Being the Wife of a Fluffy Creature [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The First World (20)

The three monsters in the kitchen were wearing dust-covered hazmat suits. Wu Yao had seen this type of monster on his very first day on Paradise Island.

There were many types of monsters on the island; the Hazmat Suit Monster wasn’t the most numerous, but it was the most common, and the Mayor seemed particularly fond of them.

Wu Shiyi had already lunged forward, pinning one of the monsters to the ground in the blink of an eye. The same hands that had just gripped Wu Yao’s waist were now cupping the monster’s face.

The muscles in his arms flexed; with a twist and a lift of his palms, he tore the monster’s head clean off.

Wu Yao watched the entire process and couldn’t help but lift his shirt to check his waist. Sure enough, there were several bright red finger marks.

Perhaps from being a dog for too long, the man didn’t quite know how to control his strength.

Wu Shiyi seemed to believe that fighting was a dog’s job; he chased down and thrashed the three monsters, leaving none for Wu Yao.

It was a total curb-stomp; Wu Yao didn’t need to worry about it.

He chased away the dark shadows crawling into the lunch box and picked it up to study it closely.

The originally plain stainless steel lunch box had a cartoon decoration on the front that had transformed into a smart display screen.

Near the lid, a line of small text appeared—”Ark Life: Guarding Your Dietary Health.”

The display was covered in bloodstains. Wu Yao tried to wipe it clean.

He must have hit some button because before the blood was even wiped off, the lunch box began to hum.

“Little Chef-Chef reminds you: please clean your lunch box promptly. Now playing the evening news for you; we wish you a happy life.”

“Ding—Unable to connect to the network; news broadcast failed. Checking if the network connection is disconnected…”

“Check complete: network connection normal.”

“Check failed: you are no longer in the network coverage area.”

“Ding—Ark Life customer service number provided; we promise free after-sales service for three hundred years.”

A series of mechanical child-like voices drifted from the lunch box, leaving Wu Yao stunned. Wu Shiyi, who was currently ‘harvesting’ a monster head, also turned back in confusion.

“Connecting to Ark Life online customer service for you.”

“There are currently many people consulting; please wait patiently. Estimated wait time is 5 minutes.”

“Watch a 60-second ad to receive one line-cutting service.”

Wu Yao: …

Wu Shiyi: ?

The Truth Society was elusive, and he couldn’t find apples on the island. Every contact was precious; Wu Yao didn’t want to waste a single second.

He wiped the screen while shaking the lunch box and found a line of text on the bottom interior—”Ark Life: We will eventually welcome a new life.”

Aside from that, there was nothing else special.

Just as Wu Yao was about to put the lunch box down, he heard a burst of spirited music.

“Good news, good news! Are you still loathing a boring life? Are you still complaining about the stupidity of the managers?”

“The Mayor election is about to begin. Twelve candidates for you to choose from. What are you waiting for? Come and vote for your favorite—zzzt—”

The ad triggered by the shaking stopped abruptly. The display screen went completely dark, and no matter how Wu Yao fiddled with it, it didn’t make another sound.

One couldn’t find such high-tech items on Paradise Island. Officer Xiao Liu had likely given him the lunch box specifically so he could see this for himself.

Wu Shiyi had already finished off the three monsters and was standing two meters away from Wu Yao, looking at him expectantly.

Wu Yao belatedly remembered that his face had just been licked by the other.

It’s not like he did it on purpose; these were all small things.

“I am a man and you are a male dog; we must maintain a certain distance. Even as friends, you can’t just lick each other whenever you want. I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t mess around in the future.”

The man smiled at him apologetically. Wu Yao handed the lunch box over and let him continue studying it.

The apartment building was still shaking. Wu Yao leaned against the wall and walked into the bathroom. He hurriedly washed his face and began checking the furniture.

Most of the furniture was covered in blood and dust, making it hard to see their original colors.

Wu Shiyi was searching outside with the lunch box while Wu Yao conducted a “carpet-style” search in the bathroom. A few minutes later, an air raid siren wailed across the streets, interspersed with strange roaring sounds.

The toilet in the inner world had upgraded to a smart toilet. Wu Yao struggled to wipe the dust off the lid, intending to read the words on it carefully.

The glass door was suddenly pushed open. Wu Shiyi hoisted him up and ran to the living room window while holding him.

The system was screaming “Holy sh!t, holy sh!t,” marveling that Wu Shiyi could run so fast with a crippled leg; he was a real beast.

Wu Shiyi’s movements toward Wu Yao had always been gentle, only occasionally lacking in strength control. This was the first time Wu Yao had been pinned against the wall by him.

The power gap between the two was absurdly large. His heart hammered and his muscles tensed; a sliver of the fear he only felt when facing a villain cropped up in his heart.

The silly dog had a good temper and never got angry. Wu Yao had been too relaxed and comfortable around him, nearly forgetting what it felt like to be hacked to death by a mission target.

If the target doesn’t cooperate, the difficulty rises; if he doesn’t finish the mission, he doesn’t get paid. Wu Yao reflected internally: he couldn’t lose his temper with the dog just because the “Saint Father” had a good disposition.

If their relationship soured, Wu Shiyi might suddenly flip and kill him, and his wallet would suffer.

The man nudged Wu Yao’s face with his nose, interrupting his thoughts. Wu Yao looked out the window, and his brain instantly short-circuited.

The system swore again in his mind, “Nu… Nuclear peace?! The inner world is playing for keeps!”

Wu Yao saw only a blinding white light, and then everything around him vanished.

Panic-stricken cars could no longer be seen on the streets. Human shadows remained on the ground—those were the survivors who had been running around the inner world just moments ago.

A few residents of the outer world walked through the street carrying shopping bags, stepping over cracks in the ground and treading over charred corpses.

The apartment building Wu Yao was in had also been leveled. He and Wu Shiyi were eerily floating in mid-air, as if they were still standing on the living room floor.

Wu Shiyi was clearly seeing this massive scene for the first time as well. His brow was furrowed, and his hands were gripping Wu Yao tightly.

Hearing the hurried breathing above his head, Wu Yao patted the man’s arm. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid. For now, the two worlds haven’t affected each other yet; the blast won’t hit you.”

Wu Shiyi visibly shuddered and leaned silently against Wu Yao’s shoulder.

The system lamented, “With his personality, seeing so many people get killed must be heartbreaking, right?”

Wu Yao reached back to stroke the man’s head, saying over and over, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid.”

Wu Shiyi could see the inner world without apples; he could accurately distinguish between the things of the two worlds. He knew the people of the inner world weren’t “normal” people, so naturally, he wouldn’t feel sad for them.

His shivering was just from the shock; anyone would be terrified seeing this “nuclear peace” scene.

Wu Yao appeared calm, but his clothes were already soaked with cold sweat.

Wu Yao could roughly guess what kind of catastrophe Paradise Island would face once the two worlds merged.

It was now very difficult to find intact buildings in the inner world, let alone look for the truth hidden under blood and dust.

Fortunately, there wasn’t much to find in the apartment anyway. Aside from the words “Ark Life” on the furniture, there was nothing else special.

The Mayor had been monitoring them in the shadows; there were many things Wu Yao could only say to the system and couldn’t reveal to Wu Shiyi.

It was clear that the Mayor cared deeply about Paradise Island. He built the dog-fighting arena, let the Truth Society hand out apples, and lied about an infectious disease on the island to have the police wipe the contactors’ memories.

His behavior seemed contradictory, but it was actually just to hide the greatest secret of Paradise Island. To that end, he was even willing to expose the existence of the inner world.

Now, the inner world had already influenced the outer world. More and more residents could see scenes of the other world even without eating apples.

If Paradise Island were truly about to be destroyed, the Mayor wouldn’t need to toss and turn like this.

The guess in Wu Yao’s heart was confirmed: Paradise Island was constantly in a cycle. From destruction to rebirth, and from rebirth toward annihilation.

In a month at the latest, or a few days at the earliest, the inner world would completely erode the outer world. The moment Paradise Island vanished completely, a round of the cycle would conclude.

As for what Wu Yao would encounter after the next cycle began, or whether he could find Wu Shiyi, he wasn’t sure.

The Mayor knew of the catastrophe’s existence; this likely wasn’t his first time experiencing the cycle.

Based on current observations, the Mayor should be the only one on Paradise Island who retains memories of the cycle; all other residents would forget everything completely.

Wu Yao didn’t need to worry about himself.

He wasn’t a little slave that a “black-hearted system” could kill at will anymore; he was a regular employee protected by the Quick Transmigration Company.

Ensuring that a partner doesn’t lose the basic ability to complete a mission is the system’s job. No matter what happened, the system would help him recover his memory.

What needed worrying about right now was Wu Shiyi.

If the black dog completely forgot Wu Yao when the next cycle began, his mission would be declared a failure on the spot.

The system chirped, asking him why.

“The mission detection system judges it this way: if the cycle truly exists, life on Paradise Island won’t truly die. Even if they are blown to ash, they will be resurrected when the next cycle begins. That being the case, why did the mission system issue three ‘save the dog’ missions?”

As the apple’s effect wore off, Wu Shiyi turned back into the big black dog.

He held the plush bone pillow Wu Yao had given him and lay on the sofa bed, lost in thought.

The system thought for a long time, its bead-like eyes slowly widening. “Ah—I get it! Back then you had just met and the relationship wasn’t close enough. If the silly dog died too early, there’s no way it could remember you in the next cycle. Even if you stood in front of it shouting ‘Wu Shiyi,’ it would just think you’re a pitiable madman and wouldn’t listen to you!”

“Now, seeing that Paradise Island is about to be destroyed and the target is going to ‘kick the bucket,’ the detection system hasn’t issued a save-the-dog mission. In its judgment, you and the silly dog already have an emotional foundation; even if it dies, it will still have a sense of familiarity when it meets you again in the next cycle!”

Looking at the little ball of light roasting brain flowers, Wu Yao discovered that eating brains might actually make one smarter.

The Mayor had suffered a loss at Wu Yao’s hands this round, so he would definitely target him next round.

Perhaps when they met again, the one turned into a dog wouldn’t be Wu Shiyi anymore, but Wu Yao.

The inner world was already destroyed; this round of the cycle could end at any time.

Wu Yao pondered how to deliver a “powerful blow” so that Wu Shiyi would remember him forever.

Seeing him come over, the dazing black dog immediately began wagging its tail.

It remembered the conflict they had earlier and didn’t pounce on Wu Yao. It proactively moved inward, leaving only its dog head by Wu Yao’s hand.

Wu Yao watched the whole process and suddenly realized that Wu Shiyi wasn’t actually easier to handle than a villain.

Although he was corrupted by money, he hadn’t degenerated to the point of bullying even a “nice guy.” He was full of wicked schemes but didn’t want to use even a drop on the silly dog.

The system offered random advice, “Love makes people crazy—hug him, mouth him, do ‘hey-shoo’ (sex) with him!”

Wu Yao neither wanted to “sell his body” nor did he want to trick an honest man’s feelings.

He lay down beside the black dog, his voice sounding a bit airy. “Shiyi, from today on, you’ll sleep in the bedroom bed with me.”

The black dog, holding its pillow, let out a “Wang.”

“Just a few hours ago I asked you to keep your distance, and now I’m asking you to sleep with me. I’m being so inconsistent, don’t you find it annoying?”

The big dog couldn’t speak; it only wagged its tail and smiled at him.

Wu Yao shifted his gaze uncomfortably.

Is this sincere, or is he just trying to make me happy?

Does this mean that no matter what I do, Wu Shiyi won’t get angry?

Emotional exchange alone wasn’t enough to make Wu Shiyi remember him; he also needed some sensory memories. Like rings, necklaces, a specific scent, favorite foods, and so on.

He didn’t have the habit of wearing accessories. He felt around his body for a long time but couldn’t find anything that could be worn on a dog.

A dog’s nose was much sharper than a human’s. Wu Yao thought for a moment and took off his pajamas. “Shiyi, is there any scent on me?”

“Wang.”

Wu Yao moved closer. “As long as there is. Smell me carefully, cooperate with me.”

As for why he needed him to smell him, with the Mayor around, it wasn’t easy to explain to Wu Shiyi.

After a long pause, the black dog nodded slowly.

In the next second, Wu Yao only felt a wet dog nose press against his skin, carefully recording his scent inch by inch.