Lost in the Otherworld

"Uncle Dead Pig, I’m starting now." Little Fluffy stood in front of him, extending her tiny, delicate hand.

"Heh, go ahead." Uncle Dead Pig's voice resonated deeply, like the echoing rumble of a valley.

Little Fluffy placed both hands on his belly. Moments later, the flesh on Dead Pig's lower back split open, revealing a gaping wound, precisely where Gao Yang had been stabbed earlier.

Though the sight of the wound was startling, no blood gushed out—only a small trickle escaped.

Gao Yang stared in amazement as the wound on Dead Pig’s body began to heal at a visible speed. Within a minute, it had completely disappeared.

More astonishing was the fact that Dead Pig had no reaction throughout—he had fallen asleep and was even snoring softly.

“All done.” Little Fluffy retracted her hands, dusted off her skirt, then bounded over to White Rabbit, wrapping her arms around her from behind. "Hee hee."

"Stop that!" White Rabbit was still focused on her toenails, paying her no attention. "I don’t see what you’re so happy about."

“Bleh…” Little Fluffy stuck her tongue out at White Rabbit, sneaking a quick glance at Gao Yang before shyly turning away and dashing toward Tengu.

“The Zodiac—Dead Pig, Gift: ‘Regeneration,’ Serial Number 47. Rune type: Life,” White Rabbit continued her explanation. “As you’ve seen, his healing ability is off the charts. An ordinary person trying to kill him with a knife would probably die of exhaustion first. He’s called ‘Dead Pig’ because, as they say, ‘a dead pig fears no boiling water.’”

“That… powerful?” Gao Yang felt like a frog at the bottom of a well.

“Both Little Fluffy and Uncle Dead Pig have already reached Level 4 in their abilities,” White Rabbit pouted. “While it’s only one level above a Level 3 ability, the power difference is enormous.”

“Ah!” Gao Yang suddenly remembered someone. “What about Wang Zikai? Is he still alive?”

“Oh, that Lost Beast? No saving him.” White Rabbit replied.

“Why!” Gao Yang grew agitated, causing his head to spin.

“Open your mouth.” White Rabbit ordered.

“Aren’t you guys…”

Before he could finish, White Rabbit swiftly shoved something into his mouth—a tangerine-flavored gummy candy.

Gao Yang didn’t move.

“Eat something, boost your sugar levels. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch it with the hand I used on my feet.” White Rabbit said.

Gao Yang finally swallowed the candy, though his chest still felt tight. “Didn’t you say you don’t kill Lost Beasts?”

“We don’t kill them, but we didn’t say we’d save them either.”

“...”

“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” White Rabbit stuffed another candy into his mouth, this time apple-flavored.

“He’s not dead?!” Gao Yang was overjoyed.

White Rabbit’s almond eyes twinkled as she blinked behind her mask. “We didn’t save Wang Zikai because he didn’t need saving.”

“Your Lost Beast friend is a bit special. Unless you chop off his head or rip out his heart, he won’t die. Blood loss isn’t a threat to him, and even a stopped heart isn’t something to worry about—it just triggers his body’s self-repair mechanism.”

“That sounds like Dead Pig’s ability,” Gao Yang thought to himself, surprised. Wang Zikai really was "gifted."

“Not quite on the same level, but good enough for self-preservation.”

Just then, Wang Zikai emerged from the house, clutching his almost-healed waist, limping with the help of Fat Jun. He spotted Gao Yang sitting in the courtyard, and grinned broadly, “Ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha…”

The more he laughed, the louder it got, his body trembling uncontrollably. His exaggerated movements caused his barely healed wound to reopen, making him grimace in pain, yet even so, he couldn’t stop laughing.

Gao Yang was utterly confused. What on earth was he laughing about? Could it be... had his brain really short-circuited?