Xiao Zhenyun: “Did it really get injected?”
Xiao Nian: “Yes, it did.”
“And that serum is real and effective?”
“Absolutely. It’s legit and works immediately within its expiration date.”
“Is there any twist to the situation? Like maybe Si Chu has some backup plan?”
Xiao Nian scoffed, “With that puppy brain of his?”
“…” Even though Xiao Zhenyun spent his days mocking Si Chu’s intelligence, hearing Xiao Nian’s disdain made him feel the need to defend him, “Si Chu is still the male lead of the whole story. When I call him a dumb dog to Si Di, it’s just a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”
“You actually know how to defend him??”
Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t be bothered with him and steered the conversation back, “Could it be that the union’s internal research team already developed an antidote?”
“Keep dreaming.”
Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t think of any other possibilities for now and could only ask in disbelief, “So, you’re saying Si Chu was injected by Xiao Hui, and his spiritual body, the Czech wolfdog, went berserk, and fell into a permanent sleep?”
“…Did you even pay attention to the plot? You don’t remember the most thrilling climax and ending of the entire story?” Xiao Nian was equally incredulous.
It was indeed very strange. Xiao Zhenyun tried to recall the time when he had skimmed through the hardcopy book—after the scene where ‘Xiao Zhenyun’ wrapped up his role, he had just browsed through the rest, eventually skipping straight to the last page to see the ending.
“Are there a few extra chapters at the end of the novel?” Xiao Zhenyun hit upon the crucial point, “Why do I remember the last thing I saw was the part where Si Chu got adopted at twelve?”
“Yes,” Xiao Nian nodded. “By the way, here’s some good news: the extras don’t count towards the completion of the plot.”
“So, did the Czech wolfdog actually fall asleep? Did Si Chu lose his spiritual body or not?”
Xiao Nian opened his mouth, then hesitated, considering something. “Wouldn’t telling you be a spoiler? It might ruin the story’s excitement.”
Xiao Zhenyun felt like kicking him. “…Do you really think we’re just reading a novel here?”
“Alright, fine.” Xiao Nian relented and spoiled the plot. “At that time, it did go berserk and fell into a permanent sleep, but later it woke up again. After all, he’s the main character, so he gets some special treatment. Among those forcibly injected with the professor’s serum, the death rate for special individuals was thirty percent—this included Hedgehog and Xiao Bai. The rate of spiritual bodies going berserk and falling asleep was nearly one hundred percent, but Si Chu’s wolfdog was the only one that miraculously woke up.”
When Xiao Zhenyun and Xiao Nian returned to the room, Xiao Hui was already awake.
It’s said that when he first regained consciousness, he tried to play a trick and pretend to still be asleep. However, with an S class sentinel and an S class guide present, any slight movement couldn’t escape their heightened senses and mental insight.
As expected, these two top-tier sentinel and guide instantly maxed out Xiao Hui’s hatred. If even the A class Si Chu could make him fight to the death, the extremely rare S class special individuals were an even greater threat.
Jealousy and resentment clouded Xiao Hui’s vision, and he almost couldn’t continue his act of fake submission.
But in the end, he held back and convincingly played the role of a repentant sentinel in front of Guild Chairman Xiao Jingfeng.
Naturally, Xiao Jingfeng didn’t overhear Xiao Zhenyun and Xiao Nian’s conversation about the plotline. However, Si Di, leaning against the bedroom door, caught every word with his high-level sentinel hearing. Even if some parts were unclear, Xiao Zhenyun could relay everything to him in detail through their spiritual link.
Thus, he knew perfectly well that this C- grade sentinel before him would steadfastly walk the path of a villain, with no intention of redemption. Xiao Hui was a mainstay in the professor’s camp, with no room for turning good.
To make his defection appear more genuine, Xiao Hui didn’t immediately kneel and cry out, ‘Chairman, I want to join your team!’ Instead, he first showed resistance, condemned the inherent unfairness of being a special individual, criticized the oppression within the tower, and raged against a fate that seemed to toy with him at will.
He cursed at the S class sentinels and S class guides, the darlings of the heavens. How could you possibly understand the pain of us lower-level sentinels and guides?
Xiao Jingfeng remained silent. Si Di let the words go in one ear and out the other, while Xiao Nian worried about how to patch up the plot later.
Only Xiao Zhenyun listened attentively to Xiao Hui’s complaints, nodding after a while and saying, “You know, you actually make some sense. I support you.”
Xiao Jingfeng, Xiao Nian, and Si Di turned to Xiao Zhenyun in shock, not understanding what sense there was in Xiao Hui’s grievances. But then it dawned on them—wasn’t this man himself a C class guide?!
Xiao Zhenyun lowered his gaze and said calmly, “Special individuals are inherently unequal, and the suppression between different levels is comprehensive. Compared to higher levels, lower levels have no redeeming qualities. Even among ordinary people, there are geniuses and mediocrities, but their differences aren’t as starkly quantified as the SABC levels of special individuals. Moreover, ordinary people excel in different areas, whereas the comparison among special individuals boils down to their levels, which is indeed unfair.”
He paused, summarizing, “The genes of special individuals are simply too cruel. Being a low-level special individual is nothing short of a complete tragedy.”
These seemingly harmless yet somewhat radical reflections left Xiao Hui sitting on the bed, staring at him with an expression of incredulous surprise, eyes filled with the recognition of a kindred spirit: You understand me! You’re my Bo Ya1Bo Ya was an ancient Chinese musician, renowned for his exceptional skill with the guqin, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. He is particularly famous for his profound friendship with Zhong Ziqi, a woodcutter who, despite not being a musician himself, could understand and appreciate Bo Ya’s music deeply. Their relationship symbolizes the idea of having a ‘知音’ (zhīyīn), which translates to a ‘soulmate’ or ‘understanding friend’ — someone who understands and resonates with another’s feelings and thoughts on a deep, intrinsic level.!
Xiao Hui’s gaze set off alarm bells in Xiao Zhenyun and Xiao Nian’s minds—damn, did I/he accidentally stumble upon the correct way to gain favor with this vengeful villain whom even the protagonist couldn’t redeem?
Trying to advise him positively would only make him more resistant. Stroking his ego was the way to calm Xiao Hui down.
It’s like a wife coming home and venting about her boss and colleagues, wanting her husband’s unconditional support and not a lecture. As for right and wrong, any reasonable person would have a clear understanding once they’ve calmed down.
Xiao Nian glared at Xiao Zhenyun, urging him to quickly say something to fix this. Xiao Zhenyun struggled to find the right words, “Um… even as a C- class, you shouldn’t belittle yourself. You should find your purpose in other aspects…”
This was a line from the original story where Si Chu tried to console Xiao Hui. Xiao Hui immediately retorted, “What other aspects are there for a sentinel? Our five senses, spiritual strength, and physical abilities are our entire purpose for existence!”
Xiao Jingfeng, unaware of the gravity of the situation, added fuel to the fire by pointing at Xiao Zhenyun and saying to Xiao Hui, “He’s a C class guide, just like you and Xiao Bai.”
“…Impossible!” Xiao Hui instinctively sat up straight and loudly refuted, “Isn’t he the guide of this wolf? How could an S class sentinel be paired with a C class guide?”
“Why not?” Xiao Jingfeng patted Xiao Zhenyun on the shoulder with a tone of pride, as if boasting about his capable nephew. “That’s just how it is.”
Xiao Zhenyun, desperate to avoid earning Xiao Hui’s favor, quickly tried to discredit himself: “We bonded because of a high compatibility score.”
—A C-class guide like me bonding with an S class sentinel isn’t due to any personal achievement. It’s purely because of an inherent compatibility, reinforcing the idea Xiao Hui detests: ‘People cannot defy their fate.’
Fearing Xiao Hui might not understand his implication, Xiao Zhenyun added another detail: “A C-class guide’s spiritual pool is too shallow, and their guide elements are limited. I can’t fully meet the needs of an S class sentinel.”
Unfortunately, Xiao Zhenyun’s words had the opposite effect, seemingly making things worse. In just a few breaths, Xiao Hui’s well-established worldview of over twenty years was crumbling. He murmured, “Then how can you… have a high compatibility with an S class sentinel? Why?”
Xiao Bai, unable to grasp their conversation, found it too difficult to understand. She just obediently sat beside Xiao Hui, letting him unconsciously grip her hand in his shock.
“Why are you being so modest? Can’t you just say something good about yourself?” Xiao Jingfeng frowned at his nephew. Ignoring Xiao Zhenyun’s reluctance, he bluntly revealed the truth: “Because his spiritual pool recovery rate far surpasses that of other guides. Even though he’s a C class guide, if he can make good use of this trait, he can fully provide the guide elements and spiritual strength needed to support an S class sentinel.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
