Seeking a Way Out

Yu Yu was still trembling and sobbing, impossible to console.

Wu Hen looked up and saw his mother, Yu Yi, standing in the room, equally helpless and bewildered.

Looking further into the room, his father, Wu Yingting, was sitting on a chair, silently organizing the goods he was supposed to take to his stall this morning.

From that silhouette, Wu Hen could not tell if his father had completely ignored the world announcement just now, or if he had already known about this matter for a long time.

"Come in and close the door." Finally, Wu Yingting spoke.

Wu Hen comforted his younger sister, Yu Yu, while closing the door to their home.

In fact, the moment the news was announced, the outside world had already descended into chaos. The sound of car horns echoed throughout the entire city, yet even such clamor could not drown out the sounds of breakdown and weeping coming from the windows of countless households!

Closing the door allowed the world to quiet down just a little; the family had to sit down and have a serious talk!

Fortunately, in the eyes of his three family members, Wu Hen saw something as firm as what was in his own heart: the fact that the bond between them was by no means a fiction!

"Dad, did you know the truth earlier?" Finally, Wu Hen asked the question.

His father's business bankruptcy had been too sudden and too bizarre. Based on what Wu Hen knew of his father, he was definitely not a reckless person.

He had managed to become a respected entrepreneur in Licheng; it was impossible for him to lose everything overnight, unless...

"Yes, I knew about it a year ago." Wu Yingting put down the items in his hands and answered the question very seriously.

"Husband, then the real reason for your bankruptcy..." Yu Yi looked at her husband.

Such a rapid downfall, yet her husband had never explained a real reason to her. But as his wife, Yu Yi could see that her husband had been under immense pressure over the past year, nearly to the point of collapse!

"I have stepped foot there. It is more terrifying than the collection of all the nightmares we have ever seen in our dreams. To be honest, after entering it the first time, I told myself that I must protect you all, that I could not let you be exiled to such a hellish place."

"I tried again and again, and failed again and again. Even after exhausting our family fortune, I still couldn't gain a foothold there..." Wu Yingting finally revealed his bitterness and helplessness.

He might be good at business, but when it came to surviving in an unknown, alien world, it wasn't that he hadn't tried—he had simply been completely broken by it!

Wu Hen looked at his father in astonishment. In an instant, he understood why his once-towering father had collapsed, and why his figure had become so hunched!

It turned out he had known the truth all along.

He had been seeking a way out for this family, willing to sacrifice his life's work to do so.

But the world had changed, the rules had changed, and he was getting older, making it difficult to adapt!

In fact, the courage to accept this truth and muster the strength to seek a way out was already rare enough!

"What is it like there? Can our family still stay together like this?" Finally, his mother, Yu Yi, asked.

"I used my remaining funds to purchase a guarantee from a Pioneer, having him treat us as his dependents so that we would have a shelter in the Nuwa Divine Terminal. But unfortunately, he went missing last month," Wu Yingting said.

Wu Yingting had actually invested in many Pioneers, but it seemed fate was a bit cruel to him; not a single one had managed to gain a foothold.

"Can the money we have here buy us a right to shelter?" Wu Hen asked.

"Yes, money is still very important, perhaps even more so now. It's just that what replaces stable currency is no longer gold, but Yuan You." Wu Yingting nodded.

"What is Yuan You?" Yu Yi inquired.

"You can think of it this way: it is a type of Otherworld mineral deposit. The Nuwa Divine Terminal requires the energy from this mineral to maintain the existence of our world... Also, even though we all live within the Nuwa Divine Terminal, that doesn't mean we don't need to eat, rest, or that we are immune to aging, sickness, and death," Wu Yingting said.

"Like a server; the server needs basic electricity," Wu Hen remarked.

"Exactly!" Wu Yingting nodded. "But you must understand, even if we are virtual, we still exist in reality. Our emotions, our wisdom, our memories—we are living individuals, and even more so, an inseparable family. The Nuwa Divine Terminal creating such a world doesn't mean we are a pile of useless data; on the contrary, it is guarding the fragile spark of human civilization. You must always remember, the soul is above all else!"

"We are still autonomous individuals, autonomous souls!" His younger sister, Yu Yu, seemed to understand what her father was trying to express and signed earnestly with her hands.

"Dad, Mom, Xiao Yu, actually I..." Wu Hen knew there was no point in hiding it any longer.

He had to tell his father that he had secretly entered the Otherworld Desolate Dust and witnessed that world!

Knock, knock, knock~~~~~~

But just as he was about to speak, the door was knocked upon.

Wu Hen was closest to the door, so he had no choice but to get up and open it.

Upon opening the door, a man and a woman came into view.

The man wore a leather jacket, sported a stylish beard, and had a very sturdy physique.

The woman was bright and moving, wearing light makeup with delicate features and a beautiful face. A lavender lace triangular scarf was wrapped around her long hair, looking fashionable and elegant, adding a unique charm to her already captivating appearance.

Compared to the noisy, nearly frantic crowds outside, these two appeared exceptionally calm and composed.

"Hello, are you Mr. Wu Hen? How was the Otherworld Helmet experience you applied for from our company?" the woman in the purple scarf asked with a smile.

"Uh..." Wu Hen didn't know how to answer for a moment.

But all three people in the room had heard the question.

Wu Yingting, in particular, stood up abruptly from his chair, walked quickly to the door, and stared at Wu Hen with piercing eyes.

"You've been inside??" Wu Yingting's lips trembled as he spoke.

"I was just about to confess to you all. It's true, I've been inside, and what's more..." Wu Hen scratched his head.

"And his performance was quite impressive. Upon his first entry, he actually obtained half a piece of Yuan You," the woman with the lavender scarf said with a radiant smile.

Wu Yingting, however, had his mouth wide open, his eyes filled with disbelief!

His own son had obtained a Yuan You???

Only those who had experienced it firsthand knew what kind of price one had to pay to obtain a Yuan You!

Out there, humanity was truly too fragile, too insignificant!

"It seems your family's adaptability is quite strong. Wu Hen, would you mind having a private word with me?" the woman in the purple headscarf asked.

Wu Hen glanced at his father.

His father, Wu Yingting, could only nod at this moment, his expression complex—a mix of helplessness, surprise, and anticipation.

"Let's use that room inside. It's your room, right?" the woman in the purple headscarf said.

"Yeah." Wu Hen nodded.

Calling it a room was a stretch; it could barely fit a bed. From a grand mansion to a cramped cell, Wu Hen hadn't been used to it at first, but he had slowly grown accustomed to it. Sometimes, he even found it quite secure.

The woman in the purple headscarf didn't mind the dirty clothes all over the bed and sat down naturally on the edge.

This made Wu Hen feel a bit embarrassed; after all, a boy's bed usually had forgotten tissue balls...

Leftovers from blowing his nose.

"Through the Nuwa Divine Terminal, we received news that you came into contact with a Yuan You. You're quite impressive; you are one of the very few who obtained a Yuan You upon their first entry into the Otherworld Desolate Dust," the woman in the purple headscarf said.

Hearing this, Wu Hen understood. The other party was part of the group that had come into contact with the truth of the world earlier, and they had likely been walking in the Otherworld Desolate Dust for some time.

"Just luck, pure luck," Wu Hen said modestly.

"One piece is worth 100,000, and half a piece is 50,000. Take this money first to improve your family's situation." The woman in the purple headscarf was very direct, handing Wu Hen an envelope.

Inside was a thick stack of cash.

As Wu Hen took it, he asked, "Since this world is virtual, what is the point of living a poor life or a rich life?"

"Believe me, everything here will actually become more beautiful once the well-intentioned lie is punctured. Everyone will cherish the current life of abundance, tranquility, and a nine-to-five routine even more!" the woman in the purple headscarf said.

"I don't quite understand. Since we all originate from the Nuwa Divine Terminal, why are some people still unfortunate? Born poor, born rich, born with misfortune—like my sister, who cannot speak," Wu Hen asked.

"A tree has many leaves. Some leaves get sick, some are eaten by insects, some wither too early, and some wither before they ever have the chance to flourish. Is that the tree's intention?" The woman in the purple headscarf explained quite patiently.

"What I mean is, why did the Nuwa Divine Terminal craft you to be so outstanding? Well, especially good-looking," Wu Hen said with a smile.

When the woman in the purple headscarf heard this, she was stunned for a moment, then a trace of shyness and pleasure flashed in her eyes.

She spoke, "You have such a sweet tongue. It seems your mental state is also in good condition. Shall this big sister give you another gift?"

As she spoke, the woman in the purple headscarf took out a very, very small glass box.

Inside the glass box, two iridescent contact lenses were soaking in liquid.

"This is..." Wu Hen said, surprised.

"The latest Brain-Link Technology. Once inserted into your pupils, you can enter the Otherworld... Of course, this thing is actually meant to allow individual consciousnesses nestled within the Nuwa Divine Terminal to awaken in reality, granting you a Vessel that can walk within the Otherworld."

"That sounds like logging into someone else's game character. Do we not have our own bodies in reality?" Wu Hen asked curiously.

"You have walked inside before. What do you think our mortality rate would be if we didn't nestle ourselves within the Nuwa Divine Terminal in this manner?" the woman with the purple headscarf countered.

"Indeed, the soul is above all else." Wu Hen nodded.

"I know you don't like playing on someone else's account. Don't worry, once you find the Nuwa Divine Terminal, you can awaken your true self," the woman with the purple headscarf said.

"Then what should I do next?" Wu Hen asked.

"Survive with your Vessel in the Otherworld, and return to the Nuwa Divine Terminal," the woman with the purple headscarf said.

Vessel?

That must be the body he woke up in at the cliffside town.

"What about the original consciousness of the Vessel? Will it perish because of my implantation?" Wu Hen was full of questions now.

"Their consciousnesses have already perished during their time walking in the Otherworld."

"Lost Ones??" For some reason, Wu Hen suddenly thought of the term mentioned by the delicate-looking person!