Famine 104: Dust

Boom!!

The rocks behind collapsed with a thunderous crash, blasting open that narrow crevice that only allowed passage by turning sideways.

Xiao Qiu’s figure, swallowed by flame, was buried beneath the falling stones.

Through the swirling dust, a squad emerged.

Leading them was a man dressed in sleek green silk, his long hair tied in a ponytail at the back. His eyes, narrow and slanted upwards with a line of bright green at the outer corners, were strangely androgynous—not at all gaudy, but carrying a sharp, formidable air.

“Xiao Qiu!” Nearby, Xiao Qiu’s friends screamed, eyes tearing wide in horror.

Before Shen Dongming could react, the familiar child had already charged forward, trying to rush past him to look for Xiao Qiu amid the debris and dust.

The man flicked his hand; the child never got close, but was whipped back, hitting the ground and rolling over twice.

The teachers and students rushed to help him up. The older children sprang to their feet, weapons drawn, the sounds of blades and guns filling the air as they faced the man as if confronting a mortal enemy.

He seemed unconcerned, merely rubbing the back of his neck and saying offhandedly,
“My name is Wang Jinyu. Second-in-command of the Silver Ring Alliance. If you ever want revenge or to seek death, come find me.”
“From today, this cave is the private territory of the Silver Ring Alliance. Outsiders are not permitted inside.”

Behind Wang Jinyu, his squad had already moved in, marking off and closing the route, setting up their operation.
The Silver Ring Alliance was the largest player organization in the molten region, notorious for occupying zones and blocking roads to expand their territory.

They controlled the largest and coolest known network of caves, as well as several crucial exits. They made a habit of holding these entrances, charging tolls to all passing players—and this was perhaps the least of their sins.

Their process of taking over yet another small cave was fluent, practiced, and merciless.

Wang Jinyu’s eyes swept along the stone walls, appraising the cave.

“Up close, the space is a bit small, a little cramped for my sister… Still, the proximity works. She ought to be content.”
“You have three minutes—get out.”

“Shameless!!” a child shouted, “We were here first!”

At last, Wang Jinyu glanced down.

Shen Dongming quickly stepped forward, the way a hen shields her chicks, yanking the impulsive child behind him, using his body as a shield to block he and Wang Jinyu’s eyesight.

Just as well, for Wang Jinyu didn’t much care. “You’re in charge? Go on, then.”

“…” Shen Dongming gritted his teeth, breathing deep, his voice trembling: “That’s all beside the point—move aside, please. Our child is under the stones behind you!”

Xiao Qiu was buried!

“Huh?” Wang Jinyu seemed genuinely oblivious, as though he barely remembered. Then clarity—”Oh, the one at the entrance just now. No temperature anymore. Dead already. Don’t bother looking, just leave.”

In an instant, the whole place exploded.

“Why… why go this far?”
So sudden a fall from joy to despair—Shen Dongming’s jaw trembled, near breaking:
“We…we know we’re insignificant, never intended to resist you!”

“If you wanted our space, you could’ve said so. We’d have left without a word! Why the explosion? Why the killing?!”

In fact, Shen Dongming had wanted to move the children as soon as he noticed these people arriving so fast. But his wife was gravely injured and needed to rest a little longer. That small delay—just that—

—and this was the result!

Wang Jinyu snorted, rolling his eyes as if Shen Dongming had asked something deeply stupid.
One of his teammates immediately stepped up, angrily, “So much dust in that rat hole—should Brother Wang get his clothes filthy crawling in? Best to blast it open. As for that kid—shouldn’t have stood so close. Bad luck, that’s all. Now, are you leaving or will we have to kill you all?”

“Clothes—”

So that was the real reason?

For a moment, Shen Dongming’s mind was blank. @All the best stories at Jinjiang Literature City

Shen Dongming had always led his children with caution, avoiding all trouble when possible. He survived these seven years with “the wisdom of little people,” dragging dozens of children through. He had always taught them to show sense, follow rules, treat others with kindness… not to fight for pride, to always spare a thought for others’ feelings, and that sometimes, taking a step back led to endless blue skies.

Xiao Qiu was perpetually dissatisfied, but never truly argued back—she’d often nod, serious, taking his words to heart.

Now, how could he ever face Xiao Qiu again, in the afterlife?

—“I swear to god, you must be itching for a beating!!”

A furious bellow tore through the air.
@All the best stories at Jinjiang Literature City

Before anyone could react, an immense force slammed down, a bolt of blue light smashing Wang Jinyu’s body to the stone wall!

BOOM!

Wang Jinyu was caught off guard, his body lighting up with half a layer of green energy, but it did nothing—he hit the rock face, hard.

A human-shaped crater was left on the wall.

All courage vanished.

As the dust cleared, a tall, robust figure, face dark with rage, stepped out from the far end of the passage.

Wang Jianguo.

He still looked human, but over those thick muscles, tiger-striped fur covered his skin. Wang Jianguo rubbed his shaggy knuckles, joints cracking, his voice cold:

“I haven’t seen such a pure-breed idiot in a long time.”

As his gruff voice faded, a gust of cool air swept out as a small figure shot from behind Wang Jianguo like a cannonball, leaping into Shen Dongming’s arms: “Teacher—”

It was Qiu Youqing.

“Xiao Qiu!!” Shen Dongming gripped her tight, hands shaking with shock. Only as he came to his senses did he realize his back was soaked in cold sweat. The not-so-strong children crowded in to embrace her as well.

Shen Dongming grasped Qiu Youqing’s shoulders, looking her over again and again, making sure she had no injuries before finally relaxing his grip.

“Xiao Qiu—”

Qiu Youqing looked to the doorway, sitting upright, her face flushed, hand waving energetically.

Somehow, Anderson was already there. Graceful as always, the magician stood in his blue tailcoat, doffing his hat in a perfect, silent salute.

Handsome and composed.

Streamers.

Just before, when the children were crowding around Anderson to watch his show, he had let a flurry of white doves and colored streamers fly free, carried by the birds’ wings, fluttering over every one of the teachers and students.

Unbeknownst to them, every person had been marked by a little streamer confetti.

These particular confetti scraps had saved Qiu Youqing’s life.

They were by no means some perfect single-use shield—Anderson was not so proficient—but rather, functioned as a kind of phase anchor, like a key with a single purpose:

If the bearer was in danger within three hundred meters, it would instantaneously swap Anderson and the holder’s positions.

That was Anderson’s gift.

In that moment, surrounded and celebrated by the children, the magician—more a performer than a speaker—had said nothing, simply conjured bird after bird. And in the swirl of white feathers, he had made a quiet decision—

He would protect these children for a time.

With a smile, Anderson executed a magician’s dramatic bow.

“Mr. Anderson…” Shen Dongming’s voice trembled with emotion.

Suddenly, a green light flared as Wang Jinyu tore himself free of the rock wall.

“Filthy… dirty, dirty, dirty! So much dust! My clothes are covered in grime! Aaaaah!!”

Wang Jinyu was a bloody wreck, caked in dust and gore, a stark, miserable opposite to his previously immaculate, elegant demeanor.

More than the wounds, he seemed obsessed with his ruined appearance—almost descending into madness.

“I will kill you! You wretched brute! I swear I’ll kill you!!”

“Gladly.” Wang Jianguo rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles, lips curling in a savage grin, his voice heavy with a faint tiger’s growl. “Anderson, get the kids out.”

“I’ll take care of him.”

“Big guy…” Qiu Youqing tried to protest, but Anderson only patted her shoulder and decisively led the others away.

…………
……

The fight that followed could only be described as a slaughter.

If sniping from hiding were permitted, Wang Jianguo would never be a match for Shi He.

But in a one-on-one arena, in terms of raw combat strength, Shi He had no chance against Wang Jianguo; survival alone would be an achievement. In fact, throughout Xu Bei’s entire team, among all the chosen, no one could defeat Wang Jianguo head-on. In direct melee, he was peerless.

Beast transformation warriors—of all player mutations—possessed the greatest physical enhancements.

Wang Jianguo’s own power was the result of rare luck and a mutated saber-toothed tiger gene, placing him at the very top of the bestial hierarchy in the entire game.

The commotion didn’t last long. Before long, the chaos in the cave subsided.

In its place: a steady, thunderous pounding…

BOOM!! BOOM!!

What the hell was going on? Anderson, with the children, poked his head out.

They saw Wang Jianguo, half-transformed, now a tiger-headed man. With sharp claws he gripped Wang Jinyu’s legs, swinging him like a whip, smashing his head into the ground again and again…

The cave shook, stones raining from above.

As for Wang Jinyu’s lackeys—they had long since become corpses littering the floor. @All the best stories at Jinjiang Literature City

Qiu Youqing, among the half-grown children, eyes shining, muttered, “Wow, big guy looks handsome as a furry!”

Anderson was equal parts amused and helpless. “Enough, that’s plenty. Don’t smash any more, or the cave’ll come down. If you get yourself trapped under the rocks, don’t expect me to dig you out.”

“Hmph.” Only then did Wang Jianguo stop.

In his claws, Wang Jinyu’s once-handsome face was now as swollen as a pig’s head, black and blue, his left eye puffed up like a lightbulb, several teeth missing. His shattered lips flapped, muttering…

“What’s he babbling about?” Wang Jianguo leaned in, curious.

They heard a faint, broken murmur: “…dust, so dirty…”

Anderson: “…”
Shen Dongming: “…”

Qiu Youqing: “Impressive.”

Wang Jianguo, incensed, yanked Wang Jinyu up. Then, as if remembering something, his furry face froze, before twisting into an odd grin.

“Uh… Brother Shen?”

“Y-yes, I’m here,” Shen Dongming responded at once.

Wang Jianguo, still holding Wang Jinyu ominously, said, “This place is pretty far from the exit, right?”

“Um… yes? Yes, it is,” Shen Dongming stammered, confused.

“So you all can’t climb out every time you need to… you know. Means you must eat, drink, and do your business here in the caves—on my way in, I never saw a proper toilet, but you must have a latrine or a cesspit somewhere…”

“Where? Take me there.”