fuzz on the delicious peaches, causing his whole body to turn slightly red and itchy. However, if there was another peach placed in front of him, Shu Xun would still rush towards it without hesitation.
To Shu Xun’s surprise, Ye Jian did not go out today but stayed at home all day. Occasionally, he would check the fish tank in the study. So, Shu Xun spent the day hiding under the sofa with an empty stomach. Especially during Ye Jian’s mealtime, this hiding became more challenging, as Shu Xun had to control his little belly from making any noise.
As a spirit beast, Shu Xun was more suitable for consuming spirit fruits or other items imbued with spiritual energy. This would enable him to achieve a short-term fasting effect. However, the result of eating regular food was that Shu Xun would frequently feel hungry, with his energy depleting rapidly. At this stage, troubled by food, Shu Xun hadn’t realized that the so-called chance of triggering the Blue Butterfly ability was slowly occurring in him, just like Ye Jian. If it wasn’t for the abnormality in the house making Ye Jian suspect it might be caused by himself, he wouldn’t have conducted the check and discovered that he was awakening an ability.
After a day without eating, Shu Xun lazily sprawled on his small bedding. After a long wait, the lights in the living room finally dimmed slowly. After waiting for a while, until there was no sound from the bedroom, Shu Xun quietly emerged from under the sofa. Glancing at the untouched peach mountain on the coffee table that Ye Jian hadn’t moved, and then looking towards the direction of the study, Shu Xun eventually tugged at his hair and climbed onto the coffee table.
The faint red color on his body had faded after a day. Shu Xun once again jumped off the table, holding a peach in his hand. He was preparing to run towards the sofa cheerfully. However, just as Shu Xun was vigorously moving his short legs, the lights in the living room suddenly brightened, illuminating the entire room in full view. At the same time, it also illuminated the little furball, currently holding a peach, moving with joy. Shu Xun’s little foot was still suspended in mid-air, and at this moment, he stiffly froze in place, motionless.
Ye Jian stood outside the bedroom door, leaning slightly against the wall, watching the little guest who had moved in at some unknown time in his own living room. The little fellow was laboriously holding a peach, trying to maintain a running posture. Due to the “enormous” peach, Ye Jian couldn’t see what the little person under the peach looked like. He could only see those amusing short legs. Ye Jian was unexpectedly calm, and he strode towards the peach’s position, which was still suspended in mid-air in the middle of the living room.
Under the peach, Shu Xun couldn’t see Ye Jian’s face, but he guessed that there probably wouldn’t be any expression on Ye Jian’s face. Having recovered from the shock, Shu Xun was immediately awakened by the approaching footsteps. Almost instinctively, he threw the peach towards the incoming person and instantly transformed into his original form. The bluish-gray furball sped like lightning towards the nearby cover. Ye Jian’s reaction was also extremely quick, closely following up. Almost in the instant when Shu Xun hid under the coffee table, Ye Jian lifted the coffee table, and the furball’s response was swift. It continued toward the next hiding spot, and although Ye Jian’s movements were faster, he was always a step behind.
Soon, Ye Jian realized that he couldn’t catch up with the extremely fast shadow in his human form. He instantly transformed into his beast form.
In the pitch-black night, on the towering building, the living room lights of this particular room were brightly lit. Soon, the lights in the neighboring rooms also started to illuminate. In the room, a giant wolf moved with incredible speed, finally grabbing hold of the agile little creature just as the blue shadow was about to slip away once again.
Ye Jian’s movements were too quick, leaving Shu Xun with no means of escape. Ye Jian transformed back into his human form, revealing his smooth muscles, but unfortunately, no one was there to appreciate it. Ye Jian held the struggling furball in his hand, and a rare hint of confusion appeared in his eyes. It seemed he couldn’t accurately determine the type of creature in his hands. After a while, he coldly uttered two words, “A mouse.”
Shu Xun, held by the neck, kicked his little paws, but the effect was minimal. Upon hearing Ye Jian’s voice, he suddenly stiffened. However, he quickly raised his small head, trying to ignore the grip on his neck, and opened his sharp claws, speaking aggressively, “I warn you! Let me go quickly, or I’ll scratch you until you cry…”
Ye Jian continued to hold the furball with a deadpan expression, watching the bluish-gray creature in his hand chattering incessantly. He continued to hold it until the furball spoke so much that it became dry-mouthed and stuck out its tongue. Only then did Ye Jian coldly say, “The mouse speaks.”
Being held by the neck, Shu Xun, thirsty and hungry, stuck out his tongue and said nothing.
Ye Jian continued to hold the furball with one hand. The other hand seemed to be interested in the small claws that Shu Xun was waving. If he didn’t hear wrong, this little guy wanted to use these claws to make him cry? Ye Jian smirked.
Hearing the familiar yet eerie laughter, Shu Xun felt, for the first time, how terrifying the laughter from the previous night was. Just as he was horrified, Ye Jian reached out and touched Shu Xun’s small paw, which had curled up in fear. The result was that Shu Xun, acting on instinct, suddenly grabbed fiercely…
Three claw marks appeared on Ye Jian’s finger, and bright red blood seeped out from the wounds.
Injured Ye Jian: “…”
The normally deadpan General Ye, for the first time, understood the concept of being careless.
Seeing the situation, Shu Xun habitually scratched his small whiskers with his own claws, wondering if this was the legendary “if you don’t provoke trouble, trouble won’t find you.” For a moment, he became even more terrified, fearing he might be squashed on the floor the next second.
In the chaotic room, one person contemplated, and another person trembled in fear, creating an unusually silent moment.
