Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

After leaving Sun Ruixing’s grave, Wen Yu stood in place, deep in thought.

After a while, Wen Yu sighed and chose a random spot to set up his tent.

Sleeping under the open sky on the ground felt good, and the winter temperatures in the Northeast wouldn’t affect him much now. Still, having a tent and a warm bed was always nice.

In his past life, when Wen Yu slept in the wilderness, he wouldn’t set up a tent, as it might limit his field of vision and reaction time.

But now, with three soul pets that could move freely, Wen Yu could certainly allow himself to be more comfortable.

The task of keeping watch at night was left to the three soul pets. Wen Yu just needed to enjoy himself!

Wen Yu shamelessly embraced the spirit of a slave master, quickly set up the tent, and then checked his watch.

It was already 2:00 a.m.

The Blood Moon in the sky continued to shed its hazy moonlight, and the dark red light paradoxically made the world seem brighter.

After sensing the positions of his soul pets, Wen Yu thought for a moment and started walking in another direction.

”WOOF WOOF?”

”Is this the place?”

”Yes, this is the place, but... it’s gone...”

Indeed, with the barrier contracting, the ancient tree’s frozen body had long ago turned to a pile of ash. Now, Star could find no trace of it.

Star, in his miniature form, moved his short, cute limbs, slowly approaching the spot where the ancient tree had been. His small, sharp claws lightly scratched the ground a few times.

”It’s really gone.”

Star stared at the ground, his two front paws continuously scratching. A wave of sadness quickly spread, for sadness is contagious.

Sensing this emotion, Cyclops and Victor both fell silent.

After a moment, Cyclops opened his grotesque, large mouth, gently patted Star’s head, and said comfortingly, ”Don’t be sad. Grandpa Tree is probably with the others now, in that world with no conflict and plentiful food.”

Star remembered the kind lie Wen Yu had once told, and Cyclops knew it too.

But Star’s reply left Cyclops utterly silent.

”Cyclops, I may be naive, but I’m not stupid...

”I know they’re dead. They’re never coming back!”

Cyclops opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Victor, unfamiliar with the full story, could only remain silent as well.

Star, however, continued to speak.

”I used to be naive and ignorant of worldly affairs, but after being with Boss for so long, I’ve grown. Even a fool would know you were all deceiving me; how could I not have realized it?

”This world... perhaps there’s no such place with inexhaustible food and no strife after all.

”But I don’t blame you!

”You lied to me for my own good. Besides, I think I’ve found companions and friends I can rely on now.

”It’s just like Boss said...

”I have new friends, I don’t go hungry anymore. Things are good now.”

Star was still so easily satisfied.

Yet, the more easily satisfied and innocent he was, the more Star’s words pained those who heard them.

The atmosphere grew increasingly sorrowful. Even Cyclops, usually the most boisterous of them, was quiet now, not making a sound.

Then, footsteps sounded from afar, and Wen Yu slowly approached.

Seeing the three soul pets standing silently before him, Wen Yu chuckled.

”It’s late. Time for bed.”

The familiar voice and familiar words were like countless nights past when the three soul pets would be frolicking late into the night, and Wen Yu would call them in like a parent.

That single sentence pulled the three soul pets from their reverie back to the present.

As if they had rehearsed it countless times, Star leaped onto Wen Yu’s head, Cyclops burrowed into his embrace, and Victor jumped onto Wen Yu’s other shoulder.

Feeling their weight on his body and recalling Star’s recent words, Wen Yu didn’t move immediately. Gazing at the barren, desolate land before him, he spoke in a soft voice, as if reciting poetry:

”There is an emotion called sadness.

”There is a strength called pretense.

”There is a wound called heartache.

”We all have sorrowful pasts; we all have things we’ve lost.

”But fate has bound us together. At least for now, we still have each other.

”So I’m thinking, if we can continue on like this, perhaps in the future, we can create even more beautiful memories that are uniquely ours.

”What do you all think?”

I think Boss is getting sentimental again, Cyclops grumbled, completely shattering the atmosphere Wen Yu had painstakingly tried to create.

”MEOW! You talk too much!” Victor’s fur bristled. Compared to dogs, cats were indeed more sensitive creatures, much like women.

I think what Boss said was beautiful, Star thought.

Beautiful, my furry butt! Who knows where he plagiarized it from? Cyclops retorted internally.

”MEOW! I’ve had it with you for a long time!”

All of Victor’s black fur stood on end. He leaped from Wen Yu’s shoulder, instantly pouncing on Cyclops and deflating his bravado.

Watching the three soul pets bickering, Wen Yu silently added a thought in his heart.

I probably owe you all a promise.

I promise I will never abandon you, not until the end of my life!

Wen Yu had his story, Star had his, Cyclops had his, and Victor... he had a story too.

Any creature with a soul will have stories. Regardless of how many, there will always be good ones and bad ones.

And it was painfully clear that in the stories of this man and his three pets, the bad far outweighed the good...

Perhaps it was truly fate, or perhaps Wen Yu was indeed a calamitous lone star. In any case, these four powerful beings, beneath their formidable exteriors, might each be hiding nothing more than a wounded heart.

Perhaps only wounded hearts can truly resonate with one another, supporting each other as they venture further on their journey.

At this thought, a sudden, indescribable emotion surged through Wen Yu, and he roared at the vast expanse of heaven and earth, ”Cyclops! You’re on watch all night! If anything happens, I’ll skin you alive!”

In the distance, Cyclops, who was being aggressively chased by Victor, promptly stumbled, lost his footing, and took a spectacular tumble. Victor then pounced, pinning him down and mercilessly plucking his fur.

One could only say... he had it coming for shooting off his mouth!

The uproar was short-lived.

Beneath the night sky, occupied only by the man and his three pets, tranquility was the prevailing theme.

Once the ruckus died down, Cyclops obediently lay down beside the tent, taking up his post as a guard dog.

Meanwhile, Wen Yu, with Victor and Star, settled down and slept peacefully.

Although Cyclops could be unreliable at times, that was merely when he was playing around. Ordinarily, Cyclops was definitely trustworthy.

Having Cyclops stand guard through the night was probably the most reassuring arrangement for Wen Yu.