Chapter 39

Chapter 39

A conversation known only to a select few within the Dawn Bureau began.

Upon discovering that Entity 1666 could communicate, the Dawn Bureau sought to establish a connection and negotiate. After all, Anomalies were previously uncommunicative, forcing the Bureau into direct confrontation. But now, with communication possible, peaceful coexistence might be achievable—as long as Anomalies didn't consume humans, there was room for discussion.

This was, of course, the ideal scenario. Even if it failed, it was worth a try. Missing this opportunity might mean waiting indefinitely for another suitable Anomaly to negotiate with.

Right from the start, the information revealed by Entity 1666 left the Dawn Bureau leadership in stunned silence.

Previously, they had only known that Anomalies ate humans and that doing so made them stronger. But they hadn’t realized that if Anomalies didn’t eat humans, they would slowly starve to death. Their consumption of humans wasn’t merely an act of malice—it was a matter of survival.

They could tell that Entity 1666 spoke the truth, and it was precisely this honesty that weighed heavily on their hearts.

“Mr. Entity 1666, do… do you also eat humans?” An assistant, glancing at the leader’s expression, tentatively asked.

Entity 1666 could sense that everyone’s heartbeat quickened momentarily upon hearing this question. Clearly, it was of great importance.

Entity 1666 could lie, but he disdained doing so. Of course, it was also out of gratitude for the bundle of fodder grass the Dawn Bureau had gifted him that he chose not to deceive.

“I don’t eat humans… *at present*,” Entity 1666 replied. The phrase “at present” made everyone’s expressions darken briefly. After all, the Weird Trash Can collective was among the most numerous Anomalies humans had encountered.

Though it was uncertain whether every Weird Trash Can was as strong as Entity 1666, their sheer numbers made them a significant problem.

The Dawn Bureau staff dared not imagine the terrifying scenario if these Weird Trash Cans, unrestrained by the Salvation Game, were to appear on Blue Star.

“Why… why don’t you eat humans *at present*?” Despite their aversion to the topic, the assistant pressed on, as the reason was far too crucial for them.

“I can survive by consuming trash. As long as there’s enough trash, I won’t starve,” Entity 1666 said calmly, even with a hint of pride.

Though feeding on waste may appear degrading, not all Anomalies possessed this ability. Others wanted to but couldn’t, as trash contained very little Weird Qi and was riddled with impurities. If not for the Weird Trash Can collective’s innate resistance, they would have long been poisoned and dissipated by the impurities.

In fact, among the lower-tier Anomalies in the Anomalous World, the Weird Trash Cans were the ones who could endure the longest.

Of course, by the time even they could no longer hold on, Blue Star would be in grave danger—far from the tenuous peace it currently enjoyed.

Yes, despite having only visited Blue Star a few times, and despite humans decrying the upheaval caused by Anomalies, Entity 1666 still considered the human world relatively peaceful. At least, when something happened, there were people who would step in to manage it—unlike the Anomalous World.

Everyone present understood the implication of Entity 1666’s words. Considering the sheer number of Weird Trash Cans, they even felt a flicker of relief that they possessed this ability—otherwise, the situation would be far worse.

Yet, the thought that Anomalies had to eat humans to survive—even if they weren’t doing so now, they would eventually—hung heavily on everyone’s hearts.

From the Anomalies’ perspective, eating humans to survive might seem justifiable. But as humans, they naturally refused to accept becoming mere food. Conflict between the two sides was inevitable.

No, this wasn’t just conflict—it was war between two worlds.

A sobering realization settled over everyone present: there were only two possible outcomes. Either humanity would lose and be treated as cattle by the Anomalies, or humans would drive the Anomalies back to their world, reducing their numbers to the point where they no longer needed to eat humans to survive.

There was no third option.

Since this was war, they needed as much information as possible. The conversation continued.

The Dawn Bureau learned that the Anomalies currently arriving on Blue Star were among the weakest. Precisely because they were weak, they could slip through the cracks between the two worlds. The more powerful ones couldn’t cross over—for now.

This revelation left everyone with conflicted feelings. Though they had suspected as much, having it confirmed was different. No one knew when the cracks might widen further.

The Dawn Bureau had already exhausted all its resources just to maintain the current, relatively safe situation. The thought of more powerful Anomalies arriving was enough to make everyone’s already heavy hearts sink further.

After a while longer, Entity 1666 received a new delivery request and had to leave.

Since they had learned enough, the Dawn Bureau didn’t try to keep him. They did, however, gift him two more packs of dried fish—a small but precious offering, squeezed from the Bureau’s limited stock.

After all, the entire nation was now competing for just a hundred packs of dried fish. If the Dawn Bureau managed to secure even one pack in a day, it was considered a minor miracle.

“You don’t need to worry too much. Humans can also become Anomalies. The situation isn’t hopeless,” Entity 1666 added, recalling something he had once heard. Out of gratitude for the dried fish, he decided to share this with the Dawn Bureau.

In his view, humans were likely afraid of death. Knowing this might ease their fears.

The moment this information was revealed, everyone’s expressions shifted again. This revelation was equally consequential as the previous two. But before they could ask further, Entity 1666 had already vanished.

“Director, this…” One person spoke up, openly intrigued.

Before, they had assumed Anomalies were impossible to reason with. But after conversing with Entity 1666, they realized these beings had their own thoughts. If becoming an Anomaly meant retaining one’s consciousness, the difference from being alive might not be so great—perhaps even an improvement. The only issue was sustenance.

“Even if what he said is true, can everyone become an Anomaly? Or only a select few?” Zhao Zhangyan coldly eyed the others.

If only a few could transform, would they truly uphold their human morals, or would they succumb to corruption?

Zhao Zhangyan wasn’t sure if the others had noticed, but Entity 1666’s cognitive patterns were eerily similar to a human’s. Whether he had once been human or not, he no longer identified as one. Though he hadn’t yet eaten humans, he showed no real aversion to the idea—a chilling realization.

“The situation is clear now. There are no shortcuts. To defeat the Anomalies, we must fight head-on,” Zhao Zhangyan pronounced gravely.

The others fell silent. They understood this logic, but the sheer volume of revelations in just one hour had overwhelmed them, igniting reckless notions.

Yet, upon reflection, they knew such ideas were unreliable. Even if everyone could become Anomalies, the Anomalies themselves were starving. Some in the Anomalous World resorted to cannibalizing their own kind, while the weaker ones came to Blue Star to prey on humans.

If they transformed and had no humans to eat, they would have to turn on other Anomalies.

The end result might be worse than resistance. At least as humans, they could reproduce. But Anomalies seemed to have even greater difficulty expanding their numbers—perhaps hastening their extinction.

Besides, they still had the Salvation Game. The situation might not be as hopeless as it seemed.

After dismissing the others, an assistant followed Zhao Zhangyan and couldn’t help but ask, “Director, is there really no solution to the conflict between humans and Anomalies?”

Zhao Zhangyan paused. He understood the assistant’s confusion. Though humanity had the courage and determination to face the Anomalies, the odds of victory were slim based on what they now knew.

“I don’t know. All we can do is our best,” Zhao Zhangyan said. If there was a third path for humans and Anomalies, it lay in finding a way for Anomalies to survive without eating humans. This would likely become the focus of future research.

This conversation remained known to only a handful. After the upper echelons of Xia State were informed, the details were tightly restricted, not shared with others.

The weight of this discussion was too much to bear—even they struggled under its pressure. Revealing it to the public would only destabilize the already fragile peace.

…

Ying Yuanxing’s livestream had recently become unusually lively, largely due to the Dawn Bureau’s announcement regarding dried fish.

When the JoyBuy app first launched, some overseas observers were displeased that the first digital shopfront had been registered by a player from Xia State. Seeing Ying Yuanxing selling fodder grass and dried fish, they mocked him for wasting the Salvation Game’s courier allocations on niche products.

But their complaints didn’t last long. Once the Dawn Bureau’s announcement went public, those same critics were quick to place orders.

After all, Weird Food was rare. Many had to save for months just to afford one product from their own country’s players—and even then, the efficacy was unproven, as their nations hadn’t conducted tests. Who knew if the listed Anomalous Items were even useful?

This wasn’t unfounded doubt. There had already been instances where players, presumably having forsaken Blue Star entirely, dumped inventory of suspect anomalous goods and Weird Food at cut-rate prices. Numerous buyers bit, only to rue their purchases later.

Although some people wondered how this seemingly unremarkable contestant managed to acquire so many Anomalous Items, the prices were simply too low, and the excuses provided seemed plausible enough that many still chose to make purchases.

Then, trouble arose. The contestant's Anomalous Items turned out to be fake. Normally, this wouldn’t have been discovered so quickly—after all, such rare items would naturally be treasured and stored carefully.

But as luck would have it, one buyer encountered an Anomaly shortly after their purchase. Initially planning to flee, the buyer noticed the Anomaly was extremely weak and, recalling they had an offensive Anomalous Item, decided to live stream their "triumph" over the creature.

The result was inevitable. Instead of broadcasting a victorious battle, they ended up live streaming their own death.

Thanks to this live stream, the fraud was uncovered much sooner than it otherwise would have been.

Others rushed to request refunds, only to find that the contestant had already disabled the refund option. Moreover, the product descriptions had been deliberately vague about the items' effects—clearly, this was a premeditated fraud.

This incident put everyone on high alert, scrambling to verify the authenticity of their purchased Anomalous Items and Weird Food. Those with reusable items could at least test them over time, but single-use items posed a dilemma: using them would confirm their effectiveness but also consume them, while not testing them risked encountering the same fate as the unfortunate victim. Within days, specialized Anomalous Item verification shops began springing up.

Though no issues were found with items sold by other contestants, sales slowed across the market. Unaware of the real reason, other contestants assumed their products lacked appeal or that buyers had run out of Weird coins—completely oblivious to the collateral damage from the scam.

Ying Yuanxing, however, had the backing of Xia State. The Dawn Bureau’s announcement about the dried fish certified its authenticity, confirming that no counterfeit goods were mixed in.

Moreover, Ying Yuanxing’s dried fish was priced so low that many planned to buy and resell it at a higher price.

But Ying Yuanxing had restricted sales to domestic buyers only, leaving foreign buyers unable to compete. This infuriated those hoping to exploit the opportunity, leading them to rant on Xia State’s social platforms—including Ying Yuanxing’s live stream.

Yet, following the Dawn Bureau’s announcement, Ying Yuanxing’s audience numbers exploded. Those who criticized him elsewhere were met with fierce backlash, and in his live stream, they were quickly mocked, becoming punching bags for the crowd.

……

‘Spend 100,000 to unlock this land?’

Without a second thought, Ying Yuanxing selected Yes. The space before him flickered, and as he tentatively reached out, the previously impassable air barrier vanished. The mist ahead gradually dissipated, revealing expansive tracts of land.

This was the most expensive plot Ying Yuanxing had unlocked yet—but also the largest. Once developed, his farm would be fully unlocked, a reward for his tireless work over the past few days.

To gather the 100,000 quickly, Ying Yuanxing had harvested extra hay and listed it online. How quickly it sold shocked him—every batch sold out instantly, like the market couldn't get enough.

Briefly, he even considered raising prices. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. While a price hike might bring short-term gains, it would harm his shop’s reputation in the long run—and Ying Yuanxing wasn’t planning to cash in and vanish.

*"Woo-hoo! The streamer finally unlocked another plot! More hay and dried fish incoming—so excited!"*

*"Hay production can increase, but fish might be harder. More fields equals more upkeep, leaving less for fishing."*

*"True. Why not hire help? Oh… wait, there aren’t any suitable candidates."*

*"The only help in the Weird World would be Anomalies. Even if it’s slower, I’d rather not have too many Anomalies around—too risky."*

*"The farm’s just too big. Just watching him work so hard wears me out."*

*"Hasn't any other contestant reached Taoxi Village yet? If someone could help, that’d be great."*

*"Sometimes, humans are more dangerous than Anomalies."*

*"What do you mean?"*

*"The farm may seem humble, just selling hay, but we all know its real value. If someone reaches Taoxi Village, wouldn’t they try to take it over?"*

*"Surely no one would go that far?"*

*"Hmm… remember how some contestants backstabbed each other for Anomalous Items? Even if they’d face backlash back on Earth, in the Weird World, when something valuable’s at stake, they'll throw morals out the window."*

*"The streamer just knows farming, has some strength and luck. I hope he never meets another contestant—it’d be too dangerous."*

*"Let’s drop this topic before it gives anyone ideas."*

The chat briefly erupted with worry for Ying Yuanxing, and the discussion did plant dangerous ideas—though reaching Taoxi Village wasn’t easy, stopping them from acting immediately.

Ying Yuanxing surveyed the newly unlocked land, cluttered with brush, fallen logs, and stones. Unlocking was just the first step—clearing it for use would require hard labor.

He called Xuan Ying over, handing him an axe. Xuan Ying would handle the wood, while Ying Yuanxing dealt with the stones. Working together, they aimed to clear the land by the end of the day.

After giving instructions, Ying Yuanxing focused on splitting stones. Only after a while did he hear the rhythmic sound of chopping behind him.

Once he’d cleared a sizable section, he turned to check Xuan Ying’s progress—only to find the latter's movements were strange, his pace slowing drastically.

"Xuan Ying?" Ying Yuanxing called out, puzzled. Xuan Ying stiffened, only partially turning his head as if afraid to look at him.

"What’s wrong?" Ying Yuanxing approached, and only when he was close did Xuan Ying fully face him.

Ying Yuanxing frowned as he studied Xuan Ying’s familiar features, yet something felt off.

"Did the cold wind give you facial paralysis?" After a long pause, Ying Yuanxing put his finger on it—Xuan Ying was smiling, but it looked strained and unnatural.

"No…" Xuan Ying hesitated. "Maybe not? I could see a doctor."

"Go ahead. Don’t work today—rest until you’re better." Ying Yuanxing waved him off, prepared to finish the remaining tasks himself. It was manageable—just meant he'd need to eat more to replenish stamina.

If necessary, he could always soak in the hot springs at the back mountain, though the round trip on foot would take too long.

This realization gave Ying Yuanxing pause. Glancing at the vast land, then across the farm, he estimated the distances and his walking speed, his expression growing serious.

It was time to buy transportation. Relying solely on his legs was becoming too time-consuming.

Food that boosts speed was an option, but finding ingredients like coffee beans—the simplest speed-enhancing item—had proven difficult. At present, a vehicle was the more practical solution.

Without delay, Ying Yuanxing sought out Yuan Qing, requesting she build a stable.

When Yuan Xiu returned, he found Yuan Qing wearing a miserable expression.

"Ying Yuanxing was here?" Yuan Xiu immediately recognized the familiar scent and arched an eyebrow. "What impossible task did he give you?"

"He wants me to build a stable," Yuan Qing said.

A stable?

Yuan Xiu almost dismissed it as simple—Yuan Qing was skilled at construction—but then recalled the kitchen she’d built for Ying Yuanxing. This stable was likely no ordinary one.

"What’s supposed to go inside?" Yuan Xiu asked, bracing himself. Yet even then, Ying Yuanxing managed to surprise him.

"A horse," Yuan Qing replied.

The moment the contract appeared, she was stunned. She’d thought the kitchen contract was absurd, but this was worse.

In the Weird World, most Anomalies possessed intelligence—even those with equine forms wouldn’t willingly act as steeds. Finding a horse for Ying Yuanxing seemed impossible.

"Did you sign?" Yuan Xiu asked.

Yuan Qing nodded.

"Show me the contract." Yuan Xiu reached out, and Yuan Qing handed him the contract. After carefully reading it, Yuan Xiu realized Yuan Qing hadn't been entirely truthful—Ying Yuanxing's request was for a tool to increase mobility.

However, after seeing the tractor described as being capable of planting, harvesting, chopping wood, and quarrying stones, Yuan Xiu suddenly felt that finding a horse seemed easier by comparison, because the former was clearly much harder.

But what Anomaly would be willing to become Ying Yuanxing's mount?

Yuan Xiu studied the contract and inexplicably thought of the Little Black Cat on the farm. If he hadn't known it was Xuan Ying's clone, he would have thought it was just an ordinary cat.

So, there really was an option.

Xuan Ying was feeling gloomy. He had just consulted a doctor, who told him his current form was deteriorating—a week tops before falling apart completely.

Of course, if he could tolerate looking rough, he could still hold on for a while. But how could he dare let this show around Ying Yuanxing?

Because he had discovered that Ying Yuanxing could actually be human. Even though they were of the same kind, the other was still human.

Xuan Ying felt neither way about humans, at most knowing that the energy contained in human flesh and blood couldn't compare to Anomalies'—eating a hundred humans wouldn't equal consuming a single Anomaly.

Plus, humans were fragile and often preyed upon by small Anomalies.

In the past, the Weird World had very few humans, rare sightings that were considered special. But in recent years, more humans started showing up.

Though some humans appeared with hints of Weird Qi, they were too fragile. Wounds that were minor injuries to Anomalies could be fatal to humans.

These were Xuan Ying's only thoughts of humans.

Yet, after realizing Ying Yuanxing might be human, Xuan Ying looked into what other Anomalies knew about humans and found that humans were actually terrified of Anomalies, reacting with disgust, the urge to flee, or the desire to kill them.

From Xuan Ying's observations, Ying Yuanxing acted like he was human—or perhaps mistakenly thought they were all human—and thus showed no fear. This was precisely why Xuan Ying couldn't risk revealing the truth.

He would sooner ditch this identity than let Ying Yuanxing discover the reality.

But after discarding this identity, how could he approach Ying Yuanxing again? Xuan Ying was still torn.

The disguises of the Anomalies he had previously consumed were still available, but first, they weren't much to look at, and second, if one disguise had already been damaged, there was no telling when another might fail. If it broke again, he’d have to start over.

Third, Xuan Ying worried Ying Yuanxing might remember the faces of those Anomalies. If dead individuals suddenly reappeared, it would be even more troublesome.

Lastly, Xuan Ying wanted to meet Ying Yuanxing with his own face. He had been practicing transformation every night and could now roughly assume a human form, though it still needed refinement and the ability to maintain it stably for 24 hours.

Originally, Xuan Ying had planned to hold on a little longer, using his current identity to introduce his true form to Ying Yuanxing, thereby avoiding suspicion. But now, it seemed he had to give up.

Frowning in thought, Xuan Ying noticed Yuan Xiu approaching, and his expression darkened. Even knowing Yuan Xiu meant no harm, he still got on his nerves.

"Your disguise is coming apart at the seams. Have you thought about how to approach Ying Yuanxing again?" Yuan Xiu's question made Xuan Ying instinctively pause.

"Do you want to be the one to introduce me?" Xuan Ying was skeptical, sensing Yuan Xiu wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of his heart.

Yuan Xiu gave a wry smile—Xuan Ying was being way too optimistic.

"Ying Yuanxing asked Yuan Qing to build a stable and needs a horse." As soon as Yuan Xiu spoke, Xuan Ying understood his implication: his next identity would be Ying Yuanxing’s horse.

But then, when his true form emerged, he still wouldn’t be able to approach Ying Yuanxing properly.

Yuan Xiu had already experienced the difference between approaching Ying Yuanxing as a human and as an animal. While pets were pampered, Ying Yuanxing wouldn’t communicate much with them—human form was still the best.

Yuan Xiu had expected Xuan Ying to agree immediately, but instead, he hesitated before voicing his concern.

"I can help by saying this horse has an owner who can’t care for it, so it’s being stabled at the farm. That way, once you can take human form, you can 'return' to claim it." Yuan Xiu quickly proposed a solution.

"If not this, what else can you do?" Yuan Xiu countered when Xuan Ying remained hesitant.

Xuan Ying fell silent. Aside from Yuan Xiu’s plan, there really weren’t many alternatives. Once he became a horse, many things would be hard to explain, leaving him no choice but to rely on Yuan Xiu’s help.

So, when Ying Yuanxing saw Xuan Ying and Yuan Xiu approaching, with the latter leading a black horse, he was puzzled.

"What’s this?" Though he had some guesses, Ying Yuanxing found it all too sudden.

"A friend asked me to board this horse, but there’s not enough space in the mountains. Since you’re building a stable and need a horse, could you take care of it and let it move around?" Yuan Xiu patted the horse’s side and asked.

So, it wasn’t a gift for him.

Ying Yuanxing was briefly disappointed but understood—throwing in a free horse with the stable seemed too good to be true. At least having the chance to use the horse wasn’t bad.

Ying Yuanxing stepped forward, gingerly reaching out to stroke the horse’s forehead, finding it remarkably gentle.

He felt the urge to ride it. But since this was reality, he first took out some hay and fed it to the horse, confirming its gentleness. Before he knew it, he was already mounting it.

After riding around the farm, Ying Yuanxing kicked himself for not bringing up the stable earlier—it would have saved so much time.

Yuan Xiu glanced at the black horse, then at Xuan Ying. "How do you plan to exit the scene?"

Xuan Ying reacted sluggishly before answering, "I’ll create another clone, claim it’s a relative, and have 'them' take me away."

His clone technique had improved compared to before, but this disguise was too damaged. Most of his energy went into maintaining it, slowing his reactions.

Seeing Xuan Ying had everything planned, Yuan Xiu didn’t press further. After all, something this simple couldn’t possibly go wrong.