Chapter 81

Chapter 81

The weirds bought what they wanted and left, leaving the general store empty for a while. But soon, the Mirror Weird teleported in a new batch of weirds.

This new group was different from the previous customers—clearly newcomers. Upon entering the store, they eyed the other weirds warily, sticking together in their own groups. But when they spotted the exchange machine, they all surged towards it.

The Mirror Weird, well-versed in such reactions, immediately intercepted them, directing them to carefully read the rules posted on the wall.

The weirds followed its pointing finger. The rules were simple: no damaging goods, no loud disturbances—essentially, maintaining order and ensuring customer safety within the general store.

Inside, weaker weirds were safe from stronger ones. While their safety was their own responsibility once the Mirror Weird sent them back outside, this assurance alone was enough to put many weirds at ease.

Every weird who came here understood how the exchange machine worked. They lined up, one by one, placing their items inside. Some even softly explained the process to the children they’d brought along.

The Weird World Consciousness, standing to the side, finally confirmed that Ying Yuanxing was indeed searching for world core fragments in this manner.

But compared to Zero’s approach of opening a store to search…

The Weird World Consciousness frowned, recalling the chaotic scene it had witnessed inside the Hongxing Supermarket along the way.

If not for the stark contrast with Ying Yuanxing’s general store, the Weird World Consciousness might have only found Hongxing Supermarket’s disorder slightly off. But since the entire Weird World was already in such a terrible state, Hongxing Supermarket’s flaws wouldn’t have seemed so glaring.

Yet, with Ying Yuanxing’s general store as a comparison—especially since, in the eyes of the Weird World Consciousness, both stores were established to collect world core fragments—the disparity was immense.

Group after group of customers came and went until the general store’s stock was almost depleted. Finally, no more weirds arrived.

The Weird World Consciousness returned to the farm. Night had long since fallen.

To its surprise, it found Ying Yuanxing still planting seaweed in the ocean. Based on the sheer volume he’d planted, the Weird World Consciousness suspected he hadn’t rested at all.

It wasn't that Ying Yuanxing didn't want to rest; he just kept thinking, "Just a little more." Besides, farming was a skill-based activity, so it wasn’t physically tiring. As long as he ate to replenish his stamina, he could keep going. Unconsciously, he’d planted far too much.

But now, he was almost finished. Ying Yuanxing had emptied his backpack of seaweed and could only wait until tomorrow to harvest a new batch before planting more.

As he pondered this, Ying Yuanxing emerged from the ocean, thinking about tomorrow’s plans, when he noticed the farm was covered in fog.

"Xuan Ying?" Ying Yuanxing instinctively assumed it was Xuan Ying’s doing and called out, but there was no response.

He became alert. Could it be 'Gao Shuo'? Among the weirds he’d encountered, 'Gao Shuo' was the only one who could block Xuan Ying.

"My child, I am your mother."

At the sound of the voice, Ying Yuanxing froze. Wasn’t this the same voice he’d mistaken for a hallucination before? Surely this couldn't be another hallucination.

An unknown weird had intruded on the farm!

Ying Yuanxing didn’t bother wondering how they’d gotten in or what deception they were trying to pull. He remained vigilant, looking around carefully.

He didn’t reach for a weapon. While weapons were more powerful than his bare hands, weirds generally had high health points and attack power. His most effective method of dealing with them was to grab them with both hands and shove them into his backpack.

After all, in all his time in the Weird World, only 'Gao Shuo' had ever been able to snatch a weird from his grasp. Other weirds basically couldn't escape.

Unless this new weird was on par with 'Gao Shuo,' Ying Yuanxing felt fairly confident.

Seeing his reaction, the Weird World Consciousness sighed. This child was too trusting. When it had interacted with Zero, the latter had instantly pulled out his weapon. Ying Yuanxing, however, was just cautiously observing his surroundings.

Without hesitation, the Weird World Consciousness revealed its identity. Ying Yuanxing’s eyes widened in shock.

The Weird World Consciousness assumed it was because Ying Yuanxing had never heard of its existence and didn’t think much of it.

Meanwhile, Ying Yuanxing had a single thought: This World Consciousness seems to have mistaken me for someone else!

It was a bit like 'Gao Shuo'—'Gao Shuo' had mistaken him for a colleague and treated him better. Now, this Weird World Consciousness seemed to be doing the same. Wait, did he really look that much like a weird?

No, that wasn’t the point. The point was that the other party was mistaken. Should he explain or go along with it?

Without thinking too much, Ying Yuanxing decided to keep up the act. Without knowing more about the other party, telling the truth could be risky.

Seeing that Ying Yuanxing believed its words, the Weird World Consciousness was delighted and couldn’t help but praise how well Ying Yuanxing’s general store was run.

Though it had checked and found that Ying Yuanxing hadn’t collected many world core fragments, Zero hadn’t gathered many either, even after all this time.

Hongxing Supermarket had been operating for so long and grown so large, yet it hadn’t collected much. From weird chatter, the Weird World Consciousness had learned that Ying Yuanxing’s store hadn’t even been open for a year. It was perfectly normal that he hadn’t found any world core fragments yet.

Moreover, Ying Yuanxing’s general store had brought hope and smiles to the weirds’ faces. That alone was the best reward.

The more Ying Yuanxing listened, the more confused he became. Still, he tried his best to analyze the situation. To extract more clues from the Weird World Consciousness, he put on his best performance ever—acting like someone who was bashful because of the praise but still eager to hear more compliments from his "mother."

Fortunately, his acting thoroughly charmed the Weird World Consciousness, which ended up revealing a lot of information. This allowed Ying Yuanxing to finally understand the situation.

The altar he’d obtained earlier had actually been left behind by the Weird World Consciousness, but the other party had no idea about the explanation written on it. Still, that wasn’t the main concern. The important thing was that the altar could detect world core fragments.

Ying Yuanxing immediately decided to avoid the altar. If it were discovered that the core was inside his body, the Weird World Consciousness—despite its current friendly attitude—would undoubtedly try to take it back.

He continued fishing for information, initially worried the Weird World Consciousness might notice something amiss. But the other party answered every question without hesitation.

What an innocent soul!

As Ying Yuanxing listened to the Weird World Consciousness’s answers, that phrase popped into his mind. But the simpler the other party was, the more information he could gather.

From the conversation, Ying Yuanxing learned that the Weird World had become the way it was now because it had once collided with a smaller world. To protect most of the weirds, the world core had shattered.

Even though the Weird World Consciousness had acted quickly to collect the pieces, it had only managed to recover a portion. The rest had scattered to who-knows-where.

Afterward, the Weird World Consciousness had sought out a weird to help gather the fragments, as it needed to focus on maintaining the remaining core to prevent it from collapsing further.

"Is Gao Shuo also helping you collect world core fragments?" Ying Yuanxing tentatively asked.

"Gao Shuo? No, not him. It’s Zero," the Weird World Consciousness explained, pausing to think. "Gao Shuo is Zero’s subordinate."

Ying Yuanxing silently cursed Zero. Not only had he possessed his subordinate, but he’d also let himself be mistaken for a colleague without even revealing his real name.

"Have you met Zero before?" the Weird World Consciousness asked curiously, suddenly realizing something.

Ying Yuanxing nodded. "Yes. His subordinate came to Taoxi Village looking for world core fragments, and we had a minor conflict. In the end, Zero stepped in to resolve it."

He didn’t take advantage of the Weird World Consciousness’s goodwill to badmouth Zero.

It was obvious that the Weird World Consciousness’s fondness for him had only developed over the course of a single day, whereas Zero had been with it for much longer. Speaking ill of Zero would only weaken its favorable impression of him.

Besides, there wasn’t much to criticize about Zero’s actions. He hadn’t hurt anyone, hadn’t shielded his subordinate, and had even sent gifts as an apology. If Ying Yuanxing slandered him now, the truth would come out eventually, offending both the Weird World Consciousness and Zero.

"Zero is very busy. His subordinates handle most of Hongxing Supermarket’s affairs, and they might not be doing the best job," the Weird World Consciousness replied, confirming Ying Yuanxing’s decision not to speak poorly of Zero.

The conversation continued.

Listening to the Weird World Consciousness, Ying Yuanxing suddenly felt as though he’d traveled back to the day he’d discovered the truth about the Weird World. Back then, he’d only realized he was trapped in the Weird World. Now, he was truly touching the truth of this world.

Honestly, the truth was a bit too much to bear.

The Weird World core shattered, and to maintain the existence of the Weird World, the Weird Qi within the weirds dissipates as an energy source to repair the world core. As for the cracks connecting to Blue Star, they actually formed because the Weird World couldn’t break free from Blue Star’s pull, leading to the cracks from the pressure.

In a sense, as long as the Weird World remains unable to escape Blue Star, weirds will always find their way into Blue Star.

In some ways, the weirds' migration to Blue Star isn’t entirely voluntary.

“Then… can Blue Star be separated from us?” Ying Yuanxing knew his question might sound abrupt, but he couldn’t help asking.

After all, while the Weird World seems to be holding on for now, the harm weirds inflict on Blue Star is immense.

“No,” the Weird World Consciousness denied. Seeing Ying Yuanxing’s curiosity, It explained:

The two worlds are like two magnets. To separate them, both sides must exert force simultaneously. But the Weird World can’t break free on its own, and Blue Star alone can’t push It away.

“Is there really no way to separate them?” Ying Yuanxing grew anxious and quickly added, “After all, being stuck to Blue Star, some of our world’s Weird Qi is being absorbed by It, right?”

“The only way is to collect the world core fragments. Otherwise, there’s no solution.” The Weird World Consciousness sighed.

“Child, your healing general store is doing well. Keep it up.” The Weird World Consciousness gazed softly at Ying Yuanxing.

Hearing this, Ying Yuanxing felt something was off. The words sounded like a special admonition, as if they might not be spoken again.

In truth, Ying Yuanxing’s suspicion wasn’t wrong. The Weird World Consciousness felt somewhat discouraged. Maintaining the world core was exhausting, requiring constant extraction of Weird Qi from the weirds.

It had also witnessed the plight of the weirds under these circumstances. Aside from the powerful ones or those with special Weird Plants, most lived in hardship, not to mention the impurities spread throughout the Weird World.

Of course, after seeing Ying Yuanxing’s situation, the Weird World Consciousness wasn’t as concerned about the impurities anymore, since the seaweed was slowly purifying them. Given time, they would eventually be cleansed.

But how many weirds could wait that long? The draining of Weird Qi was becoming more intense.

All of this was done to repair the world core and sustain the existence of the Weird World, preventing It from being devoured by Blue Star.

Yet now, the Weird World Consciousness suddenly thought—perhaps being absorbed by Blue Star wouldn’t be so bad.

At most, It would cease to exist, but if the Weird World could merge into Blue Star, It would still survive in a way.

Though Ying Yuanxing didn’t know what the Weird World Consciousness was thinking, an instinctive sense of danger made him wary, and he wanted to stop It from leaving.

Otherwise, once It was gone, he’d have no way to contact It.

According to the Weird World’s explanation, It should be connected to Zero. As long as he could reach Zero, he could reach the Weird World Consciousness. But Ying Yuanxing wasn’t that naive.

“Mother, could you stay with me a little longer?” The words slipped out before he could stop them, and Ying Yuanxing felt his dignity crumbling.

“It’s rare to have a chance to talk with you. I don’t want you to leave.” Ying Yuanxing continued, all sense of shame gone.

The Weird World Consciousness hesitated. Truthfully, It rarely spoke with anyone for so long. Zero was typically taciturn and uncommunicative, while other weirds seldom interacted with It. Ying Yuanxing, however, was genuinely curious about everything—much like a child.

“Mother… is that okay?” Ying Yuanxing blinked, his face showing unease.

“Alright, I’ll stay with you for a while.” The Weird World Consciousness finally agreed.

“Mother, can you eat? I’ve grown a lot of food.” Now that he’d persuaded the Weird World Consciousness to stay, Ying Yuanxing couldn’t be too indifferent. Thinking of the farm’s specialties, he decided to offer some food in hospitality.

The Weird World Consciousness wanted to say It didn’t need to eat, but seeing Ying Yuanxing’s hopeful expression, It acquiesced.

Ying Yuanxing glanced at the surrounding mist and suddenly asked, “Mother, did you create this fog?”

“Yes.” The Weird World Consciousness nodded. “Blue Star Consciousness—the monitor arranged by Salvation Game—is near you. If I didn’t block It, It would know what’s happening around you.”

So Salvation Game was Blue Star Consciousness? Ying Yuanxing found himself surprised yet not surprised. After all, Salvation Game’s actions were indeed aimed at saving humanity. If it were something else, he’d have to worry about ulterior motives.

But if It knew about Salvation Game, did It really not realize he was human?

Ying Yuanxing’s heart raced as he suddenly noticed a glow on his shoulder, clearly visible in the corner of his eye.

He tilted his head slightly and saw a tiny fiery figure standing there, radiating light that illuminated his shoulder.

“Mother?” Ying Yuanxing hesitated. Aside from the Weird World Consciousness, he couldn’t imagine anything else appearing beside him.

The flame figure reached out and gently touched Ying Yuanxing, soothing him. “Child, you are a citizen of our world. You are not human. Don’t be deceived by Blue Star Consciousness.”

Ying Yuanxing wanted to argue that the Weird World Consciousness was lying, but its tone didn’t sound deceitful—It seemed to be telling the truth.

Yet Ying Yuanxing was certain he was human. Besides, if he were a weird, how could Salvation Game allow him to return to Blue Star?

Not to mention, this body was originally from Blue Star.

Ying Yuanxing had many reasons to convince himself, but there were still unanswered questions—like his game-system-like abilities, his need to eat and drink, and the fact that he only needed bathroom breaks when bathing.

Before, he could explain these changes as special abilities. But now, the Weird World Consciousness’s words gave him pause.

Above all, Ying Yuanxing knew he had a core inside him. He’d never heard of other players having one, nor could they control a Weird Domain like he could.

After a moment of contemplation, Ying Yuanxing pushed the thought aside. Regardless of whether he was a weird, he had no intention of switching sides—actions were guided by thought, not identity.

Besides, he was absolutely certain he’d been human before crossing over. As for afterward… that was harder to say.

In that case, he’d keep behaving as a human would.

“Mother, what do you like to eat?” Ying Yuanxing changed the subject, avoiding further discussion.

The Weird World Consciousness had no particular preferences. Its only desire was to sustain the Weird World’s existence—other desires were nearly nonexistent.

“I’ll enjoy whatever you make,” the Weird World Consciousness replied, drawing from absorbed memory fragments from Its battles with Blue Star Consciousness. This seemed bonding.

As Ying Yuanxing walked forward, a hand suddenly reached out from the mist, gripping his tightly.

He gasped in pain—the grip was too strong.

The hand loosened slightly but then clasped his again, though gentler now.

The mist parted slightly, revealing a familiar face—Xuan Ying.

But Xuan Ying didn’t seem to see him. One hand held Ying Yuanxing’s, yet his gaze was vacant.

“Xuan Ying!” Ying Yuanxing called, but Xuan Ying showed no reaction, though he stopped moving as if sensing something.

“Mother, what’s going on?” Ying Yuanxing grew anxious.

“To avoid detection by Blue Star Consciousness, they're naturally deaf and blind to us,” the Weird World Consciousness explained.

Its care for its subjects was generalized, not directed at individuals. Moreover, It sensed that Xuan Ying had devoured many weirds—he scored infinitely low in Its eyes.

“Child, he has consumed many weirds in the past. He’s dangerous. You shouldn’t trust him too much,” the Weird World Consciousness admonished gravely.

For the first time, Ying Yuanxing pushed back. “Mother, Xuan Ying knew nothing back then. Compared to me, he was more akin to a wild beast that had never been taught by humans or weirds. Isn't survival instinct natural for beasts?”

“Moreover, you're well aware of the situation in the Weird World. If Xuan Ying doesn't become stronger, how can he survive?”

Ying Yuanxing knew his words were biased, but he couldn't help it.

The Weird World Consciousness choked on its words. It glanced at Xuan Ying but said nothing more, simply lifting the illusion placed upon him.

This wasn’t because Ying Yuanxing had convinced it, but because it could see how much Ying Yuanxing trusted Xuan Ying. It didn’t want to come between them.

The Weird World Consciousness had a sharp tongue.

Freed from the illusion, the moment Xuan Ying saw Ying Yuanxing, he instantly melted into gray mist and wound tightly around him, enveloping Ying Yuanxing completely.

For a moment, the Weird World Consciousness thought Xuan Ying intended to devour Ying Yuanxing and was about to intervene when it realized that wasn’t the case.

The mist was so thick that Ying Yuanxing felt entirely wrapped in it, the coils constricting gently against him. He even worried he might struggle to breathe.

But Xuan Ying, despite his panic, remembered this clearly. A constant supply of air flowed to Ying Yuanxing, and the mist around him behaved more like a stretchy second skin, moving with his breath without restricting his movements.

"It's alright, it's alright. Mother just came to see me and told me things other weirds shouldn't hear, so she blocked you from finding me," Ying Yuanxing murmured reassuringly, sensing Xuan Ying’s fear and helplessness.

This wasn’t the first time. After the incident with Gao Shuo, he had finally calmed Xuan Ying down, only for this to happen again. It was no wonder Xuan Ying was even more on edge now.

Xuan Ying was terrified. His greatest fear was failing to protect Ying Yuanxing. Though he had managed to ease that fear somewhat before, the same situation recurring made it much harder to soothe him this time.

But...

"Mother?" Xuan Ying’s mind raced through the knowledge he had absorbed, including how to meet the parents of a romantic partner.

One rule stood out: make a proper impression when meeting the parents of a romantic partner, not being too clingy to avoid seeming frivolous.

So, he...

Xuan Ying glanced at how tightly he was wrapped around Ying Yuanxing, then at the fiery little figure nearby, and shuddered.

The Weird World Consciousness glared at Xuan Ying, thinking this weird had no shame. A quick hug was one thing, but lingering like this was too much.

If Ying Yuanxing hadn’t shown any discomfort or resistance, it would have intervened to teach Xuan Ying a lesson.

Xuan Ying reluctantly detached from Ying Yuanxing, reforming into human shape. He glanced nervously at the fiery little figure and hesitantly called out, "Mother."

The Weird World Consciousness looked him over, tempted to refuse the address. But having claimed Ying Yuanxing as its child, and Xuan Ying being Ying Yuanxing’s partner, in a way, Xuan Ying was also its child.

Though Xuan Ying didn’t mean "mother" in that sense, the Weird World Consciousness ultimately accepted it.

"Mother, may I tell Xuan Ying about your identity? Just him—no other weirds," Ying Yuanxing asked.

The Weird World Consciousness scanned the other weirds in the farm. None had noticed anything amiss—only Xuan Ying, who had sensed something wrong and fought through the illusion to find Ying Yuanxing.

Truthfully, had it not met Ying Yuanxing first, the Weird World Consciousness might have admired Xuan Ying. His single-mindedness was exceptional even among weirds, surpassing most.

But having met Ying Yuanxing first, and seeing how much he cared for Xuan Ying, the Weird World Consciousness felt a strange twinge of irritation.

Still, it nodded in response to Ying Yuanxing’s request, permitting him to explain.

Ying Yuanxing hurriedly explained the truth to Xuan Ying, hoping to reassure him. Since the figure was the World Consciousness, it made sense that Xuan Ying had been briefly deceived.

But to Xuan Ying, this only meant the Weird World was growing more dangerous. If the Weird World Consciousness could trap him in illusions so easily, harming Ying Yuanxing would be just as simple. Ying Yuanxing was in more danger than before.

Yet, meeting Ying Yuanxing’s concerned gaze, Xuan Ying understood. Ying Yuanxing had told him this to ease his worries, so he couldn’t let Ying Yuanxing worry.

Xuan Ying nodded, pretending to relax to comfort Ying Yuanxing. Then, taking his hand, he led him and the Weird World Consciousness back to the cabin.

As for the other weirds still trapped in illusions, Ying Yuanxing confirmed they were unharmed and decided against dispelling the illusions. The World Consciousness’s identity wasn’t something too many weirds should know.

Unnoticed by Ying Yuanxing, Xuan Ying quietly observed the Weird World Consciousness, his gaze inscrutable and heavy.