Infinite Nightmares

When he heard Pan Dongzi shout those words, Zhang Wenda’s pupils contracted. ’Have I changed? When?’

But just as quickly, Zhang Wenda shook off the influence of the other’s accusation, shaking his head firmly.

"No, Fatty, that’s not the same thing at all! I don’t know how the Big Circle tempted you, but growing up isn’t a rule you can break. It’s a law of nature, and we can’t fight the laws of nature."

However, these words seemed to touch a raw nerve. Pan Dongzi shook his head violently, his voice growing hysterical.

"No! I won’t! I like it here! I’m not going anywhere! I want to stay here forever!"

At this point, Pan Dongzi had transformed completely. Plates of armor began sprouting from his hulking frame, encasing him entirely until he stood there like a small giant.

Seeing this, Zhang Wenda’s expression turned grim. He wasn’t sure why Pan Dongzi had changed like this, but it was clearly not normal. ’What the hell did that damned Big Circle do to him?!’

Just as Zhang Wenda raised his blue scythe, preparing to slice into the other’s Inner World, Pan Dongzi spun around, clutched his bookbag, and bolted!

Zhang Wenda was about to give chase when Hu Maomao’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear. "Wenda, I advise you to get back here, now. The Bureau is on the move! Six Thought Wave Strong Persons have been deployed!"

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda froze, his eyes scanning his surroundings with extreme caution. Though Thought Wave One looked the same as always, in his eyes, it had instantly become fraught with hidden perils, as if he were caught in a giant, transparent Beast Trap.

’Damn it! I’m the red horse that’s lured their cannon over. Old Tan wants to take their cannon!’

If this really was a trap, then Bureau 507 making a move meant the Big Circle was also tightening its net. Worse, Qianxi might be drawn in as well.

If Old Tan’s plan had even the slightest flaw, I might not make it out of here today.

Just as Zhang Wenda rolled up his sleeve, revealing the long yellow line, and pulled out a flashlight to use the Yellow Core to leave Thought Wave One, several Black Cats leaped over from the side. They melted into each other and reformed into a smaller version of Song Jianguo.

Holding several lollipops, she looked curiously in the direction Pan Dongzi had fled and asked Zhang Wenda, "Aren’t you going to save him? He didn’t look like he was doing too well."

"I can barely save my own skin. I don’t have time to worry about him. Let’s talk after I’m out of danger." After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Wenda had arrived at the optimal solution.

However, when Zhang Wenda took out the flashlight, pressed its base firmly against the Yellow Core, and hit the switch, nothing happened.

’What’s going on? Hasn’t this always worked before?’ Zhang Wenda’s brow furrowed. If this meant Thought Wave One was locked, this place would soon become a battlefield.

Zhang Wenda had been through the Thought Wave wars before. The first thing that happens when a war breaks out is that the Thought Waves are locked down.

At that thought, Zhang Wenda quickly got to his feet. He led Song Jianguo toward the school, dialing 2826 as he walked. "Hey, where are you? Get to the school gate and regroup, now."

"What’s going on? Did you find it?"

"No time to explain! Hurry!"

He was one of their own, after all. Hearing Zhang Wenda’s urgency, 2826 didn’t ask any more questions, simply replying with a "Roger that."

Zhang Wenda had walked this road for many years as a child, and it wasn’t long before he was almost at the school. Just as he was about to reach the school gate and use 2826 as his way out, a familiar melody drifted into his ears.

"After a whole night of rain, the morning brings fine weather..."

Zhang Wenda stopped in his tracks as if hit by an immobilization spell. He looked to the left side of the street at the familiar rainbow archway and the yellowed clouds that pulsed with light in time to the music.

’Youth Palace.’ His memory of this place was vivid. The Youth Palace was the first thing he’d experienced after coming to this world.

The sight of the Youth Palace brought all his past experiences there rushing back. Then, a specific image surfaced: the scene of him stepping up to save Pan Dongzi.

For some reason, Zhang Wenda suddenly felt that past moment was very much like the present one. The same hidden dangers, the same Pan Dongzi in crisis... but back then, he had made a different choice.

Pan Dongzi’s furious roar from moments ago echoed in his mind.

’Have I changed? But shouldn’t I prioritize my own safety?’ Still convinced his logic was sound, Zhang Wenda turned to leave, but a loud crash echoed from the direction Pan Dongzi had run.

At that same moment, Hu Maomao’s voice crackled in his ear again. "Hey, where are you? Why aren’t you back yet? You’re killing me over here!"

Zhang Wenda froze, his gaze fixed in that direction. A flash of a yellow kite zipped through the sky. ’Yellow?’

Under the influence of the blue, past details instantly resurfaced in his mind: the yellow award certificate, the yellow clouds, and finally, the yellow kite.

’So this is all just the final yellow trial, isn’t it?’ Zhang Wenda didn’t have a definitive answer, but based on how he’d acquired the last two colors, his deduction was probably spot on.

’Do I have to save Pan Dongzi to get the yellow? Why did it have to be now?’ Zhang Wenda’s lips pressed into a thin, hard line.

’Is getting the yellow + Pan Dongzi’s safety > my own safety?’

Though Thought Wave One had likely become a trap, and this horse might very well be taken by their cannon, the thought of gaining the ability to face Qianxi head-on after getting the yellow was tempting.

Zhang Wenda stood there, weighing his options for a long moment. In the end, he decided the deal was worth it. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, "Fuck it! Let’s do this!"

As the red inside him stirred, his legs rapidly transformed, their joints bending backward as they turned black. With a powerful leap, he shot up onto a nearby rooftop and raced toward the sound.

Before long, Zhang Wenda once again saw the completely transformed Pan Dongzi, along with the people nearby who were attacking him.

Captain Shuisheng, Wang Xiaohua, and other familiar faces—they were the very teammates who had come here with him.

"Wenda! You’re here!" Wang Xiaohua called out, holding up her flashlight. "Look! We found him! We can go home today!"

Zhang Wenda moved to stand directly between them. "All of you, stop!" he said urgently. "There’s no time to explain. This Thought Wave has become extremely dangerous! We have to leave, now!"