Was the feeling in the dream real?

Nan Yuan remembered that at first, he was having a nightmare. 

But later, the dream became more ambiguous. In the dream, his parents and older brother left one after another. He knew he couldn’t catch up, yet he still stumbled forward to chase them.

He remembered nothing else, only that he was running through the dark dreamscape.

Just as he was sinking into it, he felt someone pinching his ear.

He couldn’t see the person’s face clearly in the dream, but he knew it was a girl. It had to be her—she always appeared when he needed her.

She leaned in close. After pinching his ear, she pinched his face and forehead as well.

She stood right in front of him, holding his face, feeding him water, soothing the restless agitation surging through his veins.

Nan Yuan couldn’t move his hands or feet and could only let her keep pinching his ear.

When his burning-hot ears were touched, he felt a wave of cool relief.

Then, she tore his clothes. 

That wouldn’t do! 

Nan Yuan wanted to stop it, but he couldn’t move, nor could he speak.

Fortunately, the girl didn’t do anything else.

Next, Nan Yuan felt her wiping his face and ears. 

It was soothing—the pain in his ears eased.

But why was she massaging his stomach now?

Nan Yuan endured it, and she finally moved her hand away.

He wanted to open his eyes, to see what she looked like… 

But no matter how he tried, he couldn’t move. Nan Yuan had seen animals die during evolution—he felt his strength slowly draining away, and he became certain that he might die the same way.

Just as he was about to sink completely into the darkness, he felt a surge of pure energy.

It was that power again. The first time he met her, she had given him an energy infusion that could heal wounds and restore his strength.

He hadn’t even repaid her yet—he couldn’t die.

Nan Yuan fought against the surging energy within his body.

He had no idea how much time had passed. All he knew was that every time his energy ran low, she would replenish it.

When he once again felt her pinching his ear, Nan Yuan broke free from the shackles of his dream—he opened his eyes.

But she was nowhere in sight. 

Was it just a dream? A strange emptiness filled his heart.

Lowering his head, he suddenly noticed that his clothes had indeed been torn in the same place as in the dream.

Everything in the dream was real.

Nan Yuan froze. 

He could hear the sudden, noisy pounding of his own heartbeat.

Nan Yuan paused, realizing that his hearing had heightened to an entirely new level—he could even hear the faint voices of humans conversing far in the distance.

He had always longed to find humans, to discover his own kind in this post-apocalyptic world.

Yet, even though those people were only a few dozen kilometers away, his mind was completely fixated on the mysterious ‘her.’

Without realizing it, Nan Yuan subconsciously covered his stomach beneath his tattered clothes, his dazed expression unknowingly adorable.

At the time, the situation had been urgent, so Tao Shushu had torn the cub’s clothes to use as a makeshift towel.

But now that the cub was awake, looking as if he had been taken advantage of, Tao Shushu found herself a little puzzled.

It was just a torn shirt and a little medicine applied to his injuries—

Why was he acting so… reserved?

Was this really a cub from the interstellar post-apocalyptic era?

Tao Shushu reached out and pinched the cub’s face again.

Nan Yuan’s ears immediately perked up, his gaze tense as he stared ahead.

Just what kind of nightmare had the cub experienced to make him act so unnaturally? Tao Shushu was a little curious and decided to check the memory fragments the system had just provided.

She patted the clothes beside her, signaling for the cub to change into them.

Nan Yuan froze for a moment, noticing the fresh set of clothes beside him. However, even as he picked them up, he hesitated, not making any move to put them on.

Remembering that the cub seemed rather traditional, Tao Shushu quickly sketched a small illustration—a chibi-style little boy changing in the car while a tiny lion and a little girl stood outside, exploring and keeping watch. 

Then, she lifted the small lion into her arms and led it beneath the car to inspect the surroundings.

The tiny lion had been obediently perched in the vehicle, resembling a lion-shaped ornament. But the moment it hopped down, it shook out its fur and stretched, finally moving around with energy.

Tao Shushu pondered for a moment. Judging by the little lion’s behavior, it seemed that after the cub’s evolution, he had gained a level suppression effect over the creature.

She yawned as the lion circled the car a few times before suddenly baring its teeth in a particular direction, looking as if it had encountered a formidable enemy.

Could there be a new threat? 

Just as Tao Shushu was about to go investigate, the car door opened. 

The cub, now dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, was clinging to the car door with his short arms and legs, carefully maneuvering his way down.

Before, his clothes had been tattered and ragged, making him look like a little stray.

But now, in his fresh, clean outfit, with his face scrubbed spotless, he finally had a bit of the bright energy of a young boy.

Seeing the first set of clothes she had bought for the cub on him, Tao Shushu felt very satisfied. 

After taking multiple screenshots from different angles, she yawned again, feeling a little sleepy.

However, the little lion’s reaction still made her uneasy—what if there really was an enemy lurking nearby?

Besides, in just thirty more hours, the cub would reach the full moon cycle, and the night before a full moon was rarely peaceful…

Tao Shushu decided to play for a little longer. 

Meanwhile, Nan Yuan steadied his mind and carefully listened to the sounds of the ruined city. 

The crunch of wheels over gravel, the clicking of weapons being loaded, hushed voices exchanging information… 

Someone was approaching. 

When he first woke up after completing his evolution, Nan Yuan’s energy had yet to settle, and he was forced to hear every sound in his surroundings.

But now, he could control the flow of energy within his body, focusing his abilities in a specific direction.

After listening carefully, Nan Yuan drew a picture.

His drawings weren’t as lively as Tao Shushu’s, but in his shaky, uneven lines, he managed to depict a vehicle and armed figures on top of it.

Nan Yuan quickly drove their own car behind a collapsed wall, concealing it from view. He then carefully erased the tire tracks to cover their trail. 

Afterward, he set up some camouflage and hid behind the cover with the little lion. 

Tao Shushu glanced at the cub. 

He was not only cautious but also methodical in his actions.

So capable!

Tao Shushu was just about to pinch the little one’s ears as a sign of praise when suddenly, a new task notification popped up on the system: 

[Side Mission 4: The ability user group “Slaughterers” has repeatedly plundered resources from other ability users and enslaved them. Noticing the energy overflowing from the little one, they have decided to seize it. Eliminate the “Slaughterers” gang; take over their supplies. Rewards: 1000 gold coins, 7 advanced awakening cards, 200 merit points.]

Tao Shushu immediately accepted the mission. 

1000 gold coins!

Sleep could wait. As long as the task was completed, it would be worth it.

Tao Shushu took a sip of water to dispel her drowsiness.

At the same time, she focused on the distance, deciding to move forward and scout the area. She also wanted to test how far she could stray from the little one before hitting a limit.

Without hesitation, she moved her perspective forward to explore.

Using the truck as a reference point, she found that she could only go about 3,000 meters before she could no longer proceed.

Just then, a tank pulled up in front of her.

It was them. 

Tao Shushu quickly counted—one, two, three, four. Only four of them. This probably wasn’t the main force of the “Slaughterers” gang. 

She thought for a moment, then waited until they walked away before quickly moving a large boulder to jam their tank tracks.

After that, she switched back to the little one’s side and poked him to get his attention. 

Nan Yuan’s lips curved into a faint smile.

He had already heard the sound of the vehicle stopping and then a loud “thud.” He guessed she had moved a rock to cause some trouble. 

Holding back his laughter, Nan Yuan began observing the situation.

Then, Nan Yuan’s brows suddenly furrowed. He grabbed the little lion and rolled swiftly to the side.

The spot they had just been hiding in was blown to rubble.

They could precisely locate their position.

Nan Yuan’s heart sank.

A barrage of bullets came whizzing toward him.

He returned fire in an instant.

But before his bullets could hit their targets, someone was even faster—pressing down on the enemy before he could.

Tao Shushu was furious.

These guys pulled out heavy weaponry right from the start?!

Shouldn’t normal humans at least try to negotiate first? This just proved that the “Slaughterers” gang really lived up to their name—utterly ruthless.

Without hesitation, she restrained three of them in one swift move.

However, one managed to escape from her grip.

That person was shockingly fast, likely possessing a speed-based ability.

But Tao Shushu refused to believe they could be faster than her—a player.

She placed her phone flat and focused intently on the screen.

But the escapee was incredibly slippery, constantly moving beyond the screen’s edge, occasionally tossing out explosive weapons.

The three people she had already pinned down were absolutely terrified.

They hadn’t even finished their first round of attacks before suddenly being overwhelmed.

Their companion asked, “Why aren’t you running?”

They wanted to, but it felt like a mountain was crushing their backs—they could barely breathe under the pressure.

Meanwhile, Nan Yuan stayed calm, drew his particle gun, and pulled the trigger.

The speed-type ability user let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground.

Tao Shushu immediately restrained him.

“Wow, these guys are fragile.” She muttered to herself.

After securing them, she handed them over to the cub for interrogation.

Nan Yuan found a rope and tied them all up in a bundle.

“You came for the energy, didn’t you?” His face darkened as he questioned them.

The wounded speed-type ability user hesitantly nodded.

He didn’t dare to resist.

He had always considered himself the fastest in the entire Slaughterers gang. Thanks to his speed, he had never been injured in battle before.

Yet, this seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy had shot him down with just a gun.

It was terrifying.

Nan Yuan’s expression remained icy cold.

The one who possessed energy wasn’t him—it was that person. Somehow, she always managed to pull energy out of nowhere.

Luckily, she was strong enough to protect herself.

Nan Yuan released his ability. The little lion lay low in the distance, keeping its head down, not daring to move.

The four captives in front of him couldn’t withstand his oppressive aura either—they spilled everything without hesitation.

“Our organization is called the Slaughterers. Our methods are… well, quite brutal. That’s why there’s always been resistance against our leader’s rule. Recently, during the beast tide, some people tried to escape. The boss assumed they stole his energy, so he sent us to deal with it.”

Who would’ve thought it was a complete stranger? And one this powerful?

“We communicate using signal flares. The boss used to be part of the Second Legion—he’s highly skilled in tactics. Our base is the safest place on this wasteland planet. The others have no choice but to obey, even if they don’t want to, because there’s nowhere safer. The spaceport is wrecked, destroyed by the machines.”

Hearing “Second Legion,” Nan Yuan’s eyes slightly fluttered.

Aside from that tiny reaction, his breathing didn’t even fluctuate.

The four terrified captives were too scared to notice that fleeting moment.

“Our base is twenty kilometers away, guarded by watchtowers. You won’t get in—it’s heavily guarded.”

Nan Yuan didn’t waste words. “You’re going to keep driving and pretend you captured me. Take me inside.”

“Don’t try anything stupid.”

He shifted his gaze slightly, and instantly, a chunk of each of their hair was sliced off.

That was when he discovered he could control light.

And light could be a weapon.

The four men, who had still harbored thoughts of resistance, immediately fell in line.

This ability could kill someone without them even realizing it.

When Tao Shushu returned with a glass of water, she was greeted by the sight of Nan Yuan smiling as he untied the prisoners.

Even during interrogations, he was this gentle?

The cub’s temper was way too good…