There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"Don't interrupt me! How can you think so fast, you little rascal!"

Because of my exceptional skills as a supporting comedian, a skill I learned from the "Queen of Crosstalk," Yu Qian, I excel at the art of improvising and delivering punchlines whenever possible. I even do the supporting role for the news broadcast on TV every day! Here's a BV number for you to study carefully; remember it well: BV167411s7D1…

"Shut up! Do you even want to go back?!"

"Please speak, Master! I promise I won't interrupt, but speaking of interrupting, Mr. Hook, do you know a teacher named Zhang Wenshun who is even more skilled at it..."

Thoughts flooded my mind like a waterfall, constantly refreshing the screen. Finally, Old Man Hook realized that it was impossible for me to control my thoughts, so he suppressed the urge to interrupt my tongue and began to explain loudly.

"The warp jump ability of the interstellar vampires allows us to safely approach the 'final catastrophe'... So we have learned a lot from this incredible and indescribable thing, and the problems that used to bother us have been solved one by one!"

Dad, you're playing with fire! It's like taking nude photos in someone else's house while the owner is sleeping. If you get caught, I reckon none of you will escape.

"We can't worry about that now! If we hadn't learned the forbidden knowledge from the enemy back then, we wouldn't have survived to this day. What we're doing now is just gambling—gambling whether it will discover our actions first, or whether we'll figure out a way to completely banish it!"

You're both crazy! But this sounds really exciting, can I join you?

"...The treatment you're about to receive is the forbidden knowledge we've stolen, guaranteed to be more exciting than you can imagine."

Old Man Hook was speechless for a moment, then said with a wicked grin.

What are you trying to do? Weren't you supposed to send me back using the Dream Gate? Why are you making that face?

"Hmph, the Dream Gate alone can only take away the physical body in the dream; the physical body in the real world cannot be moved. You might appear in the dreams of the town's residents, and then be completely forgotten when they die. But our breakthrough in the theory of spatial anchoring has completely solved this problem."

Anchoring? Based on Old Yorkson's experience, he could only set a coordinate for himself, then rely on others to trigger memes, and then use interstellar vampire space jumps, right? I don't want to turn into a lump of rotten flesh with you guys, waving my tentacles around doing farm work every day!

"You're wrong! The teleportation distance using the interstellar vampire's subspace abilities alone is limited, like a country road that can't handle large vehicles. Besides, our anchor point on Earth is you, you bastard... The only solution is to use a directional highway for passage, which will be able to handle physical teleportation!"

Highway? I don't see a highway, I only see you spouting nonsense! Am I supposed to switch to waterways?

"Hehe, have you forgotten? The giant monster that wandered the universe with us is an indescribable thing that can grab a universe with a single tentacle and display its power across countless dimensions!"

Holy crap! Don't mess with this! This isn't a highway, it's a dead end, and there's even paper money scattered on the ground!

"Don't be afraid... We will use the Dream Gate to transport you to the side of the 'Ultimate Calamity,' then simulate Earth's coordinates and send you back directly. The whole process is simple and efficient!"

No way! You want me to walk right past this sleeping 'ultimate disaster'? What if it's a restless sleeper and happens to roll over?

"If you encounter this kind of probability issue, you can only hope for the best..."

What's with that apologetic look on your face?! Take it off, you jerk!

Chapter 391 Landing in the Storm

The sky was gloomy and gray, like a lead ingot, with dense clouds leaving no gaps, completely enveloping the town's somewhat narrow sky.

Before the rumble of thunder could be heard, the lightning bolts darting through the leaden clouds already gleamed with a chilling light. I could imagine that high above, many enormous creatures were vying for supremacy, their positive and negative charges clashing mercilessly like swords and spears. Even a glimpse of just the tip of the iceberg was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

As the thunder roared and rolled in, the ground beneath me trembled, just like my uncontrollable terror, tossed about by the chaos of the world.

The trees on the mountain lay fallen to one side, swaying in the howling wind. Their bent trunks creaked and groaned, and in the moment of their collapse, they snapped and fell to the ground, creating a commotion.

Even though I can't see it, the once calm surface of the lagoon halfway up Mount Mades must now be a vast, turbulent sea. The lake at the summit has already overflowed and lost control, turning into a raging torrent that spreads in all directions, crashing down the mountain and aimlessly destroying everything in its path.

I stood blankly at the entrance of the hot spring inn, letting the large raindrops pelt my body. I could feel the stinging pain through my clothes. The water droplets, like steel needles, gradually pierced the ground, trying to break through the hard shell of the earth.

The rain was heavier than I had imagined.

In the brief moment of disorientation, I could initially still see the scenery around me and tried to make sense of it with my limited rationality. But in the next instant, the rain mercilessly flooded my eyes, stinging the delicate mucous membranes within. My loose-fitting clothes, now a burden, became as heavy as steel once soaked through, hindering every movement I made.

"I must get down the mountain immediately!"

The thought flashed through my mind like a thunderbolt, and my body moved involuntarily.

Having just experienced a brutal time-travel adventure, I feel completely broken, and my memories are clearly incomplete, like a jigsaw puzzle with some important pieces stolen. Even with my best efforts to piece it back together, I can't restore the original appearance.

I struggled through the heavy mud, lifted my foot, and then slammed it into another puddle. The terrifying thing was that the path down the mountain had likely been submerged countless times by floods, resembling a bloated corpse, emitting a stench, flowing with filth, and exposing bare bones…

I had to barely step over fallen trees with their branches and leaves to find another place to stand. If I hadn't known this mountain path by heart, I probably wouldn't have made it out of this desolate mountain alive.

"In the entire Mineral Town, only the ranch is closest to where I am. I must get back to the ranch to take shelter from the rain... Otherwise, if the floodwaters change course on the mountaintop, I might be swept into the sea..."

The scythe on my right arm guard popped out, and I began to violently destroy everything in my way! Fallen trees, lying rocks, and tripping vines were all shattered by my weapon.

But perhaps due to the harsh environment, I felt my movements become sluggish and clumsy, and clearing the roadblocks was slower than I had imagined. I lifted my robe to cover my head and upper body to reduce the impact of rain on my eyes, and numbly continued to work.

In this environment where my senses were severely restricted, my thinking became sluggish, and all I could think about was getting back to the ranch and finding a safe roof to take shelter from this terrifying downpour.

The rain that hit my face seemed particularly salty, bitter, and irritating.

…………

I walked all the way, leaving behind a winding trail of footprints, ugly and conspicuous like a snail crawling across a piece of paper.

When I saw the wooden fence at the edge of the pasture hidden in the weeds, I felt an overwhelming joy.

The battles on the wasteland were fraught with peril, and I never imagined I'd make it back to Mineral Town alive, let alone that it would be so easy. Just one more step, and I'd be back home...

To hell with wandering the wasteland!

Screw the struggle for supremacy!

I want to go home!

I want……

Where is my home?!

After traversing the road, which had been turned into mud by flooding, I finally arrived at the ranch's planting area, but the familiar main house, stables, chicken coop, and crops were all gone...

A turbid river is rushing past where my pasture used to be, and the turbid waters have carved out a temporary channel that looks like a scar.

Amidst the deafening roar of the rushing water, I couldn't discern whether my voice was filled with terror or despair, for all I could see was that everything I had strived for on this familiar land had vanished.

These once familiar things are now partly scattered architectural ruins and structural fragments, and more have likely been swept into the deep sea by the flash flood that swept through the area.

And this river, the very same muddy water that erupted from Mount Mades, swept right across my pasture, like a foolish giant rampaging through the land, shattering a path of destruction.

It seems that not only my ranch, but also Mrs. Lilia's chicken farm and Old Man Muqi's ranch downstream will likely be affected...

My brain seemed to shut down for a few seconds, my mind filled with a dreamlike, unreal feeling. I couldn't believe that after all that hardship I went through to get back, this was the scene I was presented with.

This is what truly means by "all for naught"...

I knelt in the mud, frantically pounding the ground, but no sound came out. It seemed that this disgusting river separated me from my past peaceful life, and no matter how hard I tried, it seemed I could never return to that tranquil state.

I don't know how much time passed before I stood up like a walking corpse. The icy rain soaked my body, making me feel numb in my hands and feet.

Although I'm very dissatisfied, I've decided to make peace with this damn life for the time being.

I want to swim across this river to the town on the other side.

If I fail...

No, there is no possibility of failure.

Because I have nowhere left to retreat.

…………

The lights in the whole town seemed to be off, and there wasn't a single person in sight, making me think for a moment that it was a ghost town that had long been emptied out.

I pounded on the doors of Sebala's Blacksmith Shop and Dick's Tavern, but no one answered. However, through the glass, I could see the orderly furnishings and clean floors inside, proving that someone still lived there.

As I numbly photographed the third house, the front door opened lightly from my grasp. That old, earthen-yellow double wooden door felt strangely familiar...

This is... Boss Dart's tavern!

Suddenly, the image of the stern-faced boss, Dart, appeared in my mind, along with his unwavering and composed demeanor. Right, if it were the boss, he could definitely tell me what happened!

"Boss! It's me! What happened in Mineral Town! Where is everyone?!"

I stormed into the tavern, yelling, wanting answers from Boss Dart.

But in the instant the lightning struck and illuminated the tavern, I saw a strange middle-aged man standing behind the bar, looking at me with a questioning yet tolerant gaze, and speaking softly.

"Sir, you seem to be troubled by something. Could you tell me about it?"

Chapter 392 The Unexpected Return

“Guest, if it weren’t for the heavy rain outside, I would never normally let you in.”

With the sound of a match being struck, a candle quietly lit up, placed on an exquisite candlestick, illuminating a corner of the bar in the dark tavern.

"You're not Mr. Dart?!"

As the dim light shone, I could see clearly that the person in front of me was not the poker-faced boss I was familiar with. The man in the brown wool coat was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. His features had neither outstanding advantages nor regrettable disadvantages. His appearance seemed to be an average one carefully selected from the crowd, and no matter how you looked at him, he would not leave a deep impression.

His physique was also more robust than that of Boss Dart. With flat shoulders, a broad back, and strong, powerful arms, his entire body was square and angular, like a figure that had stepped out of a classical marble sculpture, sculpted by a craftsman without a single superfluous part. However, his prominent and stiff jawline gave the impression that this man was definitely not as amiable as he appeared.

"Guest, you look so disheveled, you must have come to town from elsewhere, right? Actually, according to custom, I think you should tell me your name before asking my name."

The unfamiliar middle-aged man's features appeared strangely varied under the flickering candlelight, and the shadows on his face were sometimes blurred and sometimes deep, just like his words, which exuded an inhumanity amidst forced politeness.

“My name is Marcus. Well, you should tell me your name now, right? Also, if there’s anything here that can warm me up, please bring it to me first—you don’t want to find frozen corpses in the tavern, do you?”

I said irritably, shaking off the weeds and mud clinging to my body. When I swam across, debris in the flood kept hitting me, making me think I was going to drown.

The middle-aged stranger frowned at my actions, pushed a glass of bright red wine towards me, and said somewhat stiffly, "Marcus, if you keep messing up the tavern floor like this, my daughter might kick you out..."

I picked up the wine and took a sip, only to find that the taste was stronger than I remembered, with a salty, briny flavor that made it almost unpalatable. After forcing down a mouthful, I set it aside and declined to drink any more.

But then, a sudden thumping sound came from the tavern's stairs, like someone running up them. Then, from around the corner on the dark stairs, the sound rapidly approached, and suddenly a figure rushed out from the corner, grabbing me tightly beyond my expectations!

"Let go... What are you doing... Hey, who are you..."

When I was hugged from behind, I instinctively tried to struggle, but the moment I turned around, I saw a wisp of pink hair, glowing faintly in the candlelight. The person also exuded a sweet, herbal scent that felt very familiar to me.

Pink hair...you are...

"Popli! What are you doing in the tavern?!"

I cried out in shock, and then the person who had been silently bowing his head behind me suddenly looked up, and sure enough, it was the familiar face of Popuri.

She looked up at me, her eyes red-rimmed, like a frightened little rabbit. The candlelight shone on her tears, creating a hazy, rainbow-like halo. I heard her sobbing as she spoke:

“Marcus…you…you’re finally back…I thought you were dead too…”

Poppy's tone was a mixture of shock and joy, which brought a touch of relief to my tense and uneasy mood of the past few days. I said softly, "Poppy, it's okay, I'm back now... By the way, why were you in the bar? And who is this gentleman?"

What made me even happier was that I finally met someone in this small town who knew me and whom I was familiar with. Even though my doubts were still as thick as a dictionary, they helped me escape this nightmare.

"Marcus, what are you talking about? The chicken farm is gone, where else can I go but the tavern?"