CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 149: A BEAUTIFUL DREAM I DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP FROM (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE)

The Dragon Yak resembled a gigantic ox, but instead of hooves, its limbs ended in thick, sharp claws. Its mouth and tongue weren’t for grazing with flat teeth like a cow’s; instead, its mouth was filled with curved, knife-like fangs. The Dragon Yak, over 15 meters long, thrust its mouth into the lake, instantly clamping down on an unidentified Exotic Species and dragging it out of the water.

While chewing, it glanced at Lu Luo and the other two from the corner of its eye.

The Dragon Yak had clearly spotted them, but it was more focused on its meal than on Lu Luo and his companions.

It tore at the unidentified Exotic Species with large bites, rapidly ripping it in two.

The Dragon Yak feasted, swallowing half of it in just a few gulps. Then, it picked up the other half and slowly headed towards the other side of the Thousand Lakes District.

Throughout this, Lu Luo’s trio didn’t dare to breathe too heavily.

A Fourth Tier Exotic Species already possessed the ability to kill them. Perhaps Lu Luo, by going all out, could put up a fight. But its sheer size and physical strength meant they were unlikely to kill it quickly. The Fourth Tier Dragon Yak had countless opportunities, while Lu Luo and his two companions had only one. A single misstep would spell a disastrous and deadly outcome.

Lu Luo didn’t want to take such a risk, nor was he willing to put his people in danger. Thus, the three stood still, holding their breath, only daring to speak softly after the Dragon Yak had left.

"How could there be a Dragon Yak here, in this specific spot?"

[The data recorded by the Observer is merely from the books you’ve read. Exotic Species are mobile. If the Thousand Lakes District lacks a Lord-level Exotic Species, then any Exotic Species could potentially wander into this area.]

"Good. It’s not a huge issue. Let’s keep moving."

"Alright."

Perhaps due to the tension from their recent encounter with the Dragon Yak, the three of them walked in silence for a while.

Lu Luo felt somewhat uneasy. He still felt that something was off about the Dragon Yak’s sudden appearance but couldn’t pinpoint the issue.

The Thousand Lakes District was vast, and Lu Luo didn’t expect to reach the C04 Marsh area in a single day.

With evening approaching, they needed to consider setting up camp for the night.

Camping presented a significant challenge for a trio. Lu Luo decided to let Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi rest while he stood guard. Even so, he needed to find a defensible spot, preferably one where their backs were covered, for increased safety.

"We can start looking for a suitable camping spot now."

"Alright."

Finding a campsite was a task best suited for Gu Fangyi, with his Hawk Eye. He quickly spotted a huge tree in the distance.

Though the tree had completely withered, its trunk looked large enough to conceal them.

"Lu Luo, over here."

Following Gu Fangyi’s direction, the trio soon arrived before the huge tree.

This spot seemed to have been used by others before. The ground was covered with dry grass, and several lines of blurred writing were etched into the walls of the tree hollow. They could vaguely make out a message that likely read, "XXX was here."

"We’ll sleep here tonight, is that okay?"

"No problem."

"Xinzhu, check the inside of the hollow and prepare some food. I’ll set up traps, and Gu Fang, you keep watch."

"Understood."

With their tasks clearly assigned, the three of them swiftly cleared out the tree hollow.

Before it grew too dark, Lu Luo decided to build a fire and simply cook some energy bars and compressed noodles.

Lu Luo took food very seriously; it was an important part of life for him. Thus, despite limited space in his pack, he had specifically brought some salt to ensure his meals were flavorful.

It’s been so long since I transmigrated, Lu Luo complained internally. When will I finally get some spatial equipment? Am I worse than everyone else?

Qi Xinzhu was tending to the soup, Gu Fangyi was on watch, and Lu Luo squatted by the riverbank, examining plants one by one.

"What plant is this?"

[Gan Xiu, a toxic plant. Consuming it will cause diarrhea.]

"And this one?"

[Nutstem, tastes extremely bitter. This thing is 5 to 10 times worse than bitter melon.]

Damn it! Isn’t there a single edible plant around here?

[Humans should have some self-awareness. The great Observer Sequence exists for intelligence and reconnaissance, not to help you find a few greens for your soup. I beg you, act like a proper human!]

Although the Observer strongly objected to Lu Luo’s actions, he ignored it.

"Can this be eaten?"

[This is Qingluo. It’s edible.]

"Ha! Excellent."

Lu Luo yanked out several stalks of Qingluo, recklessly turning his back to the murky pond.

SPLASH!

A Grass Crocodile suddenly burst from the water, lunging for Lu Luo’s waist.

But Lu Luo was faster and stronger. He grabbed one of the Grass Crocodile’s large fangs with one hand, letting it bite his arm as he forcibly dragged the Exotic Species ashore.

The Grass Crocodile sensed something was wrong, but it was too late to flee. Lu Luo’s grip was like a steel clamp.

Lu Luo drew the greatsword he had planted by the shore and, with a single chop, decapitated the Grass Crocodile. Then, he habitually asked, "Can this thing be eaten?"

[It cannot.]

"What a pity!"

Lu Luo unintentionally glanced back in the direction they had come. He looked at the Grass Crocodile corpse in his hands, hesitated for a moment, then carried the Exotic Species’ remains and walked off into the distance.

"I’m going to dispose of this Exotic Species’ corpse. I’ll be back soon. Stay alert."

"Okay."

Why didn’t Lu Luo devour the corpse? Qi Xinzhu wondered.

The corpses of Exotic Species attract others, so naturally, it had to be disposed of far away. But how far was far enough?

Lu Luo quickly ran to a section of the path they had taken earlier. As he tossed the Grass Crocodile’s corpse to the ground, he muttered to himself, "Throwing it here should be fine, right?"

After discarding the Grass Crocodile’s corpse, he hurried back to the tree hollow camp. His actions made it seem as if he were genuinely just disposing of a body.

Shortly after Lu Luo left, a shadow gradually emerged beside the aquatic plants.

The shadow was, of course, Li Qingshu. This time, however, he didn’t reveal himself. He merely lingered beside the corpse for a few seconds before melting back into the darkness. Only after re-establishing a safe distance from Lu Luo’s group did Li Qingshu’s figure gradually reappear.

He didn’t do anything extra to the corpse, Li Qingshu mused. If he truly possessed the ability to extract power from Exotic Species, he definitely wouldn’t have let a Grass Crocodile go to waste. Grass Crocodiles aren’t toxic; they’re just ordinary Exotic Species. If he can’t even extract power from something like this, then the energy extraction process must be incredibly complex. Does this mean Lu Luo doesn’t have the ability to absorb energy from Exotic Species? Then how has his physical constitution improved so rapidly? Unless... he truly has some hidden faction backing him, continuously supplying him with gene enhancement elixirs like those little yellow bottles.

Li Qingshu analyzed Lu Luo’s movements and methods but still couldn’t find the answers he sought.

According to Song Hana’s instructions, if Lu Luo didn’t display any behavior related to slaughtering Exotic Species for power, there was no need to confront the boy.

Forget it. It’s only the first day. I’ll observe him a bit longer!

Li Qingshu didn’t believe Lu Luo had detected him, while Lu Luo, in turn, was pondering Li Qingshu’s motives for tailing him.

After Lu Luo discarded the Grass Crocodile’s corpse, he distinctly sensed fluctuations of Advanced Sequence Particles. This could only mean one thing: the person following him had inspected the Grass Crocodile’s corpse.

Lu Luo’s eyes narrowed slightly as he activated Overclock Mode.

[Overclock Mode activated.]

In Overclock Mode, Lu Luo’s thoughts became sharper. Each tiny clue was like an independent tile, laid out before him in his mental landscape.

In his mindscape, Lu Luo conceptualized four blocks: Enemy, Self, Intelligence, and Sequence.

He mentally rearranged the ’Intelligence’ tile, his thoughts racing. He’s been following me. Subjectively, this means he needs to understand my actions. So, he inspected the corpse I discarded! It’s because he suspected I would do something to it. Why does he need to understand my actions? Because he wants to know what I would do to the corpse? If I can’t determine that for now, I can use reverse reasoning from the outcome. Under normal circumstances, what would I do to a corpse? I would devour Exotic Species! To gain energy!

At this realization, Lu Luo’s expression turned frosty. Even the bowl of vegetable soup before him suddenly seemed unappetizing.

All his earlier thoughts of feigning ignorance and playing along were swept away.

This person must die!

Because the Devourer Sequence was arguably his biggest secret, and the hardest one to conceal. Neither the Observer nor the Fusioner Sequences had such obvious tell-tale signs as the Devourer. Therefore, if an outsider—especially someone from the Church or the Council—were to discover the Devourer Sequence and understand its functions and effects, it would put him at enormous risk. This was also why Lu Luo had been reluctant to develop his presence in the Inner Ring. In the Circular, at least, he could rely on Ludie for protection.

I originally wanted to coexist peacefully. If you hadn’t actively targeted us, I would have remained passive. But now it seems...

"Lu Luo, the soup is ready. Do you want some?"

"Yes. I went to a lot of trouble to find these greens."

Eat first. The tracker can wait. Since I’ve already decided to kill him, I can figure out the details later.

Lu Luo had been pleased to have a bowl of soup, but his critical side emerged after the first sip.

"Why is it so sour? Is this stuff even edible? I’ve never eaten anything this awful in my entire life! Qi Xinzhu, do you even know how to cook? Your cooking is so bad that in the future..."

[What about cooking after getting married?]

"The future what?" Gu Fangyi asked curiously.

Qi Xinzhu ate silently, seemingly ignoring Lu Luo’s outburst.

"Er, in the future, we’ll still be venturing outside the Wall frequently. If the food is terrible, it’ll affect our morale out there."

"Oh, I see. But I think it tastes fine," Gu Fangyi replied earnestly.

"Gu Bro, you’re done eating. Time for your watch."

[Little Gu Bro hasn’t even finished eating! Host, you’re truly heartless!]

Gu Fangyi looked a bit stiff. He glanced at Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu, then slowly nodded.

"I’ll stand guard."

Only after Gu Fangyi left did Qi Xinzhu look up slightly.

"Is it really not tasty?"

Lu Luo had wanted to say it wasn’t just unappetizing but downright terrible. Yet, the words changed as they left his mouth.

"Hmm, actually, it’s alright. I was exaggerating earlier."

"As long as it’s alright. I’ll try to improve in the future," Qi Xinzhu said with a sweet smile.

"Alright."

After eating, they extinguished the fire. Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu each took out a plastic blanket and settled down to rest where they were.

Beyond the Wall, where encounters with Exotic Species could occur at any moment, and with a team of only three, neither sleeping bags nor tents were practical for resting. Only these plastic mats, which allowed them to get up and fight at a moment’s notice, were convenient enough.

Fortunately, all three possessed good physical constitutions. Even Gu Fangyi, the weakest among them, had a Constitution above 3. This significantly reduced their susceptibility to the environment and allowed them to get proper sleep.

Lu Luo climbed to the top of the tree hollow to stand guard over the other two. Aware of an enemy nearby, he remained constantly vigilant. He didn’t practice cultivation or study any manuals; he just squatted there silently.

A sleepless night is truly hard to endure, Lu Luo mused.

Lu Luo blinked, his eyelids suddenly feeling heavy.

...

Meanwhile, Li Qingshu, who was also resting, sensed something was amiss. It wasn’t a feeling of danger; he just felt unusually sleepy.

Li Qingshu was a Fourth Tier elite Transcendent and had mastered the formidable Shadow Dominator Sequence. As a top elite from Lan Tian creatures, his self-control was considered near-perfect. How could such an expert suddenly feel drowsy?

Yet, waves of drowsiness washed over his consciousness, an almost irresistible force.

Soon, Li Qingshu drifted into a dream.

The dream was very clear.

In the dream, he saw Lu Luo devouring an Exotic Species. After Lu Luo finished eating it, his muscles bulged rapidly, and his strength seemed to surge.

This Lu Luo definitely harbors a massive secret, Li Qingshu thought, excited. But it doesn’t matter. Soon, that secret will be mine!

Feeling a thrill of excitement, Li Qingshu slipped into the shadows and gradually approached Lu Luo...

...

In Gu Fangyi’s dream, he stood with Lu Luo on the Explorer’s Wall at sunset, rifle in hand.

Behind them stood many members of Circle Studio, some new faces, some familiar. Among them was even Chu Qi, who was already dead.

Lu Luo stood before them, raised his greatsword high, and declared to the crowd, "Today, we are humanity’s last line of defense."

Gu Fangyi said nothing, merely gripping his rifle tightly, ready for battle.

...

In Qi Xinzhu’s dream, she lay on Lu Luo’s bed at his home, her eyes shimmering. She was currently cradling Lu Luo’s neck.

"Don’t leave, okay?"

And this time, Lu Luo didn’t leave; he chose to stay.

"Okay."

The two held each other tightly.

...

Lu Luo, who had been perched atop the tree, slowly opened his eyes within his dream. Everything around him had changed.

He was lying on a sun-drenched beach. On his left, he held the shy and lovely Qi Xinzhu; on his right, the sultry Han Shiyu.

Not far away, Bai Yuetong, clad in a bikini, was grilling food, a mouth-watering spread of delicacies before her.

Further off, he even saw women like Chu Qi and Li Qinglian.

Wow! Is this for real?

He turned to look at Qi Xinzhu in his arms. This close, and dressed like that—it was a first!

Wow!

He turned his head again to look at Han Shiyu on his other side. Another slight movement and she might have a wardrobe malfunction.

Wow!

His gaze finally landed on Bai Yuetong’s famously flat chest.

From this angle, there’s actually a little something there.

The world felt so real that Lu Luo found himself indulging in it, right until the Observer sent a notification.

[You have been subjected to a powerful mental assault that has completely taken control of your spiritual world. Host, you are currently in a dream state.]

[This dream appears capable of manifesting whatever you desire or wish to do. With all these women and delicacies before you, is this what you, you old lecher, truly want?]

Ah, you don’t need to remind me. I know this is a dream. It’s made quite realistically, too! I’m reluctant to wake up, Lu Luo thought.

Lu Luo squeezed the soft figure beside him, and Qi Xinzhu shyly buried her head in his chest.

Everything you said before is pretty much right, but I have two points to make. You can call me a lecher, fine, but I’m not old. And these things in front of me... they aren’t what I truly desire.