Act 15: Facts of Life-Living in Reality

Foreword:

I am a genius! Therefore, I have no right to die!

--Salvador Dalí

"How did you even survive?"

Oscar squeezed his deformed lower limbs out of the tunnel, and Father Zhang Congfeng skillfully straightened his legs with a set of massage and bone-setting techniques.

The large wolf's expression was contorted, and it sat or lay on the rocky platform, trembling with pain.

Or rather

"Or rather, how the hell did I survive?"

The bizarre experiences along the way left Oscar's mind full of questions. Logically speaking, in the area of the entire Elf Holy Land that had already been explored, DB was the dominant creature in this forest—even during the hunting season, a fully armed expedition team would not fare well against it.

It knows how to hide itself, and will follow the group around looking for suitable opportunities to poison water sources, destroy roads, and use advantageous terrain such as mountain slopes or caves to attack the weak. Once it catches one or two Homo sapiens, it will quickly escape and never be greedy and turn back.

This time, Wolf was prepared to sacrifice himself. When he saw DB on the rope ladder, he had a premonition that his time was coming to an end—his will to live was almost gone. Fortunately, the old lady Qingjin gave him a sturdy body, which allowed Oscar to linger in a state of Gate of Death for about ten minutes.

Xue Ming did not give a direct answer to Oscar's question.

He remained silent until Wolf Brother caught his breath, then pointed to the tunnel used for transporting materials.

"Is it possible to climb up from here?"

Oscar: "Okay."

At first, Big Wolf didn't choose the material passage because these caves were narrow and rugged, and if he got stuck in them again, he would suffer terribly. Moreover, the rocky mountain slope outside was so easy to walk on, and Big Wolf didn't have much strength left at the time, so he thought he would take a shortcut for convenience. However, he didn't expect that this shortcut would cost him half his life.

Without a word, Xue Ming climbed into the cave passage, crossing one suspended cargo box after another. The inside was quite spacious, and when he turned on his headlamp, he could see flocks of birds flying around. As soon as the bright light appeared, the birds flapped their wings and flew away.

Let's go.

Oscar hesitantly replied, "Okay."

This time, the wolf finally calmed down and said no more.

He survived entirely thanks to the priest's Universal Elixir; as for how the priest drove away DB, he knew nothing. Furthermore, since the priest could subdue Golden Eagle Gryphon with his bare hands, those fleshy paws should have easily broken his jaw. Wolf Brother had only ever seen such physical prowess in a very few Red Stone People.

After traversing a tunnel more than 150 meters long, the two finally arrived at the activity platform of the Sanwanli Outpost.

There is an old, ruler-shaped building here, with three floors in total, capable of housing about forty people. Room 313 on the southwest side of the building is the signal station, while the others are mostly dormitories.

In front of the building, there were several large iron frames on the cement ground, which were used to dry the game and make dried meat. Further to the side, there were two water storage tanks. Wolf Brother climbed out of the hoisting basket in the logistics cave and immediately went to knock on the water storage tanks. When he heard a muffled sound from inside the tanks and confirmed that there was still fresh water, a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Great! Father! We still have water to drink!"

Jiang Xueming nodded, his gaze still grave. He glanced at one side of the room; all the windows and doors along the corridor were open, and DB's footprints were visible on the ground. Clearly, this mountain monster was very active during the hunting ban, daring to venture into human settlements to hunt prey.

The two went to the nearby activity room to start a fire to warm themselves. Xue Ming asked Oscar to stay in the house to watch the fire, and then immediately returned to the rope ladder slope, intending to retrieve the leopard python's meat. However, when he returned to the cliff side, he saw that the second and third platforms were in a mess with bloodstains everywhere—the food bags were also gone.

This was probably DB's doing. After being injured by Fragrant Dream, it didn't run far but returned and stole the two's supplies. The bloodstains on the ground are evidence; there are several spots where blood splattered out in a radial pattern. That was the blood that gushed from DB's jaw muscles in its head and neck when it let go of its hands while climbing the mountain and stopped covering its wounds. It was still warm.

When Xue Ming brought the bad news back, Wolf Brother was also full of frustration.

"Oh no, this is bad." Oscar emphasized, "This guy is dark-hearted, twisted, and perverted. After suffering such a big loss, if we go hunting again, it will definitely follow us around doing bad things!"

Jiang Xueming: "Is there any food left?"

Oscar looked troubled. "This..."

The 30,000-mile outpost had no food reserves, and even outside of the hunting ban period, expeditions rarely ventured into this unknown land. This outpost was like the first flag planted by mankind on the moon, merely indicating that Saladin's hunting party had the capability to come here, but had no intention of storing food or staying for long—it was simply too dangerous here.

The hunters who had previously returned from the Elf Holy Land Sanctuary were the best scouts in the hunting party. However, due to their unfamiliarity with the internal facilities of the 30,000-mile outpost, the dilapidated rock spikes in the cave passages put them in a dangerous situation. These rock spikes had come loose due to lack of maintenance, and the men fell into the shaft while trying to rappel down using safety ropes. The rescue team dispatched more than two hundred people to slowly transport them back before the hunting ban period.

"Check your injuries first." Jiang Xueming told Wolf Brother to calm down, "My stomach was slashed by DB. I don't know if that beast's claws were poisoned, and I don't know what's wrong with my back. I remember I landed on my back when I fell. Can you take a look at me, Wolf Brother?"

As she said this, Xue Ming took off her tattered outer clothes, tore off her cotton sweater, and unbuttoned her shirt by the stove.

Wolf was startled when he saw the strong and powerful latissimus dorsi muscles. He hadn't expected the priest to have such abundant physical essence. He also noticed a strange, dark mound of flesh under the shoulder blade, which was obviously caused by broken ribs and foreign objects left in the body, resulting in skeletal displacement and bone hyperplasia.

Oscar quickly said, "Don't move."

Jiang Xueming: "You have some hidden injuries, right? I could feel it too, but I haven't had time to deal with them. Can you handle it?"

"It should be possible." Wolf Brother waved his claws and cut open the dark mound of flesh, and a spurt of fresh blood gushed out. The mound contained about a dozen pieces of broken bone.

"Hold onto my right hand and grip it tightly." Xue Ming wanted Oscar to hook half of his body around her.

He sat on the stone platform by the fireplace, keeping Wolf in a high position, and then used his weight to correct the deformed sternum.

With a snapping sound, Jiang Xueming didn't cry out, but Wolf Brother let out a strange howl of pain.

Xue Ming asked in confusion, "What are you shouting?"

Oscar: "I think you're in pain."

After all that commotion, Xue Ming wiped the cold sweat from his face, shook his arms, and gasped for breath. Only then did he feel his breathing stabilize and his body feel healthy. His blood had already flowed down his back to his waistband. He took out Universal Elixir from the roll of cloth and treated the external injury—in Oscar's eyes, the priest had returned to his calm state.

"Your turn." Jiang Xueming told Wolf Brother to take off his clothes, "Let me see if you have any hidden injuries."

Wolf Brother quickly shook his head. "No, no!"

This lapis lazuli child had been beaten since childhood, so he was naturally the first to sense any problems with his body. If there was any aftereffect of the Universal Elixir, it was only these two slightly weak dog legs. Without enough vital energy to replenish his energy, Oscar was dizzy with hunger.

In the short time it took Xue Ming to get dressed, Wolf Brother finally caught a glimpse of the gunsmith's tattoo—

"--I'm awesome at guns!"

Even if Oscar was slow to realize, this tattoo was a gift left by the old Khan with his soul power to the Nameless Ones, an indelible mark. The priest displayed extraordinary endurance while suffering the pain of having his flesh cut and bones broken, and the Nameless Ones' elite soldiers continued to fight even after being wounded, receiving medical treatment on the spot. This characteristic also made the two images in Oscar's mind overlap.

"Yes." Jiang Xueming didn't try to hide anything and simply admitted it.

In this unknown land, he must be able to mobilize the power of Fragrant Dream at any time and place, and his epitaph must never say "[died of a mountain troll]" -- Oscar is a trustworthy and reliable partner.

"No wonder I survived!" Oscar exclaimed in surprise, then quickly moved away, "Wait a minute!"

The big wolf's expression went from chuckling to skeptical and astonished.

Are you a human or a ghost?

Jiang Xueming didn't reply. He wiped a handful of blood from the stone platform. It was all the blood that had sprayed out when he was undergoing bone-breaking treatment. He smeared the blood-stained glove on Wolf Brother's face.

Oscar finally snapped out of his reverie—

"--Oh yeah! Oh yeah!! Oh yeah!!~~~"

The big wolfhound was so excited that it couldn't contain itself. Without wearing pants, it straightened up, wiggled its buttocks, and thrust hard into the air a few times.

"That's awesome! ~ Guns! ~"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

This almost manic enthusiasm reminded Xue Ming of Meteor. Wolf Brother, like Meteor, was Red Stone People —these seemingly clumsy guys were quite adorable.

Xue Ming asked, "What do we do next, Oscar?"

But Oscar seemed to completely ignore the gunsmith's question; he began to launch into a long, rambling monologue, as if he had a million things to say.

"I knew it! Saint Josh died so easily, how could an ordinary person possibly fight their way out of the Nine Hells?"

"I couldn't understand it at first, but then I got busy correcting my child's homework."

"You were kidnapped by those four criminals from the war gang, and I've been worried sick ever since. What am I going to say if the boss asks about it?"

"Hey! No wonder you came all the way here to see Berloberg."

Xue Ming interrupted, "What should we do next, Oscar?"

After a long while, Wolf finally calmed down.

Xue Ming used whatever was nearby, searching for the rope ladder on the platform to knit a pair of pants for the big wolf. Fragrant Dream sat by the stove knitting a sweater. The steel cat had a kind of kind old lady cat feel to it, putting its pair of iron claws into the fire to heat them until they were red-hot, and then using them to seal the edges of the sweater's threads.

"Uh," Oscar pondered for a while before finally saying, "Let's finish this quickly, Gunsmith."

Jiang Xueming: "What do you mean by that?"

Oscar: "DB will definitely not let us off the hook. You injured it, and it will absolutely come back for revenge, especially since it's Mimir/Mim's eldest grandson."

"I saw traces of Vita Imprint in its mouth," Jiang Xueming said, recounting the incident.

Oscar explained, "In order to improve energy efficiency, it actively came into contact with this virus. We met Mr. Gonzalez before, and there were many seedlings on Mr. Gonzalez —you saw them, didn't you?"

"These are characteristics of the lifespan of mountain spirits. Every year, mountain spirits hibernate and turn into warm stones. Snakes, insects, rats, and birds settle on these warm rocks. Over time, the seeds and stems left by the animals sprout, and plants begin to grow on these mountain spirits—the more plants, the older they are."

"Until one day, the mountain trolls fell into a deep sleep and never woke up again; that was the end of their lifespan."

"The Vita Imprint in DB's mouth can also raise its body temperature, alter its metabolism and blood circulation, and it doesn't hibernate. Moreover, it has always wanted to obtain Mimir/Mim's [divine organs]—whether it's the heart, liver, or brain—or get a part of the elf to cause it to undergo atavism, transforming from a mortal into a mythical creature."

Jiang Xueming: "Berloberg told me about this."

Oscar: "We're heading to an elven village just outside the outpost, about 700 meters away as the crow flies. It's quite close, but DB will definitely be waiting for us on the way. It also wants the elves—a battle between us is inevitable."

Jiang Xueming shook her head, feeling uncertain.

"We might not win."

Oscar exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"

Jiang Xueming: "I have no guns, no reliable firearms, no Berloberg, and I can only defend myself with my bare hands and the power of my soul."

To deal with a massive enemy like DB, who possesses extremely high intelligence, Xue Ming was not confident that he could kill it with a single blow.

Even with Fragrant Dream's special psychic powers, a unit of this physique cannot guarantee that a single punch will send it to sleep.

"And if it were a one-on-one fight, I'm confident I could hold my own against it. It's probably around 2,400 centimeters long and weighs around 16 tons—but if I were to take you along, I doubt I'd have a chance."

"Does my being alive affect your output?" Although reluctant, Oscar still asked this awkward question.

"Yes," Xue Ming said bluntly, "Its stride is enormous, and it's incredibly agile. It can run and jump at speeds exceeding eighty kilometers per hour, covering ten meters in a single stride. Its ability to hang in the air is exceptional; its posture during climbing and running doesn't affect its skeleton. I find it hard to imagine how it manages to maintain its weight."

"If a fight really breaks out, I can only run away while looking for an opportunity, but you can't escape, Wolf."

"You're too clumsy."

Oscar stared, pointing to his own nose.

"I?"

Jiang Xueming nodded, took off his gloves, and whipped Wolf Brother's waist and abdomen.

"When your stomach and intestines were still intact, they were covered in excess fat."

"Weakness in the lower back and legs, and fat accumulation."

"You're already panting after climbing the tree six times. Young lapis lazuli your age, who went to war with me, have much, much better physical fitness than you."

"Your top speed is probably only 46 kilometers per hour, which is even slower than Black Brother's. Black Brother can run at 70 kilometers per hour."

"You can only maintain that high speed for half a minute, then you'll be panting like a dog."

"Without a doubt, taking you to explore the elven village is a death sentence; you won't survive a single moment."

The series of setbacks left Oscar devastated.

Daniel once said that teachers are very strict people, so strict that they can make people feel inferior and even hate them.

When Xue Ming judged Oscar by his own operational standards, Oscar felt somewhat ashamed.

"If I can't find a suitable psionic catalyst or a powerful weapon, I don't want to fight DB." Xue Ming was very calm. Even though he was only a short distance from his destination, he remained as steady as a defensive tower. "If there are other spirits or trolls in the elven village, I don't want to be attacked from both sides."

"Get some sleep first, then figure out how to get back. By spring, DB won't be dealing with my fists anymore, they'll be dealing with my guns, bullets, and fully insured semi-trailers."

"Uh, that makes sense." Oscar agreed. "But speaking of medium tools, there really is one at the 30,000-mile outpost."

At this moment, Fragrant Dream finally finished knitting the woolen pants and tossed them to Oscar.

"Then!"

Oscar: "Great!"

After finishing its work, the steel cat lazily crawled back into Xue Ming's body.

Jiang Xueming: "Tell me, what is the use of this medium tool?"

"Around 1940, the Sanwanli Outpost had just been built." Oscar recounted the history of the site. "A master craftsman from Ming De came here with an expedition."

"Due to the unique spiritual pressure environment there, the most difficult problem for people is sleeping."

"This master craftsman's name is Salvador Dalí, a Spaniard and a renowned artist in the mortal world. He crafted three psionic mechanisms using radiant stones and elves, much like our boss crafted the club—to shelter members of the expedition who couldn't sleep, to frighten away the monsters, and to solve the security problems of the settlement."

Salvador Dalí was a Spanish painter with extraordinary talent and a remarkable imagination.

He made a brooch for his lover, shaped like a heart made of gold and rubies, which is still beating to this day.

"There are such good things?" Jiang Xueming asked, puzzled. "Since you have a magic weapon, why don't you use it?"

Oscar looked embarrassed. "Because it's hard to control."

With that, Wolf Brother led the gunsmith to the hunting party's command room on the second floor, where they found a large, dusty leather suitcase under the bed in the leader's office.

Even before opening the box, Xue Ming could feel the surging tide of psionic energy within.

Wolf Brother pulled out his club—a miniature geological hammer—and used it to smash open the large lock.

The red cloth serves as a base, containing three oddly shaped wind-up devices, all crafted from gold and adorned with rubies—strange ornaments.

Oscar carefully took out the most "normal"-looking music box from the very center.

It is made of the same material as the pyroxene [Fusou Wannian] used by meteors, and seems to be a gift from Master Dali to the brave Red Stone People.

"I estimate that in another two years, the hunting party will send these three spiritual mediums to the Arcane Library as artifacts."

As Wolf Brother spoke, he presented the box to the gunsmith.

"Dali the Craftsman only gave them one name, [Facts Of Life]. This box is for dealing with the calamity beasts and can also solve insomnia."

Jiang Xueming was very curious, so he went to examine the shape of the box closely.

The golden shell was carved with pairs of ankles and soles, with branding irons filling the gaps between the soles, seemingly a form of torture. The red stone of the bottom shell resembled a bright, blazing fire, and the intense heat of the psionic energy could almost heat up the air; just holding it made one's mouth dry.

Can you demonstrate?

Oscar nervously swallowed hard. "Then you should prepare yourself mentally."

Jiang Xueming: "Hmm."

[I urge you to be kind, for a very mischievous spirit dwells here; it is my brother, my sister.]

Oscar: "Ready?"

Jiang Xueming: "Of course."

[Really? Gunsmith? You'd better tie yourself up!]

Oscar gripped the wind-up knob of the music box; its design was so avant-garde, it was full of...

Well.

Sex worship.

With the clicking sound of the gears engaging, a small golden statue rose from the red stone at the center of the box, revealing a pedestal. It was a statue of the master Dali, with a beautiful and sexy mustache, and a cheerful smile that also carried an eerie and ghostly air.

"I am a genius! Therefore, I have no right to die!"

These words came from the little golden statue, followed by a burst of intense drumbeats coming from the box.

It began to vibrate, and the gold gradually softened. The red stone, like a burning hot heart, began to pump.

Oscar's claws immediately blistered, and he quickly let go of the strange and inexplicable medium mechanism. The music box fell to the floor and began to bounce erratically in rhythm with the pump of the mechanism.

The little golden statue snapped its fingers, like a lump of gold about to melt, and gained self-awareness, freely twisting its body, lifting its hips and thrusting its waist.

The relief carving of the feet on the box also began to rise and fall, as if it were being burned by a hot iron and jumping up and down!

At this moment, Xue Ming finally realized that something was wrong with her body too.

His neck and head seemed to be swaying to the strange rhythm of the music, completely out of his control.

Oscar looked at the gunsmith with an innocent expression.

"I've already said it, it's out of control."

As Jiang Xueming danced, she tried to take the scalding hot gold box back into her hands.

I can't stop.

Oscar: "Me too. When Dali designed it, he wanted the people in the expedition who couldn't sleep to dance, to completely release their inner emotions, until they were so tired they couldn't keep their eyes open."

"Then how did it subdue the calamity beast?" Jiang Xueming still didn't understand. Could such a mysterious hypnotic medium really work on calamity beasts?

At this moment, Xue Ming followed the medium towards the door. It hopped and skipped like a mechanical frog, emitting scalding heat, and jumped out into the corridor.

DB, who had been lurking outside the 30,000-mile outpost, answered Xue Ming's question.

To the sound of powerful music, the mountain demon stood in the concrete courtyard, waving its arms and twisting its waist to the strange music, completely unable to control its body, its old wounds still bleeding.

Jiang Xueming and Wolf Brother were shaking their heads and staring at DB in the second-floor corridor.

"You ask me where I gained this teaching experience?"

David Victor sat motionless in the VIP compartment.

Even when faced with young visitors, Professor Victor still asked these newcomers to dance with him.

"If a detailed explanation is absolutely necessary, it should come from a meeting."

"Specifically, it was the appointment with El Salvador and Freud in 1938."

"Salvador Dalí said he saw God, referring to Mr. Sigmund Freud, who said—"

"--Dreams are the key to unlocking the unconscious mind."

"Salvador Dalí was a paranoid and extremely talented artist whose Inspiration often came from dreams. To be able to discuss the subconscious and dreams with Mr. Freud must have been a wonderful experience for him."

"After meeting Mr. Freud, Mr. Dali almost danced with joy, completing his new work in a frenzy of excitement."

"We laughed, danced, and drank all day long, for thirty-three hours straight."

"Several times, I was overwhelmed by this fervent emotion, and I almost thought I was going to die from exhaustion, that my heart was going to burst and jump out of my throat—thankfully, I survived. Since then, I have become a slow and deliberate person, at least that's how I see myself. Unlike the wheelchair rider who has been the subject of much public discussion, as you can see."

"Since then, I, a Red Stone People, have often visited District 18 to see Dali's works, whether they are works of art or psionic works."

"Dance became the first lesson I taught my students."