Infinite Nightmares

"Keep it down." Zhang Wenda glanced at the sleeping rabbit, then turned to look at 2826 with disgust.

"Who’d want to join your crummy organization? I came to you to discuss something else."

"What is it?"

"It’s about the group that almost killed you. The leader was the bayonet-head guy, remember?"

Hearing Zhang Wenda say this, 2826 sat up straight. "I remember. What about it?"

As Zhang Wenda recounted everything that had happened, 2826 grew increasingly serious. "They’re not actually dead?"

"You don’t have to repeat what I just said. Not only are they not dead, but they’ve come after us. I killed five of them last night. This is a fight to the death now. What’s our next move?"

"No, you didn’t kill them." 2826 raised a finger. "Thought Wave One has no concept of death. You’ll just never see them again."

Seeing how much of a stickler the other man was, Zhang Wenda felt a headache coming on. "Seriously? Is this really the time for a lesson on Thought Wave lore? Dude! They’re already at our door. Let’s figure out how to deal with them, okay?"

"Are you sure it’s them? Are you certain it was Saber, the one we dealt with that day? Did you see his face?"

"Well..."

Before Zhang Wenda could say anything, the sleeping rabbit behind him opened its red eyes. "That’s right, it was them. When I went to find Wenda that night, I saw them from a distance."

As he spoke, he pulled a pen and a piece of paper from his pocket and began to sketch skillfully. In just a few minutes, a lifelike drawing of the bayonet-head guy appeared before them.

"After Wenda made his move, that man wanted to bring more people in. I woke up all the neighbors, and only then did they decide to temporarily retreat."

Zhang Wenda gave him a surprised look. ’So that’s what was happening last night.’

"It’s really him. He dares to show his face again?" 2826 stared at the paper in silence.

"You were undercover there for so long. He’s the boss of that Sun Factory. You must know something about his strength, right?" Zhang Wenda asked.

"His name is Saber. He’s not that strong on his own. The problem isn’t his individual power; it’s that he’s part of an organization. Do you understand?"

"He’s not some video game boss where it’s over once you beat him. If they realize they’re outmatched, they won’t attack head-on. They’ll lay low and retreat. They’ll use sneak attacks and ambushes. They’ll do anything and everything to achieve their goal."

"When I infiltrated their factory, my goal wasn’t just to destroy the factory. It was to take out their entire network, up and down the chain, to dismantle the whole organization. But the fact that they dare to retaliate so openly means I only cut off one branch. The main body is still intact."

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda’s brow furrowed. He’d been around the block, and he knew that cunning people were often far more dangerous than any bizarre environment or monster.

He would rather face some bizarre, rule-based horror scenario or all sorts of illogical monsters than provoke an underground organization. ’This is big trouble.’

"So what’s this organization called?" Zhang Wenda asked.

"Big Circle."

"What a stupid name," Song Jianguo, who had been watching from the side, commented.

"Stay out of this. This is Bureau 507 business. I’ll report it to my superiors. We have specialists to track them." 2826 immediately pulled out a cell phone—a jarring sight in the context of Thought Wave One—and began rapidly tapping on it with one finger.

"So you’re saying I’m safe? They won’t come after me anymore?" Zhang Wenda shot back.

"Not exactly. Due to other priorities, the Bureau hasn’t invested many resources into dealing with the Big Circle. But since they dared to make a move on us, that changes things. Very few people dare to attack someone from Bureau 507."

Hearing this, Song Jianguo chuckled while picking at his nails. "They didn’t attack one of your people. They’re just squeezing Haozi, this easy target."

looked at Zhang Wenda seriously. "Don’t worry. This started because of me, so your problem is my problem. I’ll see it through to the end. I just submitted a request to my superiors. I’m going to stay by your side to protect you."

"What? You? In a situation like this, shouldn’t we be calling in a combat team to protect me?"

"What’s that supposed to mean?" 2826 glared at him.

"I’m not looking down on you, really. I know you’re incredible—you know all those rituals and have tons of combat experience. It’s just... we know each other so well now, I don’t want you to risk your neck for me, you know?" Zhang Wenda quickly tried to explain.

"I told you, the shadow was a sneak attack! A SNEAK ATTACK!" 2826 was genuinely angry now, a rare sight. He seemed furious that Zhang Wenda was questioning his abilities.

It wasn’t until Zhang Wenda hastily apologized that he stopped arguing. Muttering that he would keep watch outside, he stormed out of the room.

"Looks like you called it."

This time, Zhang Wenda didn’t argue with Song Jianguo’s words. For once, he nodded in agreement.

’Whether it was being chased all over by Saber or getting ambushed by the shadow, it always felt like that guy 2826, despite knowing a lot, could never fully use his skills when it mattered.’

The thought that a criminal organization was currently watching him from the outside made Zhang Wenda feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

As a thought occurred to him, Zhang Wenda looked at the rabbit beside him again. "Teacher, you’ve seen the situation. Isn’t it time you told me how to switch to my monster form?"

"Do you trust me?" the rabbit asked, looking at Zhang Wenda.

"Of course. You saved my life."

"Then listen to me. It’s not time yet. When the time comes, I’ll tell you. It’s not a good thing. Every gain comes at a price."

Zhang Wenda opened his mouth, but then he suppressed his confusion and nodded forcefully. "Okay! I’ll listen to you! If you’re not telling, I won’t ask. You haven’t had lunch, have you? I’ll go get you something to eat."

"Okay. I like spicy food."

"Got it." Zhang Wenda nodded and jumped out of the treehouse. After hearing 2826 say they wouldn’t dare make a move in broad daylight, he was finally free from being cooped up in here.

While he was out getting food, he also bought his daily limit of three lollipops.

Once Zhang Wenda left, only the rabbit and Song Jianguo remained in the room. It suddenly felt a little empty.

The rabbit opened its palm toward Song Jianguo, and a White Rabbit creamy candy appeared in it. "Want a candy?"

Song Jianguo took the candy but didn’t put it in his mouth. Instead, he looked curiously at the tall rabbit before him. "You transferred?"

The rabbit’s pupils contracted slightly before he calmly replied, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You can only fool that idiot Haozi, you can’t fool me. A cat’s nose is very sensitive. Ever since he changed from a monster back into a person last night, my senses have been telling me you have Haozi’s scent on you."

Hearing this, the rabbit took off his fuzzy glove again. His dry, rotting arm was now covered in sharp scythes. One hand had ten fingers growing all over it, up and down, as if two monster hands had been stitched together.

"There’s no such easy way out. It’s impossible to switch. Once you become a monster, you’re always a monster. You can never change back into a human."

"But Wenda needs hope right now. Even if reality is completely hopeless, I have to give him that hope. Even if it just lets him be a kid for one more day."