Chapter 3: The True Purpose of Golden Fingers

Traveling between two worlds, or potentially more in the future, could this be considered as ‘transmigrating’?

What should I do now?

Duan Wenxuan sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought for over half an hour before barely managing to compose himself.

He had briefly considered calling the police and informing them about the ‘door’, but at the last moment, Duan Wenxuan hesitated. It was a human instinct; if he were facing certain death, he would undoubtedly call for help without hesitation, just like when that mutant suddenly attacked him.

But currently, he wasn’t in such a situation.

This world had become somewhat abnormal, with emerging unpredictable dangers, which Duan Wenxuan clearly recognized.

‘Transmigration,’ naturally carried risks, but it also promised significant benefits. After some contemplation, Duan Wenxuan decided to explore on his own first. If he encountered a life-threatening situation, only then would he seek help from the police.

In other words, he needed to gather information about what exactly was happening in this world. Feeling unsafe due to the lack of knowledge, Duan Wenxuan believed having unequal access to information posed its own danger.

Judging from the police’s response to the mutant woman, they seemed both fearful yet somewhat prepared. This indicated that the upper leadership knew far more than ordinary individuals like him.

The lack of public disclosure—was it because the situation was too significant and feared to cause panic, or did they believe it was well within their control? Duan Wenxuan couldn’t guess, but rather than dwelling on it, he decided not to worry further. At least for now, he had gained some personal leverage.

Having made this temporary decision, Duan Wenxuan no longer indulged in excessive thoughts.

After spending twenty-four hours in that war-torn world, Duan Wenxuan felt exhausted, hungry, and thirsty.

Coming back to his senses, he realized his stomach had been rumbling for quite some time.

There was ample food in the refrigerator. After cooking a bowl of egg noodles and devouring it entirely, Duan Wenxuan let out a contented sigh. However, occasionally, images of the vast throngs of refugees flashed through his mind, leaving a slight unease.

But swiftly, Duan Wenxuan dismissed those thoughts; there was no way he could save so many people.

At present, the three Xia brothers still seemed useful to him, although it wasn’t certain. In any case, what he said earlier was merely to ensure his survival, so whether it counted or not remained debatable. As Old Man Xia mentioned, in that world, finding willing helpers is easy as long as you provide them with food.

Primarily, Duan Wenxuan was also somewhat fearful. When Xia Wenjie and his brothers had caught up to him, the ruthless look in Xia Wenwu’s eyes made it clear he genuinely wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

Dealing with such a merciless individual left Duan Wenxuan uneasy, having grown up during peaceful times. He worried that he might be courting danger akin to seeking skin from a tiger, fearing the possibility of ending up beaten to death one day. Consequently, Duan Wenxuan resolved that even if he did recruit the three Xia brothers as helpers, he would definitely need to find others later to counterbalance their influence.

As these thoughts occupied his mind, Zong Cheng called.

Upon answering, Duan Wenxuan immediately sensed something was wrong. Having been unreachable for twenty-four hours, Zong Cheng had already tried calling over a dozen times. If Duan Wenxuan didn’t respond within another few hours, Zong Cheng planned to call the police again.

“I’m fine.”

Zong Cheng and Duan Wenxuan were neighbors, so Zong Cheng arrived promptly after the phone call. As soon as Duan Wenxuan picked up, Zong Cheng began knocking on his door.

Glancing at the cat crouching by Duan Wenxuan’s feet, Zong Cheng asked, “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

Duan Wenxuan hesitated before replying, “Something unexpected came up, but I can handle it. We’ve been friends for years, and there are certain things I’m not ready to discuss yet.

However, Zong Cheng, these times won’t remain peaceful anymore. I think it’s best for us to stockpile essentials like rice, grains, and water, just in case.”

”… You’re right; this place is in the city center, and we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. In a few days, I’ll search for a sturdy house in the outskirts, find ways to create another basement, install a generator there, and purchase additional supplies to stockpile. If something truly happens, I’ll bring along my parents, Yan’er, and you—just the four of us—and we’ll take refuge there.”

Wasting no time, Zong Cheng was known for his strong ability to act swiftly.

Finding a suitable house would require not only locating it but also undertaking a series of fortifications for doors and walls, preparing essential survival supplies—a project that would undoubtedly consume considerable time.

Duan Wenxuan mentioned that discussing his disappearance for twenty-four hours wasn’t advisable at the moment, and Zong Cheng didn’t press further, trusting him implicitly. As long-time friends, they had always supported each other through hardships. When Duan Wenxuan lost his parents and during Zong Cheng’s parents’ divorce, they even started cooking together like a makeshift family. Even Zong Cheng’s girlfriend once joked that if she hadn’t known their orientations, she’d suspect them to be a couple.

After giving some final instructions, Zong Cheng left, likely turning his focus to preparations for the suburban house.

Having seen off Zong Cheng, Duan Wenxuan proceeded to the hospital for a medical check-up.

After going through various procedures, the results showed his physical health indicators were all normal. Even the ‘Gate’ mark on the back of his hand appeared as nothing more than a tattoo to the doctor.

The normal test results indicated that current medical techniques could not detect the strange occurrences happening to him.

At night, Duan Wenxuan felt physically tired; after all, he had been running around all day and even signed up for a fitness class, trying it out briefly. Yet his mind remained highly energized, causing him to toss and turn, unable to sleep.

The white cat lay quietly curled beside Duan Wenxuan’s pillow, its emerald-like eyes shimmering like two green gems but lacking vitality.

Duan Wenxuan turned his head, meeting the gaze of the white cat. Previously fearful of it, now he no longer felt scared.

In a momentary daze, Duan Wenxuan suddenly saw himself lying on the bed, eyes wide open as if possessed.

—Heh!

Terrified, Duan Wenxuan broke out in cold sweat and instinctively tried to push away ‘himself’, without realizing how peculiar this action was. To his shock, he discovered that what extended from him were white paws.

—Meow!!

A white cat sprawled on the pillow, both front paws fearfully covering its mouth, startled by its own piercing meow.

What’s going on?!

Duan Wenxuan swiftly glanced at the window, where the reflection showed a white cat with fur standing on end, its emerald eyes surprisingly human-like in expression.

I’ve Become a Cat?!

This thought made Duan Wenxuan’s heart race with fear, causing his subconscious instinct to extend all four paws’ claws, fiercely gripping onto the bedsheet.

No, how could this happen?! He didn’t want to turn into a cat!

—Ah!!

As the desperate notion of not wanting to be a cat surfaced uncontrollably, Duan Wenxuan abruptly sat up from his dazed state on the bed, even emitting a heavy shout.

“I… I’m back?!” Realizing that his vision had returned to normal, he swiftly felt his body and rushed to a mirror for inspection.

He was still himself, but the white cat once again appeared lifeless and devoid of energy. Suddenly, a possibility struck Duan Wenxuan - Could he project his consciousness into creatures emerging from ‘the Doors’? This realization held immense significance.

Although the experience of turning into a cat left him shaken, after mentally preparing himself, Duan Wenxuan picked up the white cat again, intensely locking eyes with it.

After four or five seconds, Duan Wenxuan’s body abruptly collapsed onto the bed, appearing like an unconscious invalid except for his breathing. Meanwhile, the white cat lifted its paw as if mimicking human gestures and wagged its tail, filled with newfound vitality that hadn’t been present before.

It was indeed true.

Excitedly, Duan Wenxuan controlled the white cat’s body to jump down from the bed, discovering unexpectedly how agile and nimble he felt. He even had the impression that no matter how high the place, he could safely leap down without issue.

Moving around for about ten minutes using the white cat’s body, Duan Wenxuan continuously thought of returning, return. Soon, the Duan Wenxuan on the bed regained his alertness once more.

This time, Duan Wenxuan truly couldn’t sleep anymore.

In the early hours of dawn, feeling wide awake, Duan Wenxuan changed into a somewhat vintage blue padded jacket. It was something he had specifically bought at a clothing market yesterday, barely managing to find this style.

The war-torn world somewhat resembled the turbulent times when Hanming Country transitioned from imperial rule to modern parliamentary elections. Various regions were dominated by warlords, with each territory potentially having different laws, making survival amidst chaos incredibly difficult.

Dressed in the blue padded jacket, matching cotton pants, and black cloth shoes, Duan Wenxuan’s modern aura diminished slightly.

This time, prepared, Duan Wenxuan picked up the white cat and slowly opened the wardrobe door.

The sensation was hard to describe, quite mystical. Before, when Duan Wenxuan hadn’t intended to return to that world, opening the wardrobe door was just a mundane act. But now, it felt different.

After a brief moment of dizziness, when Duan Wenxuan opened his eyes again, he felt an immediate chill, as if the biting wind instantly stripped away any warmth from his body.

It was around 4:30 AM, with darkness still shrouding the sky.

Duan Wenxuan quickly assessed his surroundings and without hesitation, began to run. As expected, this time he had materialized at the same spot where he left off previously.

Earlier, he had used the pretext of going to the restroom, leading him somewhat far and off the beaten path. With dawn yet to break and food scarce, the starving refugees were weak, lacking energy. Despite their hunger, holding his breath, Duan Wenxuan managed to cover considerable ground before.

Now, being prepared, he alternated between walking and running for approximately two hours, breaking out into a profuse sweat by the end.

He wouldn’t immediately seek out the Xia brothers; it wasn’t safe enough. Instead, Duan Wenxuan planned to head first to Yushui Region, where they had stopped fleeing famine-stricken refugees. However, since he wasn’t a refugee, they would likely let him pass.

By 6:30 AM, the sky had brightened considerably.

Now, Duan Wenxuan’s tense mood finally eased slightly. However, as soon as he rested, he noticed something peculiar about the white cat nestled in his arms.

Duan Wenxuan had deliberately brought back this cat to observe what would happen to creatures after returning from their escape outside.

As he caught his breath and carefully removed the white cat from beneath his clothing near his chest, Duan Wenxuan realized that the cat was limp all over, with a wound on its abdomen covered in sticky blood. It seemed barely clinging to life, clearly unable to survive much longer.

“So it is indeed like this.”

Previously, Duan Wenxuan had found the white cat strange because despite being thrown onto a mutant, it appeared unharmed. Later, he discovered that the white cat was just an ordinary one, making its condition even more puzzling.

Now it became apparent that upon encountering the mutant, the white cat had sustained fatal injuries. However, when transitioning through another world, it gained the ability to be ‘Silent and Attached’ to Duan Wenxuan. To maintain this functionality, it also acquired a ‘Never Damaged’ buff; otherwise, if injured or killed, it couldn’t continue following him.

In essence, creatures traveling through the ‘Gate’ to Xuanlan Star wouldn’t suffer any harm. But once they returned to their original world, the buff disappeared, causing all negative effects to manifest rapidly within a short period.

When this ordinary white cat faced the mutant, it likely sustained fatal injuries. Additionally, for the two or three days it stayed with Duan Wenxuan, being in Silence mode meant it hadn’t eaten anything at all.

With these combined factors, there were no noticeable issues on Xuanlan Star, but upon returning to this war-torn world, its condition became unsustainable.

It wasn’t that Duan Wenxuan had explicitly suspected this, but he did vaguely entertain the possibility, and now the reality was laid bare before him.

After about fifteen minutes, the white cat completely succumbed to death. Duan Wenxuan dug a hole and buried it.

Dragging his sore feet, he walked for another half-hour when unexpectedly, he spotted an old-fashioned car resembling one with twin headlights approaching along a flat road.

Feeling unable to continue walking much longer, Duan Wenxuan thought quickly and promptly found a wooden stick, waving it vigorously from afar.