The Caregiver's Story

"My illness is very serious."

"And this morbidity has been present since I was very young."

The Caregiver slowly said, "For a while, I almost couldn't hold on anymore. The world felt incredibly bizarre. My pet dog looked like a mouse to me, a normal-sized computer keyboard looked like a chip only a few millimeters in size, a passing car felt like a giant spaceship, and a small sewer well turned into an abyss with a diameter of 100 kilometers."

"I can no longer live a normal life."

"I couldn't operate the computer, I was constantly startled and dodged hovercars hundreds of meters away, and I had to walk an extra 110 kilometers to avoid a manhole..."

"In other people's eyes, I'm just a mentally unstable idiot."

At this point, the Caregiver pulled down the brim of his hat and said coldly, "Of course, they guessed right."

Qin Yiguan and the Underworld were both taken aback, then tentatively asked, "Caregiver, is this your damn sense of humor?"

"Uh... not this time."

The Caregiver continued, "During that time, I thought about suicide, about ending my disproportionate life."

"But then one day, when I was 12 years old, I met a child."

"That child is just like me. No matter where he goes, the first thing he does is hide desperately, squeezing his body into the narrowest space possible. Only then can he feel a little safe."

The Caregiver paused, then looked at Qin Yiguan and the other person. "I was like that when I was a child. I was always vaguely afraid of the outside world, and I had no sense of security. Just like that child, I always wanted to hide in the cracks."

"I always wish my body could shrink Infinity, becoming a grain of sand, or a bacterium, and hide in the deepest part under the bed."

"I think this is a major reason why I developed [Alice in Wonderland Syndrome]."

"Because deep down I wish all things were big, and I were small."

"But unexpectedly, my mind went haywire, and the proportions of the objects became distorted."

At that moment, Qin Yiguan keenly grasped a piece of information.

What were Caregiver afraid of as children?

Did he also suffer inhuman torture when he was young?

Could it be that there's Ring Research Institute in the Metaverse where the Caregiver lives?

The Caregiver habitually pulled down the brim of her hat. "But I can't remember anything about my childhood."

Qin Yiguan was slightly speechless.

The Caregiver continued, "I followed that child and discovered that he was an orphan. The orphanage he lived in was also where I grew up. So I stayed there, comforting and reassuring him every day. While doing all this, my own mind became calmer and calmer, and the impact of my illness on me diminished. I realized that helping others is helping myself."

"The number of children in the orphanage is increasing."

"They all have varying degrees of psychological problems."

"I feel I am the most suitable person to take care of them. I have a great responsibility and I am of great value."

"Later, I secretly vowed that I would stay there and Caregiver for the rest of my life."

As he said this, the Caregiver looked up, the shadow cast by his hat brim dissipated, and the light illuminated his face, revealing a calm, gentle, and hopeful smile.

Because today's Caregiver are no longer confused, but have a clear path forward.

But Qin Yi's eyes flickered as he looked at him, "Later, you discovered that [Alice in Wonderland Syndrome], within the Metaverse, evolved into an inconceivable spatial power."

The Caregiver nodded calmly, "Yes."

There was a moment of silence.

The Caregiver smiled again and said, "After all this is over, I want to go back to the orphanage and quietly work as a Caregiver until the end of my life."

The three continued their journey, continuing their exploration.

Qin Yiguan's emotions were in turmoil.

Everyone has their own world, their own story, and unfinished business. No one should be trapped here.

Looking around.

Qin Yiguan thought to himself, "I must escape from here, and I must lead everyone away from here."

Can.

How exactly can this be achieved?

I have no direction.

Rumble.

The ground suddenly shook.

Clearly, a massive object was approaching, but this time it was different from the previous ones. It didn't just pass by; instead, it seemed to hover around the three of them.

Qin Yiguan leaped onto a tall plant and looked into the distance.

But then they saw a huge, dark brown body emerge from the soil, then burrow back into the ground, circling around just as the three of them had sensed.

"That is..."

"That previous Ground Mouth."

Qin Yiguan narrowed his eyes. The body of this Ground Mouth, damaged by lightning, had shrunk considerably. It resembled a whale in the ocean, using the land as water, rising and falling, circling the ship, trying to attract the crew's attention.

Upon noticing Qin Yiguan's gaze approaching, Ground Mouth raised its body, roared towards the north, and then circled again.

Qin Yiguan slightly opened his eyes, "It wants to show us the way!"

At the same time, the voice of Starvation Corpse came, "Master, it has a good impression of you, and it wants to help you!"

Qin Yiguan's spirits lifted.

As the local tyrant, Ground Mouth must know many secrets.

Moreover, the Ground Mouth is quite intelligent and should be able to understand that Qin Yiguan and his companions' purpose is to escape from here.

"So, it's showing us the way out?"

Qin Yiguan's heart began to race. "Indeed, there's always a way out!"

then.

Led by Ground Mouth, the three of them moved forward quickly.

We passed through dense forests and climbed over hills.

Although the view ahead was still an endless primeval forest, the direction in which Ground Mouth moved forward never wavered.

finally.

The three arrived at a flat area where countless giant flowers grew, their colors vibrant and their fragrance permeating the air.

Even the smallest morning glory has a flower as big as a bathtub.

But the Ground Mouth stopped moving forward and instead circled around the outer edge of the huge garden.

The three looked around but found nothing unusual.

Qin Yiguan asked with slight doubt, "Is this the exit of the Subquark Space?"

But then, the King Kong Barbie "Starvation Corpse separated from Qin Yiguan's body, saying, "Master, I'll go and inquire at the Ground Mouth for you."

Having said that, the King Kong Barbie Starvation Corpse slowly rose into the air and flew towards the Ground Mouth.

"It smells so good."

But then the usually cold and aloof Caregiver suddenly sniffed and walked toward a red flower, and as he walked, he couldn't help but drool.

The Caregiver slightly raised his head, activated his spatial power, and the red flower drooped down towards him.

But deep within the flower's stamen, a pool of thick nectar was gathered.

The Caregiver dipped a finger in the nectar, put it in her mouth, closed her eyes to taste it, and then suddenly her eyes widened. "So sweet!"

That's all.

The Caregiver actually sat cross-legged on the huge flower petals, constantly dipping her fingers in nectar, then putting them in her mouth, and even licking her fingers.

The Underworld was stunned, "You..."

The Caregiver licked her fingers and chuckled, "I've loved sweets since I was a child. I feel incredibly safe as long as I have sweets in my mouth."

But then they saw the enormous flower swaying gently, carrying the Caregiver Caregiver as she savored the sweet nectar. The scene looked like a child who had entered a fairytale world.

"Nectar..."

"Caregiver..."

"I like to eat sweets..."

"Spatial power..."

Qin Yiguan frowned, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Child?"

It was at this time.

The King Kong Barbie Starvation Corpse from afar, saying, "Master Silver, the Ground Mouth said it doesn't know the way out because the Lord of Subquarks lives here, and the Lord of Subquarks might know the way to escape."

Qin Yiguan paused slightly, then looked around warily. "The Lord of Subquarks?"