Romance of Dragons and Snakes - Chapter 159: When a Tortoise Hears Thunder, a Turtle Exposes its Back

Mo Ran felt that taking Chu Wanning as his master was a mistake.

His Shizun was just so similar to a cat, while he was like a silly dog.

Dogs and cats were biologically different. The silly dog hadn’t originally intended to put his furry paws out towards that cat.

He originally thought that dogs should be with dogs, like his senior brother, who was beautiful and docile, like a cute Japanese Spitz. They would look so good together.

But after dying and coming back to life, after living two lifetimes, the one he’d brought back to his den both times was that snow-white kitty Shizun that he didn’t even have his eye on at first.

- Description from Novelupdates

It all started when the protagonist downloaded a game called “The Fool (Beta Version),” marking a pivotal shift in the style of his life. This was no ordinary game; it lacked visuals and music, composed solely of lines of text and a multitude of choices. Yet, each decision within the game had the power to alter the player's destiny, for on the other side of the game lay a real, unknown world.Players were unable to physically enter this otherworld or see its landscapes, experiencing the alternate realm solely through text, vicariously living each step of their character's journey.As the game progressed, not only could rewards from the game materialize in the real world, but creatures from the game began to appear in reality as well.Then came the day the game was released for global public testing.An era quietly unfolded, where the masses embarked on explorations and treasure hunts in an alternate universe through 'textual adventure,' heralding a new chapter of engagement and discovery.

My name is Yan, and since I was a child, I’ve been able to see some strange things.For example—In elementary school, our new neighbor Aunt Tan had a pair of all-around genius twins, who were like the “precious little geniuses” with halos above their heads. They could recite the English-Chinese dictionary backwards at three, master both Chinese and Western musical instruments by five, and hack into a country’s database by seven…Growing up next to such prodigies, my life was inhumane, tragic, and constantly subjected to comparisons.To escape the comparisons with these “other people’s children,” I specifically applied to a private boarding school for middle school.On my first day, my deskmate was a small, thin girl with bangs, wearing an old uniform, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s.Three months later, she woke up from a nap with a “rebirth” halo above her head.She moved effortlessly among the cold academic genius, the wolf-like school bully, the fierce boss, and the gentle childhood friend, leaving me, a lonely onlooker, utterly amazed.By university, I thought I had finally escaped this abnormal world.But as soon as I stepped into my dorm room, my footsteps froze.My roommates each had halos like “ancient times to modern,” “post-apocalyptic superhuman,” “will die if not spending money,” and “ghost king revival.”I clutched my little blanket and applied to the counselor for a room change, but to no avail.Over time, I gradually got used to it. “Handover systems,” “management systems,” “book transmigration,” “infinite worlds,” “three-and-a-half-year-olds,” “interstellar live streams,” “red envelope groups”…The types of halos kept increasing, and I was able to calmly ignore all of it, focusing on my own life.Every morning, I skillfully helped my “ancient to modern” roommate, who was being blacklisted online, dodge campus paparazzi and secure seats for class.At noon, I assisted my tycoon roommate in distributing today’s haul of luxury skincare and designer bags, tasting the city’s top private chef’s custom lunchbox, and exclaiming with emotion, “Darling, can I really accept these?”In the evening, I enjoyed the flowers and plants cultivated by my superhuman roommate on the balcony, tasting a mutated cherry tomato and commenting, “I feel refreshed and purified.”Late at night, when my ghost king roommate quietly climbed back through the window, I peeked out to ask, “You’re back a bit late today, didn’t bring anything back, did you?”My name is Yan, and I am not the protagonist of this world.

This is the 40,000th year of the Empire's dominance over the Galaxy. The glory of the Great Expedition has long been buried in the dust of history. Su Yu has transmigrated here, opening his eyes to the ruins of a planet in front of him, utterly bewildered.On this planet, there are war machines that stretch for thousands of kilometers, now broken to the extreme, alien beasts whose roars can shatter mountains and rivers, and radiation alien beasts whose mere movement causes further destruction to the surrounding environment—There is everything here, except hope.Whether willingly or not, Su Yu struggled to survive for three years and finally inevitably contracted radiation sickness, seemingly about to become one of the despairing.Until his Profession Panel, capable of infinite job transfers, finally activated.“Ding!”“Detected that the host has met the prerequisites; do you want to take the profession of [Mechanic]?”“Completing this job will allow you to gain profession experience through daily maintenance, recovery, and assembly of mechanical creations, leveling up the profession, and with each upgrade, you receive an enhancement amplification of your physical attributes...”Looking at the pile of broken gun parts in his repair room, an unprecedented light lit up in Su Yu's eyes!Years later, at the core of the Empire, at the highest point of the Terra world, Su Yu, the Mechanic from Ruins Star, Ghost Shadow Blade of Dead Silence Wilderness, Initiator of the Giant God Soldier Project's Restart, Governor of the Shattered Star Region, Master of Mechanical Ascension, Supreme Throne of the Forging World, looked at the torrent of steel gathering below and commanded with a wave of his hand![Our goal is to make the (second) (crossed out) Empire great again!]