Chapter 211: Call Me Teacher from Now On
He couldn’t bring himself to kill all the people who depended on him to survive.
"I’ve protected them for so long, and now I’m supposed to kill them—I can’t do it..." Leng Feng leaned back, collapsing into his chair.
He knew this was the best option, because if he didn’t act, sooner or later he would be absorbed by Dark Star.
He was Dark Star’s seed from the start.
Once he was absorbed, none of the people in this dungeon would stand a chance to survive.
He also understood that since death was certain, why not place their fates in his own hands, and fight to the bitter end?
"I still can’t do it." He sighed. All his life, he’d taught others to show no mercy when necessary, never imagining that at the most critical moment, his own heart would waver.
Not being steely-hearted was, in theory, something to be glad for—in this blood-soaked city, in this land smeared thick with viscous gore, where the ground itself was studded with spikes stabbing into humanity.
He felt that this was the greatest difference between himself and the evil spirits.
His humanity.
"Boss!" Liu Mang’s voice suddenly sharpened; without asking for permission, he tapped the play button on the tablet.
"You don’t want to hurt them? Then maybe you should see what’s happening in those two places." As soon as the words fell, the tablet erupted in chaotic noise.
"Here’s some of the intel we’ve gathered—first-person perspective. It’s probably deliberately released by those people."
Liu Mang fell silent; when he first saw this POV, all he felt was a cold creeping up from his feet.
Leng Feng sat upright in his chair and started playing the video.
Onscreen, it looked like an organizer—a man standing on a podium. His status wasn’t high, but he seemed to be orchestrating something.
[Everyone, those people abandoned us. They’re dropping anchors in their own cities, creating dungeons and keeping us out.]
[The Dark Forest is expanding endlessly; all that’s left for us is a dead end.]
[They claim equality for all, but when it comes to life and death, they split people into first and last tiers.]
[Now that they don’t want us alive, let’s all die together.]
[Look at that mountain fire—they want to block the Dark Forest’s advance, cut off roads linking their cities. Well, let’s open up those roads ourselves!]
[Destroy them!]
...
In the end, he saw that man turn the camera to his own face and shut it off.
The screen cut sharply; Leng Feng felt chills up his back. He’d imagined many possibilities—a firebreak not thick enough, or maybe a breach allowing the Dark Forest through.
He’d never imagined it was humans, using their very lives to build a bridge for the Dark Forest straight into those cities.
"See? They’ll destroy themselves all on their own." Liu Mang’s voice was cold as ice, empty of all feeling.
"Boss, back when you found me, I was just fifteen. You told me we’d work together, carve out a new era for humanity." Liu Mang took a seat opposite Leng Feng, looking him dead in the eye as he recounted his past.
"Back then, I thought I wanted to be like you—to save everyone."
"So what if I’m a dog for Dark Star? So what if death lurks at every turn?"
"Isn’t the outcome good enough?"
"But I realized I was wrong. The only reason everyone’s still holding on is because of you. This isn’t about safeguarding all mankind."
"Boss, that slogan is too grand. The evil spirits are too strong—we’re barely hanging on." Liu Mang stood up, pointing down below.
"Just now, the brothers went out to talk to everyone, tried to tell them this pain is nothing—you’ve suffered a hundred times worse over the years."
"But what did we hear? We heard them say the dungeons created by humans are getting weird—they talked about Flying Eagle, about you, about Jiang Che."
"Yeah, all the dungeons people created are strange... some are even eerier than the Evil Spirit Realm. But isn’t it all just to survive?" Liu Mang recalled what he’d overheard outside.
They weren’t wrong. Dungeons created by humans, yet somehow twisted and bizarre.
Enough to make you question if those who built them are still ’human’ at all.
"Boss, we used to protect them—now, just protect our brothers."
"Why are we always the ones to sacrifice, but never them?" Liu Mang walked behind Leng Feng, placing a hand on his shoulder, gently kneading his neck.
"I was barely a teenager when my parents died in a dungeon. You took me in, taught me, shared your ideals and plans, your vision for the future."
"I listened, wanted to follow you, but after a while I didn’t know what to call you anymore."
"I thought of calling you teacher—sometimes even father."
"Boss, you’re willing to sacrifice us but not anyone else?"
As he spoke, he stepped on a ground spike—fresh blood mingling with the dried stains beneath him.
"Of course, if you’re unwilling, that’s fine."
"We’re ready to give our lives any moment!"
Leng Feng stared straight at the blood on the ground, the red so harsh it almost hurt his eyes.
"I understand." Leng Feng’s voice suddenly softened.
"I’ll ask Jiang Che how humans can become stronger—how our dungeon can hold even more people."
"No limits then, let as many in as possible."
"For food, just open the granaries. All the food from nearby cities can be brought over."
"Trust me, I’ll kill Dark Star—no one’s getting hurt."
Something seemed to click for him; when he raised his head again, there was a hint of madness in his eyes.
"By the way, I’ve heard several human dungeons didn’t even set up gates in the early days."
"That’s way too unsafe. Go arrange a meeting with them for me." Leng Feng glanced at Liu Mang, his deputy—there was something in his eyes no one could describe.
"Find them. We’ll ask what plans they have for the future." Leng Feng’s voice was almost gentle. "After all, if they die, this dungeon’s likely to just end up taken by whatever evil spirit sneaks in."
Liu Mang paused, then suddenly understood.
"Should I call in Flying Eagle’s group too?"
He seemed to get what Leng Feng meant—this change made him feel both unfamiliar and elated.
This was exactly what he’d wanted to see.
"Flying Eagle, huh..." Leng Feng frowned. "His eye is pretty useful—it can monitor info from many dungeons."
"But I promised Jiang Che I wouldn’t touch anyone close to him."
"Forget Flying Eagle. Jiang Che will handle him." Leng Feng shook his head.
"Boss, do you really trust Jiang Che? Maybe bring him in too..."
"Don’t harm him, not if anyone wants to survive." Leng Feng quickly cut off Liu Mang’s idea.
"Oh, right..." He turned to look at the youth opposite him on the sofa.
"From now on, stop calling me Boss..."
"Call me... Teacher."