Act.1 Endless Night Night

[Part 1: The Three Siblings]

Fifteen days later, the Sage's Cup tournament came to an end.

The winner of the eighth-grade graduating class was Hasben Madison's four-man team. There was almost no doubt that no one could beat this undefeated shrew in the final rounds. In the intricate old factory area, this soldier from the Guangling Zhixi Rapid Reaction Force was more like a teacher than a classmate. His command and map reading abilities were superb. Meteor's team was no match for Hasben.

The winners of the 7th grade graduation group came from the Greenstone District. The vast farmland is the home ground of these farmers. Tang Ning's team stopped at the top six and failed to make it to the end.

Besides, Shao Jinghao from the first grade group ultimately failed to prove himself. The fairy tale did not unfold. Considering his elemental structure, making it into the top 30 of the grade was already quite remarkable. The five astral hybrid demons and monsters in his class were terrifying obstacles. When it came to the team survival competition, Hao Bro was like a helpless baby, found in the wilderness by these beasts with keen senses, and then ruthlessly eliminated.

Most of the winners from other grade groups are direct descendants of the Blue Gold Werewolf. Counselors like 3301 are not qualified to participate in this year's Sage's Cup, although she was one of the winners five years ago.

After the school anniversary celebration, there's a long summer vacation.

Jiang Xueming received news to temporarily suspend the extermination operation of Mount Eureka in Area 51. Leslie and the Guangling Zhixi intelligence team encountered some resistance at the mission location. It was said that the local Madness Butterfly Sect had packed up and left, and the identities of the spies at the station had been exposed, alerting the enemy.

"Ming Ge, why do you look so preoccupied?" As soon as Meteor entered the teachers' office, she saw Jiang Xueming tidying up his lesson plans and putting away miscellaneous items in the cabinet. He was cleaning his desk in preparation for leaving the school building to return to the front line to continue fighting.

Jiang Xueming saw the shooting star approaching, sat back in his office chair, and prepared to have a serious talk.

"A Xing, I remember your VIP trial mission starts in September?"

Bu Liuxing grabbed a stool and casually sat down opposite Ming Ge with his legs spread wide.

"Yes! I'm sure I can awaken my soul power!"

Jiang Xueming: "Then our mission times clash."

So--

--Xue Ming handed the briefing on the Eureka volcano to Meteor and patiently explained it to him.

"The mission to eliminate the [The Mercy of Eros] has been postponed by a month. Leslie returned to the club extremely frustrated, unable to find any useful clues. The boss's intention was to let me wait until September to depart and operate with the local transportation department's troops."

Meteor exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no!"

"This time we have to split up. The VIP trial mission is very important. As your older brother, I won't be able to stay by your side." Xue Ming reached out and cupped A Xing's cheek. "You must take care of yourself. Don't fight like Jason —if you encounter a strong opponent, it's okay to run away."

"Hey! Don't worry!" Meteor exclaimed excitedly, opening her phone to reveal her wallpaper, a picture of Teacher San San: "My girl is with me! Everything will be fine!"

Xue Ming was still worried and asked another question.

"Can't we talk to the boss about this? Your trial can be postponed."

"Ming Ge, this won't do." Meteor shook his head, his expression turning serious. "Your trial mission is with the Little Brotherhood in Forty-Eight District. If we postpone it—think about it, in a place like that, if we arrive a month late, how many innocent civilians will die at Lawrence Madison's hands?"

Xue Ming: "."

Meteor continued, "There are over a thousand human settlements in the entire underground world, and only a little over a thousand VIPs. We're not small fry anymore; we can't just put things aside because we don't want to do them."

Xue Ming: "Aunt Bu Mei."

"I've already talked to Mom," Bu Liuxing said, leaning back in his chair with his head as a pillow. "She's mentioned these things every time we set off."

"Come to my wedding. You can leave after Xiao Qi and I are married." Jiang Xueming was very concerned about Liuxing's safety, and then said, "Let Jason accompany you, as well as Hasben and Tang Ning. You can all go together."

"Okay, whatever you say!" Meteor nodded, then shook his head. "No way! Ming Ge! What are you going to do?"

"This time, neither Leslie's Silver Bay Beggars' Gang nor Guangling Zhixi's intelligence team managed to gain any advantage at Mount Eureka." Xue Ming thought for a moment, then continued, "If we want to penetrate this city and make contact with the Mercy of Eros, we can't make a big fuss. The fewer people the better. Before the official decisive battle, Xiao Qi and I will go."

"My sister-in-law just got married and she has to go to the front lines." Meteor wanted to say something more.

Xue Ming smiled, unconcerned. "This isn't the front line; in her eyes, it's a honeymoon."

Just then, there was a knock on the door—

--Director Simmons coughed softly.

Bu Liuxing immediately understood and got up to leave.

"Ming Ge! It's a deal then! I'll go back to the club first, then head to Shanwei to prepare for the wedding!"

Xue Ming looked disappointed and stood up to tell him, "Be careful on the road."

Once the shooting star has gone far away--

Xue Ming then realized what strange things he had said.

Balason is arguably the most secure metropolis in the underworld, Qingjin and the Galahad Magic Academy. What's there to be careful about on the road? It's just that he's being paranoid. He's been accompanied by Meteor all this time, and now that his little brother is going to undergo the trial alone, Xue Ming always has a sense of unease.

In layman's terms...

"--This kid isn't really dead this time, is he?"

Ming Ge muttered to himself, wanting to plant more flags for Meteor. After all, this kid always sets a bunch of flags before making important decisions, and the more flags he plants, the luckier he'll be.

Director Simmons came in carrying a large leather suitcase and greeted Jiang Xueming with a smile.

"Hey! Gunsmith!~ Gunsmith!~ Gunsmith ah!~"

Xue Ming knew that this was the day that Director Simmons had finally been looking forward to, a day when he wouldn't have to face the gunsmith anymore, and it was a joy that came from the bottom of his heart.

Why did you bring me a gift?

Director Simmons pouted and waved his hand dramatically. "Naughty! You don't need to keep it a secret this time—you can just tell others that this is what I brought."

Xue Ming wanted to unzip the suitcase, but then asked Director Simmons to clap his hands.

Simmons: "Don't rush! Hey! Don't rush! Hey hey hey! Hey!"

Xue Ming: "What do you mean? Wasn't it for me?"

"Be careful, be very careful," Simmons emphasized. "It's very valuable, so be extra careful."

The suitcase was shaped like a large, sturdy doctor's bag, much like a pet incubator. Just as Simmons entered, Xue Ming, with his keen eyesight, noticed that there seemed to be something alive inside.

Director Simmons placed the suitcase on his desk and slowly unzipped it.

--As the inner metal clasp was halfway unfastened, a tiny black head suddenly lunged out and bit Simmons's finger hard.

"Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Simmons's face contorted in pain, his teeth chattering. "My fingerprint chirality! It took me half a month to get my fingerprint chirality right!"

Xue Ming looked closely and saw that it was a puppy.

--The specific breed is very similar to the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, a cross between the Germany Shepherd and the Carpathian Wolf. The only difference is the coat color.

This little guy looks fierce in a cute way. His teeth haven't grown in yet, and he's using his two front paws to hug Director Simmons's wrist and biting the director's finger tightly.

Xue Ming stood up and leaned forward to look.

The little wolfhound's ears perked up, it loosened its mouth, and involuntarily retreated into the warm cotton wool.

Director Simmons grumbled and cried out in pain, a hint of fear in his eyes. He thought to himself, "How could the military dog sent by the wolf mother be such a scoundrel?"

Xue Ming showed no intention of backing down; he asked the director.

"Is this a gift from Lapis Lazuli?"

Simmons nodded, clutching his wrist, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "That's right, they're military dogs that the BOSS got for you, all direct descendants of the wolf mother."

Xue Ming immediately opened his backpack and handed the rabies vaccine to Director Simmons.

"I'm sorry, I startled you."

The director had intended to brew some of White Lady's products to treat his injuries, but he didn't expect the gunsmith to have such a thing with him, and his expression turned strange.

Xue Ming: "Please, Director, go out first. I think it's so young, and separated from its mother, it must be afraid of strangers."

Simmons didn't say anything, checked the tear in his finger, and then left shortly after.

Xue Ming stared intently at the pair of golden eyes in the darkness inside the suitcase.

The little wolfhound's linear pupils were exceptionally bright as it growled defiantly from its den.

Xue Ming reached out his hand--

--He was immediately seized by the little wolfhound, who bit his hand tightly.

Unlike the typical biting and tearing motions of puppies learning hunting skills, this is not a playful or teeth-grinding action intended to kill.

The puppy shook its head, its limbs and back swaying as it widened the wound to bleed its prey, without barking once, just as the saying goes—a dog that bites doesn't bark.

Xue Ming's expression remained unchanged. As he withdrew his right hand, he took the wolf out of the warm doctor's kit.

He tilted his head, observing the wolfhound's physique. As he raised his hand, the wolfhound still wouldn't let go, hanging in mid-air. Its golden eyes glanced to the other side, as if trying to see Xue Ming.

The crimson blood, like plum blossoms, soaked through the cotton gloves.

Xue Ming: "It's a boy."

Under the bright light, the wolfhound's fur appeared grayish, but it would likely become darker as it grows. Judging from its size, it was about three months old and had already been weaned.

The human and the wolf stared at each other for a long time. The wolf's ears, which had been raised in warning, began to tuck back. The little wolf seemed to finally realize that the human in front of it was not afraid of pain. It started kicking its legs and whimpering, as if showing weakness and begging for mercy, trying to return to the stable ground.

Xue Ming simply put it back on the desktop.

--In the blink of an eye, the wolf cub tried to sneak back into the suitcase, but Xue Ming grabbed it by the neck and pressed it against the smooth paperweight.

This descendant of a sacred beast was incredibly strong; its claws gripped the paperweight, producing a sharp, piercing sound. Xue Ming looked over at the sound and was astonished by the child's claws, finding them to be far harder than he had imagined.

It's important to know that Galahad is not short of money; the teaching aids and furniture provided for the teachers' offices are extremely luxurious.

This paperweight table is made of sapphire glass, which even a carbon steel knife might not be able to scratch. Yet this wolfhound managed to leave white marks—the result of a human scratching a cell phone screen with their fingernail.

Blood flowed down the fur of the puppy's neck onto the paperweight. In just a few seconds, two even smaller puppies emerged from the large suitcase, one after the other.

They hadn't opened their eyes yet, as if they were only a few days old. With their mouths open, they whimpered and went to the blood droplets on the paperweight, beginning to lick the blood to fill their bellies.

Xue Ming was about to reach out and grab it--

The puppy saw this and immediately began to struggle. It seemed this older brother cared quite a bit about his siblings.

Xue Ming simply grabbed all three wolf cubs at once and examined them one by one.

The largest black wolf has golden eyes, is male, and has reddish fur at the tip of its tail.

The other two wolf cubs have red fur and are both female.

Judging by size, the slightly larger second sister has two spots on her face and her fur is brownish-red.

The youngest, third sister, is orange-red.

The lapis lazuli wolf mother could speak human language, and Xue Ming didn't know if the three wolf cubs had this talent.

According to Teacher San San's growth method, these wolf cubs should like the Universal Elixir and White Lady's products. Xue Ming went to tinker with the coal stove and freeze-dried powder, and also got a jug of goat milk. He greeted Brother Wolf.

"Hey kid, can you understand human language?"

The wolf cub turned its head, rotated its body, and looked warily at Xue Ming, having just licked the blood off the paperweight.

Xue Ming: "If you understand, then nod?"

The wolf cub remained completely still.

Xue Ming: "Looks like you don't understand."

He took off his gloves and began patiently training the puppy.

"This is my hand, my hand, understand? You can't bite it--"

Before she could finish uttering that word, the second sister, who had come smelling the blood, immediately put Xue Ming's finger in her mouth.

Ming Ge covered his face helplessly.

"Never mind."

But the situation took a turn for the better the next second.

Because the eldest of the three siblings, it waved its paw and pressed it against the second sister's forehead, pulling her off Xue Ming's fingers.

It nudged Xue Ming's hand with its nose, then looked at the kettle by the coal stove, as if to say—

--I'm hungry, give me some.

[Part ②: The Beginning of Calamity]

The story is about to end with the joyful dog-raising diary.

--Let's come to the intercity rail platform in Balason.

The first semester is over, and the students will return to the Nine Realms Station via the Intercity Express. After that, whether they transfer in Hong Kong in the mortal world to go home or go to various cities in the underground world to go home, they will have a happy and leisurely summer vacation.

Mr. Ishimura was in the fourth carriage, making a video call with his beloved chairman.

"--How did things go?"

On the other end of the video was a face with handsome features that didn't resemble a man's.

He's like a mixed-race person, possessing both the delicate charm of the East and the heroic strength of the West.

His eyes were bloodshot, yet he resembled an albino. His facial features and cheeks had an eerie pink hue, like the capillaries in his eyelids and eyeballs. He had red lips, white teeth, and a vibrant, healthy appearance.

This handsome man, who looked to be no more than twenty years old, was the president of the Mercy of Eros. Like an angel descended to earth, with a head of pale curly hair hanging down beside his ears, he chatted amiably with Mr. Ishimura.

"Linden is a very good person. I'm willing to help him fulfill any wish he has. How's it going?"

Wearing a mask, Ishimura looked at the carriage behind him and said, "President, it's time to calculate the money."

The president immediately said, "Just do your best."

Ishimura was quite embarrassed. "What's so good about this guy? What's so good about this Linden guy?"

"His coming to Eureka Volcano City is something I never even dared to dream of." The guild leader's soft, weak tone was like that of a naive child. "But he possesses a kind of Magic Power, a talent that most people don't have."

Ishimura: "Hmm?"

"This society operates on rules, and bosses have their own rules." The Mercy Society said this, but unlike the other members of the Madness Butterfly Sect, he didn't call Ming De "Boss," but instead addressed Good Cat as "Boss." "Companies have their rules, and families have their rules. As long as you understand the rules, you can survive by relying on this set of ironclad laws."

"Like Attorney General Linden, he understands the law and is very familiar with the rules of the underworld. In the past, when we wanted people to obey and forced merchants to make concessions, some people would curse us, rebel against us, and refuse our exploitation."

"But Linden knew how to get them to curse each other, rebel against each other, exploit each other—even to the point of self-cursing, self-doubting, and self-exploiting. Ultimately, they willingly gave up their essence."

"He knows how to make rules, Mr. Ishimura. That's why I value Attorney General Linden so much. If we can go along with his wishes and help him fulfill this small wish, he will become our brother. Please do your best."

Mr. Ishimura nodded and got up to go to the connecting area between the carriages.

He closed his laptop, packed all his luggage, then took off his mask and summoned Soul Power.

"[KINGDOM]!"

In the fifth carriage--

--Hasben Madison and Robert Tang Ning are doing a post-match analysis. They are both students of Gunsmith. There are also many other students crowding around the winner of the Sage's Cup, trying to get close to him and build rapport.

Shao Jinghao and Strong Bro, along with Daniel and Kaycee, and Jiang Bailu, were all in this carriage. People close to the gunsmith chose this time to meet and discuss what to give Xue Ming as a wedding gift.

There were seventy-seven people in total, and they had no idea what was about to happen.

The fierce competition for survival had almost drained the students' mental energy. Just after lunchtime, everyone was drowsy due to carbohydrate dizziness caused by the rice in their lunch.

Until Hasben's pupils constricted, his brain felt as if it had been struck by lightning—

--The long-dormant life of Canaan has awakened once again.

"Kid, where have you been?! Why? Why can't I sense the biological neural network of the species anymore?"

Hasben's fingers began to twitch due to abnormal bioelectric activity. "Canaan? What are you talking about? What do you mean? I don't understand?"

Just then, Strong Bro and Xiao Hao both looked up and shouted.

"Why is there no signal?!"

"Oh! Little Red! Can you hear me? Hey! Hey! Can you hear me?"

Everyone's mobile phones and communication devices are disconnected from the internet.

Bailu expressionless.

--Hasben thought her demeanor was exactly like the Big Sister's.

She looked out the car window, where the misty air seemed both real and illusory. The faint psychic energy carried a greasy, fishy smell, like the stench of rotten food left overnight.

"This isn't an intercity highway. I remember this tunnel wasn't this long, and there were gabbro rocks and lights along the way, so it wouldn't be this dark."

As Bailu spoke, she left her seat, squeezed to the front of the crowd, and pushed open the door at the connecting point.

A fierce, raging wind swept over us.

--Bai Bailu's eyes glazed over for a fleeting moment.

"Oh my god!"

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing ahead except for the deep, dark tunnel.

The first four carriages, which were originally connected to the fifth carriage, are gone.

It vanished without a trace; nothing remained.

There was some pinkish sticky substance on the partition boards and rubber partition walls, Bailu dared not touch.

Within seconds, the slime, like a spirit, vanished without a trace along with increasingly faint psychic energy fluctuations.

The fifth carriage lost power and slid forward along the tracks, eventually coming to a stop in the tunnel.