Berus froze for a moment. Once he processed what he heard, his brain short-circuited as he asked blankly:
“What? My Lord! What did you say?”
He lunged forward, dropping to one knee and hugging the man’s thigh tightly, wailing:
“Don’t do it! My Lord, how will I live if you leave!”
The man frowned, shifting his body, but failed to liberate his thigh.
“Berus, have you forgotten my original identity?”
Hearing this, Berus recalled his Boss’s glorious history from back in the day and instantly felt refreshed.
“True,” Berus said, feeling good for barely two seconds before his face fell again. “But my Lord, your current condition is very serious.”
The man’s safety was tied to the safety of the entire Infinite Flow world.
Similarly, if the man experienced any emotional fluctuations, the entire Infinite Flow world would suffer too.
For example:
Little Ming is participating in a lowest-tier E-Rank dungeon while the man is asleep.
Just as he’s about to clear the level, the man happens to wake up from his coffin.
And coincidentally, the man gets a tiny bit angry, experiencing a sliver of emotional fluctuation.
Well, that’s it. The originally E-Rank dungeon could instantly spike to C-Rank, or even higher.
Whether poor Little Ming could survive would become a huge unknown.
And it wouldn’t just be Little Ming. Everyone participating in dungeons at that moment would be implicated.
An A-Rank dungeon could spike to S-Rank, or even the more terrifying SSS-Rank.
This was also the reason why the man frequently fell into a deep slumber.
Berus could only try to persuade him again: “If it really doesn’t work out, just let me take Xu Xingyuan into the dungeon.”
The man didn’t speak. He remained immovable as a mountain, clearly having made up his mind. No amount of persuasion would work.
Seeing that persuasion was futile, Berus refused to give up. He dragged the Doctor over from god knows where.
The Doctor pushed away Berus, who was clinging to his arm, and said unhappily, “I’m busy right now. If you have a fart, let it out fast.”
Berus completely ignored the Doctor’s disdain. He shoved him in front of the man, hid behind him, and said rapidly:
“My Lord wants to be Xu Xingyuan’s Ferryman and enter the dungeon with him.”
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the Doctor stopped squinting and smiling. His eyes went round as he stared at the silent man and shouted:
“No! Absolutely not! Don’t do it, my Lord! What will I do if you leave?”
He said the exact same thing as Berus, not forgetting to execute a lunge and hug the man’s thigh, wailing in the same fashion:
“I disagree! If it really comes to it, just let Berus accompany Xingyuan into the dungeon.”
Berus hugged the left thigh; the Doctor hugged the right thigh.
The two began to fake-cry frantically. The wailing was incredibly loud, but not a single tear fell even after half a day.
Berus: “Besides, once you enter a dungeon now, you’ll fall into a deep sleep. How are you supposed to guide Xu Xingyuan?”
Doctor: “Exactly, exactly. Berus and I agree to sacrifice ourselves.”
No matter how much the two cried and fussed, almost dragging the Nun into it as well…
Once the man decided on something, there was absolutely no room for changing his mind.
In the end, Xu Xingyuan’s becoming a Ferryman was set in stone.
The next day, Xu Xingyuan finished his tasks.
In the evening, just when it was time to rest, he was dragged to the infirmary by the Doctor.
On the way, the Doctor said, “Xingyuan, I found a Ferryman for you.”
Xu Xingyuan nodded obediently, unable to stop himself from looking forward to it.
What kind of senior will they be?
The Doctor coughed. “It’s just that That One’s temper… how should I put it? It’s very hard to figure out?”
The Doctor thought for a long time before finally using the phrase “hard to figure out” to slightly sugarcoat it.
Instantly, the image of a middle-aged man with thinning hair and sharp glasses appeared in Xu Xingyuan’s mind.
Xu Xingyuan began to let his imagination run wild in his little head.
How should I get along with the senior?
How should I greet him later?
Will the senior like someone with a dull personality like me?
Amidst his wild thoughts, the Doctor had already brought Xu Xingyuan to the infirmary door and slowly pushed it open—
The first thing Xu Xingyuan saw was a handsome, upright back figure.
Sensing something, the person turned his head slightly.
Those calm eyes met Xu Xingyuan’s gaze.
This senior’s appearance was completely different from the image in Xu Xingyuan’s fantasy.
Upon seeing the other person’s face clearly, Xu Xingyuan froze on the spot, instinctively holding his breath.
He had never seen someone so good-looking.
Unlike Chef Ah Jiao’s beauty, Ah Jiao’s beauty was androgynous, non-aggressive, and even held a hint of allure. But the senior before him exuded a sense of coldness and alienation. The emotions in his brows and eyes were very faint, and his whole being radiated an air of nobility.
He didn’t need to say or do anything. Just standing there, he became the focal point of the crowd.
“This is the senior who will take you into the dungeon,” the Doctor took the initiative to introduce him to Xu Xingyuan.
Knowing Xu Xingyuan was easily shy, he pushed him by the shoulders all the way over.
Xu Xingyuan was a bit awkward. Seeing him up close, he realized the senior’s features were even more impactful!
Not knowing how to greet him, Xu Xingyuan couldn’t help but turn red from his neck to his earlobes.
The senior spoke first, his voice deep, magnetic, and indifferent:
“First time meeting. My name is Gu Nian.”
“H-Hello, Senior! My name is Xu Xingyuan!”
Xu Xingyuan, face red, suddenly bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
The Doctor was amused by Xu Xingyuan’s reaction. He patted his back gently and soothed:
“Gu Nian is very nice. Relax, no need to be nervous.”
After saying this, the Doctor felt a bit dazed, and cold sweat started to form on his back.
He really had some nerve now, daring to call his top boss by his full name.
Moreover, hearing the name “Gu Nian” come out of his mouth after so long felt like a lifetime had passed.
“It just so happens that a D-Rank Little Monster in the breeding room is about to mature and needs to be sent to a dungeon. Gu Nian will take you to practice.”
The Doctor rubbed his chin, musing, “As for when to go, I need to ask the Nun to perform a divination.”
Xu Xingyuan kept his head down the entire time, not daring to make any eye contact with the senior.
“Xingyuan, you haven’t had your blood drawn today, have you?”
Suddenly named, Xu Xingyuan blinked nervously. With a red face, he nodded repeatedly, actively rolled up his sleeve, and extended his arm to the Doctor.
After the blood draw, Xu Xingyuan left early. Even as he was about to exit the infirmary, he didn’t dare to look at Gu Nian one last time.
After he left, the Doctor poured the blood into a cup and handed it to Gu Nian.
The latter took it, his lips lightly touching the rim of the cup. The blood wet his lips, making them no longer appear overly pale.
The Doctor stared at Gu Nian and suddenly asked with great curiosity:
“Xu Xingyuan’s blood is the only existence you haven’t rejected in all these years.”
The people in the apartment had gone to great lengths for a long time to find a compatible blood source for Gu Nian, trying every kind of blood.
During the years when they were nearly driven mad, the Doctor had even actively discussed with the Nun whether they could draw God’s blood.
No matter how rare or expensive the blood, it couldn’t stir Gu Nian’s appetite.
He had always been listless; even smelling them made him want to vomit.
Until one morning.
A blood-colored bus brought Xu Xingyuan to the Monster Apartment.
He became, for Gu Nian, the most special existence.
Gu Nian finally had an appetite.