Chapter 554: Dream Wings!

"I'm very interested in the truth, but before that, I want to hear why you sought me out. To be honest, I don't think I'd make a good partner." I looked at Xia Chi and Xiao A. True cooperation required equal footing or mutual need, and I still had no idea why they valued me so highly.

"Out of the ten anchors, you're the 'cleanest' one," Xia Chi said slowly. "We've been watching your every move since the day you became an anchor. That makes you the ideal partner."

"Then what do you need me to do?" I knew it would be hard to get away this time, so I decided to just play along for now.

"Everything is well within your limits. We absolutely will not put you in danger." Xia Chi looked back at Xiao A. He was little more than a mouthpiece, only daring to speak after she nodded her approval.

"Every anchor is implanted with the Plum Blossom Gu upon passing their interview. The poison can only be suppressed, never completely eradicated. A and the man I took you to see earlier suffered injuries so severe that their physical bodies in the real world had to enter a deep slumber just to slow the poison's spread. Of the three of us, I'm the only one who can still occasionally leave the Dream Realm and return to reality. But even I can't stay out there for long; the Gu poison will flare up if I overstay."

"So you need a proxy in the real world to handle things for you?" I guessed.

"That's part of it. But don't worry, we won't make you work for nothing. Xiao A and the other man left behind plenty of treasures in the real world. We can offer those as compensation for your tasks." Xia Chi gave me a friendly smile.

"And your other demands?" I sensed the Traitors were finally about to reveal their true motive.

"Yes. I'm about to list four tasks. As long as you can accomplish two of them, we'll be friends forever. We'll tell you every secret and the complete truth."

"Let's hear them."

"First, once you have enough points, we need you to redeem a specific item for us. We'll compensate you with objects of equal value."

"Redeem it from the Live Show? Redeem what exactly?" I frowned, wondering what could possibly tempt the Traitors so much that they'd ally with me just to get it out of the Underworld Live Show.

"It's a special mirror, though I can't tell you much more for now." Xia Chi held back, likely afraid I'd refuse. "Second, we need you to kill someone in the real world. All I can reveal right now is that this person also has an 'a' in their name."

"Commit murder in the real world?" That condition was hard to swallow, but I didn't reject it outright. I simply nodded. "And the third?"

"Third, find any information regarding the First Anchor. Whether it's text or pictures, as long as it holds some value, you can trade it to us for useful items."

"Fourth, help Good and Evil Buddha save someone. I'll give you the specific details once you agree to the alliance."

Xia Chi finished, but my brow furrowed deeply. Of the four tasks, the absolute last one I could accept was the fourth. "Help Good and Evil Buddha save someone?"

Good and Evil Buddha had to be the Two-Faced Buddha. The bad blood between us was irreconcilable; there was zero chance I would ever help him.

"That's right. We have a minor deal with Good and Evil Buddha, and we need your help to fulfill it. Chen Jiuge, the boy you met when you entered the Deep Dream Layer, actually has ties to him. That's the only reason we've allowed him to stick around."

Xia Chi's words exposed another crucial detail. Chen Jiuge was likely a spy planted in the Live Show by the Two-Faced Buddha. No wonder Xiao A had mentioned earlier that the boy was a bit special.

"Let me think about it."

None of the four tasks the Traitors had laid out were easy. Moreover, whether it was committing murder in the real world or helping Good and Evil Buddha save someone, both went completely against my principles.

Paying such a massive price—even risking a complete break with the Live Show—just to earn a false sense of freedom simply wasn't worth it.

I thought for a moment and quickly made my decision. "The consequences of betraying the Live Show are far too severe. It's a point of no return, and the price is too steep."

"What? Are you really willing to be manipulated by the Live Show forever? To just be a tool in its hands, letting it squeeze and puppet you?" Xia Chi clearly hadn't expected me to refuse, and his smile stiffened.

"I refuse to be a tool for the Live Show, and I won't agree to be a tool for you, either. I live only for myself." I stood my ground, maintaining my calm as I met Xia Chi and Xiao A's eyes.

"Selfishness is human nature. We understand that. But think it over carefully. We don't actually have any conflict of interest; we could absolutely be friends." He walked toward me, the smile slowly fading from his face.

"I'm always happy to make friends, but nothing you've said sounds like friendship to me. Those four tasks you proposed? I'm sorry, but I doubt I can do a single one." I spoke the truth, keeping my voice steady despite the anxiety gnawing at me. I constantly checked my Liver Aperture with my inner sight; the cracks on the Dream Cocoon were multiplying by the second, emitting faint shattering sounds.

"We won't impose a time limit on those tasks. Even if you can't finish them now, you'll have plenty of chances in the future. As long as you agree, we can pull you out of the Dream Realm right now and gift you rare treasures that can only be found here."

"Is there really such a sweet deal?" My eyes shifted. "Aren't you worried I might just pretend to agree and then turn on you once I leave?"

"Of course we are. You're our only hope. If that hope ends up siding with the Live Show, it would be catastrophic for us. That's why, before you leave, Xiao A will extract one ethereal soul and one corporeal soul from you to guarantee you won't betray us." Xia Chi spoke in a breezy tone, acting as if having one's soul siphoned away was no big deal. But as someone who had dabbled in usurping fate, I knew that the soul was the very foundation of a person. A fractured soul would severely limit a person in countless ways, not to mention the extreme danger posed by the many dark arts that used a person's soul fragments as a medium.

"And if I refuse?" I looked past Xia Chi toward Xiao A. She was the true master here.

"Refusal wasn't one of the options I gave you. Now that I've confirmed you aren't him, I suggest you stop testing my patience. I've stayed in this Dream Realm for far too long; it's time for me to leave." Xiao A didn't even spare me a glance. She kept her eyes fixed on the edge of the city, not bothering to waste her breath.

"Streamer, think it over. Now that you're here, you'll never be able to leave without Xiao A's nod. We wouldn't even need to attack you directly. If we just imprison you for a few months, your Live Show Points will drop into the negatives. By then, you'll be forced to agree whether you want to or not." Xia Chi spoke up quickly, clearly not wanting things to turn ugly. On the surface, he was trying to persuade me, but it sounded exactly like a threat.

"You're right. If I get trapped in the Deep Dream Layer and can't leave, the Live Show will eventually hunt me down for having negative points." I took a step back, deliberately stalling for time.

"Make your choice, or you're never leaving this building." Xia Chi waved his hand gently. An eerie sound of doors being smashed began echoing from the dark rooms downstairs. Soon after, severed heads with wildly fluttering hair flew out one by one.

These heads were completely different from the lingering "thoughts." Their hair was entirely woven from pure resentment, and their facial features were twisted with a rabid desire to tear everything to shreds.

With the only exit blocked, Xia Chi strolled over to my side, looking completely at ease. "We've planned for this day for a very long time. You're our best hope for turning the tables. We're going to make fantastic partners in the future."

"Is that so?" I swatted Xia Chi's hand away and walked toward the edge of the roof alone. "I don't mind cooperating with you, but I'm not going to betray the Live Show."

"You have to choose between us and the Live Show. There's no middle ground!" Xia Chi didn't chase after me, but he shouted at my back. "Running away is useless. Unless you hand over an ethereal soul and a corporeal soul, you aren't even making it out of this room!"

"Is that right?" The cracks on the Dream Cocoon inside my Liver Aperture were spreading wildly. I took a deep breath, my eyes sweeping over the two Traitors from behind my mask before gazing out at the Dream Realm city in the distance. "Thanks for telling me all this, but I'll pass on the alliance. I'm the kind of guy who prefers to walk alone."

"Streamer, you are standing in the Deep Dream Layer right now. Think very carefully before you answer. This is my final warning!" Xia Chi had finally lost his patience, too. He stood next to Xiao A with a slight bow.

"I appreciate the warning, but I have a piece of advice for you as well." The shattering sound inside my Liver Aperture grew deafening. The cocoon was a web of cracks, and rays of faint light began spilling through the fissures. "This world is full of surprises and miracles. Never let your guard down until the very last second."

I took a step forward, planting my foot onto a steel rebar no wider than half a finger. More than half my body was now hanging over the sheer drop.

"What are you doing?" Xia Chi instinctively realized something was wrong. Beside him, even Xiao A was staring at me with a look of surprise.

"What am I doing?" I turned around, a smile playing on my lips. "Leaving, naturally."

Boom!

The moment all the cracks on the Dream Cocoon connected, a massive boom erupted from my Liver Aperture. Countless rays of green light burst outward, illuminating the entire building like a shower of brilliant sparks.

"Dream Wings!"