Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

"Okay, okay, 'brother' it is then! Such a grown-up, still trying to act young!" Zheng Ye muttered under his breath, though his words couldn't escape Wen Yu's powerful hearing.

At this, Wen Yu merely gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Indeed, living a primitive life in the woods did make him feel "old"!

Helplessly shaking his head, Wen Yu kept taking out Level 2 magic crystals from his space ring and feeding them to the little Soul Beast.

These were merely the little Soul Beast's regular snacks now!

And while the Level 4 Soul Beast hadn't changed much in appearance, it...

"Master, I want more!"

A crisp, clear voice rang in Wen Yu's mind.

It was the Soul Beast's Spiritual Fluctuation!

Upon reaching Level 4, the Soul Beast could clearly convey its thoughts.

And under the power of the contract, the Soul Beast could not only communicate with Wen Yu but also connect with the consciousness of all his soul pets.

"Boss, I want some too!"

Cyclops's pink tongue swiped across his face, licking away the blood. He then trotted over to Wen Yu, sat down respectfully, and looked at him with eyes full of longing.

"Boss, and me!" Star added.

Alright, and you too!

After a dozen days of "training," Star's speech had become much smoother, and...

As a divine beast, reaching Level 4 had also brought about even more magical changes!

Looking at the little Soul Beast on his shoulder, and the eager eyes of the puppy and the little dragon before him, Wen Yu suddenly had a premonition of how miserable his future life would be.

They're all my little followers, my family; not one can be left out!

Wen Yu gritted his teeth and, bearing the pain, stuffed two Level 3 magic crystals into the mouths of Cyclops and Star respectively.

The crisp crunching sounds felt like heavy hammer blows to Wen Yu's heart.

Those were Level 3 magic crystals! Level 3! Eaten just like that!

The worst part was, they still cried, "Boss, we want more!!!"

...

"I really don't have any more!" Wen Yu said helplessly to the three little beasts, his hand trembling as he clutched his space ring.

"Tch! You promised you'd let us eat our fill when we got out! You're so stingy!"

Star shot Wen Yu a contemptuous glare, then turned around. His tail, fully half the length of his body, swung back and forth as he went back to enjoying the fresh meat.

Cyclops, delighted by Wen Yu's predicament, immediately ran over to join Star.

Wen Yu couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Magic crystals were incredibly delicious food for these soul pets.

However, it was like with humans: you could fill your stomach with rich delicacies or with simple bread and pickles. Unless it was a magic crystal of their own level, eating lower-level magic crystals offered no special effects for them.

Well, it could at least temporarily satisfy their cravings!

Hearing the three soul pets constantly berating him in his mind, Wen Yu gritted his teeth and took out two more Level 3 magic crystals.

Then, in the blink of an eye and before Wen Yu could even react, the figures of a dragon and a dog flashed by at incredible speed!

After the black and grey shadows intertwined and flashed past, the magic crystals in his hand had vanished.

Before Wen Yu could react, the little Soul Beast's Soul Fluctuation reached him: "SOB, SOB... Master, you don't love me anymore! They all got some! WAAAH..."

"You get one too!" Wen Yu said, finally letting out a deep breath.

...

Everyone stared at Wen Yu, clearly finding his lavishness in feeding his soul pets unbelievable.

Wen Yu concealed his heartache and said to Zheng Ye beside him, "You shouldn't be looking at me right now. You should be telling me about Mudanjiang City."

Zheng Ye first looked at Wen Yu, then at Cyclops and Star beside him, and then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"'Brother,' they're so powerful! They were so fast just now, I couldn't even see them clearly!"

"Are they both your pets?"

With Zheng Ye's questions, the whole scene immediately livened up.

"Yeah, yeah! Look at that little black one! It looks like a dragon from a game I used to play!"

"Look at them both! They must be incredibly strong. They've already eaten half a wild boar, and their stomachs haven't changed a bit!"

"Wow! Do they both have dimensional stomachs?"

"And the little ball on that 'uncle's' shoulder—it moves!"

"And they've eaten so many magic crystals! Such high-class food! I want one too!"

...

Chaotic voices erupted from the surrounding children.

The apocalypse had forced these children to mature early, but it couldn't extinguish their childlike innocence.

The noisy chatter of the children, coupled with the three soul pets constantly discussing in his mind "how to make magic crystals taste even better," made Wen Yu's head feel like it was about to burst.

"SHH, SHH, SHH..."

Wen Yu put a finger to his lips, gesturing for the children and his soul pets to quiet down.

Once everything was quiet, Wen Yu looked seriously at Zheng Ye and said, "Alright, Zheng Ye, let's talk seriously now."

...

Night fell. The children who had been sitting around earlier had already gone underground to rest.

Only Wen Yu and Zhang Xiao remained by the fire. They kept adding firewood, the flames casting a faint glow into the quiet night.

"By the way, Sir, are you originally from Mudanjiang City?"

Wen Yu's hand movements paused slightly, and he slowly nodded.

"And please, just call me Wen Yu."

Hearing Wen Yu's words, Zhang Xiao still seemed a bit reserved. He hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding at Wen Yu.

"So, Wen Yu... why did you come back this time?"

Wen Yu looked into Zhang Xiao's eyes and understood. This wasn't a test; it was simple curiosity.

Wen Yu fell silent for a moment, seeming to contemplate, or perhaps, to reminisce.

Yes, why did I come back?

His voice held a touch of confusion and a hint of a sigh.

"Boss, Simba! Simba! I'm going to eat it!"

Cyclops, who was keeping watch nearby, suddenly barked twice. In his miniature state, however, the sound was hardly threatening.

Hearing Cyclops's barks, Wen Yu was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"No, not entirely... at least, I don't think so..."

Then, silence fell once more.

"To come home."

After a long pause, Wen Yu spoke these three words, his tone exceptionally firm.

"This is my home. I just... wanted to come home."

Seeing Wen Yu's earnest and serious expression, Zhang Xiao nodded and tossed another piece of wood into the fire.

"Home... is important."

Hearing Zhang Xiao's words, Wen Yu smiled.

"Yes, home is important."

The flickering firelight illuminated Wen Yu's face. Zhang Xiao then saw the profound depth in Wen Yu's eyes.

This was a man with a story.