"Chapter 39: The Eternal Heart"

"Jiang Hong was in the midst of a fierce battle when he received the message."

"He wasn't a powerful combatant, but at this moment, he was grateful that his abilities leaned more towards dispersal."

"Even as more and more rioters crowded around his house, brandishing steel rods, wooden planks, and bricks, becoming increasingly vicious, his eye-irritating ginger dispersal power managed to barely keep the rioters at the edge of his house."

"He prevented them from using their building materials to damage the house."

"But sweat beaded on his forehead, and his expression was pained. His energy was depleting rapidly; holding these people off for an entire night seemed impossible, let alone an hour."

"Was he really going to be left here?"

"At that moment, his phone in his pocket began to vibrate and ring."

？！

"Phones had nearly lost their original function of communication in the land of exile, as there was no signal or network available. With the existence of guides, almost godlike beings that could connect all exiles with their avatars, the necessity for phones had significantly decreased."

"But nobody threw away their phones."

"After all, phones still had additional functions like taking photos, recording, and timing, and some exiles with special abilities could use them to communicate with companions over short distances."

"Moreover, in each of their phones, there lay memories of a beautiful past that all exiles couldn't forget."

"The exiles stubbornly kept their phones, hoping perhaps one day, upon powering them on, they could reconnect with the world."

"That was a wish held deep in everyone's heart."

"At this moment, the vibration and familiar notification sound from his phone in his pocket took Jiang Hong a moment to register."

"He incredulously pulled out his phone quickly and saw a new message pop up, something he hadn't seen in a long while."

"'People do not destroy their own home. Open your doors warmly, turn foes into friends.' — Bystander A."

"Jiang Hong was bewildered."

"He thought the message was almost a joke."

"Letting these vicious rioters into the house without stopping them, how was that different from seeking death?"

"And with so many people crowding outside his house, even if he opened the door, they wouldn’t all fit! Wouldn’t that just lead to a fight?"

"Had it been any other time, he would have dismissed this message as spam."

"But in this moment, any message that could reach his phone here, even if it were just a single word of annoyance, he felt compelled to seriously consider backing up a bit."

"With his energy nearly depleted, Jiang Hong struggled for a while but finally gritted his teeth, trying to make his expression as friendly and welcoming as possible, and rushed to the door, flinging it open."

"'Don’t rush, everyone! We’re all brothers and friends here! My home is your home! Just want to escape the rain, right? Come on in! I’m opening my doors wide to welcome you!'"

"While he spoke with a smile on his face, he cursed a thousand times in his heart."

"Fortunately, Jiang Hong was surprised to find that when he opened the door, the faces of the vicious rioters outside all paused in unison."

"Although still armed with various planks and rebar, at least there were no actions to flatten his house this time."

"'Trust you? Hell no.'"

"'You're really going to give up the house? Isn't there a trap waiting for us inside?'"

"'Do you really have such good intentions? Weren’t you just fiercely stopping us a moment ago?'"

"Jiang Hong took a deep breath: 'I was just thinking. After all, my house is too small, not big enough for everyone to take shelter from the rain.'"

"'But anyway, I should show my sincerity by opening the door first, right?'"

"The thugs outside then showed a satisfied and sneering expression: 'You just can’t defend it on your own, can you!'"

"Jiang Hong forced a smile. 'It’s sincerity! Sincerity!'"

"'Brothers, come in! The door’s open haha!'"

"As the first, second, and third thugs pushed their way into his house, Jiang Hong felt an inexplicable bitterness at his home being occupied, and at that moment, his phone vibrated again with a notification."

"[Stay calm in front, offer benefits, lavish praises, and it’s okay to incite some opposition between the front and back. Let those in the front deal with those at the back.]"

"Jiang Hong’s heart rate increased slightly as he put away his phone. Gritting his teeth, he took out a bag of ginger cookies from his storage ring, one of his level two specialty items."

"'You look very formidable, big brother. I have nothing in my house but these ginger cookies I’ve cherished for many years. Please accept them as a token of my respect.'"

"The thug leader eyed him for a while before grunting in satisfaction and taking the cookies: 'Alright, you know your place. Move aside.'"

"Jiang Hong, watching more thugs cram into his tiny house, cautiously added, 'But my house is too small, what about the other big brothers and their brothers outside?'"

"The lead thug laughed: 'Let them die for all I care!'"

"'My brothers got here first, so the house is ours now!'"

"'Don’t worry, we have the numbers, nobody can take it from me!'"

"Jiang Hong immediately put on a sycophantic smile: 'Big brother is so mighty!'"

"He then squeezed himself into a corner, letting the big brother and his gang take over his small house, until those unable to enter started rioting again outside."

"But this time, those who initially wanted to destroy became the protectors, diverting the conflict away from him."

"Eighteen other refugees reacted just like Jiang Hong."

"They all were forced to open their doors due to being unable to defend themselves."

But since they "actively" opened the door, not being "broken into," the invaders did not lay a hand on them.

They merely occupied the houses, then began to fight outward.

Thus, the original homeowners huddled together in a corner, watching wave after wave of invaders fight for their houses.

Dream Homeowners Group.

Jiang Hong: [How is everyone doing? My place's boss has changed three times already. I've offered up three bags of gingerbread cookies I couldn't bear to eat. Pain.jpg]

Chu Tiankuo: [Heh. What pain do you speak of? I've become a tea-serving waiter. The tenants have changed four times already. This batch is about to give in too. But every change makes me secretly happy!]

Glasses House Xuan: [I'm just a humble brother who learned some massage skills. Every boss that enters directly asks for me by name for a massage, and my eagerness to please and chatter has left all the bosses very satisfied!

It seems both the house and the person were preserved, but the massage sessions keep getting longer each time, as if I've become a part of their comparison…

Dozens of people spoke in succession, all using various abilities to preserve their houses and themselves. And they were somewhat bewildered that the situation was resolved in such a manner.

It took a while before Chen Qiang spoke up.

Chen Qiang: [Damn it! You all actively opened the doors and didn't draw any hostility! I was just a bit late in not opening the door actively, and now I'm being used as the primary scapegoat in the fights!

I'm practically becoming a servant to all comers! Every time a new group gets defeated, I have to greet them saying, 'I am the homeowner, welcome new boss!' Not sure if I can last through tonight!]

The group fell silent collectively and offered their sympathies.

But Chen Qiang being able to speak means he's still alive and hanging in there.

"Fighting through till dawn can also complete the task."

"Being alive is what counts."

"Then, a message appeared in the group."

"[Um, Brother Xiao Jia hasn't said anything up to now. Nothing's wrong, right? And what about the hood-wearing brother and Bystander B?]"

"This message brought silence to the group once more."

"Chu Tiankuo: [The person who could create a group for us in the devouring world, how could anything be wrong with him?]"

"Then everyone saw the new message that popped up."

"Bystander A: ['^_^ I'm fine. Harmonious family, friendly brothers and sisters. One big loving family~ Photo.jpg']"

"The phone could actually send photos!"

"Everyone, a bit surprised and confused, opened the photo to see a big family photo inside the wooden house, sitting in rows, eating fruit, each holding a cup of hot tea and smiling at the camera!"

"The people in the photo couldn't be called 'rioters' at all; each one of them had a warm and comfortable smile on their face, as if they were truly at home."

"Comparing the people in the photo to those fighting to the death outside their houses now felt like looking at two different worlds."

"The chat was flooded with a string of [666]."

"Then Feng Tianhuo chimed in."

"Head Hood Fire: [That photo must be photoshopped! Those thugs couldn't possibly be that harmonious!]"

"He too had willingly let people in, also triggering a route of thugs killing each other. But clearly, Chen Jia's route was different from theirs."

"Passerby A: [That's because you weren’t warm and sincere enough to make them feel loved. ]"

"Head Hood Fire: [Heh. ]"

"Head Hood Fire: [I'll take your word for it!! ]"

"Seeing the message and not replying, Chen Jia put away his phone and then brought out a pot of ginger tea: [Dear brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, did you rest well? Let’s let the next batch of our loved ones in for a break! After all, we are one big loving family, here to protect our home together!]"

"The relaxed and gentle-looking thugs nodded continuously at the young man who seemed like their brother, son, nephew, grandson: [You’re right, Xiao Jia. We are one family, it’s only right to let the other family members in for a rest!]"

"[Just remember to wear raincoats and use umbrellas, everyone. They are specially prepared by Xiao Jia for the family. ]"

"The thugs inside were so happy that they cheerfully went out in the rain with their raincoats and umbrellas, while calling for the fierce-looking and impatient thugs waiting outside to come in."

"Chen Jia stood at the door welcoming them, with genuine sincerity: [Family, sorry to keep you waiting! Come on in! We’re all family here! ]"

"As he said this, the fierceness of the thugs waiting outside softened instantly."

"And those who had gone outside wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas, already making three rounds around the villa, had warm smiles on their faces, all extending their hands: [Once you’re in, you’re family! Can’t you give your family a smile? ]"

"The thugs at the back couldn’t dare to look fierce anymore, faced with so many open palms, they broke into their biggest smiles."

Then, they stepped into the warm cabin on a rainy night, drank steaming sweet ginger tea, and ate small but delicious bread.

As the food and tea were consumed, the smiles on the faces of these ruffians became genuine.

"We are a family that loves each other!" Jin Chen spoke again.

The ruffians responded loudly: "That's right! Swear to protect our family and home!"

So, on the fifth day, the last day of the survival mission, eighteen of the nineteen houses that were not breached by the ruffians were surrounded by their corpses.

Yet, there was one cabin where everyone was standing, having survived the rainy night and darkness to greet the daylight with smiles on their faces.

On the first moment of the fifth day, Jiang Hong and the others received a world prompt.

[Congratulations on completing the survival task. However, your house is damaged and cannot host the owner of Dream Haven.]

This meant they had completed the survival task but could not initiate the world mission.

But Jin Chen received a different world prompt.

[Congratulations on completing the survival task. Your house is very sturdy with no damage whatsoever, and you can invite the owner of Dream Haven to stay in your house. Would you like to invite them?]

Jin Chen revealed a broad smile: "Of course."

"I look forward to welcoming each new member of our family!"

【……】

After a moment of inexplicable silence, Chen Shijin suddenly heard a series of knocks—thud, thud, thud—from outside the door.

The intervals between the sounds were long, carrying a subtle sense of oppression.

Upon opening the door, Chen Shijin saw a creature with a spiky shell on its back, a single eye peeking out from the opening of the shell, and two legs protruding from beneath... a monster.

It wriggled its legs and walked into the house.

Its first words upon entering were: "This place isn't sturdy enough."

The voice was hoarse, faint, filled with discernible dissatisfaction and disdain.

"Not sturdy enough. It definitely won't last through the night!"

Chen Shijin turned to look at it.

This was the core monster of the Dreamland.

He touched the corner of his eye and saw the five main attributes of this core monster—

[Mind: 70

Strength: 81

Speed: 60

Agility: 65

Defense: 555

The sudden appearance of an extraordinarily high three-digit number among four two-digit figures made Chen Shijin momentarily doubt his own eyesight.

Defense 555?! Can this figure be serious? This is a dominion-level defense rating. With his current attack power, he might not even be able to break a single spine of this creature, right?

Even if he and Feng Tianhuo teamed up to attack, they couldn't take it down.

The most likely outcome was that the Dreamland couldn't devour them, but they also couldn't kill this devouring monster.

What they sought were the special core and gifts.

The shell-clad master of the Dreamland noticed Chen Shijin's scrutiny and his somewhat solemn expression. It slightly emerged from its shell, revealing a mouth full of fine teeth: "Hehe. Hehe!"

"The shell I'm carrying now is the sturdiest mobile home I've found! You can't possibly destroy it!"

"Give it up, unless I open my heart to you. Otherwise, you can forget about achieving your goal!"

Chen Shijin recalled the phrase from the world task: [If the house is still there after one night, the owner of the Dreamland will open their heart to you.]

Assuming "opening one's heart" means what he imagines, that would be the best opportunity to kill this core monster.

So, after surviving the night of madness on the fourth night, his little house had to endure another night of unknowns on the fifth.

One could imagine that this night would bring extremely powerful monsters or disasters to destroy his house.

However, the family members, who were sunbathing outside Chen Shijin's house without leaving, slightly curved their lips.

They smiled at the proud core monster: "You're wrong."

"What I now possess is the most solid, indestructible house."

The core shelled creature scoffed, "Hahaha, based on this tiny cabin of yours?"

Chen Shijin nodded, "Yes, based on this very cabin."

Instantly, the creature stopped laughing, slowly extending its head towards Chen Shijin. The bizarre skull was hair-raising to behold. Suddenly, it contracted and then expanded violently.

"Then prove it to me—"

As each word from the creature was spoken, the bright sky dimmed a fraction more.

By the time it finished its sentence, the night of the fifth day had abruptly descended!

At the onset of night, a roaring wind emerged once again, this time ignoring the other eighteen cabins and focusing its furious assault on Chen Shijin’s cabin alone. In less than ten minutes, the once beautiful and sturdy cabin had its roof blown off, doors and windows smashed, and even one of its walls blown down.

The creature's voice was filled with a sharp laughter and mockery: "Hahaha! Is this what you call the most solid, indestructible house?!"

"You boastful, foolish—"

Its curses were cut short by the smiling young man who waved his hand and shouted towards the outside, "Family!"

The marauders outside responded in unison, "Aye! We're here!"

"Repair our home!!"

Thousands of marauders outside roared, "Repair our home!!"

Consequently, the eighteen exiles standing outside, including Jiang Hong and Chu Tiankuo, watched as the marauders surrounding the house of a certain individual from the night before transformed into construction fiends. Each wielding a brick and mortar, they restored the roofless, window-broken, and wall-damaged cabin in just five minutes!

Their speed was akin to a quick repair feature.

The exiles were stunned.

Feng Tianhuo cursed in disbelief, "The hell? You can do that?"

The lone bystander to the right couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the house instantly repaired by the construction fiends.

Indeed, following his delightful darling always led to amusement.

Among those astonished and incredulous was the creature inside the house.

It watched as the rapidly repaired house caused its mouth to twitch uncontrollably, its shell even entering a vibrating state, as it bellowed:

"This doesn't count!"

No sooner had it roared this out than a buffalo, larger than three Bull Demons combined, descended from the sky with the earth trembling beneath it. With a bellow, it charged directly into the freshly repaired cabin.

Before leaving, it stomped furiously on the ruins of the cabin, expressing its anger and disdain.

Chen Shijin chuckled.

Slowly raising his hand, he called out: "Family—"

Thousands of marauders waved back in response: "Aye!"

"Rebuild our home!"

The construction fiends roared in unison: "Aow!"

Then, thousands set their sights on Feng Tianhuo's neighboring house, violently dismantling it in ten minutes, transporting materials in five, and reassembling everything within fifteen!

Guess what happened next?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the house reappeared!

All exiles: "......"

At this point, Feng Tianhuo could only slap his thigh in exasperation.

Afterward, Chen Shijin's cabin was successively cracked by earthquakes, shattered by meteorites, and destroyed over and over again. But as long as Chen Shijin raised his arm and called out: Family!

Those marauders who had sought to destroy it last night, yet strove to protect it tonight, would join him time and again to rebuild the cabin. Eventually, even the exiles were moved and joined the rebuilding effort, chanting "We are one loving family!"

Throughout the night, as many times as the cabin was destroyed, it was rebuilt just as many.

When the sunlight of the sixth day bathed the earth, the cabin stood firm as if it had never been destroyed.

The young man, standing next to this cabin, looked at the shell creature and said, "See, I told you, it's the sturdiest Dreamland."

The marauders, tired from a night's efforts, raised their hands and cheered: "Dreamland!"

At this point, the shell creature could no longer contain itself and emitted a sharp, piercing roar!

It angrily bellowed: "How can this count! It was destroyed countless times! It is not indestructible! You're lying! This is the most false, the poorest lie—"

"In this world, nothing lasts forever."

The young man, facing the suddenly swelling giant monster, said these words with a calm demeanor.

"Water wears away stone, seas dry up and rocks crumble, high mountains turn into oceans, and metal breaks."

"Even the stars and the moon in the sky, the abyssal stars in the universe, will perish due to time, explosions, and various accidents or inevitabilities."

"You will never find the sturdiest home that cannot be destroyed."

"Roar—" The monster's enormous maw opened atop its head, causing the exiles nearby to visibly pale.

Yet, the youth beneath the creature's gaping jaws showed no sign of fear, merely looking up to utter a sentence.

"But I can find you an eternal home."

The monster abruptly ceased its movements.

The youth then pointed to himself and then to the cabin, saying, "Where there are people, there is a home."

At that moment, the giant crimson eye in the sky finally opened, casting the first image of the giant monster about to devour the frail human, a terrifying sight.

This caused all the exiles outside the omniscient eye to hold their breath in unison.

Then, they heard those calm yet resolute words.

"Where there are people, there is a home."

"No matter how many times a home is destroyed or occupied, as long as people are alive, we can rebuild the dreamland in our hearts."

"For my heart is eternal, and my will, indestructible."

"This is the truest form of resilience and invincibility."

Chen Shijin, facing the giant monster always in search of the sturdiest home, declared, "So I aim to build the strongest fortress, one that you'll eventually join in constructing, or be killed by me."

"You choose."

The enormous creature stood frozen, writhing and pondering intensely.

Equally shocked and deep in thought were all the exiles who heard and saw this scene.

My heart is eternal, my thoughts indomitable.

As long as I am here, so is my homeland!

Suddenly, the giant shell monster slowly unfolded its body from within the shell, and a gentle voice stuttered, "Can… can eat, not die?"

Jin Chen's mouth twitched: "You can eat, but from now on, you cannot consume humans. Release all the trapped human souls you've devoured.

If there's danger, you run first, we'll cover you. As long as I don't die, you won't die."

Then, a soft tentacle pressed against Jin Chen's hand.

[Deal.]

At that moment, the whole world trembled, and Jin Chen was astonished to find that the number of human exiles devoured in this world was far less than in the Gourmet City, only a few thousand, including over a thousand of his "family members."

Now, the souls of these few thousand were liberated amidst the tremors, releasing joyful cries of spirit.

Contrarily, the sky was filled with the wrathful crimson eyes.

[Traitor!]

Countless red beams shot out from the red sun, and as all the exiles watched nervously, suddenly a giant shell blocked everything.

[Pah!]

[You all want to eat me!]

Otherwise, why would I seek the sturdiest home?

[Congratulations to Chen Shijin for completing the Dreamland world task.]

Along with this world announcement heard by all exiles, there was also a statement from Chen Shijin.

"I've thought of a name for the city, let's call it 'Heart of Eternity'."

I hope it can become humanity's sturdiest dream home.

Thus, at this moment, the city of Heart of Eternity entered the hearts of all exiles who felt its significance.