Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Rhapsody Under the Night Sky
Guo Shuai felt as though molten rock had been poured into his left eye socket.
The burning sensation shot straight through his optic nerve and into his brain, nearly causing him to black out on the spot.
"Ugh…Ahh…"
He gripped the edge of the table with white-knuckled desperation, his fingernails on the verge of snapping off.
Yet just as he was about to completely break down, the excruciating pain receded as quickly as it had come.
In its place came a wave of tingling numbness and an unbearable itch.
But then Guo Shuai made a horrifying discovery—he was losing control of his own body.
The Eye Of Calamity wasn't just fusing with his nervous system. It was consuming his soul in reverse.
It was trying to possess him.
His Danger Perception was screaming in alarm, flaring so red it had turned black.
'You want to control me?!'
Guo Shuai slammed his fist directly into his own Magic Orb, using the burst of agony to forcibly reclaim a sliver of control over his body.
'I'm not even afraid of death—you think I'm scared of you?!'
'I will never let you do as you please!!'
Guo Shuai's resolve was utterly ruthless.
If willpower alone wasn't enough, then he'd use something far more extreme—pain itself.
Swaying on his feet, he grabbed a torture device hanging from the nearby wall and wrenched it around his own neck.
That still wasn't enough.
He snatched up a thick hemp rope—one that had strangled god knows how many people—tied a knot in it, and looped it over a rusted iron hook above his head.
Then he slipped his neck inside.
And kicked away the stool.
Crash!
An overwhelming sense of suffocation hit him all at once.
The barbs on the rope dug into his flesh, and the agonizing asphyxiation sent his brain into a state of extreme oxygen deprivation.
But it was precisely that near-death, razor's-edge stimulation that smothered the creeping sensation of possession and forced it back down.
"Cough…cough, cough…"
Half a minute later.
The eerie, crawling itch vanished completely, and a cool, refreshing sensation spread through his left eye.
His vision returned.
Clearer than ever before.
He had done it.
He had tamed this Grade A Cursed Object.
But…
Guo Shuai couldn't bring himself to smile.
Because he was still dangling in midair, his face swollen to a liver-purple hue, legs kicking uselessly, eyes rolling back in his head.
'Am I really going to die like this?'
'I wasn't killed by a monster…I wasn't possessed…and now I'm going to hang myself to death?'
'Is this what they call…dying halfway to glory?'
Guo Shuai's heart was filled with absurd, hopeless despair.
Just as his vision was beginning to blur and he thought he was about to join Old Yang in the afterlife—
A dark silhouette dropped down through the cellar entrance.
Without even glancing his way, the figure casually picked up a Boning Knife from the nearby table and gave their wrist a flick.
Whoosh!
A flash of cold light.
Thud.
The rope was severed in an instant.
Guo Shuai crashed heavily to the ground, clutching his throat.
"Cough, cough, cough!!"
He gasped and sputtered until he could finally breathe again, then looked up—and met a pair of jet-black eyes staring down at him.
Jiang Nan.
At that very moment, the【 Eye Of Calamity】 Guo Shuai had just fused into his left socket activated on instinct, operating entirely on its own.
A stream of dark golden data cascaded over Jiang Nan's figure in an instant.
【Analyzing target…】
【Target: Human Male】
【HP: 100%】
【Ability: None】
【Combat Rating: E-】
【Weaknesses: With your current configuration, his entire body is a weak point.】
【Overall Assessment: An ordinary human being, marginally more robust than complete combat deadweight.】
【System Recommendation: Projected win rate is 70-30 in your favor. Shall an automated combat sequence be initiated to eliminate the target immediately?】
Kneeling on the ground, Guo Shuai stared at that readout and his mind went completely blank.
His eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
'Huh? No ability?'
'E- combat rating?'
'Ordinary human being?'
Guo Shuai was screaming internally: 'This eyeball's a knockoff, isn't it?!'
Did this thing even know who it was looking at?
That was the man who'd just incinerated an entire Boss with a single finger.
Who'd set a whole field full of monsters ablaze like he was lighting a cigarette.
And you're calling him ordinary?
'Then I'm your grandfather, you piece of junk!'
And that 70-30 win rate—
'So that means he kills me 7 times in 3 seconds?!'
Guo Shuai broke into a cold sweat all over his body, terrified the wretched eyeball might actually engage some kind of "automated combat" on its own.
That would be instant death.
"Shut it off! Turn it off, now!"
He forcibly deactivated the Eye Of Calamity with his mind alone, swearing a silent oath to himself.
He'd find a way to get it fixed later. The margin of error was completely unacceptable.
Then he looked up at Jiang Nan looming over him and immediately bowed his head, not daring to meet those eyes directly.
"Th-thank you. For saving my life."
Jiang Nan paid no attention to the storm of thoughts behind that lowered head. He simply gazed in silence at the man crouching before him.
It was clear the other party had developed a deep, bone-level fear of him.
Good.
That was exactly the effect he'd been going for.
Jiang Nan pulled his Notepad from his pocket, scrawled a single line, tore the page free, and dropped it in front of Guo Shuai.
Then he picked up Fit Albert's diary from the table, turned around, and climbed the ladder out.
Guo Shuai's hands trembled as he retrieved the slip of paper from the floor.
【From today onward, you live with Wang Meng. Follow his orders in everything.】
The moment those words registered, a light of fierce, burning excitement exploded in Guo Shuai's eyes.
This wasn't just a command.
It meant acceptance.
He had successfully joined the big boss's team.
"Thank you, Boss! Guo Shuai will follow orders to the letter!"
Guo Shuai pressed his fists together in a salute aimed at Jiang Nan's retreating back. The gesture was a little dramatic, but his eyes held nothing but absolute sincerity.
……
Back on the surface.
Wang Meng had been standing guard by the vehicle. When he saw Jiang Nan emerge with Guo Shuai trailing behind him—battered and bedraggled but eyes alight—he let out a long breath of relief.
"Boss, this guy's alright, yeah?" Wang Meng asked with a grin.
Jiang Nan gave a single nod and walked straight toward the car door.
"Boss, where are we heading now?"
Jiang Nan paused, turned back, and handed Wang Meng a slip of paper:
【Nowhere.】
【Get that hide plated onto the vehicle first.】
【I have something to study. Don't disturb me unless it's urgent.】
With that, he tossed the Magic Hide to Wang Meng, then boarded the vehicle with the diary in hand.
Chen Tong and the other 2 women saw this and quickly followed him inside.
The car door shut.
Outside, only Wang Meng and Guo Shuai remained—just 2 grown men standing in the wasteland.
Wang Meng turned the hide over in his hands. The texture was ice-cold and a little unsettling.
But as a Grade B Mechanic, all he could feel right now was the aura of exceptional raw material radiating from it.
"Now that's something special…"
Wang Meng murmured in appreciation, then looked over at Guo Shuai.
"Guo Shuai, since Boss has spoken, from here on out we're brothers in arms."
"Need a hand with anything?"
Guo Shuai stepped right up and, reading the room perfectly, called out: "Of course, bro."
The moment that "bro" landed, Wang Meng felt a warm glow spread through his chest.
Back in school he'd just been the sociable chubby kid in class. Now he was actually someone's superior.
But he didn't let it go to his head. Instead, he clapped Guo Shuai on the shoulder and said with quiet sincerity:
"No need. You were pretty brutal on yourself back there—I heard everything."
"You've still got injuries. Just keep watch nearby for now and make sure no monsters with a death wish wander over."
"You got it, bro! Leave it to me!"
Guo Shuai was genuinely moved. He jogged over to the nearest elevated position, activated his Danger Perception, and swept his gaze in a vigilant arc around the perimeter.
On the other side, Wang Meng took a deep breath and set his ability in motion.
"Mechanic, activate!"
As the ability surged through him, a silver-white wrench materialized in his hands—sleek, futuristic, and faintly science-fictional in design.
It looked like a wrench, but it was in truth his Mechanic's bonded divine instrument: the All-Purpose Modifier.
Its ability was singular: modification.
As long as materials existed, anything could be repaired. Anything could be changed.
Wang Meng spread the enormous Grade S Magic Hide out across the vehicle's hood.
The wrench in his hand tapped lightly against the car's body.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Something extraordinary unfolded before their eyes.
That hide—once impossibly tough and resilient—began to dissolve under the wash of white light, liquefying like water.
It then seeped rapidly into the black alloy armor beneath.
The vehicle's previously matte-black surface began to bloom with dark golden tracery, vein by vein.
At the front of the hood, the faint outline of a leering scarecrow face materialized, radiating a palpable aura of dread.
The entire process flowed without a single hitch. It was done in under 5 minutes.
【Modification complete!】
【Trait acquired: Aura Of Fear (Grade S)】
"Done!"
Wang Meng wiped the sweat from his brow and dusted his hands together with satisfaction.
Guo Shuai had been watching the whole time with his mouth hanging open.
"That was fast! Bro, what kind of ability is that?"
"Heh, Grade B Mechanic. Nothing too impressive," Wang Meng said, waving it off with practiced modesty.
"No wonder you're the boss's right-hand man. That ability is absurdly useful!"
Guo Shuai's admiration was genuine and unrestrained.
"Yours isn't bad either, you know. And now you've got that Grade A Cursed Object on top of it," Wang Meng replied, nodding toward Guo Shuai's left eye.
At the mention of it, Guo Shuai's expression twisted into something distinctly awkward. He let out an uncomfortable laugh.
"About that…bro, I think this eyeball of mine might be a reject. Or broken."
"Huh? Broken? How so?" Wang Meng asked, curiosity piqued.
"Want me to test it on you?" Guo Shuai ventured.
"Sure, go ahead." Wang Meng planted his feet and stood straight.
Guo Shuai drew a slow breath and activated the Eye Of Calamity again.
The dark golden data stream reappeared.
【Target: Human Male】
【HP: 100%】
【Combat Rating: F+】
【Ability: Grade B Mechanic】
【Weaknesses: Old injury to the leg—mobility is restricted.】
【Overall Assessment: A combat deadweight in possession of a powerful support ability.】
【System Recommendation: Projected win rate is 90-10 in your favor. Smash his skull in immediately.】
"Uh…"
Guo Shuai blinked at the readout.
The assessment stung a little, but this time it was clearly far more accurate.
It had even picked up the old leg injury.
"Bro…do you have an injury on your leg?"
Guo Shuai asked.
Wang Meng slapped his thigh. "Damn, spot on! Yeah, I do!"
"When I was a kid helping my dad at the Auto Repair Shop, a hydraulic lift came down on me. It healed up, but I've never been able to run fast since."
"That eye of yours is something else!"
"Phew…"
Guo Shuai exhaled slowly. 'So it's not broken.'
But if it wasn't broken…
Then why had it shown "no ability" and "ordinary human" when it scanned the boss earlier?
Guo Shuai's blood ran cold. He slapped himself hard on the forehead.
"I've got it!!"
"It's not the eye that's broken—it's that Boss is too strong!"
"So strong that even a Grade A Cursed Object can't see through to his real power—it can only see the outermost layer of disguise!"
"Yes! That has to be it!"
Guo Shuai's eyes filled with reverence and awe. 'The eyeball's former owner got one-shotted by Boss. How could it possibly see through him?'
He shared this theory with Wang Meng.
Wang Meng listened, jaw dropping in genuine shock—then nodded deeply in firm agreement.
"Truly worthy of the title of Boss! Unfathomably deep!"
And so, 2 grown men sat down in the wasteland beside the vehicle and began enthusiastically theorizing about Jiang Nan's true power.
The more they talked, the more excited they got. The more they talked, the more convinced they became they'd thrown in with the right person—and somewhere along the way, a bond of revolutionary brotherhood forged itself between them, as if they'd been waiting all their lives to find each other.
……
Meanwhile, inside the vehicle.
In stark contrast to the 2 fanatical devotees outside who were busy hyping themselves into a frenzy.
Jiang Nan was currently sprawled across the large Spring Mattress, legs crossed at the ankle in complete leisure.
One arm was draped around Chen Tong's slender waist, absentmindedly appreciating the astonishing softness there, while his other hand held the diary open.
He confirmed the intelligence he needed—daily settlement, Shelter, trial sequence—then
Jiang Nan dropped it straight into the trash bin.
The diary held no further value for him.
But right now…
His temper was running a little hot.
Because that wretched scarecrow had cost him a full 16 characters.
That was 16 days.
384 hours.
‘Damn thing…’
The irritation simmering in Jiang Nan's chest needed an outlet.
He pulled Chen Tong into his arms in one swift motion and rolled over, pinning her beneath him.
"Yah!"
Chen Tong let out a startled cry. She looked up at Jiang Nan's face—that infuriatingly handsome expression carrying just a trace of smoldering heat—and understood immediately what was happening.
Her face flushed red as a ripened apple, eyes growing soft and hazy. Her arms lifted of their own accord and wound themselves around Jiang Nan's neck.
"Sure…that's fine…"
"Jiang Nan…"
……
At the other end of the cabin.
Liu Yuqing and Yu Shishi had already clocked the situation developing over there.
In perfect, wordless sync, they retreated to the farthest corner of the sofa, yanked a blanket over their heads, and proceeded to pretend they were 2 ostriches with their heads buried in the ground.
Shortly after.
A rhythmic rocking sound filled the cabin, accompanied by low, breathless notes that were enough to make a person's ears burn.
Fortunately, the soundproofing was excellent. Not a single thing leaked outside.
And outside.
Wang Meng and Guo Shuai were still deep in animated conversation, happily fantasizing about their future as rulers of the Savage Realm.
Completely unaware that their boss was currently engaged in an entirely different kind of "fierce battle."
It wasn't until the eastern sky began to pale with the first light of dawn, and the sun crept above the horizon, that this long, surreal night finally came to an unceremonious close.