The Golden-Eyed Savior and His Unconventional Bodyguard

The blue-skinned man repeatedly pressed Yuan Anqing, asking if he harbored any “world-weary” or suicidal inclinations. Only after Yuan Anqing replied, “Not at the moment,” did the blue-skinned man finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Following this, the man led Yuan Anqing into a small reception room. As they walked through the corridor, Yuan Anqing deliberately observed his surroundings, taking in everything from the flooring to the wastebins, and even the greenery outside the main entrance.

The design of these items was not significantly different from those in Yuan Anqing’s original world. This led him to a preliminary conclusion: this world’s technological advancement was not noticeably ahead of his own.

While traversing the corridor, Yuan Anqing did not encounter any other humans or subspecies. This was likely a deliberate arrangement. He noticed small condensation droplets on a half-empty beverage cup in a wastebin—a recently discarded iced drink, proving someone had been there just moments before.

Yet, Yuan Anqing had not heard a single distant footstep. He suspected that everyone had been cleared from the area, and the reason likely revolved around him.

Once they entered the reception room and took a seat, the blue-skinned man went to a water dispenser to pour him a cup of hot water.

Yuan Anqing noticed the man’s hand had only four extremely long fingers, each tipped with a suction-cup-like pad. This structure was clearly advantageous for gripping; he held the cup’s rim securely with just his thumb and forefinger, keeping it perfectly steady.

“I am quite curious,” the blue-skinned man said, handing the water to Yuan Anqing. “Don’t you suspect that this is all a deception on our part?”

Yuan Anqing accepted the cup, thanked him, and then replied, “If it were a deception, you would have described the position of Savior as far more appealing. For instance, you’d mention that upon becoming Savior, I would attain boundless wealth and honor.”

The Savior’s task they had presented was so preposterous and burdensome that it paradoxically increased the credibility of the information.

“If you succeed, we can indeed grant you wealth and honor,” the blue-skinned man said, pulling a small stool to sit opposite Yuan Anqing.

Yuan Anqing felt no excitement. He merely reached up to push the bridge of his spectacles. “What are my chances of success?”

The blue-skinned man blinked, then self-consciously averted his gaze. “According to our estimations, you have approximately an 8.26% possibility.”

Yuan Anqing offered no reply, only a helpless sigh. He removed his glasses and wiped his face with his hand. Though his expression remained largely impassive, the aura of melancholy he radiated was quite effective.

The blue-skinned man hastily explained, “If it were solely about completing the mission, the risk wouldn’t be so great. However, there are individuals in this world who will target you because of your identity as the Savior. They are an additional threat.”

Without waiting for Yuan Anqing to speak, he continued, “Their threat to you far exceeds the mission itself. They will devise every possible means to capture you, torture you, and break you down both physically and mentally.”

“So, if it were just the mission, there would be no danger at all?” Yuan Anqing summarized.

“Precisely.”

Yuan Anqing silently put his glasses back on. After composing himself for two or three seconds, he politely inquired, “Do you offer euthanasia services here?”

The blue-skinned man’s expression tightened, the pupil in his enormous eye dilating. “Please, do not think such things! We have assigned you a bodyguard with top-tier combat ability.”

Yuan Anqing felt no relief. He had a gut feeling that this organization was not particularly reliable.

The blue-skinned man, eager to prove their professionalism, pulled out his phone and sent a message. Not long after, the door to the reception room was pushed open, and in walked a dangerous individual whom Yuan Anqing could not quite categorize. To call him simply “human” would be a stretch.

The individual stood two meters tall, with an extremely robust physique and a handsome, aggressively sculpted face. Two curved, pure black horns, resembling those of a bighorn sheep but with a crystalline texture, protruded from the top of his head.

A massive black tail, covered in scales like that of a lizard or a serpent, trailed behind him. Yuan Anqing had no doubt about the formidable power of that tail if it were to lash out.

What concerned him more was the man’s face. The lower half of his features was obscured by a metal muzzle, covering his mouth and nose. Through the gaps in the metal, Yuan Anqing could see that the man was smiling—a casual, indifferent grin. From the moment he entered, his blood-red eyes had not left Yuan Anqing.

He was deeply interested in Yuan Anqing, but that interest was clearly not born of goodwill.

The blue-skinned man stood up, positioning himself between Yuan Anqing and the newcomer. “This is your future bodyguard. His name is—”

“My name is Zhuo, the ‘Zhuo’ of ‘turbidity,'” the man interrupted, his smile widening. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His voice was deep, yet his tone was remarkably cheerful.

Zhuo covered the distance to Yuan Anqing in two strides. With his hands clasped behind his back, he leaned down to gaze at Yuan Anqing, who remained seated on the sofa. His movement was so swift that Yuan Anqing had no time to react.

The metal muzzle nearly pressed against Yuan Anqing’s nose as Zhuo scrutinized him. After five or six seconds, Zhuo exclaimed in delight, “Your eyes are golden! They’re truly beautiful!”

Yuan Anqing’s pupils appeared black at first glance, but when light struck them, they revealed a bright, metallic gold rather than a deep brown. Many had complimented these eyes before, but Zhuo’s praise made Yuan Anqing instinctively shift back.

The man felt like a fierce, bloodthirsty beast. Although he behaved with the energy of an exuberant youth, Yuan Anqing was certain this “youthful” exuberance was more than he could handle.

Indeed, the blue-skinned man confirmed his suspicions. He warned, “Zhuo makes no distinction between ‘liking’ and ‘disliking.’ You must be careful not to provoke him into attacking you.”

Yuan Anqing silently turned to look at the blue-skinned man, then pointed at Zhuo. “This… counts as a bodyguard?”

“Yes, he is the most powerful ‘stitched entity’ we could find.”

Yuan Anqing had lost the will to speak.

Under Zhuo’s smiling gaze, the blue-skinned man quietly moved further away. “The highest danger level also means the most powerful protection. He is currently in a normal humanoid form, so he might not seem very intimidating.” He noted Yuan Anqing’s persistently calm demeanor, profoundly impressed by his stress tolerance.

Yuan Anqing raised an eyebrow. If this was considered “not intimidating,” what did this stitched entity look like when he was trying to be scary?

“Can I get a different bodyguard?” Yuan Anqing asked.

Before the blue-skinned man could answer, Zhuo’s eyes widened, his face filled with mock disbelief. “Are you going to abandon me already? That’s so mean.”

Yuan Anqing extended his hand, palm out, to create a boundary. He didn’t touch Zhuo, but Zhuo leaned back slightly in response.

Yuan Anqing asked, “Why are you my bodyguard?”

“Because I can’t run away, so I have to listen to them, silly.” Zhuo smiled, reaching up to lightly tap his metal muzzle. “I’m a dog on a leash now.”

Yuan Anqing then asked, “What if you could break free from the leash?”

Zhuo’s smile grew even brighter. With his hands clasped behind his back, he actually appeared somewhat bashful—the way a tiger might look performing the actions of a house cat. It was fluid, but terrifying. He answered truthfully, “I’d bite your head off in one gulp.”

To emphasize his point, he slightly opened his mouth, revealing excessively long fangs behind the muzzle.

“I want a different bodyguard,” Yuan Anqing stated without hesitation.

Zhuo’s brow furrowed. “Eh? Why? You’ve said it twice now! That’s really cruel.”

The blue-skinned man offered a weak reassurance. “Our situation is unique; the enemies are beyond your imagination. Zhuo can ensure your safety. Moreover, Zhuo was captured by us right after he was ‘formed,’ so he has never actually killed anyone.”

Yuan Anqing pointed at himself. “Meaning, I might be his first victim?”

Zhuo lowered his gaze shyly. “I’m willing. You’re very good-looking.”

“I am not,” Yuan Anqing flatly refused. “And this bodyguard needs to be with me twenty-four hours a day, correct?”

The blue-skinned man nodded.

Yuan Anqing pushed his glasses up, the lenses reflecting the overhead light in a sudden flash of white. “Does he have to work the same job as me?”

“To help you adapt quickly, we will arrange for you both to have the same profession you held in your original world.”

Yuan Anqing hummed. “My original profession is a mechanical design engineer. I have a master’s degree from a top university. I usually get three to five days off a month and frequently travel for business to visit clients or coordinate with mold factories.”

He paused, realizing he was rambling about his past life’s misery. He shifted the topic. “Compensation isn’t the issue; professional competence is paramount.”

The room fell silent.

Yuan Anqing then pointed at Zhuo, asking the blue-skinned man, “Does he have a high level of education? Can he read a blueprint?”

“He has only undergone basic socialization training,” the man answered truthfully. He then asked, “Is your health still… good?” He knew that overtime for a mechanical engineer was a heavy burden.

“It’s fine.” In Yuan Anqing’s view, “not dead yet” and “healthy” were the same thing.

Zhuo’s smile vanished. “I don’t want to go to work.”

The blue-skinned man looked helpless. Regardless of whether Zhuo liked it, his technical skill level couldn’t be brought up to a Master’s level with short-term tutoring. Moreover, the intensity of such a job left little room for “saving the world.”

“You all need to think clearly,” Zhuo said, his tail subtly swaying behind him. “If you make me go to work, then it won’t be as simple as just being eaten by me later.”

“You could always resign from your bodyguard duties,” Yuan Anqing reminded him.

“But I really like you,” Zhuo pouted. “Your eyes are beautiful. They look like they’d taste like oranges.”

Zhuo wasn’t lying; he truly liked Yuan Anqing. This Savior had brought him a pleasant surprise by not showing fear. He felt a surge of affection—which, in his case, resulted in the heavy secretion of saliva. Wanting to bite off Yuan’s head was simply his way of declaring his love.

Yuan Anqing asked, “Then are you willing to study for my sake? Learn calculus? CAD?”

Zhuo replied without thinking, “No.”

Yuan Anqing sighed softly. “Then your affection isn’t worth much.”

Zhuo smiled again, his red eyes gleaming. “Your feelings aren’t important, you know. Don’t take yourself too seriously, Savior.”

Yuan Anqing did not get angry. He never bothered arguing with people. He felt it was unnecessary—especially when the creature across from him clearly didn’t even have a kindergarten diploma.