Chapter 5: I Will Be the One to Bring My Brother Back-This Stranger Story Is a Bit Chilly(A Modest Goal)

Previously, Lin Xiao might have felt anxiety and fear, but now, having reached LV1 and gained extraordinary power, he no longer considered two mere demon dogs a threat. Of course, he still treated the situation with utmost tactical seriousness, determined not to let carelessness lead to disaster.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing an LV1 demon dog. Source Power +2.”

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing 10 demon dogs. Title quest completed. Rewards and title granted. Please check your inventory.”

Listening to the system prompts, Lin Xiao flicked the filthy blood from his axe blade, crouched down, and collected the corpses of the two demon dogs. Now, dealing with them was effortless—one sprinting slash followed by an aerial strike, and the fight was over. They were essentially gifts of source power.

He opened the system interface. A gift box icon appeared in his inventory. He tapped the icon, a burst of light flashed, and the system chimed again:

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have received 1 SP skill point.”

“So completing quests can also grant skill points. That’s a pleasant surprise,” Lin Xiao thought with delight. He had been worried about insufficient skills, and now he could unlock another.

After weighing his options, he chose the basic skill of the Male Priest, often referred to as a divine technique: Tiger Assault.

“Tiger Assault: LV1 basic skill. Grabs an enemy in front, runs a certain distance, then throws them forward, causing multiple hits to any enemies struck during the charge.”

He unlocked this skill because a bold idea had taken root in his mind. The three basic skills—Sprinting Slash, Tiger Assault, and Aerial Strike—could be combined into a powerful attack sequence. He could approach with Sprinting Slash, forcibly grab with Tiger Assault, then unleash Aerial Strike. Against monsters like demon dogs, a single combo would suffice.

Preoccupied with thoughts of his combo technique, Lin Xiao unknowingly reached the end of the corridor, opened the security door, and walked out. He passed through several long hallways and arrived at the elevator.

When he opened the elevator door, he was startled to find a mutilated corpse inside, its head bitten off. It appeared to be the staff member who had fled in panic at the start of the story.

He entered the elevator, pressed the button to ascend, feeling uneasy and avoiding the headless body at his feet, fearful of some horrific resurrection.

After several minutes, the elevator reached the upper level. This secret laboratory was built underground, fitting the typical Hollywood blockbuster setting.

Stepping out of the elevator, he found the area deserted. The escaped demon dogs had massacred the laboratory staff, leaving a trail of devastation and countless casualties.

When the staff had fled, they had already opened the exterior doors. Lin Xiao walked outside. It was the middle of the night; only the street lamps cast their dim, yellow glow, barely illuminating the surroundings.

Outside, many bodies lay scattered across the ground, all having tried to flee toward the main gate, but none had escaped alive.

Following the route he had taken in the reverse world, Lin Xiao returned home—Jonathan’s house.

He opened the door and entered, feeling a strange sense of unreality. In the reverse world, he had rushed from Jonathan’s home to the laboratory; in the real world, he now retraced his steps from the laboratory back home. It was a journey there and back again, along the same path.

He walked to his brother Will’s door and gently opened it. As expected, the room was empty; his brother had indeed been captured by the Mind Flayer or Demogorgon and was now surely in the reverse world.

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring your brother back. I’ll make sure he returns safe and sound.”

Lin Xiao silently promised, feeling a pang of guilt for failing to rescue Will in the reverse world.

Though he had reached level 1, he still wasn’t sure he could face the Mind Flayer. If he encountered the Demogorgon from the original story, he might not survive either; he couldn’t risk both his and his brother’s lives.

According to the story’s progression, Will wasn’t in mortal danger; instead, the Demogorgon had planted a seed within him, making him a conduit between the two worlds. He could only hope Will would endure a little longer.

Returning to his own room, Lin Xiao was utterly exhausted. After slaying ten demon dogs—even with his newfound power—he was still drained, both physically and mentally. The relentless tension had left his spirit depleted.

He stowed the Star Destroyer in his equipment slot, collapsed onto the bed, and, ignoring the blood and sweat on his body, drifted into a deep, muddled sleep.

...

“Jonathan, time to get up.”

A clear knock sounded at the door, followed by a familiar voice. Lin Xiao awoke groggily and instinctively reached for his phone to check the time.

He fumbled for it but couldn’t find it, only then realizing what had happened.

He had crossed over into the world of Stranger Things, America in 1983, becoming one of the main characters—Will’s brother, Jonathan Byers.

The invention of mobile phones was still two years away, and devices resembling modern phones wouldn’t appear for another four years. Smart phones wouldn’t be manufactured and popularized until ten years later, in 1993.

“Jonathan, where’s your brother? Why isn’t he in his room?”

The door opened, and a slender, youthful middle-aged woman entered—Jonathan and Will’s mother, Joyce Byers.

In the original story, this mother embodied the greatness of maternal love. Despite everyone’s disbelief, she steadfastly clung to the hope that her son was alive and reaching out for help.

Even when the staff at Hawkins Lab tried to cover up the truth by using a rubber dummy to fake Will’s drowning, she remained at home, waiting for a signal from her son.

Lin Xiao greatly admired her, especially after merging with Jonathan’s memories; he truly regarded her as his mother, with no sense of estrangement.

“Sorry, Mom. I was covering a shift for a friend last night, came home late, and didn’t notice when Will returned.”

Jonathan’s personality was originally reclusive and introverted, friendless at school, always carrying a camera, and only close to his brother.

In the original story, Jonathan was busy working at a store and couldn’t look after Will, leading to Will’s mysterious disappearance.

Now, of course, Jonathan knew that Will had been taken by the Mind Flayer or Demogorgon into the reverse world, becoming the bridge between the two realms.

“What? Jonathan, I’ve told you before—when I’m working late, you can’t cover shifts. You have to stay home and look after Will. Why do you never listen to me?”

Joyce complained helplessly. Raising two sons alone in a single-parent household was never easy. She didn’t object to her eldest son working, but caring for his brother couldn’t be neglected.

Joyce then went to check Will’s room, found he was missing, called Mike’s family—one of the main characters—to ask if Will had spent the night there, only to receive a negative answer.

She hung up, thinking Will had gone to school early, called the school again, only to be told he wasn’t there.

Lin Xiao stood aside, forced to feign anxiety and helplessness, though he already knew the truth and struggled to pretend nothing was wrong.

“Mom, I promise you—I will find Will and bring him back safe and sound.”

Lin Xiao resolved silently, blaming himself for last night’s cowardice. Without enough power, he dared not gamble with his or his brother’s lives.

So, he must become stronger—quickly!