Volume 4: Twilight Galaxy
Shu Xun stroked his whiskers, his large, shiny black eyes looking spirited and full of life. It seemed that the energy he had used up the previous day had been fully replenished after a good night’s rest. The fluffy dumpling looked up at the still-stubborn purple lightning hovering in the sky and began to ponder while tugging on his whiskers.
Lie Yang pointed to the sky. “It seems like as long as we don’t show ourselves, the divine punishment won’t disappear.”
The dumpling nodded. Shu Xun had already anticipated this when setting up the illusion array. However, due to time constraints, he hadn’t been able to make everything perfect. Still, Shu Xun clearly wouldn’t leave them with no way out. The reason the illusion array was placed so far away was not only to shake off the Twilight clan’s pursuit but also because they were now close to the mountain range he had previously scouted.
Under the cover of the illusion array, the fluffy dumpling instantly disappeared into the ground, starting to dig downward. Considering the size of the group, Shu Xun dug at a slower pace this time. Even so, by mid-morning, a tunnel leading to a distant, lush mountain forest had been easily completed.
In the live stream:
“This speed… I’m floored. We’re talking tens of thousands of meters!”
“This can’t be real, right? Are we about to witness Lord Lie crawling through a tunnel to escape? Haha!”
“Did you notice the width of the tunnel entrance? It’s just wide enough for Lie Yang, the widest among them, to pass through. I bet Shu Xun is getting back at him for dragging him into that mouse hole not too long ago!”
“Excited! I wonder if the world consciousness will explode into fireworks out of frustration when the illusion disappears…”
Inside the illusion array, the fluffy dumpling was dusting off the dirt from his fur, while Lie Yang crouched at the tunnel entrance, looking conflicted. “Shu Xun, don’t tell me we’re escaping through here.”
The fluffy dumpling gave Lie Yang a calm look. “You can also choose to walk out of the illusion array, log out of the game, and watch us clear it on the live stream.”
Lie Yang sighed. “But could you at least make the tunnel a little wider?”
The dumpling let out a snort. “Time is tight. The illusion array’s energy won’t last much longer.” Then, he looked up at Lie Yang. “And besides, if you’re fat, is that my fault?”
For the first time ever, Lie Yang was called “fat”. He was momentarily frozen in place. After a few seconds, he angrily reached out to ruffle the dumpling’s fur. “This king has a perfect body! Every inch in perfect proportion!”
Shu Xun, whose fur is now completely disheveled: “…” He swatted away Lie Yang’s hand and pointed to the tunnel. “Now’s your chance to prove it—lead the way!”
Feeling like he had once again been tricked, Lie Yang grudgingly went in first. Once inside, he discovered that Shu Xun had been meticulous. Not only was the tunnel’s width just right with no wasted space but every so often, there were naturally glowing stones embedded in the walls, so they wouldn’t have to walk in total darkness.
Following Lie Yang, Gray crawled in, then Xing Kong, and Shu Xun came last. Before entering the tunnel, the fluffy dumpling looked up at the sky. The purple lightning was still swirling as if it could strike at any moment. Calculating with his little paws, he figured that as long as the lightning didn’t fall, the illusion array would hold for at least another day—more than enough time for them to reach the mountains and get far enough away.
As he was deep in thought, a branch of purple lightning seemed to grow bored in the sky and split off, descending directly toward the illusion array. Though the array had some defensive properties, it wasn’t designed as a defensive formation. At this rate, its energy would soon be depleted.
Shu Xun quickly pulled out several spirit stones from his storage and merged them into the array’s core, then wasted no more time. With a swift leap, he jumped into the tunnel, sprinting to catch up with the others. “Lie Yang, crawl faster! The divine punishment is attacking the array—it won’t hold much longer.” As he spoke, he carefully collected the precious stones embedded in the walls, stashing them in his spiritual space. Don’t underestimate a small mouse who loves collecting and storing things—he’s quite the thrifty one.
Lie Yang, speechless, picked up the pace. Though the tunnel’s width was just right, crawling was still much more tiring than walking. As they moved quickly through the slightly stuffy tunnel, sweat soon started pouring down from everyone except the fluffy dumpling behind them.
Walking at the rear, Shu Xun occasionally retrieved more precious stones from the walls and glanced back to ensure the divine punishment wasn’t catching up. Given the temperament of the world consciousness in Twilight Galaxy, it wasn’t impossible. About halfway through, Shu Xun even set up a small illusion array for extra security.
The narrow and seemingly endless tunnel made it easy to lose track of time. It felt like ages before Lie Yang finally saw natural light ahead. The light wasn’t harsh, indicating something was shading the area above, but it was enough to make Lie Yang breathe a sigh of relief.
His speed instinctively increased. When Lie Yang finally crawled out of the tunnel and stood on solid ground again, he took a deep breath of the fresh air.
The tunnel’s exit was deep within a lush forest. Overhead, the dense canopy of trees intertwined, blocking out most of the sunlight, with only a few beams filtering through the leaves. A gentle breeze blew by and the air was filled with the sounds of insects and birds. The grass beneath his feet had just reached his ankles. The entire scene was one of tranquil, vibrant life.
As Lie Yang brushed off the soft dirt from his clothes, he marveled, “I think I finally understand why moths fly toward the flame.”
Gray, Xing Kong, and Shu Xun all crawled out one after another. As soon as the fluffy dumpling climbed out, he heard Lie Yang’s remark and instinctively added, “Is it because you all have antennae?”
Lie Yang, who had been feeling poetic, was instantly deflated. “Don’t you think crawling underground for so long is incredibly stifling?”
The fluffy dumpling tilted his head, confused. “Don’t you think exploring the unknown underground and searching for buried treasure is incredibly fun?”
Lie Yang and Shu Xun stared at each other, wide-eyed. Clearly, the differences in their species’ instincts left both of them speechless.
Just as the awkward silence set in, a sudden burst of purple light flashed at the tunnel entrance. The four of them immediately turned their attention to the hole. The next instant, it dawned on them—the world consciousness of Twilight Galaxy had really caught up!
Shu Xun quickly opened the team chat, calculated their current location with his small paws, and entered the basic direction and distance to the city of Zhu Si into the chat. “We’ll split up and meet outside Zhu Si.”
At his feet, the purple light from the tunnel grew brighter. Lie Yang and Gray nodded quickly, then each headed in a slightly different direction toward the depths of the forest. Xing Kong still wore his usual calm expression, but he was equally decisive. He glanced at the fluffy dumpling on the ground and said, “I’ll wait for you outside Zhu Si.”
This statement clearly indicated that Xing Kong was willing to continue following Shu Xun and the others. Otherwise, he could have left during this opportunity.
The fluffy dumpling waved his paw. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
With Shu Xun’s confirmation, the Twilight clan youth’s eyes brightened like stars, a genuine smile appearing in his eyes. He waved back before turning and leaping away with graceful agility, disappearing from sight within moments.
Shu Xun had also chosen a direction, his nimble little body darting through the forest. In the blink of an eye, the area near the tunnel entrance was deserted, leaving only the freshly turned moist soil as evidence that someone had been there.
A moment later, the purple light finally reached the tunnel’s exit. Unsurprisingly, it was a small streak of purple lightning. Although smaller and less imposing than the bolts that had fallen from the sky earlier, this particular lightning was so densely concentrated that it had turned a deep purple, making it no less dangerous. What was even more surprising was that this small streak of lightning had self-awareness. It circled around the tunnel entrance, nudged the dirt with one end to assess its moisture, and then set off in a particular direction—the very path Shu Xun had taken.
In the forest, Shu Xun’s speed was astonishing. The fluffy dumpling leaped effortlessly through the dense vegetation, with the raised roots and overgrown greenery presenting no hindrance. But even so, he couldn’t outrun the speed of lightning. Eventually, after an hour of pursuit, the purple lightning caught up with the running dumpling.
The moment it spotted Shu Xun, the purple lightning struck without hesitation. Fortunately, Shu Xun was fast enough to dodge the attack. The lightning, however, was relentless, following closely behind and occasionally launching strikes. Yet the fluffy dumpling seemed to have no upper limit to his speed, nimbly evading each bolt.
Thus, an incredible chase unfolded in the vast, lush forest—a fluffy dumpling frantically running ahead, with a streak of purple lightning in hot pursuit. After a while, Shu Xun dodged another bolt and found himself cornered—a dead end created by two massive trees growing together, forming a broad barrier that blocked his path.
Climbing would surely allow the lightning to catch up. So instead of retreating, Shu Xun decided to face the challenge head-on. He turned around, backed against the tree trunk, and glared fiercely at the fast-approaching purple lightning.
Shu Xun’s sudden halt caused the purple lightning to slam on the brakes. It floated in front of the fluffy dumpling, now wary after suffering twice from Shu Xun’s illusion arrays and being scattered by him countless times before. Confronting him directly made the lightning extremely cautious. It circled Shu Xun once, then feigned a sudden attack. But the fluffy dumpling, startled, fluffed up in an instant, causing the lightning to recoil several meters in fright.
Shu Xun: “…”
The fluffy dumpling cautiously stretched out a small paw, attempting to sneak along the tree trunk’s edge and escape. But the purple lightning darted over at once, blocking his way. The situation became a standoff. Slowly, the lightning crept closer, while Shu Xun pressed himself tightly against the tree, trying to keep as much distance as possible from the terrifyingly powerful energy.
The dumpling had flattened himself as much as he could, but he had forgotten about his long whiskers. The purple lightning, still testing the situation, eventually touched one of Shu Xun’s whiskers with its deep purple energy.
With a faint crackling sound, Shu Xun’s long, straight whiskers instantly curled into neat, wavy shapes.
Shu Xun: “…”
Purple Lightning: !!!
The live stream audience, who had been holding their breath: “…”
