Forge a path to success

His vision jolted violently, his heart pounded like thunder, and blood rushed to his head, plunging the world into darkness. He wanted to roar. But he couldn't utter a sound. He wanted to fight. But he couldn't make a move. Opposing forces clashed within his mind, and Chu Hengkong felt as if he were being torn in two.

He leaned against the metal wall, trying to calm himself down. But then the knight's blond hair came into view, and an inexplicable impulse surged several times over. Kill her. Eat her. Possess her. Humiliate her. An inexplicable hostility, an inexplicable malice, and vile desires were amplified many times over, the woman's shrill laughter clamoring like the flapping of insect wings.

Chu Hengkong involuntarily reached forward. He tightly wrapped his wrist with his still-movable tentacles. He bit down hard on his arm, his teeth digging into the muscle and tearing open the bloody lines. But his body wouldn't obey him. When he came to his senses, he was standing beside her bed. His hand reached out. He couldn't control it. He was about to—

"It's alright, A-Kong."

Suddenly, he was enveloped in a warm embrace. The blonde girl hugged him tightly without a word, a thin layer of ice imprinted on his back, an exorcising array etched upon it, its coolness seeping into his heart.

"I……"

He tried to move with difficulty, but couldn't utter a word. The sounds that came out were like the roars of wild beasts. Ji Huaisu remained unmoved, only holding him tighter, and shrank into the blankets with him.

"It won't be cold if we sleep together," the girl said softly.

His heartbeats gradually calmed, and his consciousness began to drift. Memories sank into darkness, and he slowly closed his eyes, falling asleep in a soft, gentle embrace.

Chapter 158: Not Being Able to Sleep Is the Beginning of Despair

This was the worst sleep Chu Heng had ever had in his entire life.

As soon as he fell asleep, he was thrown into a dream. At first, he thought he had left the research institute and entered the outside world, surrounded by impenetrable darkness, the shadows dancing wildly like countless crazed shadows. Those shadows pounced on him, passing through his body. He could do nothing, like a terrified but immobile child experiencing sleep paralysis. He could only watch in the darkness, watching the shadows evoke memories he didn't want to recall as they passed through his body.

Long ago, when he lived in Old Master Chu's house; when he was making a living alone in America; and when he first joined the family… those anxieties and fears from his early, vulnerable years were stirred up by his memories, forming indistinct ghostly figures that flickered before his eyes. He could clearly sense the passage of time, knowing that a minute, an hour, three hours had passed when he closed his eyes…

But he didn't know when this dream would end, or whether he would forever sink into the dark, unseen mire. Fears that shouldn't exist were "created" in the process, eroding his spirit and vigor, while unseen malice whispered to him.

—All hearts should confront their fears.

Darkness writhed within malice, memories gradually distorted, and the faces of familiar people flickered before his eyes, indistinguishable between distorted recollections and delusions born of extreme pressure. Time flowed with an eerie slowness, Chu Hengkong suffocating in a nightmare devoid of light. Until 7 hours and 37 minutes later, the dark dream suddenly vanished.

Chu Hengkong finally awoke from his dream, feeling several times more exhausted than before he fell asleep. But the suffocating sensation hadn't disappeared; instead, it had intensified, followed by a strong sense of confinement. Opening his eyes, he was still met with utter darkness. He struggled fiercely, trying to escape this bottomless nightmare—

"Hey... Ah Kong, it's you!"

From the depths of the nightmare came his partner's voice, strangely tinged with shyness. Chu Hengkong broke out in a cold sweat, straining his neck to look towards the source of the sound!

He saw the flushed face so close to his eyes.

As his vision gradually adjusted to the environment, the belated truth came to his mind. He curled up like a child in his partner's arms, the source of the feeling of restraint being Ji Huaisu's arm, and the dark color he realized was actually her black vest.

That's why you might feel like you can't see anything clearly.

That's why you feel like you can't breathe.

Because until that very moment, he had been buried in the soft, warm mountains.

“You’ve been nudging me the whole time.” Ji Huaisu’s gaze followed downwards, “and even poking me…”

The awkwardness of the atmosphere reached its peak at this moment.

The ability to think critically is cruelly destroyed by reality.

Human language abilities are not yet mature enough to be used in such extreme environments.

Chu Hengkong closed his eyes and began to play dead.

·

five minutes later.

"Ah Kong~ I never knew you had such a cute side~~"

The knight lady lay on her side by the bed, playfully poking someone's spine. Chu Hengkong continued his feigned death strategy, turning his back to his partner and remaining motionless, pretending to be a stone. Unfortunately, the knight lady was far superior in terms of recovery ability after being hit. Ji Huaisu's eyes darted around, and she pinched his cheek.

"Who's been unable to sleep late at night and came to ask Sister Huaisu to sleep with them?"

"Please, have mercy and kill me with one stroke," Chu Hengkong said in a flat, emotionless voice.

"Xiao Kong is shy!" Ji Huaisu said gloatingly in a low voice.

"You're only a year older than me, please don't act like an elder..." Chu Hengkong sighed, "And Miss Ji, don't you think your reaction was problematic? You were the one who was taken advantage of, you were the one who was groped, what you should be doing now is throwing a tantrum and cornering me to beat me up, not flirting with me!"

"We've faced life and death so many times, what's this little thing?" the blonde woman said nonchalantly.

Chu Hengkong became increasingly vigilant: "Miss Ji, I feel it's necessary to remind you that being a comrade-in-arms doesn't mean you can casually get close to someone—"

Ji Huaisu hugged him from behind and said with a smile, "I only do this to you."

"..."

Just as someone was about to seize the opportunity to launch into a tirade, all his words were abruptly swallowed back down his throat. Stiff and uncomfortable, he decided to continue playing dead, striving to become a silent, unyielding stone.

"What happened last night?" Ji Huaisu patted his chest.

Chu Hengkong was silent for a while: "...Tell me the truth, what state was I in last night?"

"Actually, it's nothing serious..." The girl's gaze wandered.

"Please."

Ji Huaisu pursed her lips and said somewhat awkwardly, "...You looked like you were about to assault me ​​back then."

Suddenly, the man in her arms became like a block of steel, all his muscles tense, as if contracting deep within his body out of self-reproach. Ji Huaisu nuzzled his cheek to help him relax: "Don't be like this, I know it's not your fault."

“I lost control back then, it was my fault,” Chu Hengkong said. “From now on, you'll keep your distance from me—”

"Don't talk nonsense." Ji Huaisu gently tapped the back of his head. "What's the reason? Your spine can't possibly have sexual desire for me, even though you do."

"I do not have."

"Who just poked me?"

"Please, can we skip this topic?" Chu Hengkong sighed deeply, struggling with how to explain the cause and effect. His partner seemed determined to get to the bottom of things, so he decided to explain things in the simplest way possible.

"Simply put, Qingxia kissed me."

In that instant, the atmosphere in the room changed abruptly.

A chill even colder than the dark, sunless wilderness descended without warning upon the small guest room. Vande's tentacles twitched slightly inside the sleeping bag; it was on the verge of waking when the sudden cold snap froze it, forcing it back into a deep sleep. The arms encircling someone tightened their grip suddenly, like two iron hoops; the previously soft and warm embrace now felt like a frozen harbor, and the female knight's cries were as terrifying as the breath of an ancient dragon.

"What did you say?"

Chu Heng broke out in a cold sweat: "Miss Ji, calm down, this is not the point."

"This is the key point! Explain it clearly to me!" Ji Huaisu said fiercely.

"You said yourself before that you weren't a housekeeper, right?"

“That was yesterday’s Ji Huaisu; the one speaking to you is today’s Ji Huaisu.”

"You're being unreasonable, you know that?!"

Ji Huaisu began to grind his teeth: "Enough nonsense and tell me! What did you do with her after that!"

"Your assumption is flawed; I was forced!" Chu Hengkong tried to prove himself. "I was the one who was beaten to the ground!!"

Ji Huaisu was startled upon hearing this. She realized that she had been being hunted by misfortune during that time, and that wicked demon of misfortune had no reason to let go of any fighting force that could help her. It was conceivable that A Kong must have also been affected by misfortune. That unfortunate encounter had left him exhausted and nearly on the verge of death, to the point that he didn't even have the strength to participate in the final battle.

So, what exactly happened to Akong back then?

For a killer with extremely high self-esteem and a strong competitive spirit, what kind of misfortune could have brought him to such a miserable state?

Qingxia's eerie and wicked smile flashed through Ji Huaisu's mind, and an unbelievable conjecture suddenly arose in her head. Her voice trembled involuntarily: "Akong, could it be that...you were violated by a centaur?!"

Chu Hengkong took a deep, deep breath.

He rolled over and slammed his head against the blonde woman's head: "What on earth are you thinking about all day?!"

"Ouch, that hurts..."

It took a full ten minutes to explain the situation to the idiotic Miss Ji, and it took the two of them quite a while to figure out the final details of the chaotic battle in Jinye City. After finishing all this nonsense, even Chu Hengkong felt exhausted. Ji Huaisu sat cross-legged on the bed, swaying from side to side.

"How should I put it... this inexplicable feeling... I want to punch her but I also want to thank her..."

"Now you understand me?" Chu Hengkong covered his forehead. "Last night's loss of control started from my heart. I suspect it was because of that blood."

“But Qingxia doesn’t seem that perverted, does she?” Ji Huaisu questioned. “I don’t think she wants to have sex with me.”

"If you don't behave yourself, I'll tell Youyou when we get home."

Ji Huaisu was not afraid at all: "Go ahead and look for it, let's see who has more dirt on us."

"you really are……"

After much arguing, no one could reach a conclusion on the issue, and the discussion came to an end. Chu Hengkong packed his things, shook the unconscious Fan De awake, and the Eye Demon was in no better condition than him.

“I had nightmares all night,” Vande said. “It felt like an eternity.”

"You also dreamed of boundless darkness?"

"Don't let me remember... ahh..."

Vande lay on the ground howling for a while, then wiped his eyes and said, "Seriously, buddy, I can't take it anymore. If this goes on every night, I'll go crazy without any outside help."

"You can try staying up all night," Ji Huaisu offered a very innovative suggestion. "I didn't sleep a wink last night."

"Can you go three days without sleep? Ten days? Twenty days?" Vande retorted. "The people here must have a solution. That son of a bitch Chongming definitely knows, but he deliberately didn't say it."

Chongming knew exactly what was going on. He was waiting for the three of them in the reception room, laughing at the two dejected men.

"Hey! Looks like you slept well last night!"

“If you don’t say something useful, I’m going to hypnotize you,” Vande said. He looked furious.

“Your eyeball friends aren’t very friendly,” Chongming said, scratching his ear. “What you experienced last night was the friendliest local specialty, the ‘nightmare’ that came about because of the resurrection of Invan Salar.”

The dreams of this land are entirely controlled by Vansalal; whoever falls asleep is destined to enter a nightmare… and a nightmare that only gets worse!

Chongming counted on his fingers one by one: "For the first three days, you will wander in darkness. From the fourth day onwards, the past you fear will manifest as tangible nightmares in reality, tormenting your minds. From the seventh day onwards, even non-existent fears will be created, and you will experience the terror of those who died in the great war... And if you persevere until the tenth day without going mad, then the Nightmare King, Vansalal, will applaud your courage, and he will personally descend to weave the worst dreams for you!"

"So we have two more days," Ji Huaisu said.

"It's a pity you've already spent two nights in the cave. Now it's your fourth day at the border of the Heavenly Prison!" Chongming laughed. "Get ready, newcomers. From now on, what you fear may appear before you at any time, and will be seen by everyone."

“I don’t think even in times of war, people would be strong enough to survive in this kind of environment.” Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes. “The punitive expeditionary force back then was able to defeat Vansalar, so they must have had corresponding means.”

“You’re smarter than you look.” Chongming stood up and put on his cloak. “That’s right. There are a few safe zones in the Despair Wilderness, and our next stop is the entrance to a safe zone.”

You're in luck! Today happens to be the full moon! Gather all your stories and head over to collect your newlywed gift package!

Chapter 159 Newly Developed Knightly Skills

A cold wind swept across the desert, the white sand flowing with the wind, forming ripples that echoed back and forth between the dunes. Night had passed, but the dark moon still hung high in the sky. The only difference between day and night was that the darkness of the sky had faded slightly, and the temperature in the desert was a little higher, preventing people from freezing to death.

A blue, frozen track stretched across the sand, carrying four crystal-clear snow deer that galloped like the wind, trailing a string of clay wagons behind them. They were heading to the "Underwater Valley" on the other side of the desert, the entrance to the safe zone and a wondrous place where resources were exchanged for stories.

"This is the first time I've known you can do handicrafts," Chu Hengkong said.

“When I was little, Youyou made me a lot of educational toys,” Ji Huaisu said, brandishing her snow whip. “But I don’t know the way. This is the direction to the secluded valley, right?”

"Yeah, yeah, just keep charging forward like that." "Wow, that newbie's water elemental skills are amazing!" "Of course, they're at level 3, way stronger than all of us combined!"

The researchers in the rear carriage were dancing and having a great time in the clay carriage. They were all small fish and shrimp with mass points 1 and 2, not much of a threat even in the outside world. Now that they were people in the fog, they couldn't make any contribution at all, and were just cheering and shouting encouragement from the back.

"These guys have a pretty good attitude," Vande said listlessly. "Speaking of which, who built the safe zone in this godforsaken place? How did they get such great power to block the corruption of evil gods?"

“Of course, it’s the Allied forces that participated in the great war back then.” The frog-faced man grinned and leaned closer. “The era of the great war produced many talented people. There were evil gods among the heretics, and our Allied forces naturally had their pillars. Back then, a group of knights left behind ‘Holy Pillars’ in the Wilderness of Despair. The places protected by these pillars are immune to evil spirits. In the past, we were able to fight against the army of Vansalar entirely because of the protection of the Holy Pillars.”

Both men were intrigued by this revelation. Ji Huaisu, hearing them mention knights, became curious about the achievements of her ancestors, while Chu Hengkong was more concerned with the "Holy Pillar." This was because, upon arriving in the Despair Wilderness, the dying old soldier had personally told them that the knights' Holy Pillar had been extinguished.

If even the foundation for their survival is gone, how can the safe zone be safe? And if the safe zone is still there, why are these people deliberately operating in the dangerous desert?

Before he could ask a question, the impatient Ji Huaisu spoke first: "You know about knights?"

“Miss, you seriously underestimate the professional level of our research institute.” The burly man with the mohawk tossed his head and began to recite in a melodious tone, “The Discipline Knights are a path created by the righteous god ‘Discipline Emperor,’ warriors who fight under the heavens. In times of war, the entire nation of Knights threw themselves into the battlefield, making them the undisputed spiritual symbol of the Allied forces, leaving behind countless moving legends on the battlefield!”

The hooded woman's eyes were full of longing: "They are the embodiment of strength and beauty, the symbol of noble character. In those days, every Allied soldier wanted to be a comrade-in-arms of the knights."

"That's enough, that's enough, stop it already! Someone's getting too cocky," Vande said.

The knight tilted her head back, grinned foolishly, and wiped her nose: "It's not that amazing~"

The frog-faced man laughed too: "This girl is really interesting, quack. Why are you so happy when we're praising the knight?"

Ji Huaisu pointed to himself with his thumb and said excitedly, "I didn't expect you guys still hadn't figured it out. I am Ji Huaisu, the legendary Knight of Discipline!"

The researchers' mouths were so wide open they could fit three van der Rohe.

"What did you say?!"

"Who is the knight? You?"

"This...doesn't look like it..."