Clang! Clang!Thud!
In the midst of the chaos, a soldier clad in white armor collapsed right in front of Ren.
In that instant, Ren's heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest. He prayed fervently in his mind: Please, let no one notice me!
But this was a battlefield. Although he looked like a ten-year-old child, the combatants here didn't care about age; if you weren't on their side, you were the enemy. Since Ren wasn't wearing any armor or insignias, both sides were likely to cut him down.
He huddled behind a large rock, not daring to move a muscle for fear of being "cleaned up" in passing. His body trembled as his mind wailed in despair.
Hiding here isn't a long-term plan. Once they start clearing the battlefield, they'll definitely find me. They might think I'm a spy... or worse, they might just kill me because they're in a bad mood!
The thought of dying made his pulse skyrocket. Having traveled to a world with supernatural powers and the potential for immortality, Ren naturally didn't want to die a meaningless death.
Summoning his courage, he peeked out from behind the rock, looking at the wrist of the fallen White Tiger soldier.
It's not there?! How can it not be there?!
Retreating back behind the stone, Ren's heart sank. He had run through every escape plan, and the only viable one was to snatch an Energy Lock from a fallen soldier. But a quick glance revealed that the soldier's wrist was bare.
Ren was on the verge of a breakdown. He had hoped to use an Energy Lock to arm himself; with that power, he might actually survive this war. But that last hope had just been extinguished.
After a momentary lapse of logic, he remembered: in this world, Energy Locks were rare treasures! Even Lion King, a top general under the Underworld King (Ming Wang), didn't possess one originally and had to borrow one from Hu Linfei. Regular foot soldiers certainly wouldn't have them.
Dammit! In the animations, these soldiers always looked like they had something on their wrists—don't tell me those were just flip-phones! And even if it was a phone, why doesn't this guy have anything?!
Under the immense pressure, Ren's mind strangely began to clear. His situation was dire, but not entirely hopeless.
Two sides are at war. I don't belong to either, which means I can belong to whichever I choose. The Wolf Tribe is bloodthirsty and follows the law of the jungle—strength is everything. The White Tiger Tribe preaches love, but they are incredibly xenophobic; they even drove out Feng Ying just because of a birthmark. An outsider like me would have a miserable time with them.
The decision was made. He would join the Wolf Tribe.
He peeked out again. Luck was on his side; the immediate area was relatively clear. Without hesitation, Ren found a surge of strength and bolted toward the Wolf Tribe's lines. As he ran, a faint layer of grey energy flickered around his body—his internal energy (Yi Neng Liang)—though it was so pitifully weak that no one on the battlefield noticed him.
He dodged and wove through the shadows, successfully avoiding the front-line combatants until he reached the vicinity of the Wolf Tribe's encampment. He wasn't stupid enough to just run in shouting "I want to join!"—that was a good way to get killed. He needed a plausible reason.
Just as he was brainstorming, a deep, resonant voice came from behind him.
"Child, why are you here?"
Ren jumped and spun around to see a man in imposing armor. The man had red hair, and his armor was predominantly black with gold accents and a distinctive lion-head motif on the right shoulder. Though Ren's memory of the character's face was fuzzy, that armor—especially the lion head—was unmistakable!
Seeing the child dazed, Lion King assumed he had frightened the boy. A kind smile appeared on his face. Before he could speak, Ren suddenly dropped to his knees and shouted:
"My Lord! I have come to seek refuge with the Wolf Tribe! Please, take me in!"
Forget subtle testing—Ren went straight for the "adopt me, foster-father" maneuver. Lion King was stunned. He looked at the kneeling Ren, then helped him up.
"There is no need for such a grand gesture. It is just one more mouth to feed; the Wolf Tribe can afford it."
"Really?! Thank you, My Lord! May I ask for your name? I will surely repay this debt in the future!"
Lion King smiled. "You will learn my identity in time." He turned to a silver-armored subordinate behind him. "Make arrangements for him."
"Yes, Lion King!"
Hearing the name, Ren bowed again. "Lord Lion King! I will never forget this kindness!"
Lion King shook his head with a smile, not taking the child's words to heart. Ren was taken by the silver-armored soldier to a barracks and assigned to the logistics department. Since he was a newcomer personally placed by Lion King, Ren wasn't given heavy labor on his first day. After receiving some food, the soldier led him to a tent. "You'll rest here. Work hard, and strive to become a true warrior one day!"
Ren nodded with deadly seriousness. "Don't worry, My Lord! I will grow strong as quickly as possible and become a protector for the Underworld King!"
"Hahaha! That's no easy task!" The soldier laughed and departed. To them, Ren was just a stray child they found on the road; they didn't give him a second thought.
Ren's military life officially began. However, a small situation arose the next morning.
After getting familiar with the camp, Ren expected to be busy, but the logistics officer simply told him to sweep the backyard. Ren was happy with the light work. But just as he finished sweeping, a red figure plummeted from the sky.
Found Hu Linfei on my first day of work. What do I do? Waiting for advice, quite urgent!
Hu Linfei scrambled up from the ground, looking around in a daze before spotting Ren. "Hey, kid. Where am I?"
Ren paused. Based on the information he'd gathered, this was the Seventh Parallel Universe. The battle yesterday was an invasion by the Wolf Tribe met with resistance by the White Tiger Tribe.
"This is a Wolf Tribe camp," Ren replied.
"Wolf Tribe... camp?" Hu Linfei rubbed his chin. Since Ren was just a child, Hu Linfei didn't see him as a threat and focused on his own thoughts.
"Hey, hey! Are you listening?" Ren waved a hand in front of his face. "You look like a powerhouse with an Energy Lock. Why are you behind our lines? Did the White Tiger Tribe send you on a sneak attack?"
Ren raised his broom warily. Regardless of Hu Linfei being the protagonist, Ren didn't want any trouble. Hu Linfei looked at the broom and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Alright kid, put the broom down before your big brother 'Fei' has to spank you!"
Ren's expression didn't flicker. Hu Linfei might leave in a few days, but Ren was prepared to fight with the Wolf Tribe for a hundred thousand years; he couldn't afford to be linked to the White Tiger Tribe now! At least, not until Hu Linfei sided with the Underworld.
Just as Ren was about to shout for help, Hu Linfei blurred, appearing in front of him and covering his mouth.
"Heehee! Easy there, little brother. Don't call the cavalry yet. Tell me the situation first. How's the battle between the White Tiger and Wolf Tribes going? And which Parallel Universe is this?"
"Mmph! Mmph!!" Ren glared at him. How am I supposed to answer with your hand over my mouth? Did you get hit in the head too hard?
Hu Linfei realized the problem and let go sheepishly. "Don't scream, or I'll have to start a massacre!"
Ren rolled his eyes but didn't doubt the threat; this was a man who could summon Super Ultra Armor. Not even Lion King could necessarily take him alone.
"This is the Seventh Parallel Universe," Ren said after a breath. "Because the White Tiger elder Gui Gu kidnapped the Underworld King's daughter, Tian Yu, Lion King led a rescue mission."
"Gui Gu kidnapped Tian Yu?!" Hu Linfei was shocked, then furious. "I knew that guy was bad news! How dare he kidnap Tian Yu! I'm going to take him down!"
Hu Linfei turned to leave, but Ren called out: "Hey, you really want to fight Gui Gu? To be honest, you can't even summon a Nebula Form yet. You're no match for him."
"Nebula Form?" Hu Linfei looked back. He was surprised a child knew about that. "Is Gui Gu really a Nebula-level powerhouse? Like the Underworld King or the Snow Queen?"
Ren nodded. "Exactly. So I suggest you reconsider."
Hu Linfei thought for exactly one second. "I can't just leave Tian Yu! Little brother, stay safe. See you around!" He blasted off, vanishing in a blink.
Ren returned to logistics, but instead of work orders, Lion King returned and ordered an immediate withdrawal to the Fifth Parallel Universe. Ren was confused until the ground beneath him began to rise. A transparent dome encased the logistics department, and the scenery shifted from a valley to open space.
Holy crap, your technology is terrifying! Ren screamed internally.
Soon, they approached a new planet. Lion King's voice boomed: "Brothers, prepare to meet the Underworld King!"
The ship jumped again, and Ren felt a sudden surge of gravity that nearly crushed him. Gravity chamber? No, he realized they had entered the Fifth Parallel Universe—the Underworld.
"Relax. Don't fight it."
After a few deep breaths, the pressure eased. Ren stood up to find Lion King standing before him, staring intensely.
"How... how did you shrug off the Underworld's gravitational pull so easily?" Lion King asked.
Ren froze. His brain worked at overclock speed. Two seconds later, he offered an unnatural smile: "Hu Linfei told me how!"
"Hu Linfei?" Lion King remembered the "brother" he had just met who mentioned a child. Was it this one? He dismissed the thought. "Forget it. It doesn't matter. Come with me; the Underworld King wants to see you."
"Me? See the Underworld King?" Ren was incredulous. He had planned to stay in the background for a hundred thousand years until the big players were sealed away and the power vacuum opened up. Why was he being summoned now?
Lion King didn't explain. He simply picked Ren up and strode toward the palace. On the way, Ren saw a figure in a black cloak leaving—it was the warrior Long Jian, though Ren didn't recognize him at the time.
Thud.
Lion King set Ren down before the throne and knelt. "Underworld King! I have brought Ren!"
Ren rubbed his elbows, grumbling slightly about being dropped. He looked up at the figure on the high throne. Ming Wang was watching him. It wasn't the King who wanted the meeting, but Long Jian, who had traveled back through time. Apparently, a future version of Ren had done something that made Long Jian insistent on this meeting.
Ming Wang nodded to Ren. "You will stay here for a while. Someone wishes to speak with you."