Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Tu Lang was utterly shocked, his face instantly drained of color.

The Sentinel Association universally recognized S as the highest rank, yet Chen Wang was an SS. Finally, he understood why he instinctively recoiled from Chen Wang, why he couldn't suppress an inexplicable tremor in his presence.

A single rank difference between Sentinels was an unbridgeable chasm, let alone the two chasms separating him from Chen Wang…

Only after repeatedly reassuring himself that Chen Wang would soon go berserk did Tu Lang manage to somewhat quell his fear, preventing his legs from trembling noticeably.

So far, every prophecy Xie Yin had described had come true, and Tu Lang deeply believed his words.

In the near future, Chen Wang would lead Tansapa to storm the Origin Gate—the core of all gates. As an SS-class Sentinel, Chen Wang’s abilities would go berserk, destroying the Origin Gate while simultaneously bringing an end to all gates.

Once all gates vanished, the era of the gates would conclude. Xie Yin prophesied that a spiral-shaped underground city would emerge.

That would mark the beginning of a new epoch.

Human history would also begin anew, writing a fresh chapter.

After Tansapa’s collapse, the guild rankings were disrupted, and all guilds returned to the same starting line.

The Tuyue Guild sought to seize this opportunity, hoping to be the first to enter the underground city and become the new "Tansapa" in the new era. Under Xie Yin’s leadership, they had already begun preparations—recruiting personnel and gathering supplies. Xie Yin predicted that once all the gates disappeared, the source of items would temporarily vanish, driving auction prices sky-high.

Everything was now proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Xie Yin tried to reassure himself, though his arm supporting Tu Lang trembled slightly as well.

Returning to reality, the scene before him was one of desolate silence. The resort hotel had been reduced to ruins, the ground littered with murky chunks of flesh and pools of blood. Yet, the crimson figure strolled forward with a casual, unhurried pace, as if merely sightseeing. The bloodstained corners of his lips curled into a hint of a smile, while his eyes and brows exuded an air of absolute control.

Despite his self-reassurance and unwavering conviction, Xie Yin’s mind was uneasy from overwhelming fear. He had once considered using his prophetic abilities as an excuse to join Tansapa, but the moment he laid eyes on Chen Wang, he abandoned the idea. The sheer disparity in power and the overwhelming pressure made it impossible for him to speak normally, let alone deceive Chen Wang…

Fear left Xie Yin’s entire body cold, his fingertips icy as if dipped in blood. He forced himself to look away, shifting his gaze to the little one cradled in Roland’s arms.

There was still one more problem—he needed to wait for the right moment to obtain the Dawnlight Core.

……

Luo Ci remained completely unaware that he was still being targeted.

"Brother… brother!"

Seizing the moment when Roland wasn’t paying attention, Luo Ci slipped out of his arms and dashed toward Chen Wang, his tiny feet pattering on the ground. Normally, his short legs made even walking an unsteady affair, but now he ran surprisingly fast. A Jin reached out to grab him but missed, watching helplessly as he nearly threw himself into Chen Wang’s arms—only to be caught by Zhong Shijin.

"Eep…" His little legs still kept kicking as he was lifted into the air.

Zhong Shijin held the small child securely in his arms, gently patting his back. "Be good, little snowball. The guild leader can’t hold you right now."

As an onlooker, Ao Qi witnessed how Chen Wang noticeably softened the moment he noticed the little snowball approaching. His intensity seemed to lessen, his vigilance instinctively easing—as if this battle-hardened, ever-alert man had finally let his guard down.

Did the little snowball really affect him this much?

Still held by Zhong Shijin, Luo Ci puffed out his cheeks, his tiny face scrunched up in displeasure as he stretched his arms pitifully toward Chen Wang.

Zhong Shijin didn’t dare let the little snowball touch the guild leader, not when he seemed on the verge of going berserk. Even the slightest loss of control could prove fatal for such a fragile little one. Yet, the sight of his upset expression moved him.

He wasn’t the only one affected. Chen Wang knew exactly his current appearance—most people wouldn’t dare approach him, let alone stay put without fleeing in terror. He had prepared himself for the little snowball’s fearful gaze, never expecting him to still reach out despite his current state.

Leaning down, he took the wet wipe Zhong Shijin handed him and carefully cleaned the blood from Luo Ci’s face. "Aren’t you afraid of me?"

Luo Ci’s round, wide eyes met Chen Wang’s deep golden pupils, recalling what his teacher had taught him—this was clearly a sign of impending berserk rage.

But his first thought wasn’t of the danger he might face.

Instead, it was that Chen Wang really needed guidance.

With a quiet sound, he stretched out his arms, wanting to hug him.

He wanted to guide him the same way he had for Shanilu and the others.

Chen Wang’s expression remained as calm and relaxed as ever, but the faint tremor in his pupils showed his tension. It would have been perfectly normal for a child to react with fear upon seeing him like this, and he had mentally prepared for it. Yet, this little one simply stared at him, without flinching, even reaching out to embrace him.

No fear at all?

How could such a fragile, tiny thing show not a trace of terror? He felt relieved, only to be replaced by a flood of complex emotions. The higher a Sentinel’s rank, the sharper their instincts—like a beast’s. From the moment he first saw this child in the lab, he had known he was important to him.

For Chen Wang, nothing had ever been called "important" before. Initially, he had taken the little snowball from the lab simply to see just how significant he could become.

Long ago, he had once been on the verge of berserk rage, just as he was now. Back then, it had taken him three days to calm down, and the aftermath had been disastrous. Yet today, just hearing the little snowball’s voice had brought him back from the edge. Perhaps his instincts had warned him—losing control now would endanger the little snowball.

And when he had waited for the little snowball’s response, holding his breath in that fleeting moment before the little snowball reached out to him, the great relief had made one thing undeniably clear: the little snowball meant everything to him.

Maybe it had started when he curled up in his hand on the sofa, or when he stumbled into his arms after transforming into a human, or perhaps when he ran toward him without hesitation as he emerged from the Rustgate… Countless small moments had quietly accumulated into something irreplaceable.

Chen Wang was both clear and confused. After all these years, the only thing he could call "important" was the little snowball.

In that instant, countless thoughts ran through his mind.

Finally, he raised a hand, his leather-gloved fingers gently stroking the top of the little snowball’s head. "Sleep, my little snowball."

Under his soothing touch, Luo Ci—already exhausted from a full day and night of using his guide powers—felt his eyelids grow heavy. Chen Wang’s hand seemed to carry a hypnotic touch, and with a small yawn, he nestled deeper into Zhong Shijin’s embrace, gradually falling asleep.

Zhong Shijin glanced at Chen Wang’s back as he walked away, then covered the little snowball’s ears and lowered his voice. "The matter with the shapeshifting gate should be settled. Has President Ao Qi made any progress on the escaped prisoners?"

Ao Qi also spoke quietly. "They must be hiding under someone’s protection—they haven’t shown themselves at all."

"In that case, let me offer a suggestion: investigate the Tuyue Guild."

"Tuyue…?" There weren’t too many A-grade Guilds, but neither were they few. Ao Qi had little impression of private guilds like Tuyue, which were among the weaker in the A-grade tier. He hadn’t considered them a suspect before.

Zhong Shijin said no more, carrying the little snowball to rejoin the other members. "Tansapa will take our leave first."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ao Qi surveyed the devastation around him and rubbed his aching temples. He, too, was nearing his limit, physically and mentally exhausted—but there was still so much to oversee in the aftermath.

……

News of Gustvella quickly spread online. The HMC, which had initially concealed the shapeshifting gate incident and attempted to claim it for themselves, were widely criticized.

Ebatov, confined to a hospital bed for nearly half a month, announced his temporary resignation as HMC president, transferring the position to his younger brother, Aikote.

The virtual platform had real-time recording functions, and despite the chaos, many Sentinels had captured footage of the resort hotel battle. Some clips leaked online, sparking another wave of heated debate—and surprisingly, Tansapa’s reputation improved somewhat.

Though Tansapa, as the sole S-class guild, had its share of strong supporters, fame never came without detractors. Tansapa was widely regarded as a guild of madmen, and since the conventions didn’t prohibit guild mergers, their conquests had earned them no shortage of enemies.

When Tansapa seized the Gate of Wisdom, many had accused them of stealing opportunities from other guilds.

But now, with the videos circulating, people finally understood how difficult an S-class gate was.

After all, the forces gathered at the resort had been elite members of A-grade guilds—yet even they had struggled against the monster horde. If the outside was this brutal, how much deadlier must the gate’s interior have been?

Chen Wang's solo conquest of the S-Gate left everyone stunned, offering a direct and crushing display of strength.

Such an overwhelming disparity was palpable even to non-gifted individuals, instantly shutting up those who’d claimed Tansapa was hogging chances from other guilds.

Opportunities are equal for all—only those with the capability can seize them.

All this talk about "stealing opportunities" is meaningless when the chance is right there, yet these guilds still can’t cut it.

Amid the praise for Tansapa, some also noticed Chen Wang's deep golden pupils and started worrying about his condition.

When Luo Ci woke up, he found himself back in the Tansapa Tower. Rubbing his bleary eyes, still drowsy from draining his guiding energy earlier, he hugged his pillow, trying to bury his chubby face beneath it and go back to sleep. But in an instant, his mind flashed to Chen Wang's state, snapping him fully awake.

He couldn’t recall how he had fallen asleep before.

Luo Ci shook his little head, scrambled out of bed, and forced himself to wake up.

Remembering Zhong Shijin's warning not to approach Chen Wang, Luo Ci dared not make much noise. Tiptoeing, he carefully eased the door ajar, perked up his little ears, and listened intently, lips pressed tight with tension. Hearing nothing, he scurried to the living room.

It was just past midnight. Assuming the kid was still asleep, no one else was around. Luo Ci flopped onto the plush rug, gazing at the vast, intricate surroundings, propping his chin on his hands as he pondered seriously.

Though the top floor was spacious and easy to get lost in, the kid had lived here long enough to have a rough idea of where Chen Wang's room was.

After mentally retracing the route, the excited child sprang up from the carpet and toddled down the hallway, following his memory.

The top floor was actually divided into three tiers. His usual area was the first level, while the second housed Roland and A Jin's rooms. The highest level belonged to Chen Wang.

As for why he guessed Chen Wang would return to his own room when on the verge of a meltdown instead of going to the Guide Department for guidance?

It was because he had once seen the maintenance crew enter Chen Wang's room to replace the guiding devices, meaning Chen Wang didn’t go to the Guide Department for relief.

Smug, he nodded to himself, feeling his reasoning was sound. Climbing the stairs, he suddenly sensed an oppressive, murky force—an unfamiliar force unlike anything he’d felt before.

And that power lay behind this door.

Unlike the normal doors to Roland and A Jin's rooms, this one was cold and heavy, made of special material like a thick wall, dividing two realms.

Was this…

Big brother’s bedroom?

Luo Ci had intended to observe first, but as he approached, the recognition system automatically identified him, and the door clicked open. His ears twitched in surprise—why had it opened?

Unbeknownst to him, when the little snowball had first transformed into a human and started roaming the Tansapa Tower, Chen Wang had granted him the highest access. At the time, he hadn’t considered that this meant the little one could freely enter his room.

Cold air condensed into mist, drifting across the carpet. Luo Ci poked his head in, covering his mouth just before a sneeze escaped.

When he saw the room’s interior, his round eyes widened even further.

The entire space resembled an icy prison, with walls made of isolating material, casting a clinical steel-gray under dim lighting. A hospital bed stood in the vast room, where Chen Wang lay quietly, bound by reinforced restraints on his limbs and chest. An IV drip fed refined guiding liquid into his neck vein.

While refined guiding liquid was relatively effective in calming ability rampages, it was also highly damaging to the Sentinel’s body. Even with heavy anesthesia, the Sentinel might instinctively resist, hence the restraints to minimize reflexive movements.

Luo Ci instinctively wanted to rush in, but knowing how sharp a Sentinel’s hearing was, he worried about startling Chen Wang. After a moment’s thought, he transformed back into a snowball. His weightless fluff and careful steps made his approach nearly silent.

The little snowball tiptoed to the bedside, glancing at the complex instruments with confusion. The dials and readings were too dense and intricate for him to understand.

But he knew a Guide’s presence was the best guidance for a Sentinel.

Clutching the bedsheet with his tiny paws, Luo Ci lifted his little feet, his stubby tail swaying as he struggled to climb onto the bed. Anxiously, he turned to look at Chen Wang, who was out cold, completely unaware of his presence.

After circling the bed twice, the snowball found a cozy spot, nudged Chen Wang’s hand, curled up against his neck, shuffled his butt into a comfortable position, and buried his face into the crook of Chen Wang’s neck.

The room was freezing—refined guiding liquid only flowed in low temperatures—but Chen Wang’s palm was warm.

The little snowball twitched his ears. Luckily, Arctic Hares had two coats of fur, so he wasn’t cold at all. Snuggling against Chen Wang made him happy.

Smaller than a fist, the tiny puffball yawned and soon drifted off to sleep, his tiny snores filling the quiet.

Outside, the sky over Snowbird City began to pale with dawn.

Driven by his body clock, Chen Wang opened his eyes expressionlessly, immediately sensing something amiss.

The maddening shrieks that usually filled his ears during a rampage were gone. His mind was unprecedentedly calm and eerily clear—far beyond what the usual guiding liquid could achieve.

"...What’s going on?"