Attacked in a Dream

Could a person keep having bad luck forever?

Although the incidents were pretty far apart, Chen Xiao always felt that whenever he thought his life was about to get "on track," this world would come looking for trouble.

"I was so stupid. Seriously..."

Staring at the familiar, dilapidated old red-brick house before him, Chen Xiao helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead, filled with both nostalgia and resentment.

He really had been attacked.

Seriously, dude?

So this world still remembers that I'm a transmigrator!

I only saw the news about superpowered crimes a few days ago, and now I've already run into the culprit?!

Classic novel protagonist treatment. The moment you see a crime report, you're guaranteed to run into the criminal.

Then where's my cheat system, may I ask?

Where are my superpowers?

What? You mean those figurine girls back home?

They're different.

"Ugh, I can pretty much guess the culprit's power. It has something to do with dreams or memories."

After all, the old house before him belonged to his previous life, buried deep in his memories. He was the only person who knew what it looked like.

"But credit where it's due, this is a really faithful recreation."

Chen Xiao walked up to the threshold and gently brushed his hand over the rotting, black-painted wooden door. Then he looked at the brick carvings on the walls flanking it, their colors lost to weathering. Even their cracks had been perfectly recreated.

Come to think of it, before transmigrating, he had wondered what the old house's brick carvings would look like in color. In his previous life, he had never lived to see them restored before a Dayun truck flattened him into two dimensions. Instead, he had seen them painted in this life.

"Well, well~ Came from a poor family, did you?"

Just then, a mocking voice abruptly sounded behind Chen Xiao.

"-?!"

Chen Xiao's heart jolted, and he whipped around.

A tall, thin man in a dark hoodie had appeared at the courtyard gate of his old house at some point. The oversized hood concealed most of his face, leaving only his chin and the corner of his mouth, curled into a sneer, exposed.

His hands were stuffed into his pants pockets, and he looked utterly relaxed, as though this dream constructed from Chen Xiao's past memories were his own backyard.

"Still, working your way up to buying a home in Magic City takes more than just hard work."

The hooded man glanced around, then thought of the upscale residential address in the assignment file and clicked his tongue.

"Probably became some rich woman's boy toy... No, with that delicate skin and that miserable, 'melancholy' face, don't tell me you're some guy from Chuan City's bottom?! Pfft... Hahahaha!!!"

By the end, the hooded man was laughing all by himself. His laughter echoed through the courtyard in front of the old house, grating on the ears.

"This asshole..."

Chen Xiao's expression gradually chilled, his fists tightening slightly. If he had known more about the situation and his enemy's strength, he would have rushed up and punched the hooded man in the face already!

"Ooh~! That look on your face-did I hit a sore spot?"

Seeing Chen Xiao merely staring coldly at him instead of flying into the rage or humiliation he had expected only egged the hooded man on.

"Tsk, tsk, look at this dump. Reeks of poverty... No wonder it raised a useless little shit like you. You had a golden road to the top, but you just had to rot away somewhere like this?! Oh, wait, wait, almost forgot this is your old family home... Ha! So what does that villa you're living in now make you? A pheasant doesn't turn into a phoenix just because it flies onto a high branch! Which leaves only one answer..."

The hooded man spat insults and slander like machine-gun fire, deliberately drawing out his final words.

"Your back door's already been ruined by too much use, so you don't even have the guts to go to the academy~! Am I right?"

"..."

Chen Xiao did not respond to his insults.

You villains really are all cut from the same cloth.

All you know about provoking people is [talking shit].

And what did my old house ever do to you?

This is an antique dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties!

"Huh... This is kind of fun. Even that doesn't make you angry?"

Seeing Chen Xiao still standing calmly in place piqued the hooded man's interest, and he stopped trying to provoke him verbally.

Naturally, Chen Xiao had no intention of trading trash talk with the man. Not only would that let his opponent dictate the pace, it would do nothing to buy him time.

He had been keeping a close eye on the news these past few days.

The official superpowered crime task force had conducted several operations across Magic City's neighborhoods, reportedly launching raids just before the culprit could commit a crime.

Although every operation had come up empty, making people question whether the reports were true, there really had been no more victims falling into comas for unknown reasons over the past few days.

All I need to do is stall as long as possible and wait for the authorities to take down this guy's real body!

"So... You're the guy they've been reporting on in the Magic City news lately? The one using superpowers to put people into comas?"

Chen Xiao asked.

"That's right. That's me."

The hooded man nodded without hesitation.

"Why target me?"

After all, he had never caused trouble in high school or college, nor had he humiliated any wealthy young masters.

"A client put in a request. Naturally, I carried it out."

"A client..."

Sure enough, someone was pulling the strings behind the recent attacks.

"It's because of Shenzhou Nova Academy, isn't it!"

"You already know the answer."

The hooded man gave a disdainful smile.

"But I never even applied! Why attack me anyway?!"

"I don't even know where the universe ends. How am I supposed to know why the client specifically named you~?"

Perhaps because he believed Chen Xiao had no chance of escape, the delighted hooded man had turned into an answering machine, responding to every question Chen Xiao asked.

Yet almost ten minutes had passed, and he was running out of questions, while there was still no sign of anything happening in reality. Chen Xiao was starting to sweat.

Don't tell me this guy's power is Tsukuyomi?

An instant in reality, three days in a dream?

Then I'm seriously screwed...

"Kid, you're stalling for time, aren't you?"

Just then, the hooded man spoke, barely able to hold back his laughter.

Chen Xiao: -!!!

Those words sent a chill of shock through Chen Xiao.

"Heeheehee!!! Yes, yes, yes! That's the face I love! Absolutely delicious~! Scared? Anxious? Praying those cops catch me soon? Hahahaha!!!"

Abandoning all restraint, the hooded man stuck his tongue out at Chen Xiao and let out a wild laugh brimming with malice and madness!

"Not happening! That whatever-it-is diviner is as good as blind right now. He doesn't even know I've used my power! Let alone lead a team here to save you!"

"Why do you think I answered your questions? Huh, kid! Because I love watching hope slowly kindle inside people like you, only for you to plunge straight into despair! Hahahaha~!!!"

"You're fucking disgusting..."

The corner of Chen Xiao's mouth twitched.

"How much longer was it... Fifteen minutes! Heeheehee~ I'm going to savor you for every one of those fifteen minutes~! Cry all you like! Shout! Scream! No one's coming to save you!"

Still wearing that disgusting smile, the hooded man slowly approached Chen Xiao.

"You..."

As his enemy drew closer, Chen Xiao looked panicked on the surface, but inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as it isn't Tsukuyomi.

I can still stall for fifteen minutes.

"Let's start serving the 'main course'!"

The instant the hooded man came within two paces, Chen Xiao, who had seemed frozen in terror, suddenly moved!

Still as a pine, swift as a fleeing hare!

Whoosh-!

A faint rush of air came and went in an instant.

Chen Xiao drove a vicious punch straight into the chin of the hooded man, who was still grinning with his tongue out!

"Yeeoow-!!!!"

The previously arrogant hooded man's eyes flew wide open, and he let out a scream like Tom the cat.

"Hah! Bite your tongue off and die!"

Chen Xiao sneered.

Don't ask why he was so good at close combat.

What urban novel protagonist wasn't a martial arts expert?

Before learning that this world had supernatural elements, Chen Xiao had strictly held himself to the standards of an urban novel protagonist. Naturally, he knew a thing or two about fighting.

But the smile soon vanished from Chen Xiao's face.

The hooded man had not bitten through his tongue from that blow. He was not even bleeding.

What's going on...

Could his body in the dream not be real?

"You... You... Piece of thit..."

The pain of biting his tongue was so intense that the hooded man could barely stay on his feet.

Chen Xiao hesitated for only a moment before making his decision.

Kick him while he's down!

"Get out of this world!"

Chen Xiao roared and charged forward, unleashing a fighting combo that left the hooded man reeling.

Then he finished with a throw!

"Off you go!"

Grabbing the hooded man's body, Chen Xiao spun twice on the spot, then hurled him into the duck pen some distance away, sending him face-first into the dung.

And he really did get a mouthful of dung!

"Ha! Go on, keep talking shit! Say one more word, I dare you! How does that duck shit taste?!"

Crack, crack, crack, crack...

The hooded man slowly climbed to his feet in the duck pen, clenching his fists. Extreme humiliation and fury threatened to set his brain ablaze. He did not even immediately spit out the "yellow and white stuff" in his mouth.

"Aaaaaaah!!!!!"

I've spent my whole life hunting geese, and today one pecked me!

"Heh..."

Looking at the utterly bedraggled hooded man, Chen Xiao smiled as his plan fell into place.

Now it's my turn to provoke you!

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I'm going to kill you!!!!"

The hooded man's face nearly crumpled in on itself with rage, and he charged at Chen Xiao like a berserk beast.

"Hiss... Whew..."

Chen Xiao took a deep breath, then swiftly caught the incoming fist. Gripping the man's arm, he turned and used the momentum to slam the hooded man's head into the dirt.

Finally, he planted his knee on the man's back, pinning him down!

All in one smooth motion!

"Now you can't move!"

Chen Xiao let out a small sigh of relief.

Although that sequence had looked impressive, he was actually drenched in sweat.

He really had outdone himself under extreme pressure.

"You... Will... Die...!"

But clearly, Chen Xiao had celebrated too soon.

He was starting to lose his hold on the hooded man.

Fuck! This boss actually has a second phase!