"Aahhh! Monster!" A childish scream burst from Zi Fan's mouth.
A black, brutal-looking, baby-faced monkey jumped and vanished.
The wooden wall shattered with a bang, and a brush of wind came in.
Zi Fan's eyes darted left and right, but he found nothing but the broken wall.
"What was that thing?" His breathing was heavy. "Is this a fantasy world?" Remembering that horrible monster, he couldn't help but think that way.
Tap, tap.
Footsteps came rapidly. His mother hurried in, her anxious expression clear, and she picked him up, hugging him tightly.
"Thank heaven, Mother arrived! Otherwise, who knows what that thing would have done!" He felt some relief.
"Nuwa, what happened? What was that noise?" His father's voice came.
Before Nuwa could answer, his father entered the room. One of his eyes was golden, the other silver—like the sun and moon.
His father's hair was as black as night, and his skin fair.
Seeing the broken wall, his father fell silent. His eyes showed fear, anger, and relief all at once.
"Did something happen to my son?" His usually gentle voice was now commanding.
Nuwa answered with a serious tone, "No."
"Husband, why was our wall broken?" Nuwa's voice trembled with tension.
Zi Fan's father didn't answer.
Nuwa moved closer, grabbing his hand. "Husband, tell me what is happening," she asked, her voice pleading.
Seeing his wife's worried face, he could no longer keep the secret. He held her hand tightly and kissed Zi Fan's cheek.
"In a nearby village, human babies are going missing. Many parents and villagers have also been killed by an unknown monster," he said softly.
But to Nuwa and Zi Fan, it sounded like thunder.
"What? What are you saying?"
Nuwa's body began to tremble. If her husband hadn't been holding her, she would have collapsed.
"No, it can't be… our wall should have been broken by… something else," she said before her husband could reply.
"It shouldn't target my Zi Fan?" Nuwa's voice was barely audible as she brushed away her tears.
Her husband's expression hardened with determination.
On the other side, Zi Fan's little face turned serious.
He had never imagined being transmigrated into a fantasy world, and now the biggest shock was realizing he could die before even passing a day.
"That means that thing came for me. But why didn't it attack me? If it wanted, it could have killed me before my parents arrived, couldn't it?" He paused. "Then why?"
Zi Fan's eyes were confused, but soon a faint gleam appeared.
"Oh, yeah! I have a system. Did the system do something?"
His mind raced. "System, system, are you there?"
But no answer came. Zi Fan called again.
[What do you want, kid? Have you found your goal?]
A lazy girl's voice echoed in Zi Fan's mind.
"No, I have some questions. Would you be kind enough to answer?" His tone was normal.
[Be quick.]
"What was that thing? And if it wants to harm me, why doesn't it do anything? Do you protect me?"
[No, I cannot protect you. I think it was full, so it left you. When it gets hungry again, it will come back and kill you.]
"What?" Zi Fan shivered with fear.
He asked timidly, "Then would you let me die?"
The system replied,
[Yes, I cannot break the rules. If you cannot survive, I will find another host. My advice: find your life goal quickly and don't make random decisions. This world is more brutal than you imagine.]
"But how could I decide on my goal without knowing this world? System, could you introduce this world to me?"
[Ahhh, go away and find yourself.]
Zi Fan wanted to know more, but before he could ask, his father walked away.
"Nuwa, stay with the child." His father's voice was calm and cold.
"Where are you going?" his mother asked anxiously.
"To kill that monster," he answered calmly.
Nuwa's face paled, and she began to shake. Her legs gave way, and she sat down.
Seeing his mother like this, his father's footsteps stopped. "Don't worry about me. I will ask the village chief, and he will surely help us," he explained.
But his mother didn't listen. She stood, trying to grab him, but failed.
Now, she could only watch in silence, her eyes following his disappearing figure.
When he vanished completely, tears streamed down her face, as if he would never return.
"Husband, do you think I'm a fool? That monster constantly devours babies from other villages. The village chief is only a normal human. How could he help you? Even if he wanted to, what could he do? If you asked everyone for help, they surely wouldn't risk their lives. There is only one way left: go alone.
Oh, my dear husband, why must you go? I know you're not strong enough to kill that monster.
Why are you going to the door of death, husband? Why must you take that risk? We could find another way or leave this place."
Nuwa cried and sobbed.
Hearing this, Zi Fan's face grew pale.
"No, no! I don't want to lose my father. I was just born, and now I'm going to be an orphan. No!"
Tears fell from his eyes, but no sound came from his mouth.
"If my father dies, it should be because I was born, right?"
"No! My father will come back safely."
"If I could protect my family… Yes! My goal is to protect my family. That's right! I have a system; the system can help me."
"Hey, system! Hey, system! Answer me, please!"
[What is it?]
A little girl's voice came into Zi Fan's mind.
"I found my goal."
[What is that goal?]
"To protect my family."
[Kid, are you a fool? That is your responsibility, not a goal.]
Zi Fan's last hope flickered.
"Now, what should I do? What can I do? I am only a baby; I can only wait." Tears fell.
Nuwa, seeing Zi Fan's expression, stopped crying for a moment.
Her face became even more sorrowful.
If Zi Fan had not been born, she might have gone with her husband to death. But now, she had to care for her little child.
Do you think Zi Fan's father is fearless, or unaware of the chief's limits? He knows everything. He knows that if he goes, there's a high chance he might die. But if he doesn't go, his son could be eaten by that monster.
This is a father's love: if danger comes to his family, it must pass through his body first.
And a mother's love—she cannot go like a father; she must live for her family. If she dies, her children would suffer the most. Sometimes, living is more painful than death.
Zi Fan was a baby, but he wanted to protect his parents. The most painful thing for him was knowing his father had to risk his life for him.
If his father died protecting him, how could he live on without guilt? But he couldn't even die; he had to live, or his father's sacrifice would be in vain. Isn't this torture?
Everyone sacrifices for each other. This is called family.
To be continued….