Welcome to the Nightmare Game

Qi Leren had just cleared the bad ending of «The

Nightmare Games» when his laptop died well before
its time. His luck seemed to follow him as he was
transported, along with the other passengers, to a
hospital following an accident between his bus and a
truck. Upon waking in a transfusion hall rather than a
ward, Qi Leren felt a familiar sense of dread as he
took in the hospital that held no trace of other
people…
Table of Contents

Welcome to the Nightmare Game ....................................................................... 4

Chapter 1: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (I) ........................................... 10
Chapter 2: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (II) .......................................... 18
Chapter 3: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (III).......................................... 25
Chapter 4: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (IV) ......................................... 32
Chapter 5: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (V) .......................................... 38
Chapter 6: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (VI) ......................................... 47
Chapter 7: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (VII) ........................................ 54
Chapter 8: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (VIII) ....................................... 61
Chapter 9: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (IX) ......................................... 67
Chapter 10: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (X) ........................................ 75
Chapter 11: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XI) ....................................... 85
Chapter 12: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XII) ...................................... 92
Chapter 13: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XIII) ................................... 100
Chapter 14: The First People‘s Hospital of City (XIV) ..................................... 107
Chapter 15: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XV) .................................... 112
Chapter 16: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XVI) ................................... 119
Chapter 17: The First People‘s Hospital X City (XVII) ...................................... 126
Chapter 18: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XVIII) ................................ 133
Chapter 19: The First People‘s Hospital of XCity (XIX) ................................... 139
Chapter 20: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XX) ................................... 146
Chapter 21: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XXI) .................................. 152
Chapter 22: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XXII) ................................. 158
Chapter 23: The First People‘s Hospital of X City (XXIII) ................................ 165
Chapter 24: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (I) .................................................... 173
Chapter 25: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (II) ................................................... 179
Chapter 26: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (III) .................................................. 186
Chapter 27: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (IV) ................................................. 192
Chapter 28: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (V) .................................................. 199
Chapter 29: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (VI) ................................................. 207
Chapter 30: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (VII) ................................................ 215
Chapter 31: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (VIII) ............................................... 222
Chapter 32: Witchcraft Sacrifice (I) .................................................................. 229
Chapter 33: Witchcraft Sacrifice (II) ................................................................. 236
Chapter 34: Witchcraft Sacrifice (III) ................................................................ 243
Chapter 35: Witchcraft Sacrifice (IV) ............................................................... 250
Chapter 36: Witchcraft Sacrifice (V) ................................................................ 257
Chapter 37: Witchcraft Sacrifice (VI) ............................................................... 264
Chapter 38: Witchcraft Sacrifice (VII)............................................................... 270
Chapter 39: Witchcraft Sacrifice (VIII).............................................................. 276
Chapter 40: Witchcraft Sacrifice (IX) ............................................................... 284
Chapter 41: Witchcraft Sacrifice (X) ................................................................ 292
Chapter 42: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XI) ............................................................... 298
Chapter 43: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XII)............................................................... 305
Chapter 44: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XIII).............................................................. 312
Chapter 45: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XIV) ............................................................. 321
Chapter 46: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XV) .............................................................. 330
Chapter 47: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XVI) ............................................................. 339
Chapter 48: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XVII) ............................................................ 347
Chapter 49: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XVIII) ........................................................... 355
Chapter 50: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XIX) ............................................................. 363
Chapter 51: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XX) .............................................................. 370
Chapter 52: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXI) ............................................................. 377
Chapter 53: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXII) ............................................................ 386
Chapter 54: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXIII) ........................................................... 393
Chapter 55: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXIV) ........................................................... 399
Chapter 56: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXV) ............................................................ 406
Chapter 57: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXVI) ........................................................... 415
Chapter 58: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXVII) .......................................................... 423
Chapter 59: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXVIII) ......................................................... 430
Chapter 60: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXIX) ........................................................... 439
Chapter 61: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXX) ............................................................ 447
Chapter 62: Seed of Slaughter (I) .................................................................... 459
Chapter 63: Seed of Slaughter (II) ................................................................... 468
Chapter 64: Seed of Slaughter (III) .................................................................. 479
Chapter 65: Seed of Slaughter (IV) ................................................................. 488
Chapter 66: Seed of Slaughter (V) .................................................................. 495
Chapter 67: Seed of Slaughter (VI) ................................................................. 501
Chapter 68: Seed of Slaughter (VII) ................................................................ 509
Chapter 69: Seed of Slaughter (VIII) ............................................................... 516
Chapter 70: Seed of Slaughter (IX) ................................................................. 524
Chapter 71: Seed of Slaughter (X) .................................................................. 533
Chapter 72: Seed of Slaughter (XI) ................................................................. 541
Chapter 73: Neverland (Stranger) ................................................................... 552
Chapter 74: Castle Cry (I) ................................................................................ 561
Chapter 75: Castle Cry (II) ............................................................................... 570
Chapter 76: Castle Cry (III) .............................................................................. 577
Chapter 77: Castle Cry (IV) ............................................................................. 585
Chapter 78: Castle Cry (V) .............................................................................. 592
Chapter 79: Castle Cry (VI) ............................................................................. 599
Chapter 80: Castle Cry (VI) ............................................................................. 608
Chapter 81: Castle Cry (VIII) ........................................................................... 618
Chapter 82: Castle Cry (IX) ............................................................................. 626
Chapter 83: Castle Cry (X) .............................................................................. 633
Chapter 84: Castle Cry (XI) ............................................................................. 641
Chapter 85: Castle Cry (XII) ............................................................................ 651
Chapter 86: Castle Cry (XIII) ........................................................................... 660
Chapter 87: Castle Cry (XIV) ........................................................................... 669
Chapter 88: Castle Cry (XV) ............................................................................ 679
Chapter 89: Castle Cry (XVI) ........................................................................... 686
Chapter 90: Castle Cry (XVII) .......................................................................... 696
Chapter 91: Castle Cry (XVIII) ......................................................................... 702
Chapter 92: Castle Cry (XIX) ........................................................................... 711
Chapter 93: Castle Cry (XX) ............................................................................ 720
Chapter 94: Castle Cry (XXI) ........................................................................... 729
Chapter 95: Castle Cry (XXII) .......................................................................... 737
Chapter 96: Castle Cry (XXIII) ......................................................................... 745
Chapter 97: Castle Cry (XXIV)......................................................................... 754
Chapter 98: Castle Cry (XXV).......................................................................... 763
Chapter 99: Slaughter Secret Society (I) ......................................................... 773
Chapter 100: Slaughter Secret Society (II) ...................................................... 784
Chapter 101: Slaughter Secret Society (III) ..................................................... 792
Chapter 102: Slaughter Secret Society (IV) ..................................................... 799
Chapter 103: Slaughter Secret Society (V) ...................................................... 806
Chapter 104: Slaughter Secret Society (VI) ..................................................... 814
Chapter 105: Slaughter Secret Society (VII) .................................................... 821
Chapter 106: Slaughter Secret Society (VIII) ................................................... 830
Chapter 107: Slaughter Secret Society (IX) ..................................................... 838
Chapter 108: Slaughter Secret Society (X) ...................................................... 844
Chapter 109: Slaughter Secret Society (XI) ..................................................... 851
Chapter 110: Slaughter Secret Society (XII) .................................................... 857
Chapter 111: The Dream of the Holy Nun (I) ................................................... 868
Chapter 112: The Dream of the Holy Nun (II) .................................................. 875
Chapter 113: The Dream of the Holy Nun (III) ................................................. 884
Chapter 114: The Dream of the Holy Nun (IV) ................................................. 892
Chapter 115: The Dream of the Holy Nun (V) .................................................. 899
Chapter 116: The Dream of the Holy Nun (VI) ................................................. 905
Chapter 117: The Dream of the Holy Nun (VII) ................................................ 912
Chapter 118: The Dream of the Holy Nun (VIII) ............................................... 920
Chapter 119: The Dream of the Holy Nun (IX) ................................................. 927
Chapter 120: The Dream of the Holy Nun (X) .................................................. 934
Chapter 121: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XI) ................................................. 941
Chapter 122: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XII) ................................................ 951
Chapter 123: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XIII) ............................................... 957
Chapter 124: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XIV) .............................................. 965
Chapter 125: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XV) ............................................... 971
Chapter 126: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XVI) .............................................. 979
Chapter 127: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XVII) ............................................. 985
Chapter 128: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XVIII) ............................................ 992
Chapter 129: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XIX) ............................................ 1001
Chapter 130: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XX) ............................................. 1008
Chapter 131: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXI) ............................................ 1017
Chapter 132: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXII) ........................................... 1025
Chapter 133: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXIII) .......................................... 1034
Chapter 134: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXIV) .......................................... 1045
Chapter 136: Goodbye, Neverland (Extra) .................................................... 1062
Chapter 137: Extra ........................................................................................ 1070
 Chapter 1: The First People’s Hospital of X City (I)

The bus steadily made its way forward, the warm sunlight of
an autumn afternoon filtering through the window and onto Qi
Leren. If it weren‘t for the girl tearfully arguing into the phone
with her boyfriend beside him, this could almost be a pleasant
journey.
Almost.
Journeys with broken laptops to fix were scarcely considered
pleasant, especially when said laptop had only been subjected
to a few games of minimum hardware requirements before
dying completely. Needless to say, Qi Leren was less than
satisfied with his laptop, which had met its unfortunate fate only
months after its purchase.
With that being said, QiLeren will be lying if he said the game
wasn‘t scary. Titled a vague «The Nightmare Games» and
lacking even the most basic gameplay screenshots, QiLeren
had fully prepared himself for a terrible game after clicking
download on a whim only to be shocked by its quality.
As a casual fan of horror games, QiLeren had limited
experience but was by no means a beginner with his eye for
detail. Aside from the fantastic plot, the feature that he
appreciated the most was its large number of save slots, with
which he could fully bring into play his skill as a save scummer.
There was not a single slot left unused, totaling at around a
hundred saves by the end without even overwriting any of
them. Upon completing the game with a bad ending typical of
the genre, a notification popped up in the upper right corner:
―Achievement unlocked: [Save-scumming Maniac]‖.
That was an…interesting achievement, to say the least.
Almost immediately, another notification appeared: ―Would
you like to restart? Y/N‖. It didn‘t take much thought for
QiLeren to select yes, the soft click of his mouse sending the
graphics onscreen tumbling down into nothing. Any attempts at
revival was met with the unforgiving black screen, leaving him
no other option than to haul it to a hardware store to be
repaired.
You wouldn’t download a car, QiLeren thought to himself
bitterly as he packed the glorified paperweight into a bag.
Piracy was truly a sin.

The girl next to him was still crying. That is, until her boyfriend
ran out of patience with a yell of something QiLeren couldn‘t
make out that finally made the girl snap. ―You wanna break up,
huh?! Sure thing, buddy, see if I give a shit. I‘ll make sure to
mail this baby over after I abort it, you hear me? I won‘t let you
just run off with that bitch and live out the rest of your lives like
nothing happened!‖ Hanging up, she hunched over screamed
into her hands.
The atmosphere inside the bus was extremely awkward.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Qi Leren dug out a
packet of tissues from his backpack and held it out to the girl,
only to be met with a murderous glare. ―I don‘t want your fake
pity,‖ she hissed.
Qi Leren retracted his hand awkwardly and turned to face the
window instead. This is what single people got for butting into a
couple‘s fight.
It was then that the scenery outside flew backwards, white
noise overtaking Qi Leren‘s vision. A truck appeared seemingly
out of nowhere, barrelling towards the bus furiously braking to
no avail; the two vehicles crashed with a loud clamour,
throwing all its passengers forwards. Qi Leren‘s hands
immediately flew out to catch himself, arms buckling under the
momentum as his head cracked against the hard back of the
seat. Amidst the bloody screams around him, QiLeren could
see nothing but black.

It was to the sirens of an ambulance that QiLeren finally

stirred. He blearily opened his eyes and was greeted by a face
mere centimetres away from his.
Both men let out a yell of ―Whoa!‖ before regaining their
composure. QiLeren sat up, head throbbing in beat with his
pulse. There was a doctor sitting beside him. Perhaps he was
a paramedic brought here by the ambulance. ―Are you alright?‖
the doctor asked.
―I‘m okay, just a little dizzy,‖ Qi Leren replied. He gingerly
brought a hand to his forehead; it had been bandaged.
―You hit your head when the bus crashed,‖ said the doctor.
―You might have a concussion; it‘d be best to double check
that at the hospital.‖
The idea didn‘t seem particularly appealing to Qi Leren.
Hospital fees weren‘t cheap and besides, it was probably just a
skin wound. He turned to the doctor, suddenly taken aback at
his appearance. ―…Since when did they let minors practice
medicine? Have you even graduated university?‖ he
scrutinised. This person looked to be a high schooler at most,
some might even believe him if he claimed to be in middle
school.
The doctor glared at him venomously. ―I‘m twenty-seven
already. Got my PhD. Been working for three years.‖
Qi Leren‘s suspicious scrutinising immediately turned into one
of awe at the academic prowess before him. Still a little dizzy,
he lied back down and made casual conversation with the
doctor. Dr. Lu had started school at an earlier age than
everybody else in his cohort and skipped a few grades
thereafter. He completed his PhD at the tender age of twenty
four and obtained employment at the First People‘s Hospital at
X City, at which he hopped around speciality departments for
two years before finally settling in internal medicine. His soft
voice and youthful features gained him adoration from almost
all nurses, cementing his status as the lucky charm of the
hospital.
It was with great empathy that Qi Leren listened to Dr. Lu‘s
woes about having been single for his whole life.
 Suddenly, a wave of sluggish sleepiness washed over them,
prompting yawns from both men. ―I‘m sleepy,‖ Dr. Lu muttered,
slumping into the wall as his eyelids fluttered closed. Qi Leren
did likewise, closing his eyes to the rhythmic lullaby of
ambulance sirens.

Upon waking, Qi Leren found himself lying on a chillingly cold

metal chair. It was quite possibly the best sleep he‘s ever
gotten; he hadn‘t even dreamed. His head still throbbed
though, he discovered as he sat up with a start, and the
dizziness hasn‘t subsided. It took him a few seconds to notice
that he was probably at the hospital.
Hospital. Right.
But the words ―Infusion Hall‖ on the wall opposite him
informed him that he was in the infusion hall and not a ward,
which made no sense. His surroundings were completely
silent, devoid of even mere glimpses of people. QiLeren
pushed himself up and stumbled a few steps towards the
service counter, taking in the pens, post-it notes and syringes
lying haphazardly across it. Wisps of steam rose from the mug
as if there had been somebody sitting there just a second
before.
How bizarre; QiLeren had never seen such an empty hospital.
This was the First People‘s Hospital, for goodness sake, they
had problems with overcrowding no matter which day of the
week it was. Barring the apocalypse, this hospital would never
be void of people.
 ―Is there anyone here? Helloo, where did everyone go?‖ he
called, voice echoing off the walls. He looked around him and
made a beeline for the exit, intent on leaving. It was very cold,
he noted, a fact that he hadn‘t realised among the sea of
people that was usually present but now made itself very
prominent. It wasn‘t just the temperature; the hospital itself
gave off a sinister feeling that chilled him to his very bones
more than mere temperature could ever do.
Unfortunately, the glass doors that served as an exit were
locked. QiLeren peered through the glass into the likewise
deserted hallway beyond, feeling slightly claustrophobic at the
stark white walls that boxed the empty space. Compact
fluorescent lights that stretched into the darkness glowed softly
in the absence of natural lighting. It was daytime, yet the
hospital felt like the dead of the night.
QiLeren spun on his heels and approached the window,
rolling up his sleeves. As he swept his eyes across the room, a
reflection in the mirror caught his heart in a vice-like grip —
there was a lone, pale figure occupying the metal chair not a
step away from him.
His whipped around; the chairs were as empty as they had
always been. Rows of them stared back at QiLeren innocently,
mockingly littered with rubbish and abandoned luggage with no
trace of humans to be seen. An oppressing sense of
claustrophobia leapt at him from the eerie emptiness.
Turning around once more at the shiver that ran down his
spine, QiLeren hesitantly peeked at the mirror. His own pallid,
bandaged face stared back at him. Behind him were rows
upon rows of unoccupied seats waiting for their rightful
occupants.
There was no one. Only mistaken instincts.
QiLeren forced down his unease, made his way back to the
window and opened it as far as he could. Caging over the
opening were security grills that denied any form of escape
and did not budge in the slightest. Thick fog swirled out in the
open and clouded his vision for any potential humans that he
could see. Fear crept into the edges of his perception.
He let out a curse. The door was locked, the window was
sealed, there was something off about every nook and cranny
of this place and not to mention the ghostly figure in the mirror
he was trying his best to not think about. Despite his furious
insistence on it being non-existent, he couldn‘t help the tiny
voice that offered its suspicions.
This was just like a horror room escape game! Just as he
considered the possibility of being wrapped up in some form of
supernatural event, a few lines of notifications popped into his
mind:
[Player QiLeren has completed Tutorial Quest 1: The
Awakening]
[Card slot unlocked x2]

[Tutorial Quest 2: Leaving the Infusion Hall]

[New Game+: “Save-scumming Maniac” achievement
reward, obtained skill card “Law of S/L”]

[Sync Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Sync

Complete]
A sudden pain erupted behind Qi Leren‘s eyes as if
thousands of tiny needles were being pushed into them.
Wiping away tears as the pain subsided, he blearily opened his
eyes to see the metal chair through his tears. Silently sitting on
it was a pale figure-
-looking straight at him.
 Chapter 2: The First People’s Hospital of X City (II)

Dead silence roared in his ears. Qi Leren‘s eyes glued

themselves onto the ghostly figure, the figure likewise staring
back at him blankly. Malicious darkness pierced through the
white fog that surrounded the silhouette of what looked like an
old woman, her empty, pupiless gaze sending Qi Leren‘s heart
into wild overdrive.
Neither of them moved.
Qi Leren took a tentative step back. Still the ghost did not
move. The only thing louder than static to QiLeren at that
moment was the beating of his own heart as he found it harder
and harder to breathe. He slowly made his way to the side in
an attempt to avoid the ghost‘s field of vision, only to have first
her eyes then the creaky turning of her head follow his
movements. As it reached ninety-degrees, she ceased all
movement and stalled silently on the metal chair.
The tapping of footsteps quickened. Heaving out a sigh,
QiLeren stopped behind the ghost. His head whipped up at a
large crack that interrupted his thoughts; the ghost turned her
head around to one-eighty-degrees with one final, noiseless
push, surveilling him from her position on the chair.
Qi Leren drew in a sharp breath, unconsciously stepping
back. The ghost followed suit, pushing herself into a standing
position with both her back and face towards QiLeren before
stumbling towards him with small, twisted steps.
Where could he go? The doors that served as the exit were
locked shut, so that leaves…
QiLeren frantically looked around for a hard object to break
the glass with. A scream rang out from the corridor at that very
moment, followed by the sound of frenzied footsteps. ―Please
don‘t kill me! Please don‘t- who the hell are you? I don‘t even
know who you are! Why are you trying to kill me when I‘ve
never even seen you in my life?‖ Something – possibly
somebody‘s head – rammed into the glass doors with a loud
thump. QiLeren scrambled behind the counter and tucked
himself under the desk.
The cramped space brought a peculiar form of security but
offered little in ways of shelter from the slaughter occurring
mere steps away. The sound of the man‘s hysterical struggling
permeated the infusion hall but seemed to have no effect on
his soon-to-be-murderer as the chainsaw ripped through skin
and bone with a dull squelch that did nothing to cover the roar
of machinery. A series of thumps hammered at the glass doors
with the desperation of a man about to be buried alive in his
casket, screams reaching a bloody crescendo before
something heavy landed on the floor and ended the chainsaw‘s
murderous dance. In the deafening silence, QiLeren could only
hear pained moans that grew weaker, weaker and weaker still
until there was nothing left.
A live, breathing human had just been murdered with a
chainsaw not metres away from him.
 Somehow, this realisation hit QiLeren harder than the nearby
ghost did. He could see the way a chainsaw would effortlessly
rip into the body. The way it would render what was once
human into a mass of blood and flesh.
The way the murderer would watch his own gruesome
handiwork with cold, detached eyes.
―Useless thing.‖
The man outside spoke to himself in a low tone. There was
the sound of an attempt at opening the glass door followed
retreating footsteps when he found they were locked. QiLeren
let out a breath that he hadn‘t realised he was holding, pulse
calming as he hugged his trembling body. The murderer was
gone, he was safe…
With a splintering crash, the glass door shattered. QiLeren sat
up with a start – the murderer didn‘t leave after all! He just
went to find something to smash the glass with!
Footsteps drew nearer, bringing with it the crunching of broken
glass underfoot.
The air was thick with terror and QiLeren was drowning in it.
His body froze, curling in on itself as he attempted to make
himself smaller. There was now nothing but a thin wooden
board that stood between the two men.
The footsteps stilled.
With a torturous groan, the chainsaw revved to life.
No! He couldn‘t have known that he was here- How did he
know that he was here?!
QiLeren could feel himself growing faint; how was an
unarmed man supposed to go up against a chainsaw-wielding
psychopath? The high-pitched screaming of gears hovered
close by, able to end his life in a single, gentle swing.
Run, or wait for death? QiLeren forced his fear-ridden mind to
think; the door was less than three metres away and had been
smashed open already, what‘s the probability of him getting
away alive if he made a run for it?
―Get out of my way, old hag!‖
The murderer yelled, waving the chainsaw in an elaborate
dance of death and eliciting a series of inhumane screeching
from the ghost. Blood from his previous victim sprayed all over
the walls, leaving crimson tear tracks in their wake. A drop flew
into Qi Leren‘s eye.
Should he run? QiLeren struggled with himself; the ghost
didn‘t seem like a match for the murderer, its screams fading
quickly that this‘d be the best opportunity for him to run if he
was going to at all. But if he were to take the chance, the
murderer would know that there was a person hiding and
without a shadow of doubt pursue him, and then…
No, there was no need to run. The murderer had stopped for
the ghost and would likely leave after disposing of her. QiLeren
didn‘t have to take the risk. Taking a gamble with his self-
reassuring reasoning, he sat still and waited for the murderer
to leave.
Sure enough, the chainsaw ceased when the ghost died. So
this is the power of true evil, QiLeren thought to himself. The
fact that he shut off the chainsaw meant that he wasn‘t aware
of the other presence in the room, yes?
The thrill of survival had not yet left Qi Leren‘s system when
the footsteps picked up once again and…walked behind the
service counter.
Qi Leren‘s brain was immediately overridden with the white
static of terror.
The furthest drawer on the left was pulled out with a swish.
The murderer rummaged around roughly for a moment before
slamming it closed and moving on to the next one. QiLeren
forced himself to concentrate after a short period of blanking
out; this service counter was quite large and had six drawers, if
he remembered correctly, each of which was separated on the
bottom with planks of wood. He had hidden in the one furthest
away out of instinct; there should be no way to see through the
drawer to what was underneath it if one was standing up!
The murderer had moved onto the fourth drawer, only two
away from his. He could almost smell the thick, metallic scent
of blood on the chainsaw.
Qi Leren noticed the murderer‘s shoes as the fifth drawer was
drawn out. They were of unusual and quite frankly old-
fashioned design, dark blue with a strange logo. Under the
logo was a line of text that read Bureau of Prison Management
and Surveillance.
These were shoes of an inmate!
Qi Leren‘s gaze slid up the man‘s pants, the corner of the
open drawer catching his attention and spelling his death; the
insides of each drawer was made of transparent plastic! He
rigidly forced himself to study the drawer above him, plastic
walls baring its contents of a few pens, some memo pads and
a box of paperclips to the world. As soon as the murderer
opens it, he‘d be able to see through the plastic bottom and
straight at QiLeren, helplessly and pathetically waiting for his
end.
In the face of certain death, time seemed to stretch on
infinitely. The sounds of rummaging grew distant and faint;
fear, bitterness, hate…many, many emotions threatened to
overwhelm QiLeren as he so resented his own weakness and
indecision for the first time. If he had seized the chance before
while the murderer was distracted by the ghost, maybe he
would‘ve lived to see another day.
The sound of a plastic wrapper tearing took QiLeren by
surprise for a few moments until he finally pieced together the
sounds and smell to form a motive; the man had found a small
cake inside the nurse‘s drawer and was now happily washing it
down with the still steaming water on the table. He hummed a
few lines of indiscernible lyrics with no trace of remorse for
what he had done.
 This short break had bought QiLeren the time to strategize.
Run – he had to run. His only advantage right now was that his
opponent didn‘t know of his presence; even murderers had to
double take at a person appearing out of nowhere. This one
second of inaction would serve as Qi Leren‘s last chance.
He mustn‘t let this chance slip by.
Wrapper now discarded on the floor, the murderer took a step
forward to stand directly before Qi Leren‘s hiding place. He
reached out a hand to grasp the drawer and pulled it open…
 Chapter 3: The First People’s Hospital of X City (III)

QiLeren wasted no time after the drawer was pulled open,

swinging a fist towards the murderer‘s general crotch area
without even a glance at his face. The murderer let out a
gargle of pain at the unexpected assault, toppling over onto the
ground as his chainsaw did likewise.
This was his chance! Qi Leren scrambled out from his hiding
spot under the counter, intent on leaving as soon as possible
only to stumble from the numbness that radiated from his left
leg. His heart skipped a beat; he hadn‘t spent too long under
the counter, but in the wake of the tension and events that had
unfolded he had forgotten to shift his position.
In the short seconds that Qi Leren faltered, he made eye
contact with the murderer; a young man with a buzz cut, clad
in, as expected, prison garb. His face was surprisingly
handsome, marred only by the criss-crossing wounds that
covered half his face and his pained expression.
The murderer could not yet stand after such an attack but his
hand had already found the previously abandoned chainsaw,
roaring as it drew near to Qi Leren‘s body. Qi Leren forced
down the discomfort in his leg as he turned on his heels, bolted
past the front counter and out into the corridor. All over the
glass doors were bloodied handprints of dying struggles, the
owner of which was lying on the ground nearby. Entrails spilled
out of the gaping hole in his stomach, having trailed after him
as he crawled no more than a metre before his eventual
demise.
Qi Leren pressed on, not sparing a second glance at the
previous victim. He doubled back up the stairs; this was
obviously a dimension separate from the normal world. Based
on his observations of the infusion hall, the chances of the
entrance of the hospital being open was infinitely close to zero.
It would be wiser to hide somewhere inside the hospital first to
buy some time.
The second he passed the doors, two notifications surfaced in
his mind:
[Player Qi Leren has completed Tutorial Quest 2: Leaving the
Infusion Hall]

[Tutorial Quest 3: Surviving Until Dawn]

His escape went smoother than he had ever dared to
imagine. By the time Qi Leren came back to his senses
enough to stop running, he had already reached the B block
outpatient lobby on the fourth floor. The infusion hall was on
the first floor in A block. If he played his cards right, the
murderer wouldn‘t be able to find him for a week at least.
Finally relieved of the tension, Qi Leren slumped onto the floor,
face in his hands as a wide grin overcame his face. His heart
rate hadn‘t had time to return to normal, but the giddy euphoria
of having survived washed over him nonetheless.
Alive. He was still alive.
 The thought ran through his mind like a broken record as he
spent a few minutes catching his breath. Eventually, he forced
himself up to a standing position and set out to find some
water. The immediate danger was over (at least for now), but
there were still too many mysteries and questions for him to
investigate. The notifications from before stood out in his
memory, signifying that this was no longer the world he lived
in.
Card slots…skill cards…
Qi Leren unconsciously patted his hip with one hand at the
memory, discovering a wide belt with two ports around the size
of playing cards.
Where had he heard the name ‗Law of S/L‘ before?
As he pondered over this, the familiar sight of an inventory
screen surfaced in the depths of his mind. A small icon of a
card in the first inventory slot drew his attention, materialising
in his hand with a mere thought.
[Law of S/L] (Binding skill card): Allows the holder to create a
save file at the position in which this skill is activated. If the
holder experiences a fatal wound or death within a time limit of
10 seconds, they will be returned to a specific location and
state as per the save file and a subsequent countdown will
triggered immediately. Save files will expire after 10 seconds if
unused. A save file may be used 3 times. Skill cooldown: 1
hour. Sometimes death is the only way to survive.
 ―…‖ Even a veteran gamer like Qi Leren was taken aback by
the sheer audacity of the skill description. It was one of those
skills that seems utterly broken at first glance but even just a
second of evaluation would reveal it to have a cripplingly niche
useability. It may be called ―Law of S/L‖, but the so-called
save-load features clearly wouldn‘t affect the flow of time and
would just return his body to the way it was instead. The most
infuriating part was that he had to die within ten seconds.
He had to die! How was he meant to know when he was
going to die? What if he didn’t die within ten seconds? Would
he have to finish up the job himself? Was this skill trying to
instigate creative suicides?!
Even worse was the possibility of dying on the eleventh
second. Dying for real because the save file expired a second
earlier was not something he wanted to experience. Basically,
this was a completely useless skill that…hm, maybe
not completely useless. Maybe he could save at the top of a
building and experience the feeling of jumping off of it or
something. Qi Leren considered these options jokingly to
himself, because why would a reasonable person like him do
something as stupid as…
Damn, he actually wanted to try it. Not because he was
suicidal or anything, but to test the skill. He lined the card up
with the port on his belt and activated it.
It was surprisingly anticlimactic, with the only change being
that he was now aware of a newfound ability to place save files
below himself that last ten seconds.
 Maybe it‘d be best to take a minute and reorganise his
thoughts. Qi Leren strolled into an empty ENT room, picking up
a pen and a notepad to jot down any clues that came to mind.
The blank notepad looked extremely old – possibly a few
decades old – with its tanned cover and yellowing pages.
There were no markings other than faintly ruled lines, not even
a name. Closing the door, Qi Leren sketched a rough blueprint
of the hospital from memory.
Thank the heavens for his degree in interior design. Without
it, he‘d be nowhere as perceptive about the layout of a
building. He worked as just a freelance interior designer after
graduating, but it provided more than enough money to live
comfortably.
Qi Leren could recall from his few visits that the outpatient
area in this hospital was made up of two blocks with six floors
each, A and B. These came together in the middle to form a
hyperbola from a bird‘s-eye view. There were two ways to
travel from one block to the other: the first, exiting A block and
walking around the buildings to enter B block, and; the second,
crossing the suspended hallway that connected the two
buildings on the third level. If his memory served him correctly
then it was via this hallway that he first entered B block. The
chilling air had been thick with wispy white fog and held no
trace of warmth even in direct sunlight.
The prompt that required him to survive until dawn was very
likely the last quest. If he were to equate his current situation to
that of a survival horror game, it wasn‘t unreasonable to
assume that timed quests like this were going to be filled with
all sorts of danger. From what it looked like, this hospital had
ghosts and also chainsaw-wielding murderers. The ghosts
were evidently killable since that murderer had killed one with
his chainsaw, which meant that physical attacks worked on
ghosts…unless the chainsaw was special in some way?
Qi Leren circled the heading ―Ways to kill ghosts‖ and
decided to test out his theory on the next ghost he came
across. There‘s no way he‘d make it all the way to dawn
without seeing another ghost, especially not with his luck. He
glanced at his watch: quarter past four in the afternoon. Days
in November were among some of the shortest, so Qi Leren
estimated that he had another hour and a half before nightfall.
Nightfall in horror games brought terrible danger. If there were
already ghosts around in the day, it‘d only get worse at night –
he did not have much time left.
Food, water, weaponry, first-aid supplies, a way to kill ghosts,
a detailed map of the hospital, something to combat the fog…
QiLeren wrote down a long list of things he needed, suddenly
remembering that he had not yet attempted to contact the
outside world. His laptop was nowhere to be seen (probably
left behind on the bus or ambulance), but his phone was still on
his person. Unfortunately, there was no signal.
Having expected this, Qi Leren wasn‘t overly disappointed.
He tentatively tried to store the notepad inside the inventory,
finding that it disappeared out of his hands and into the grid-
like interface.
 Guess that‘s the problem of luggage solved. Qi Leren readied
himself to leave and opened the door. A pair of wild eyes that
belonged to someone slinking against the wall met his, ceasing
their erratic movements in an instant.
―Ahhhhh———–!!!‖
 Chapter 4: The First People’s Hospital of X City (IV)

The person scrambled backwards with a complete lack of

grace, flattening himself against the opposite wall. ―Are-Are-
Are you a human or one of them?‖
Qi Leren looked at him blankly, deciding to have a little fun.
―Well, I‘m not human, that‘s for sure.‖
Unfortunately, the person evidently hadn‘t lost all their brain
cells just yet, letting out a quiet sigh of relief upon the sight of
Qi Leren‘s shadow. ―Don‘t scare me like that, you… You look
kind of familiar, actually – have we met before?‖
―We met only a few hours ago, Dr. Got-My-PhD-At-Twenty-
Four-Been-Working-For-Three-Years-Never-Got-A-Girlfriend
Lu. Surely you‘ve not forgotten me already?‖ QiLeren joked.
Dr. Lu awkwardly brought a hand up to his nose. ―Oh, yes,
greetings, um- Hello again, Mr…?‖
―Qi, QiLeren. And please, no need for the title.‖
Interestingly, Dr. Lu did not offer his own name in exchange,
instead pulling QiLeren into the ENT room behind him. ―Come
on, Leren, we need to exchange some information. I‘ll start: I
woke up inside the office. The door was locked, there was fog
outside – way too much fog, actually, definitely more than
normal,‖ he babbled. ―I obviously went to look for the key,
except the draw where we keep the keys was locked as well,
which was more of a tip-off than the fog outside now that I think
about it. Anyway, all this made me think of horror movies since
I watch a ton of those, and then this weird notification popped
up? I looked up at it and that was when I saw a ghost reflected
in the mirror on the desk.‖
Dr. Lu‘s experience sounded quite similar to his own, QiLeren
noted as he nodded along to the recount. ―And then?‖
―And then I forced myself to not turn around,‖ Dr. Lu
blanched. ―I smashed open a window to the hallway and
climbed out from there. Cut my hand on some glass while I
was at it too. I‘ve never been any good at sports…‖ At this, he
held out a bandaged hand and continued in a small voice,
―Something caught me from behind and I whipped my hand
back to hit it by instinct. I remember feeling it slapping
something solid and – basically I managed to push the ghost
away. I‘ve never managed to hit something so hard in my life!‖
He looked in awe of his own badassery. ―It‘s probably just
because of the blood on my hand though.‖
QiLeren thought back to the bloody chainsaw, nodding in
agreement.
―The notification told me to survive until dawn after I got out,‖
Dr Lu continued. ―I bandaged my hand as fast as I could and
left pretty much straight after. I didn‘t really have a destination
in mind, so all I could do was to avoid obviously haunted
places like the OB-GYN and operation rooms, which brings us
to here! It‘s not like I‘ve had much bad luck in my life, but thank
god I only saw one ghost. It wasn‘t even very strong.‖
―Good luck indeed. I saw a few on my way here from A block,
but they moved slowly enough for me to outrun them,‖ QiLeren
said, before paling. ―But there‘s something more important I
need to tell you. I saw a chainsaw-wielding murderer in the
outpatient lobby. He killed a person.‖
―M-Murderer?!‖ Dr Lu‘s face drained of colour. ―Oh god, don‘t
tell me…‖
―Do you know about him?‖ QiLeren immediately asked at the
violent reaction.
―I heard it from some nurses gossiping at work this morning.
Apparently there was a serial killer who got moved here from
prison because of his self-harming tendencies…‖
―Self-harming tendencies?‖ QiLeren tried to recall the
adrenaline-filled encounter. Despite his tension, the murderer‘s
face left a deep impression upon him. ―I remember his face
having quite a few fresh wounds. Maybe they were his own
doing?‖
―According to my years of experience watching horror films
from all over the world, we‘re done for,‖ Dr Lu said with
despair. ―The situation we‘re in is kind of like the one in Silent
Hill – easy at first but gradually increasing in difficulty until
we‘re faced with swarms of ghosts that all have insanely high
attack power. Since this hospital has more people than just
me, maybe it‘s got something to do with the fact that we were
both on that ambulance?‖
As Dr Lu paced around the ENT room, QiLeren thought back
to the truck that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Was
it truly an accident?
―So,‖ Dr Lu began again, ―the people who are confirmed to be
here are: you, a survivor of the accident sent here to receive
treatment; me, an ordinary doctor working at this hospital, and;
the murderer, sent here from prison also to receive treatment.
So far it looks like anyone present at the hospital has the
possibility of being sent here, but we don‘t know if they pick
people randomly or if there‘s some sort of pattern to it… Aah,
this is so stupid. I want to go home!‖ Dr Lu sat down with a
huff, an expression of annoyance on his young face. He looked
more like a high school student stressing about an exam than
a professional two years older than QiLeren.
QiLeren slowly downed his water, retelling his story between
sips. The only thing he omitted was the peculiar S/L card, since
Dr Lu hadn‘t mentioned anything about cards either. He did
have the same slotted belt though, so perhaps this card was
not given to every player? QiLeren had not yet let down his
guard, especially since he could feel Dr Lu doing the same.
Their situation was a bizarre one, and nobody knew for sure
whether the person he was talking to was human or a…
Better safe than sorry.
―Is there anything we can use as a weapon here? I‘m not sure
how well we can survive unarmed,‖ said QiLeren.
―Yeah, surgery department should have a few chainsaws and
scalpels and stuff. The murderer probably got his from there.
It‘s in A block though, and I don‘t really want to go towards the
murderer,‖ panicked Dr Lu. QiLeren compared his short legs to
the long ones of the murderer, nodding in agreement.
―I‘ll be right back, just need to go to the bathroom. I think I
drank too much water,‖ he said, reaching for the door.
―Uh, are you really going to go to the bathroom in a haunted
hospital?‖ Dr Lu asked behind him with a hint of laughter.
QiLeren froze in his steps.
―There‘s a big pot plant outside, why don‘t you take care of
your business there? Safety first,‖ Dr Lu suggested
sympathetically.
QiLeren left stiffly, returning no more relaxed after a few
minutes. Dr Lu changed the topic, completely understanding
his awkwardness at the unfortunate circumstances. ―I actually
just thought of a place that might have some weapons, let‘s go
look for it.‖
―Where?‖
―The electrical room and the carpentry workshop, both in the
corner of B block level one. Maybe we can obtain the ‗Mighty
Sword of Physics‘ (a crowbar) from there, c‘mon,‖ he joked.
A knowing smile sneaked onto Qi Leren‘s face. Looks like Dr
Lu was an avid fan of horror games as well. Departing from the
ENT department, the pair was making their way down the
hallway and towards the stairwell when Dr Lu suddenly
stopped in his tracks. ―We‘re walking towards the OB-GYN
section right now; do you want to around it instead? There‘s a
big abortion room…‖
Qi Leren understood immediately, turning around with not a
second to waste. ―Alright, let‘s go around.‖
They didn‘t get to walk far before a series of heavy footsteps
rushed towards them, accompanied by pained moans. A
person stumbled out of the doorway, holding her belly as she
slumped into the wall.
Hold on, this was the girl he sat next to on the bus!
The girl looked at them with a pained expression from her
position against the wall, clammy face pallid and unhealthily
ashy as she cried out to the pair. ―Help me…‖
 Chapter 5: The First People’s Hospital of X City (V)

Help, or ignore? While Qi Leren hesitated, Dr. Lu rushed to

the girl‘s side. ―Are you feeling alright?‖ he asked. ―Where is
the pain?‖
―My belly…I think…‖ the girl forced through gritted teeth, face
devoid of colour, ―I think…it‘s a miscarriage.‖
The two men froze, Qi Leren swearing inwardly;
she was screaming about abortion as a gift to her boyfriend
earlier, but this was on a whole new level of misfortune. Was
there anything worse than experiencing miscarriage in a
haunted hospital? Actually, running into a serial killer was
probably not much better…
―Do-Do you want to keep the baby? I can give you a shot of
progesterone if need be,‖ Dr. Lu said, enquiring about the
needs of his patient with an air of professionalism.
The girl looked at him as if he had grown a second head.
―Keep the- Who the fuck would want to be pregnant inside
a haunted hospital?!‖
She just had to say it, didn‘t she?
―Stop daydreaming and help me lay her down over there!‖ Dr.
Lu called, interrupting his thoughts. They each slipped an arm
of the girl over their shoulder and walked, step after laboured
step, into the abortion room. The girl collapsed onto the bed,
panting like she was about to asphyxiate.
―There are…ghosts here…‖ she groaned, surprisingly
unpanicked. ―I ran out from this room.‖
―Where are they now?‖ Dr Lu fretted, looking around nervously.
―They got scared away by all the blood coming out of my
ass.‖ Her words started slurring from pain. ―Fuck, this hurts so
bad…‖
―…I-I‘ll go find some sanitary pads for you.‖ The room was
thankfully well-stocked, Dr Lu noted as he quickly located
some sanitary pads and disposable underwear that he handed
the girl. QiLeren poured a cup of water, gently helping her up
so she could drink.
―Thanks,‖ the girl said after catching her breath, ripping open
a sanitary pad with trembling hands. ―I‘m Xue Yingying. What‘s
your name, handsome?‖
―I‘m Qi Leren,‖ he replied, averting his eyes from the somewhat
awkward scene.
―We‘ll wait outside,‖ Dr. Lu interrupted, agitated by the show
of illicit interest before him, and dragged QiLeren away by the
arm. ―Holler when you‘re done!‖ This was an emergency,
goddamn it, at least pick a better time to hook up.
―This abortion room has a pretty complicated floor plan,‖ Qi
Leren noticed.
―Yeah, everyone gets confused on their first time here. The
entrance we doctors go through is separate from the one for
patients, and the waste chute is on another side entirely. Have
you noticed that there are actually four smaller rooms inside
the large one? Let‘s see…there‘s the break room, surgical
room, doctor‘s office, nurse‘s station…and a closet
compartment between those last two. It‘s really easy to get
lost. It‘s also the ideal setting for a chase scene.‖
―…Mate, can you stop jinxing us? Have you forgotten about the
serial killer wandering around the very hospital we‘re in? He
could appear at any second.‖
Dr. Lu glanced at him sideways. ―You just did it as well.‖
―…Oh.‖
The two fell silent, contemplating the next plan of action. Qi
Leren tried his best to bring up a topic that would not jinx them,
―Can you perform surgical abortion?‖
Dr. Lu levelled him a look that spoke volumes more than
words ever will. ―Are you kidding me? I‘m a physician! The
most I can do is probably an ultrasound – you want me to go
perform an abortion?‖
―…‖
―I guess I could give it a shot if she‘d definitely die without it
though…‖ Dr. Lu muttered to himself, earnestly considering the
possibility.
―Speaking of – is she okay? She hasn‘t made any noise for a
while now…‖ Qi Leren obviously didn‘t know what was going
on behind the door, but surely changing pads wouldn‘t take this
long?
 His question was answered soon after as a bloodcurdling
scream tore through the silence – ―SOMEBODY HELP-
THERE’S A GHOST!‖ The two wasted no time in throwing the
door open, charging in to the scene of Xue Yingying
scrambling away on the ground. On the bed she previously
occupied was a semi-transparent figure, wild hair swishing as it
crawled towards the girl in twisted movements. Before it could
grab her, Qi Leren darted forward and yanked Xue Yingying
aside, operating entirely on instinct. Dr. Lu looked seconds
away from making a break for it, but a fierce gust of wind
slammed the door closed before he could do so. He
desperately rattled the doorknob, but to no avail – holy shit,
we’re all going to die in here.
The ghost had already crawled onto the ground. The
fluorescent lights overhead winked out with a series of popping
explosions amidst Xue Yingying‘s screams, raining shards of
broken glass down upon its occupants and plunging the room
into pitch darkness.
The meagre light from outside did little to illuminate the
chilling gloom, but it was enough to make out the translucent
silhouette shifting and contorting as it drew nearer to the three.
In the midst of imminent danger, Dr Lu let out a yell, ―Blood-
Someone try using blood!‖
Blood? From where? Now? Qi Leren‘s brain was surprisingly
still functioning with all the tension in his body, but Xue
Yingying‘s brain evidently functioned better than his as she
swore, reaching into her underwear to rip something out. The
two men watched in shock and awe as she slapped the bloody
pad onto the face of the ghost centimetres away from her
ankle.
The ghost‘s anguished wail snapped Qi Leren out of his
shaken stupor; he picked up the chair beside him and threw it
down as hard as he could onto the ghost – yes, it
connected! He brought the chair down again and again, fuelled
only by the adrenaline running through his veins, until the
ghost dissipated in a wisp of crumbling dust.
The room fell silent, the sound of heavy breathing and
quickened pulses roaring in their ears. Qi Leren dropped the
chair and collapsed onto the ground with a long sigh.
It wasn‘t as hard as he‘d thought.
After helping a moaning Xue Yingying onto another bed with
shaky limbs, Dr. Lu carefully approached Qi Leren, who was
still on the ground and staring into the distance. ―Are you okay?
Any injuries?‖
Qi Leren came back to reality at the sound of his voice and
stiffly shook his head. He had no injuries but was a little
shaken up by the flurry of events from before. It seemed
almost surreal, the way his world narrowed down to nothing but
his weapon and the ghost. The way her screams tore through
his mind. The way her face twisted into something truly
gruesome, harmonising with the screams to form what was
ironically the most irrefutable proof of the reality they were
trapped in.
 The room was no less dim than before but thankfully retained
none of the stressful atmosphere. Xue Yingying laid on the
bed, half-dead from the scuffle, staring up at the ceiling in
despair as she begged feebly, ―Please tell me that was the
only one.‖
―There probably should be a cooldown,‖ Dr. Lu said, ever the
optimist. ―Are you hungry? I can go find some food for you.
Also some weapons, since being unarmed is kind of…ahem,
disadvantageous.‖ He swallowed down the word ―dangerous‖,
remembering how a ghost actually appeared after his jinxing
session with Qi Leren.
―You know your way around the hospital better than I do, so I
should probably stay here to look after Xue Yingying,‖ Qi Leren
suggested hesitantly. It wouldn‘t do to leave a patient alone.
―I… I… I…‖ It took many iterations of ―I‖ for Dr Lu to continue
his sentence, ―I‘m scared…‖
The room once again fell into silence.
―Don‘t worry about me, staying here might actually be safer.
I‘ll just fight it off with some blood if another one shows up!‖
Xue Yingying said selflessly, valiant in the very room where
they fought a ghost not minutes before. Ignoring the fact that
she also screamed her head off not minutes before, that is. Dr
Lu flitted around the room, leaving with QiLeren only after
finding her two scalpels to use for self-defense.
The hallway was predictably quiet and brightly-lit with stark
white lighting despite it being daytime.
 ―The cafeteria‘s behind the outpatient block, but let‘s focus on
weapons for now,‖ Dr Lu babbled to no one in particular. ―We‘ll
go find Xue Yingying some food and drinks afterwards, since
miscarriages use up a lot of energy. What do you think‘s up
with the weird fog? We could probably go to check it out later –
oh, but, we don‘t know if the door‘s open or not, if not we‘d
have to go find the key…‖
The two arrived at the carpentry workshop, which was
stocked with a variety of tools they could use but sadly no
chainsaws. There were only normal hand saws, as well as
other equipment such as electric cables, files and drills. After
much effort, Dr Lu bounded back with two crowbars in tow and
proudly presented them to Qi Leren. ―Look, I got us some
legendary Physics Holy Swords!‖
…Stop playing around.
Since tools could be stored in their inventory, the two robbed
the workshop and the adjacent electrical room of almost
everything that could potentially come in handy before taking a
crowbar each and preparing to look for food. Dr Lu rambled on
about supernatural happenings that occurred during his night
shifts.
―Quiet,‖ Qi Leren hissed suddenly, heart skipping a beat. Dr Lu
blinked confusedly before startling at Qi Leren‘s intense
expression.
The quiet tapping of footsteps approached from the far end of
the hallway, calm and unhurried. It didn‘t take long for a man to
turn the corner – chainsaw gripped in his hands and a glint of
crazed malice in his stare.
 Chapter 6: The First People’s Hospital of X City (VI)

Qi Leren wasted no time in the face of such danger, turning

on his heels with a yell of ―Run!‖ before bolting down the
hallway, Dr. Lu hot on his heels after a momentary second of
mind blank and a bit of pathetic screaming. The fact that they
had weapons was completely ignored in favour of blind fear
and the need to get away.
As a male who looked young enough to be jailbait with
physical coordination that put the word ‗poor‘ to shame, Dr. Lu
was predictably the one to trip over thin air. Just as he
prepared for his painful demise, their pursuer rushed past him
without a second glance.
The floored person stared uncomprehendingly at the sight of
Qi Leren disappearing into the corridor, followed by the
murderer with his chainsaw.
Did he just somehow survive this ordeal?

On the other side, Qi Leren was having decidedly less luck; in

fact, it was possibly the worst situation he had ever
experienced, with his life riding on the line between life and
death. The murderer was catching up at an alarming rate, but
Qi Leren actually found himself growing calmer with each
thump of the footsteps that drew closer and closer. How was
he to survive a cold, ruthless killer who revelled in the very act
of slaughter? Was there anything he could use to…?
A lightbulb flickered to life within Qi Leren‘s mind – Law of S/L!
He could see the emergency exit not far ahead and an office
not ten metres away with its door left ajar, at the entrance of
which he left a save point – a translucent totem placed down
with a mere thought. Without stopping, he made a sharp turn
into the emergency exit on his left.
[S/L skill countdown:]

Qi Leren skidded to a stop, righting his body.

8

He gripped the crowbar now in his hands.

7

Sounds of the murderer‘s bloodthirsty pursuit could now be

heard thundering at the entrance of the exit.
6

Qi Leren swung the crowbar downwards with a shout, tripping

the murderer.
5

The murderer tipped forwards, swinging his chainsaw clean

through Qi Leren‘s right arm and sending the crowbar flying.
4

Pain from his raw, gaping stump threatened to consume his

body, burrowing itself into his very bones.
3

Qi Leren struggled to sit up in the midst of his agony,

experiencing a sudden burst of strength in his last seconds of
life.
2

The murderer pushed himself into a kneeling position from his

previous sprawl on the ground, launching himself at QiLeren
with no shortage of malice.
1

Qi Leren bared his neck, meeting the blade–

It was as if he‘d detached himself from the world in the
second before death, all senses of pain abandoned; a spray of
dull crimson spewed from his artery and splattered onto the
macabre face inches away from his, coating the murderer‘s
twisted, demonic features in a blaze of scarlet.
[Fatal wound experienced within 10 seconds. Save file
loaded successfully.]
Qi Leren lost consciousness.
……
……
……
The moment seemed to both stretch on into infinity and pass
by in a blink. His restored right arm throbbed with phantom
pain at the terror of chainsaws and flesh still fresh in his mind,
sleeve reattached and clean of any bloodstains. Qi Leren stood
absently in the halfway open doorway of the office, less than
ten metres away from the murderer still at the corner.
He didn‘t know if his corpse was still lying in its own puddle of
blood or if it‘d disappear as he reverted back to the version of
himself ten seconds prior. If it was the latter…then the danger
was not yet over.
Qi Leren pushed open the door at the sound of footsteps
echoing in the emergency exit without hesitation, ducking into
the office. It was too late to run and this branchless hallway
would give him away in an instant, even without accounting for
the sounds.
Words cannot describe how much Qi Leren regretted his
action as soon as he pushed open the door – the traitorous,
seemingly normal door let out a quiet creak. It was very soft,
but not soft enough to be completely inaudible from the
emergency exit in the stifling silence. He didn‘t want to think
about whether or not the murderer had heard the sound.
The regret burned. This scenario was insanely similar to
when he huddled under the reception desk, desperately
praying for the murderer to pass him by, right down to the
foreboding dread he currently felt in the pit of his stomach.
The office was very cramped, containing nothing but two
desks and a closet. Qi Leren looked around before carefully
opening the closet door; it was completely empty and big
enough to fit an adult. He climbed in and closed the doors
behind him. A sliver of light sneaked through the gap between
them, too thin to peer into the outside. He could hear his frantic
breathing and heartbeat, still on edge.
The S/L countdown timer had already reached zero – it was
now too late to load a save. Each save can be used three
times successively, but the skill will go into cooldown if he
misses any one of them.
The save had failed. Qi Leren had nothing left but to pray.
Heavy footsteps approached the office, the screeching of
metal against flooring accompanying it – he was most likely
dragging the deactivated chainsaw behind him. His steps were
slow and careful, carrying with it a sense of confusion and
hesitation.
Leave, please leave quickly. QiLeren couldn‘t help but clasp
his hands together in a show of desperation, praying for the
murderer‘s departure.
As with Murphy‘s Law, anything that can go wrong will go
wrong – the footsteps stopped, and with it, Qi Leren‘s heart. He
listened to the soft creak of the office doors as it was pushed
open, dully answering his own question from before – yes; the
murderer had indeed heard the sound.
The murderer‘s steps were still sluggish, chainsaw carelessly
dragging behind him and shrieking like nails on chalkboard.
Amidst the sound of approaching death, pupils contracting with
panic, Qi Leren recalled that he had merely watched as the
chainsaw ripped through his neck; in the blur of crimson, his
pain was insignificant. What he remembered deeply was
instead the stench – a repulsive, rotten stench of copper.
The chilling memory was only a few seconds long but it was
as if time had slowed down, allowing the scene to be captured
by his eyes and branded into his mind for all of eternity.
He could smell that stench right now, accompanying the
footsteps that had just stopped outside the closet.
Qi Leren found himself unable to breathe through the harsh
drumming of his heart. The sliver of light was nowhere to be
found, replaced instead by the shadow of his fragile mortality.
The murderer was standing right outside the closet, the two
separated by no more than a thin wooden board.
Qi Leren could see the murderer‘s eyes in his mind – twisted,
inhuman and bloodthirsty with the excitement of a predator
who had just caught his prey, but at the same time suspicious,
for Qi Leren‘s disappearance was inconceivable by science.
The chainsaw was switched on with a roar, destroying Qi
Leren‘s last hope. He was to die here, throat slit with a
chainsaw – or perhaps worse, like the corpse in the infusion
hall with its stomach sliced open. It‘d be a slow and painful
death, organs slipping out of the gaping wound one by one as
he‘d struggle and scream and crawl and beg until his inevitable
death. The dark thoughts chipped away at his sanity in a way
that threatened to snap if it were given a bit more time.
Perhaps it was due to the mercy of the gods or mere
coincidence, but it was at this very second that a terrified
scream erupted in the stairwell nearby, ―Aaaaahhhhhh- There’s
a ghost!‖
The murderer pushed open the office doors and charged
towards the scream with large strides, taking with him the
whirring of his chainsaw. Qi Leren remained curled inside the
closet for a few more seconds until the screams increased in
intensity, upon which he threw himself out of the closet and
fled unsteadily from the stairwell.
The sounds of pained agony grew distant, or perhaps weaker,
until he could hear them no longer.
Chapter 7: The First People’s Hospital of X City (VII)

Another victim.
By the time Qi Leren came back to himself, he was already
standing in a hallway nearby the OB-GYN block, soaked
through with cold sweat.
―Qi Leren?‖ The head of a silhouette poked out from a
doorway, astonished to see that he was still alive. ―You‘re still
alive?!‖
―I‘m beginning to think that you do this on purpose,‖ Qi Leren
said dryly. Seeing Dr Lu‘s lively (alive) demeanor grounded Qi
Leren somewhat.
Dr. Lu ran out of the room and gave him an once-over. ―You
okay?‖
―Yeah…‖ Qi Leren looked down at himself. There were no
bloodstains on his clothes and his sleeve, previously severed
by the chainsaw along with his arm, had been fixed after
reading a save – basically, his S/L skill had restored him to his
body at the save point perfectly, erasing any evidence of the
horrific nightmare he had been through. Mere minutes may
have passed, but the encounter seemed lifetimes away.
Dr. Lu shot him a perplexed look. ―What about the serial
killer? Did you kill him?‖
―…Unfortunately not, I was lucky and managed to get away,‖
Qi Leren brought a hand to his forehead, deciding to tell Dr Lu
about his skill card after some hesitation, ―I actually have a skill
card that lets me load saves. It saved my life.‖
―Let‘s continue this inside, it‘s not safe out in the hallway,‖ Dr.
Lu interrupted, dragging Qi Leren into the room behind him.
Xue Yingying, lying on a hospital bed and looking a bit weak
but spirited nonetheless, lit up at the sight of the two. ―Are you
okay, Leren? Dr. Lu said you ran into the murderer – we were
both worried to death!‖
A corner of Qi Leren‘s lips pulled up into a wry smile before
he recounted his encounter, not leaving out the bits about his
skill card. The near-death experience had changed Qi Leren‘s
mindset; trusting others may not be such a bad decision after
all. It was the three of them, all normal human beings, against
a bloodthirsty serial killer – nothing short of a miracle was
going to get them out of this one.
―I… I actually got a skill card just now,‖ Xue Yingying
mumbled after QiLeren finished.
Dr. Lu gave her a quick glimpse before offering guiltily,
―Actually, I…‖
―…‖ So basically everyone had one.
Xue Yingying generously held her card out for the two to see:
[Bloodstained Youth] (Binding skill card): Grants the
holder bursts of explosive strength when in pain from
blood loss. Go forth and awaken your inner berserker –
this is your time, and nothing stands a chance against the
power of youth!
 ―I got it as the reward of an achievement after my abortion,‖
Xue Yingying said, sliding the card back into her belt. ―It‘s
thanks to this that I feel a lot less weak now.‖
This was definitely a skill made to mock the myriads of young
adult literatures chock-full of unplanned pregnancies and
painful miscarriages…but it sure was useful here, Qi Leren
thought. God knows how many times better than Law of S/L
this skill was. Getting raw power from shedding blood was too
broken; did game balance even exist anymore?
Was it really okay to make a girl who had recently undergone
an abortion tank for them though…?
―My skill‘s pretty boring – it just makes me lucky when
activated… It might be because I‘ve always been lucky, all the
way since I was a kid. Maybe it‘s a reward for that?‖ Dr. Lu
said.
―Let me guess,‖ Qi Leren said, annoyed, ―do you always win
lotteries, draw SSR cards in gacha games with a single
summon and pick up money off the side of the road?‖
―…Not exactly. I‘m pretty sure karma‘s a thing, so I don‘t buy
lottery tickets that often, but you‘re right about drawing SSR
cards in gacha games.‖
As someone who had been plagued by misfortune for almost
his entire life, Qi Leren could do nothing but fall silent.
After much discussion, the three decided to take a risk and
head out. Their situation was only going to get worse with the
approaching nightfall if they don‘t find food and a way to kill
ghosts within the hour.
―If you think about it, the murderer‘s just one person in this
two-block building! It‘s not that likely we‘ll bump into him,
right?‖ Xue Yingying reasoned optimistically. She was truly a
brave soul with nerves of steel; Qi Leren‘s impression of her
had changed drastically from the young girl threatening her
boyfriend on the bus after a bad break-up to someone capable
of staying in a room where they fought off a ghost.
Unfortunately, her words offered no reassurance to Qi Leren.
His mouth twitched, opting to stay quiet.
―We should be fine – I activated my skill right after we ran into
the murderer, so it‘s theoretically, as you said, pretty unlikely
for us to run into him with my skill active. There‘s still seventy-
five minutes left, but after that it‘ll be on cooldown for three
hours,‖ Dr. Lu said.
Qi Leren and Xue Yingying both let out a breath of relief at Dr
Lu‘s words, the three disembarking on their quest without too
much anxiety.
Xue Yingying was still a little weak, but she didn‘t have any
trouble walking normally and suggested that perhaps it‘d be
best if they were to look for food first. The other two shifted in
mild shame – they had wanted to find food after getting
weapons as well, but the appearance of the murderer may
have thrown a wrench into that plan. Getting food was quite
possibly the last thing on their minds.
 ―What do you think that stuff outside the window is?‖ Xue
Yingying murmured in the silence.
―You see this kind of fog quite frequently in horror movies,‖
Dr. Lu began in confidence. ―First of all, it helps to create an
oppressive atmosphere, and second of all…ah, it can be used
to hide monsters. Using it to separate the real world from the
one inside the fog is also pretty common.‖
The three swept through all the nearby offices, finding a
surprising amount of snacks. Xue Yingying gained some well-
deserved colour back into her complexion after downing a cup
of water-dissolved brown sugar. The outpatient section was big
and empty with deathly stillness that gave off a feeling of
unease to all its occupants; it was as though unpleasant
scenarios lurked around every corner, waiting for them to
stumble upon.
As the trio approached a fork in their path, Dr Lu felt an icy
chill run up his back, opening the floodgates to a myriad of
hair-raising emotions. ―I feel like there‘s something off about
that path. Quick, come over here,‖ he hissed in hushed tones,
waving the others over. Almost immediately after they turned
the corner, the heavy thudding of familiar footsteps
approached.
There was no doubt as to who these footsteps belonged to.
They anxiously held their breath, waiting until the murderer
passed by and vanished out their peripheral vision before
carefully stepping out into the open. There were a few
inconspicuous drops of blood on the floor that weren‘t there
before – another victim? Or was it the one from before?
―Jesus, what the hell is up with this game? You can‘t just
have a floor boss spawn randomly all over the map!‖ Dr Lu
griped quietly.
Qi Leren nodded in fervent agreement; the worst part about
this was that the boss wasn‘t even an NPC mob – it was a
bloody player character! Where was the humanity?
Xue Yingying pointed at the way the murderer had come
from. ―C‘mon, he passed us over so this way should be safe
now.‖
It wasn‘t long before they discovered the mangled corpse of
the previous victim. A bloodied ―6‖ was smeared next to it –
this was the sixth victim.
Xue Yingying averted her eyes out of disgust, but Dr Lu
pressed on in spite of the pungent smell of copper in the air to
examine the body, frowning. ―Female of roughly thirty years
old, cause of death is blood loss from the rupture of a major
artery in the neck area, likely inflicted through brutal means.
Time of death should be within a few minutes prior to our
arrival, accounting for the fact that her corpse is still warm. A
number has been written by the culprit on the wall beside her –
classic serial murder scenario.‖
―You do forensics too?‖ Xue Yingying asked, swallowing
down her nausea.
 ―I‘m just a physician who specialises in internal medicine and
loves horror movies,‖ Dr. Lu corrected.
Seeing no further information to be gathered from the corpse,
the trio followed the trail of blood up to the rooftop. QiLeren
was worried about the rooftop being shrouded in thick fog as
well since it was technically outdoors, but his fears were
evidently unfounded – the fog here existed only in fine wisps,
as if thinned out by an invisible barrier.
Not far from their position was a corpse, lying on the ground,
and at it a figure crouched with his back to them. He stood up
cautiously at the commotion, revealing a face that would elicit a
gasp of surprise from even those of the same gender.
Xue Yingying‘s unrestrained ―wow‖ and subsequent harsh
swallowing reached Qi Leren‘s ears with resounding clarity.
Chapter 8: The First People’s Hospital of X City (VIII)

Qi Leren knew that this was a world where looks were

everything, but he didn‘t realise just how superficial it was. It
had taken a whole second for Xue Yingying to betray him,
flittering over to the attractive young man before them – Su He,
his name was – with a sultry ―Hey, handsome.‖
Dr. Lu had no concept of repelling like charges, launching into
discussion with Su He on the enlightening topic of…the corpse
at their feet…
To say that Xue Yingying was slightly grossed out by the
subject matter would be an understatement, but she willed
herself to be strong. It was all worth it for the beauty in front of
her.
Qi Leren, however, was deeply concerned about the
prospects of their situation; how did this Su He person avoid
the murderer? Judging from the time, he must‘ve either hid
behind something on the rooftop this entire time or, like the rest
of them, made his way his way up after the murderer‘s
departure.
―I came to the hospital to visit someone, but this situation‘s a
bit of a surprise,‖ Su He said, slightly wrinkling his brow.
―Same! This is the worst thing that‘s happened to me since I
first started working here three years ago!‖ Dr Lu griped
irritably. ―I would never have gone into medicine if I
knew this was going to happen. Just who the hell did I offend in
my past life?!‖
―……‖ Xue Yingying, who just wanted to come to the hospital
to get an abortion and ended up miscarrying because her bus
crashed on the way, wisely chose not to speak for she was
unfortunate enough already.
―……‖ Qi Leren, who just wanted to go fix his laptop and
ended up in the hospital (and lost his laptop) because his bus
crashed on the way, likewise chose not to speak for he was
probably the most unfortunate one there. That title was not one
he cared to win. ―Did you see the murderer?‖ he asked.
Su He shook his head. ―This corpse was here when I arrived,
and the number ―5‖ was written in blood beside it. If there really
is a murderer as you say, then it‘s likely that this wasn‘t his first
victim. Perhaps the fifth?‖
Xue Yingying nodded furiously throughout his deduction,
―Yeah, you‘re completely right! You probably don‘t know yet,
handsome, but there‘s a murderer wandering around right now
who‘s really messed in the head. Dr Lu said he‘s a convicted
serial killer that got sent here for self-harm.‖
―We‘re in quite a troublesome situation…‖ Su He muttered to
himself.
Xue Yingying couldn‘t help but to sneak a few more glimpses
at the stunning sight of a handsome man in deep thought,
earnestly reassuring him that there is power in numbers.
 Having brushed the jaws of death twice thus far and firmly
retaining the murderer‘s wrath after a certain ―ball-shattering‖
incident, Qi Leren stayed silent. If they ran into the murderer
again, he‘d…
Just thinking about it made him weary.
The sky was grey and dreary with clouds and fog, letting
through only tiny rays of light and soon none at all as dusk
approached faster than anybody had anticipated, plunging the
world into darkness. The heavy fog weighed down on all the
inhabitants trapped within it, thickening into the distance and
obscuring any view of surrounding buildings.
Dr. Lu gave a sudden shudder. ―Let‘s leave,‖ he said urgently,
feeling a heightened sense of danger, ―I have a bad feeling
about this place…‖
Everyone except Su He, who had not yet caught up on the
state of affairs, tensed up immediately. Qi Leren and Xue
Yingying had both experienced firsthand just how accurate Dr.
Lu‘s sixth sense for danger was.
Pausing in her rush to the stairs, Xue Yingying spun around
to hurry Su He only to freeze up at the sight. ―H-Hand…
Ghost…‖ she stuttered, eyes wide and unblinking.
Qi Leren, standing next to Su He, subconsciously looked
down at Xue Yingying‘s terrified words – a pale, gaunt hand
reached between the railings from beyond the edge of the
building, seizing Su He‘s wrist in a vice grip and dragged him
off the rooftop.
Qi Leren caught Su He‘s other hand out of pure instinct, but
the alarmingly overwhelming force took him to the edge as
well. The only reason he managed to stay on was by catching
himself on the railing, but the same could not be said for Su
He; more than half of his body was dangling perilously off the
edge, held by Qi Leren on one hand and unable to break free
of the bruising grip the ghost had on his other.
It was nothing short of a miracle that allowed Qi Leren to
remain on the rooftop, muscles straining as Su He struggled in
midair. Dr. Lu rushed to help Qi Leren, only to be intercepted
by Xue Yingying with her yell of ―Move over, I‘ll do it!‖ and
pushed aside. She pulled with renewed strength from her
earlier bout of blood loss.
―Use blood! Su He, use blood! It‘s scared of it!‖ Dr. Lu urged
frantically.
At Su He‘s confused blink, Qi Leren bit down on the tip of his
tongue and spat the blood onto him. The grip on Su He‘s arm
loosened at the droplets of blood scattering in the mist, giving
Xue Yingying the opening to pull—
The two fell into a heap on the rooftop. Qi Leren steadied
himself on the railing with a hand and leaned over to survey
the scene down below. Any trace of the ghost had long since
vanished, leaving behind nothing but thick fog…hold on, did
something just move?
Qi Leren‘s vision blurred. A faint shadow shot through the fog
with the speed and edge of an arrow, slithering its way to him
in mere seconds with its spidery, twisted, inhuman shape.
 Seeing Xue Yingying and Su He safe and sound, Dr. Lu
turned around to call for Qi Leren and jumped violently at the
scene before his eyes – Qi Leren enveloped in the embrace of
a white silhouette, falling off the edge and into the mist that
engulfed them.
……
……
……
[Law of S/L cooldown complete.]
It was when Qi Leren was still holding onto Su He with all the
strength in his body that this notification appeared. The one
hour cooldown had passed by without his knowing.
After pulling Su He up, as Qi Leren first caught glimpse of the
shadow shooting up towards him, he felt an indescribable
sense of foreboding. It was then that he activated his skill
without a second thought in this time of imminent peril. Not a
second later saw him consumed by the sinister shadow all but
throwing itself into his face and plunging them off the building,
the sting of cold air filling his nostrils.
The world stood still on its axis at this moment and left Qi
Leren‘s weightless body to freefall through the fog. It should
have been over in a short few seconds, shattering his bones in
an instant before he even had a chance to make out his
surroundings.
But he saw it. He saw through the translucent figure wrapped
around him, the fog obscuring his view no longer. He saw the
boundless sea of people on the ground, male and female, old
and young. He saw their faces, twisted in terrifying mockeries
of smiles, of joy, of happiness.
He saw their eyes, welcoming him as a new addition of their
kind.
The moment passed by in a flash, leaving Qi Leren no time to
feel the terror blooming inside his chest as his skull hit the
ground and burst open like an eggshell on cement.
[Load successful.]
Qi Leren lost consciousness. He found himself back on the
rooftop a second later, legs giving out under him as he
collapsed onto the ground before his three shocked
companions.
His trembles were not from the chill but from gripping,
paralysing fear.
Chapter 9: The First People’s Hospital of X City (IX)

―Hey… Are you alright?‖ Dr Lu softly inquired as he patted Qi

Leren on the shoulder. The latter had not moved since
reviving, staring blankly at something no one else could see.
Qi Leren convulsed at the slight touch, wide-eyed gaze darting
between his three companions and the surroundings as if he
wasn‘t quite there. Dr. Lu likewise jumped at Qi Leren‘s violent
reaction. ―Are you okay?‖ he asked, voice softening.
It took Qi Leren a while to catch his breath. The feeling and
afterimage of freefall had burned themselves into the back of
his mind, unwilling to let go of the anxious adrenaline that
coursed throughout his body. It was as if any step would send
him tumbling down to the ground below.
In the face of three worried expressions, QiLeren gathered his
wits. ―Let‘s get out of here first,‖ he said grimly.
The four tread carefully back down the stairs and settled in a
quiet office that Dr. Lu led them to. Su He poured Qi Leren a
cup of warm water and sat down opposite him. ―What did you
see?‖ he asked bluntly.
Qi Leren looked up with a start, staring into Su He‘s elegant
features and groping after words that would not come.
―A lot of…‖ QiLeren trailed off. Su He did not rush him, instead
quietly gazing at him with warmth that encouraged him to calm
down and reorganise himself.
QiLeren drew a deep breath and tried to put the terrifying
scene into words. ―There were a lot of ghosts. They were all
standing in- in a crowd, like sardines in a tin. They all looked
up at me after I fell with these…deranged smiles…? Like they
just knew, beyond a doubt, that I was going to become one of
them.‖
―It‘s alright,‖ Su He reassured, laying a hand softly on his,
―you‘re safe now.‖
Perhaps it was because of Su He‘s gentle, naturally soothing
voice, but QiLeren could feel himself pulling free of the
terrifying scene in his memory. He regained enough
composure to retell the rest of his experience calmly and in
detail. ―I suppose you might have a few questions for me. For
example, how I managed to reappear unscathed on the roof
despite falling off of it.‖
gave him a faint smile. ―I suppose. However, nothing is more
important than your safety – thank you for saving my life,
QiLeren.‖
QiLeren stared at him for a brief moment of wonder, feeling a
peculiar rush of warmth in his ears. It wasn‘t until Su He‘s
discussion with Dr. Lu reached the cause of the fog that
QiLeren finally snapped out of his stupor. That was dangerous.
Thank god he was straight, but this curveball of raw attack
power left even his defences more than a little battered. Xue
Yingying on the other hand had no qualms of the sort, opting to
prop her head up in her hands and stare dreamily at the
handsome man; not a single thought was spared for her scum
of an ex-boyfriend.
Qi Leren cleared his throat. ―Um, anyway, it‘s because of my
skill card.‖ To hide his embarrassment at having been staring,
he voluntarily pulled his skill card out of its slot and launched
into explanation.
―I have one as well, but it‘s not as useful,‖ Dr. Lu supplied after
Qi Leren‘s explanation. ―It just increases my luck.‖
Xue Yingying squirmed in her seat, not wanting to reveal her
awkward incident in front of a handsome man that she
admired. ―My card grants me strength when I‘m in pain from
blood loss,‖ she admitted vaguely after a while of hesitation.
―You all have a skill card?‖ Su He asked, looking at the three
in bewilderment before letting a bitter smile surface on his face.
―Unfortunately, I…‖
―Don‘t worry about it, I‘m pretty sure it‘s triggered by either
achievements or sidequests. It‘s only been a couple of hours –
maybe you‘ll get yours soon!‖ reassured Dr. Lu.
―What should we do now?‖ asked Qi Leren. ―Should we go
around the hospital to look for more survivors?‖
―It‘s not just us in here, is it?‖ fretted Xue Yingying.
―There‘s been at least six victims up till now – plus the
murderer and us four, which makes eleven people, perhaps
more.‖ Su He frowned. ―The only objective we have is to
survive until dawn… It‘s dark already, which gives us about
twelve hours. Is there anything in particular you have in mind?‖
The four looked at each other in uncertainty.
Dr. Lu hesitantly broke the silence. ―I think – I think we should
go to the blood bank.‖
―The blood bank?‖
―Yeah, since we know for sure that human blood damages
ghosts and makes them tangible. They‘re also deathly afraid of
it for whatever reason… I want to at least give it a try – if
plasma works, we might not have to injure ourselves so much
from now on,‖ he suggested cautiously.
―Was that why you told me to use blood on the roof? Sorry, I
didn‘t understand what you meant,‖ Su He said, then turned to
Qi Leren guiltily. ―Does your tongue still hurt? That was quite a
big mouthful of blood you spat.‖
―It‘s okay, the wound doesn‘t exist anymore since I went back a
save,‖ Qi Leren managed quickly. The pressure of being
subjected to such a gentle gaze was getting to him.
―That‘s good to hear,‖ Su He sighed with a soft smile. ―That‘s
very good to hear…‖
The sky outside was now completely black, but thankfully the
hospital was brightly lit all around the clock. The four left the
safety of their meeting room, following Dr Lu as he navigated
the party to the hospital blood bank.
―My skill‘s about to run out,‖ Dr Lu said nervously. ―It‘ll
probably last us till the blood bank but no more than that.‖
 Being in the same building as a murderer was already bad
enough, but traipsing around in the open like this was just
tempting fate.
―Don‘t worry, there are four of us! Surely we can take ‗em as
they come. Maybe we‘ll even cut the head off the figurative
snake,‖ Xue Yingying said optimistically as she gauged her
own strength.
Dr. Lu and QiLeren looked at each other, tasting the familiar
bitterness of dread.
Xue Yingying had not yet come face-to-face with the
murderer. The oppressive pressure of facing a monster in
human skin that held no regard for life was something that
could not be understood through mere explanation.
A normal human abiding by the laws of society would not
have the will to kill another, even in a brawl. The presence of
bloodlust made a significant difference to an attack.
―It would still be better for us to proceed with caution,
especially since there are at least six victims now,‖ Su He said,
smiling at Xue Yingying. ―But you‘re a very brave person.
We‘re glad to have you.‖
Xue Yingying blushed and giggled helplessly against Su He‘s
dazzling charm.
Dr. Lu rolled his eyes so hard it must‘ve hurt. Hot people sure
had it easy, picking up girls no matter the situation. It must be
written into their genes.
 It didn‘t take long for the group to arrive at the blood bank, led
through the twisting corridors by Dr Lu. He picked up a bag of
red cell concentrate with his left hand and another of pale
yellow plasma with his right. ―Which do you think will work
better, the red cell concentrate or the plasma?‖
―I reckon,‖ Xue Yingying started after thinking deeply on her
limited experience, ―period blood would work the best.‖
The three males chose to remain silent.
―…Why don‘t you guys have any normal blood?‖ QiLeren
finally asked, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
―Sorry dude, but it‘s all long separated into components.
You‘re going to have use what‘s left in your body if you want
normal blood,‖ Dr. Lu replied with a shrug.
, who had been staring intently at the bags of blood
components, suddenly raised an important point. ―Has anyone
thought about why exactly the murderer is so obsessed with
killing everyone here?‖
The three paused in their puzzlement with the blood
components at Su He‘s unexpected question.
―Because… Because he‘s a psychotic murderer?‖ Dr Lu
muttered in disgust. ―He was in jail for serial murders.
Apparently he‘s killed more than ten people all over the country
in the span of a few years.‖
Su He sat down on the tabletop. ―You said ‗in the span of a
few years‘. That means his modus operandi mustn‘t have been
as outlandish and grotesque as it is here, nor emotion-driven –
rather, it‘s more likely that he carefully planned out each
murder. It‘s only upon coming here that he‘s changed his… No,
that‘s not exactly it. There are definitely some aspects that
were kept, like the habit of leaving behind a signature of his
handiwork and dismembering the corpses of his victims. These
are most likely habits he‘s kept from before as a preferred
method of killing.
―He could easily change his weapon to one that‘s not as
obvious as a chainsaw if he really wanted to catch people off
guard, or perhaps change his clothes and pretend to be
trustworthy before killing his victims when they least suspect it.
His actions are incredibly illogical, unless…‖
Dr. Lu gulped. ―Unless,‖ he finished for Su He, voice barely
above a whisper, ―he wants his victims to struggle in terror and
despair before they die. Or if he feels pleasure from such a
situation.‖
The tension in the room was almost tangible.
Xue Yingying shuddered. ―That‘s disgusting.‖
―So as I was saying,‖ Su He continued, ―perhaps fresh blood
tinged with terror would work better against ghosts? That is
certainly one possibility I can think of right now.‖
―Fresh?‖ Dr. Lu muttered before whipping around to look at Qi
Leren.
―Oi, what kind of look is that?!‖ Qi Leren asked cautiously,
feeling a shiver run down his spine.
 ―It‘s your time to shine, Leren.‖ Dr. Lu patted him on the
shoulder. ―Donate some blood to us once your skill finishes its
cooldown, ‗kay?‖
―Can I refuse?‖
His only answer was a sinister chuckle.
Chapter 10: The First People’s Hospital of X City (X)

In the end, they decided to stock up on bags of different

blood components before leaving; inventory space was
the least of their worries.
―I still think fresh blood would work better,‖ sulked Dr. Lu.
―Don‘t even think about it!‖ Qi Leren glared at him out of
the corner of his eye. There was no way he‘d volunteer
to be drained of his blood.
―We should test out how effective plasma is,‖ Su He
interjected calmly, pointing ahead. ―Perhaps on the white
shadow over there.‖
The three looked in the direction of Su He‘s finger; a
white flash could be seen across the atrium space,
disappearing as quickly as it came. But it wasn‘t the only
one – all around them were shapes that squirmed and
shifted with the shadows, some melting into themselves
and others peering at them eerily from their crevice.
When had they grown so dizzying in number?
A chill went down Qi Leren‘s spine but he resisted the
urge to look behind him.
The screen on the first floor lobby came into view as
they walked halfway around the open space. ―Hold on,‖
said Qi Leren, halting in his tracks as he looked at the
numbers displayed in bewilderment. ―What time is it right
now?‖
Dr, Lu pulled out his phone; there was no signal, but the
phone itself could still keep the time. ―It‘s six thirty.
Why?‖
Qi Leren didn‘t reply. Su He stood next to him, looking at
the screen as well:
–Welcome to The People‘s Hospital of X City
–The time is 04:13

―Maybe their clock is off?‖ said Xue Yingying.

―That‘s impossible,‖ Dr Lu rebuked, ―there wouldn‘t be a
clock that‘s off for no reason in a horror movie. They
always present some kind of clue, or…‖
Foreshadow death. Dr. Lu‘s couldn‘t bring himself to
finish the sentence, but everyone heard the two words
loud and clear.
―Perhaps there‘ll be an event that‘ll be triggered at four
thirteen,‖ Su He said softly.
The four stood around, waiting for a change that never
came. It was as if the board was frozen in time.
―Four thirteen…‖ Qi Leren muttered to himself. A million
possibilities presented themselves to him, but which one
was correct?
Xue Yingying‘s sharp intake of breath startled the party
out of their fruitless mulling. She instinctively latched
onto Su He‘s arm and pointed a trembling finger at the
first floor lobby below them. Qi Leren shifted to look.
A blood-covered figure was walking across the lobby
towards the opposite corridor, chainsaw in hand.
Su He quickly waved them back, retreating towards the
hallway behind them until they were unable to be seen.
Theoretically, the murderer shouldn‘t be able to see the
four perched on higher ground unless he suddenly
turned around to look up, but it was better to be safe
than sorry.
There was a fishbowl on the nearby information desk,
Xue Yingying noticed. The goldfish inside swam around
leisurely without a care in the world.
Xue Yingying‘s gaze flickered back to it.
The fish leapt out of the water with an agonising scream.
It was not a sound fish were able to emit, scraping
against the inside of their ears like fish hooks. They
writhed on the ground.
One of the fish slapped against Xue Yingying‘s
stockinged calf as it fell out of the bowl. She started
violently, sickly green hue rising to her complexion as
she brushed off her calf repeatedly and backed away.
―Are you okay?‖ Su He asked.
Xue Yingying shivered, staring at the four fish with
unbridled fear. ―It was really cold…‖
―Fish are cold-blooded creatures, so it‘s normal for them
to feel icy.‖ Dr. Lu considered the way in which they
came with suspicion. ―I think we should get as far as we
can from here. I wouldn‘t be surprised if the murderer
heard that, considering how quiet this place is.‖
His worry was not unfounded in the least. The hospital
was deathly silent – the murderer would definitely come
to seek out the source of that ear-splitting scream. The
four considered this, fleeing from the danger
immediately.
The floors of the two buildings were rather immense in
terms of surface area, so it‘s quite unlikely to bump into
the murderer except in the cases of terrible luck. It was
still hard to not feel unagitated in a hospital teeming with
ghosts that watched their every move, however, despite
Dr. Lu‘s familiarity with the hospital taking the party
around many potentially dangerous areas.
―Wait,‖ Qi Leren called, ―I think…‖
The floors were all similar in layout, but his occupational
sensitivity alerted him to the familiarity of this particular
place. Too familiar, in fact.
He stared at the office door he knows will creak when
opened. ―There should be a corpse around here,‖ he
warned softly.
―Oh, you mean…‖ The pieces clicked in Dr. Lu‘s mind –
this was where Qi Leren managed to escape the
murderer. He had been saved in the nick of time by a
scream that lured the murderer away, but not much can
be said about the screamer‘s fate.
What they found in the near vicinity answered their
doubts.
She was a young woman, wearing a white dress that
was crusted with brown bloodstains. The inside of her
neck stared at them, a mess of flesh exposed to the
open air and attached to her head by a thin thread of
skin. Off to the side was a careless pile of severed limbs,
leaving only her bare torso on the ground.
There was a bloody ―4‖ slashed into her face.
Not a single person could deny feeling some degree of
nausea at the pungent smell of iron that invaded their
senses. Dr. Lu examined the body, making sure to block
his nose, before silently shaking his head.
The four left solemnly to rest and discuss in a secluded
location.
Despite their significant increase in numbers since
daytime, the ghosts did not actively attack them, forcing
Su He and Qi Leren to approach the ghosts in order to
test out the effectiveness of each blood component.
Plasma yielded much better results compared to red cell
concentrate, but, as expected, none worked as well as
Xue Yingying‘s bloody pad from before.
Su He‘s theory on fresh blood was most likely correct.
Beyond the form of weaponry they now possessed, Dr.
Lu was also very concerned about the time of four thirty,
convinced that it was a clue of some sort. ―Based on my
extensive experience from many years of movie-
watching and gameplay, that time is definitely hiding
some big secret. Have you considered how weird our
setting is? If we exclude the player anomaly that is the
murderer, this is a survival game where a bunch of
normal people are tossed into a sealed environment. A
survival game would obviously have elements that deter
our survival – in our case, the ghosts – and a way to
overcome those elements for the players to figure out –
again, in our case, blood.‖
He downed some water before continuing. ―I reckon
something‘s big is going to happen at four thirty, like a
wave of sudden ghost attacks or something. I personally
think that this hospital holds some clue that might help
us avoids the danger at four thirty but that‘s about all we
know for now.‖
Qi Leren and Xue Yingying nodded along with the points
raised, finding them to be very plausible.
Su He‘s gentle gaze rested upon them from his position
on the chair. ―Have you thought about what the goal of
this game is?‖ he prompted in a measured tone.
The three stared back blankly.
―The first notification told us that these quests were
‗tutorial quests‘,‖ he continued, ―which leads me to
believe that this is rather similar to an MMO. Thus, it‘s
not unreasonable for us to assume that this place is the
tutorial village, created to provide challenges with only
minimal difficulty. What reason would the game have for
placing a group of normal civilians in this so-called
tutorial village?‖
―Uhhhh… Maybe as an experiment?‖ Dr. Lu guessed.
―Like a ―battle royale‖-esque kind of situation?‖
―Perhaps. It would certainly explain the presence of a
serial killer. However, it could just have easily dispatched
ghost NPCs to actively hunt us down, or even just issue
quests that require us to kill each other. To gamble that
a player would lose all senses of cooperation and
slaughter fellow players is a significant risk that they
don‘t necessarily need to take.‖
―Wait, but,‖ interjected Xue Yingying, ―what if the
murderer‘s quest isn‘t the same as ours? What if his
quest is to kill other players?‖
Su He smiled softly. ―Ah, then Dr. Lu‘s theory wouldn‘t
work – it can‘t be a fair test if all players are not treated
as equal. I myself am rather inclined to believe that the
murderer was an unexpected anomaly, for both players
and the game itself.‖
The four discussed this newfound theory, unable to
come to a conclusion. They‘d have to work it out as they
went.
Dr. Lu stood up. ―I want to go back and have another
look at that fishbowl,‖ he said with a frown. ―I still think
there‘s something we missed.‖
―I agree,‖ said Su He.
Qi Leren didn‘t mind either way, but Xue Yingying was
hesitant. ―The goldfish were ice-cold for some reason,
and knew how to scream. They‘re really gross…‖ She
gingerly bent down and touched the place that the fish
had flung itself against, face pale.
―We‘ll just a look,‖ reassured Dr. Lu.
―You can stand a little further away if you‘d like,‖ Su He
suggested. ―We‘ll do the examining.‖
Xue Yingying bit her lip and nodded reluctantly.
The four were carefully attempting to avoid any possible
confrontation with the murder on the way to the fishbowl,
but it seems that luck was on their side. The fish,
however, were reduced to little more than trodden,
gruesome puddles of flesh and liquid when they arrived.
―Disgusting psycho,‖ Dr. Lu spat under his breath.
Something felt off to Qi Leren. ―Were there always three
fish?‖
Su He considered this, frowning. ―I think there were
four.‖
―Yeah, I think there were four as well,‖ said Dr. Lu.
―What about you, Xue Yingying?‖ Qi Leren asked,
turning to the bleakly-lit corridor to Xue Yingying, who
had been standing off to the side while they examined
the fishbowl.
But there was nobody there.
Chapter 11: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XI)

―Xue Yingying?‖ It did not immediately occur to Qi Leren

what had happened, thinking that Xue Yingying had just
walked away for a bit. He called out again. And again.
And again.
There was no trace of her in the eerily empty corridor.
―Qi Leren,‖ Dr. Lu stopped him, face pale, ―quit it. We‘ll
be heard.‖
Be heard? Wasn‘t letting Xue Yingying hear them the
whole point of this? It took Qi Leren several moments to
understand that the recipient Dr. Lu referred to wasn‘t
Xue Yingying.
―I don‘t believe she‘s…here anymore.‖ Su He strode to
the place Xue Yingying once stood. There were no forks
in the path she could‘ve gone down, nor could she have
run back the way they came in such a short time –
something must‘ve happened while their backs were
turned.
The disappearance of a party member weighed down
the three remaining survivors with an indescribable
sense of pressure. How could Xue Yingying, who had
been standing mere metres away, have vanished into
thin air right under their noses?
Qi Leren felt a lump rise into his throat. ―Let‘s search
around here,‖ he croaked, ―maybe she just stepped
away for a bit…‖
His words sounded like lies to even his own ears, but Dr.
Lu and Su He both nodded in agreement in this bizarre
moment.
―Is that fog?‖ Qi Leren heard Dr. Lu ask behind him.
Sure enough, thin webs of near-undetectable
condensation hung in the air around them, and perhaps
had been since they overlooked the lobby – it wasn‘t
thick, but a sinister form of foreboding was brought with
it nonetheless.
―Did the fog outside leak into the building?‖ Su He
guessed in a low voice. ―This is not good…‖
He certainly had a point – what if the ghostly shadows
outside could make their way into the building alongside
the fog?
What could the event at four thirty possible be?
The trio found no trace of Xue Yingying after hunting
around in the near vicinity, deciding to circle back to
search for clues at the fishbowl. Upon stepping out of the
corridor and into the room with the fishbowl, Qi Leren‘s
gaze was drawn to the splattered remains of the goldfish
on the ground.
All two of them.
His pupil retracted in a moment of incomprehensible
blankness, glued to the place he knew the third goldfish
was at. The floor there was smooth and clean, as if there
had never been anything there.
He whipped around, meeting the incredulous eyes of Su
He who had come to the same conclusion. They shared
a split second of wordless communication before turning
to Dr. Lu, but it was already too late – he was nowhere
to be seen.
A slimy feeling of dreadful coldness seeped into their
body from the ground up and coated their organs in a
film of ice. Only the fear in their minds ran unhampered
by sluggish senses, dampened by the suffocating fog.
―Dr. Lu?‖ Qi Leren called softly, backing up a few steps.
There was no response from the empty corridor, only his
trembling voice fading into nothing.
Su He silently observed the two goldfish on the ground,
thinking deeply. ―There were four fish at the beginning.‖
His words grounded QiLeren in reality. In the eerie
lighting, Su He‘s face gave off a shadowy kind of
ethereality. ―When Xue Yingying disappeared, there
were three,‖ he continued, ―and then it was Dr. Lu.‖
―You mean the number of goldfish reflects ours?‖
Su He shook his head. ―I don‘t know. Perhaps I‘ll
disappear after we walk around here again.‖
Qi Leren couldn‘t even manage a grim smile. ―Or maybe
it‘ll be me.‖
What happened to those who disappeared? Were they
still alive? Where were they now? Qi Leren felt his
reasonably resilient mental state degrade as time went
on in this place, threatening to snap at any moment. It
was getting harder and harder to not jump at every
shadow they passed.
―What if,‖ Su He mused, gaze still on the goldfish, ―we
were the ones who disappeared?‖
―Then… What should we do now?‖ Qi Leren was at a
loss.
Su He thrust out his hand after a moment of
consideration. ―Let‘s hold hands so we don‘t lose each
other.‖
Their hands linked without a second thought. Qi Leren
raised an eyebrow when their hands came into contact;
Su He‘s hands were quite long and slender for a man,
but Qi Leren could feel thin layers of callouses along his
palm and on the pads of his fingers.
―What‘s wrong?‖ asked Su He amusedly.
―I‘m a bit surprised you have callouses on your hands. I
mean, you look like the type to spend your days in an
office. Either that or be an actor or model or something,‖
said Qi Leren.
―Really? I‘m actually a programmer,‖ Su He replied with
a smile.
―What?! You don‘t look it at all!‖
―But before then I lived through a pretty tough period of
my life.‖
―…‖ He should‘ve just gone to be an actor, Qi Leren
thought. Even as a side character he‘d be a pretty damn
good side character, and would earn more than a
programmer would.
Times were dire, however, so the two did not dwell on
the topic for long and opted for meaningless small talk.
They decided to walk around the block again, hands
linked so as to prevent spontaneous disappearances.
The time of four thirty on the screen remained
unchanged as they walked passed it, hanging above
their heads like a guillotine.
Despite it being warm enough for short sleeves during
the day, the temperature around them plummeted after
dusk. Even long sleeves wouldn‘t do much to protect
against the cold, and Qi Leren could feel his feet growing
numb even though they had been walking the entire
time.
―Are you afraid?‖ Su He asked, breaking the silence.
―Your hand is very cold.‖
Qi Leren blinked a few times. ―Is it? I feel like yours is
colder.‖ His heart gave an anxious beat.
Why would Su He say that his hand was cold? His was
clearly colder – holding it felt like holding block of ice. If
his hand was already so cold, shouldn‘t Qi Leren‘s hand
feel warm to him?
Qi Leren at this time was walking half a step in front of
Su He. He peeked at their joined hands out of the corner
of his eye.
The hand in his was very slender, like a woman‘s, and
completely devoid of colour.
It wasn‘t Su He‘s hand.
―Hmm, we‘re almost at the fishbowl! I wonder how many
fish are left, here.‖ Not-Su He spoke once again with his
voice, but this time the tone was unmistakably feminine.
QiLeren forced himself to face forward and not rip his
hand away from the unidentifiable creature he had linked
hands with. Her words pressed their sharp, glistening
edge into the back of his neck.
He had to buy time to come up with a plan. As they
walked past a window, however, Qi Leren couldn‘t help
but sneak a look-
The owner of the hand in his wore a bloodstained white
dress. Her savagely severed head was hanging from
what remained of her neck with only a thin shred of skin
like a flower with a snapped stem.
The severed head turned to face the mirror and met Qi
Leren‘s eyes with a smile, the number carved into her
face unraveling in petals of flesh and blood – 4.
Her grin widened. She offered no words, but to Qi Leren
she did not need to.
You know who I am, and for what I came.
Chapter 12: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XII)

Her!
An onslaught of primal fear overtook Qi Leren‘s mind in an
instant. The bloodstained dress, the decapitated, limb-less
corpse, even the number carved into the peeling flesh of her
face – she was fourth victim they had stumbled upon, whose
scream had drawn away the murderer and exchanged Qi
Leren‘s death for hers.
She was dead. The horrifying girl standing before him was no
more human that the corpse they had left behind.
The acknowledgement of this fact tripped a live wire within Qi
Leren‘s mind. He tried to yank his hand back in a rush
mindless insanity, but the pale hand clamped down on it with a
vice grip.
―Are you afraid? Your hand is very cold,‖ she echoed. Her
voice was no longer imitated the dark, velvety tones that Su He
spoke in but was instead the chipper voice of a girl. It was the
exact same question but somehow unnerved Qi Leren ten
times as much, hackles rising in terror.
―Let go of me!‖ he screamed, lashing out with a kick that
connected with nothing but air. Her cold, unyielding grip never
faltered, skinny arms slamming him against the glass behind
them.
Her head lolled and dangled from her neck. The remains of a
severed spine and muscles were exposed to the air around
them, but there was not a trace of blood within the knitting of
flesh. Pushing him down with one hand, the girl sluggishly
righted her head back onto her neck. ―What are you looking
at?‖ she asked.
There was a trace of cruel yet naive curiosity on her waxen
face, glazed eyes reflecting Qi Leren‘s terrified expression in
their film of grey. ―What are you looking at?‖ she repeated like
a broken record. ―What are you looking at?‖
If he wanted to break free, he‘d have to…
The dagger Qi Leren had taken from the workshop
materialised in his hand and was plunged into his chest without
a second thought. The icy coldness of the blade pierced
through his ribcage, colder than death itself. He could see the
place of his save file over the ghost‘s shoulder – there were
three seconds left.
He had not yet died. This injury wasn‘t fatal enough.
Under the ghost‘s dull gaze, Qi Leren gripped the dagger with
trembling hands and pulled it sharply to the left – the blade
freed itself from the confines of his ribcage and cleaved his
heart cleanly in two.
[Load successful.]
He was already standing a few metres away when his eyes
refocused. The ghost had her back facing him, turning around
lethargically as if noticing her prey had escaped. There was no
surprise nor anger in her expression.
9
The ghost advanced towards Qi Leren.
8
Qi Leren took out a bag of blood, ripping it open.
7
The bag constricted under the pressure of his fist, shooting a
stream of blood.
6
He rushed before the ghost, emptying the contents of the bag
onto both the ghost and himself.
5
She retreated half a step, eyes unfazed.
4
She reached out a hand.
3
There was no time.
2
A glint of steel flashed in Qi Leren‘s eyes. He charged at the
ghost, baring his throat before slitting it with the sharp edge of
his dagger. Fountains of blood spurted out of his open arteries
with the beating of his heart.
1
[Fatal wound experienced within 10 seconds. Continuous save
file loaded successfully.]
Qi Leren once again stood at his save location, swaying
dangerously on his feet. The continuous usage of his skill
drained him of his strength, rendering him incapable of using
the third chance he was privy to, inhumane though it was.
The shrill sound of torturous screaming echoed around the
room. The ghost rolled and struggled against an invisible
enemy on the ground, body flaking off into wispy tendrils of
black. Qi Leren staggered over, looming above her with his
crowbar in hand.
Her body was a twisted, contorted mess. Hate and malice rang
true in her screams, but Qi Leren was calm enough to assess
the situation with a clear mind.
Yes, there was a split second in which he felt immense guilt
towards this girl who had unknowingly saved his life. Seeing
her corpse had only solidified his shame, but the insignificant
feelings of pity and remorse was worth nothing compared to
his life.
He wanted to live. He will live!
And so he raised his crowbar and brought it down heavily onto
the inhuman body of the girl. It connected with something solid
that gave way, eliciting a howl of agony before what was left of
her strangled and crumpled into nothing but black smoke.
The ghost was gone, but the fog around him lingered.
Qi Leren sat for a while, gathering his strength before making
his way over to the fishbowl. It was only a distance of ten or so
metres, yet every step he took sapped at his strength until he
was barely holding himself upright. It was cold, like an ice
cellar.
This was strange. He had never experienced such severe
symptoms after using his skill before.
Qi Leren stood at the fishbowl, observing the corpse of the fish
at his feet. It was a lonely mess of guts and liquid, having died
a long time prior.
Was he the only one left? Qi Leren asked himself with a
detached sort of bewilderment. Were they still alive? Were Dr.
Lu, Xue Yingying and Su He still alive?
Something blurred across his vision; Qi Leren refocused on the
fishbowl. A goldfish swam out from behind the decorative rock,
speeding towards the surface before breaking through and
landing in a squirming heap beside the first one. Immediately
after, another fish followed suit and joined the two.
One dead goldfish and two on the verge of death, enacting a
bizarre, foolish farce at his feet. Qi Leren stood, unmoving,
before bending down and tossing the two back into their
fishbowl.
The moment they plopped into the water, Qi Leren felt a heavy
weight lift off of his shoulders. The heavy fog surrounding his
mind only grew thicker, however, and soon he found himself
sliding down the wall he leaned against for support.
Despite his best efforts, the lethargy that stemmed from his
very core conquered all logic and fear, claiming him as its own
with its soft blanket of darkness.

―…ren? Qi Leren wake up! Dude, where do you think you‘re

sleeping?! Oi!‖
―He most likely ran into a ghost of some kind. At least there
doesn‘t seem to be any injuries.‖
―Will Leren be alright?‖
Qi Leren could hear the chattering of voices nagging at his
consciousness. Irritated, he croaked out a faint ―Shut up‖.
The voices halted for a moment before resuming with twice the
volume. It was to the touch of a wet towel that Qi Leren finally
woke; the towel was cold as ice, shocking him from his
slumber.
He was greeted with the sight of three faces very close to his –
Dr. Lu, Xue Yingying and Su He.
―He‘s awake! How‘re you feeling?‖ asked Dr. Lu.
―…I‘m okay,‖ Qi Leren responded after a pause.
―Your complexion is rather pale,‖ Su He said, crouching before
him. ―Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere in particular?‖
Qi Leren forced a smile. ―A bit wobbly, but nothing too bad. I
feel a lot better now, actually.‖
―You know,‖ Xue Yingying grinned, holding the towel in her
hand, ―I was scared to death when you guys all disappeared.
Thank god I had blood bags to fight off the hoard of ghosts that
appeared or I would‘ve had to take a page out of your book
and use my own blood.‖
Dr. Lu nodded next to her. ―Yeah, I blinked and suddenly you
were all gone. How fast I bolted to Director Li‘s office would‘ve
put The Flash to shame.‖
The three stared at him quizzically, not understanding.
―You guys wouldn‘t know this but Director Li is super infamous
among the hospital staff for being a devout Buddhist,‖ Dr. Lu
explained with a straight face. ―And by devout I
mean really devout, to the point where his office is just filled
with Buddha statues. The entire way there I was being chased
by ghosts practically right behind me, so as soon as I got in I lit
all the candles and sandalwood I could find and recited the
Diamond Sutra a couple of times. I still can‘t believe it worked,
but the ghosts just lurked around outside for a while before
leaving.‖
The others found themselves truly speechless at Dr. Lu‘s
miraculous survival.
―…Well,‖ Su He broke the silence solemnly, ―my situation was
more similar to Xue Yingying‘s in that there were many ghosts I
had to fight. The strange thing was that I had definitely been
holding hands with QiLeren, and yet I found myself alone all
the same. It was almost as if there was something obscuring
my senses.‖
―What about you?‖ Dr. Lu asked Qi Leren.
Qi Leren gave a weak chuckle in response. Before he spoke,
however, something surfaced in the forefront of his mind and
he turned to the fishbowl. The ground below it was spotless
and free from goldfish corpses.
There was not a single goldfish in sight.
Chapter 13: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XIII)

Where were the goldfish? Qi Leren found himself unable to

break his spellbound gaze away, words catching in his throat.
―They‘re gone,‖ Su He remarked, following Qi Leren‘s eyes.
Dr. Lu rubbed his arms. ―Stop,‖ he pleaded with a shudder,
―there‘s something seriously wrong about this place. It feels
off.‖
―Why don‘t we think about this another way?‖ suggested Xue
Yingying optimistically. ―What if actually seeing the fish was the
strange part? Maybe the fact that they‘ve disappeared means
we‘ve gone back to the normal world!‖
Dr. Lu immediately latched onto Xue Yingying‘s idea. ―Hey,
that makes sense! What kind of fish screams anyway?‖ he
reasoned. ―This kind of supernatural occurrence was probably
here to tell us that we‘ve entered another dimension – each
goldfish symbolised one of us, so when they disappeared it
meant that we were getting segregated into different
dimensions! It would make sense for the goldfish to disappear
now that we‘re together again.‖
Xue Yingying could be seen letting out a breath of relief at Dr
Lu‘s theory, but QiLeren only grew more worried. If the number
of goldfish reflected their numbers, then why…
…Then why did he only see three goldfish before losing
consciousness?
The dead one obviously symbolised him, but who were the
other two? And more importantly, why were there only two and
not three?
Who was the odd one out?
Qi Leren could feel the chill of terror gently lapping at the
edges of his mind. There were four people, but only three
goldfish. What did the missing goldfish mean? What if…?
There was an moment in which he couldn‘t bring himself to
meet his companions‘ eyes, just like how he couldn‘t bring
himself to look at the person he had held hands with. The
lingering doubt and suspicion at the possibility that the familiar
faces he saw now were no more than masks reared its head,
choking the words before he could voice them. Who could he
trust?
Only he saw the goldfish. Only he knew.
No, maybe he was just thinking too hard and deluding himself.
Maybe the two goldfish was just a coincidence.
…But could there truly be a coincidence as convenient as this?
What if one of them was actually…?
Who was it?
Qi Leren was startled out of his thoughts by a light touch on his
shoulder, turning to see Su He frowning at his violent reaction.
―You don‘t look so good.‖
Without even looking Qi Leren could guess that his complexion
wasn‘t much better than that of a ghost‘s.
―Are you actually alright?‖ fretted Xue Yingying. ―You were
already pale and unconscious when we found you.‖
―I‘m alright.‖ Not even Qi Leren himself believed his words but
he pressed on anyway to tell them about his horrifying
experience, making sure to omit the goldfish from his story. His
companions were reasonably shocked at the recount, not
having expected that deceased players could become the very
ghosts they fought.
Was it because she died whilst being consumed by rage and
despair, or could it be that all the dead players thus far had
turned into…?
Just the thought was too much.
―What do we do now?‖ asked Xue Yingying.
Dr. Lu was still fixated on the lobby screen. ―I still think there‘s
something we‘re missing,‖ he muttered to himself. ―Four
thirteen…four thirteen…maybe it‘s a password? Like zero-four-
one-three? We haven‘t seen any locks yet though, and also
that would be way too easy.‖
―How about we take a detour to Director Li‘s office?‖ Su He
suggested wisely, seeing the horror game enthusiast among
them pulled firmly into the mystery‘s grasp. ―If his office indeed
repels ghosts as you say, then perhaps we could use some of
the objects it has to offer, like sandalwood or prayer beads.‖
Dr. Lu lifted the sleeves of his white lab coat with a grin,
revealing two hands weighed down with rows upon rows of
prayer beads. ―I swiped these from his office earlier, but there‘s
still a ton left in there. Care for some casual thievery?‖
His lively demeanor eased Qi Leren‘s mind, tilting the balance
in Dr Lu‘s favour. Compared to Xue Yingying or Su He, this
doctor that he had met at the very beginning held more of his
trust.
As it stands, no complaints were voiced about this suggestion
and thus the party once again resumed their journey under the
navigation of Dr. Lu. ―I‘ve actually been wanting to go there for
a while,‖ he chattered, ―but every time I think about it I
remember that we‘d have to go past places like oncology and
OB-GYN. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I
guess. Ugh, why do I keep getting into situations like this?‖
Qi Leren trailed behind the three, carefully considering each of
his companions.
Which one was it? Su He and Xue Yingying‘s stories were
quite similar in that they both had hoards of ghosts to fight off
with bagged blood before escaping, whereas Dr. Lu had the
advantage of locational familiarity. If he were to draw a
conclusion from that alone, Qi Leren‘s be hard-pressed to
choose anyone other than Dr. Lu.
But there was also evidence like the prayer beads to think
about, not to mention the fact that Dr Lu was leading them to
the office at this very moment. Whether or not Director Li‘s
office could ward off ghosts was something that could be easily
proven if need be; if this was a lie, then it‘d be a really flimsy
one.
No, Dr. Lu was likely telling the truth, which left Xue Yingying
and Su He‘s stories under scrutiny – seemingly thrilling but
lacking the evidence to back it up. And the most important
thing was…
Qi Leren looked down at himself; loading the saves had erased
any trace of the struggle he‘d been in, whether it be blood from
the bag he slashed open or from his own throat. The other two,
however, similarly had no traces of blood on their bodies. Xue
Yingying‘s hair was wild with post-battle frenzy and faint
bruises on her elbows and knees could be seen peeking out
from beneath her scuffed clothes, but the same could not be
said for Su He.
He was as neat and put-together as he had always been, eyes
calm as he conversed with Dr. Lu. A small frown would
periodically grace his expression but Qi Leren couldn‘t help but
feel as if his poise was one that stood at odds with the
situation.
Su He was far too composed. From the moment they‘d met
there had been no panic, no terror; not even when he was
attacked by ghosts or on the verge of falling off of the roof did
he show any sign of alarm. In fact, Qi Leren had been more
panicked than he was when that happened. Reflecting upon it
now, the lack of reaction was indeed strange.
On top of that, he had no skill cards. Though there was no way
to know if everyone received a skill card, both he and Dr. Lu
got theirs at the beginning with Xue Yingying following suit right
after the abortion-triggered achievement. Besides, how did a
normal human survive for so long (and through waves of ghost
attacks while separated) in such a dangerous environment
without special skills? It was by no means impossible, but
it was suspicious.
Come to think of it, has any of them seen card slots under his
clothing?
If Su He wasn‘t a player… No, he was reading too much into
this. The fact that Su He spoke about missions and tutorial
villages before is evidence enough of his identity as a player.
But that‘s not quite right either, was it? What if there was a way
for NPCs to gain access to information they shouldn‘t have?
What if ghosts could possess the corpse of a player and
absorb their memories?
The more he thought about it, the worse Qi Leren felt about the
situation. He observed Dr. Lu and Su He with a troubled gaze,
both of whom were walking ahead of him and engrossed in a
conversation about eastern religions and their presence in
horror movies. Dr. Lu had vast experience with watching films,
but what he lacked in experience Su He more than made up
for with knowledge.
As if sensing Qi Leren‘s uneasy stare, Su He turned and
nodded at his blank expression with a smile.
Qi Leren ducked his head and averted his eyes from Su He‘s.
In the starkly lit corridor, a blinking red light above them caught
his eye. It was a common sight, easy to be overlooked – yet at
this moment he could not feel anything other the heavy leaden
weight of dread pooling in his gut.
How could they have forgotten that there was a serial killer
prowling around the hospital?
Why was it that the serial killer managed ‗coincidentally‘ run
into so many victims despite them being spread out over two
buildings? Because it wasn‘t a coincidence! Dimly, Qi Leren
heard himself croak with a trembling voice:
―Have the security cameras here always been on?‖
 Chapter 14: The First People’s Hospital of City (XIV)

Any discussion in the hallway screeched to a grinding halt,

leaving his words to echo in the silence and leave its mark on
everybody‘s minds. Qi Leren‘s question was cool, calm, devoid
of emotion – it pierced into the fear that lay dormant within
them, the fear of being watched by a pair of bloodthirsty eyes
matched only by its hands coated in red.
―The surveillance cameras…are on…all twenty-four hours…‖
Dr. Lu‘s words quivered, seconds away from bursting into
tears.
―Where is the surveillance room?‖ Su He immediately asked.
―How many cameras are there in the hospital?‖
―…It‘s… It‘s in the A block outpatient lobby,‖ whispered Dr Lu,
voice breaking. ―There are a lot of cameras…most of the main
hallways have one…‖ He shot Su He a look of despair.
Su He observed the blinking red light above them before
patting Dr. Lu‘s shoulder in an attempt at reassurance. ―Let‘s
find a save route and leave this place.‖
The party followed Dr Lu as he lead them around in circles to
avoid the cameras the best he could, preoccupied with their
own swirling thoughts. As soon as they reached Director Li‘s
office, Xue Yingying collapsed into a nearby chair and shot
suspicious looks at the closed door, face pale.
―We shouldn‘t worry too much about this,‖ Su He reasoned
calmly, sitting down as well. ―Even if the murderer has been
using security footage to find his victims, it‘s not possible for
him to stay in the surveillance room at all times…‖
If anything, Dr. Lu actually looked more worried at Su He‘s
unspoken words – it wasn‘t possible because the murderer
periodically set out to ‗hunt‘.
―If we‘ve been lucky enough, he may very well have been
‗hunting‘ every time we happened to be caught on camera,‖
continued Su He in a measured tone. ―If we were to take into
account the number of victims there has been thus far, he
would likely have had to go out frequently enough for our
whereabouts to go unnoticed. We can‘t let ourselves remain
passive though – with the decrease in numbers, it‘s inevitable
that he will spend more time trying to find his target. If we don‘t
do something about this he will find us, luck or no.‖
Situated at the foot of a statue, Dr. Lu started biting his
fingernails anxiously. ―Or maybe… Or maybe he already
knows where we are and held off because we have so many
people…‖
Xue Yingying dazedly drifted across the room and picked up a
bottle of water in the corner by the table. She fumbled with the
bottlecap, taking three tries to twist it open, clearly not in her
best mind and seconds away from fainting.
This abrupt realisation thrust the room back into the rushing
terror. All thoughts of the traitor amidst were immediately
banished to the back of Qi Leren‘s mind; the problem of the
murderer was enough.
Searching for an outlet for his chaotic thoughts, Qi Leren fished
out the notebook and pen he found what felt like eons ago,
intending to sketch a rough blueprint of the building so that Dr.
Lu can mark in the cameras.
Dr. Lu, who had been turning the room upside down in his
quest to find items of good omens, trotted over upon noticing
Qi Leren‘s plan of action. ―Whoa,‖ he said, gaudy Buddhist
statue necklace looped around his neck, ―that is one old
notebook. The pages are so yellow.‖
―I found it in your hospital,‖ replied Qi Leren, flipping the book
over to its cover. Sure enough, printed in neat letters was the
name of the hospital.
―That‘s impossible. We have standard issue notebooks, and
that‘s not what they look like.‖ As he spoke, Dr. Lu pulled out a
pristine copy from Director Li‘s desk drawer. ―See, this is what
they‘re meant to look like.‖
The pair‘s dispute drew Su He‘s attention, forming a circle of
three as they pondered over the difference between the two
notebooks.
Compared to the one in Dr. Lu‘s hand, Qi Leren‘s notebook
was obviously from an entirely different generation with its
aged yellow paper and employment location printed on the
front. Dr. Lu‘s, on the other hand, was in immaculate condition.
A colourful wide shot of the hospital was splashed across its
cover, and beneath it was its motto. Putting the two together,
there was a feeling of transgenerational clash.
Dr. Lu examined Qi Leren‘s notebook thoroughly before
concluding, ―Your notebook is at least twenty years old.‖
―How do you figure?‖ asked Qi Leren.
―The name of the hospital printed here is The People‘s Hospital
of X City,‖ he explained, pointing at the cover. ―There‘s a word
missing.‖
―First?‖ Qi Leren mused. ―Are you sure it‘s not just an
abbreviation? We even call it X City Hospital sometimes in
conversation.‖
Dr. Lu shook his head. ―Maybe, but they‘d never abbreviate the
hospital name on the cover of a book. I remember a colleague
telling me when I first started working here about how they
changed the name. It was around twenty years ago, I think,
when they had to rebuild. The ―first‖ was added in after its
reconstruction, so this notebook should be from before then.‖
Why was there such an old notebook here, and who put it into
the drawer? Before Qi Leren could voice his concerns, the
ground beneath their feet gave a groaning shudder, sending
the glasses cups and notebooks off of the desk into a
shattered mess at their feet. Qi Leren, who had been standing,
nearly fell over as well, steadying himself on the table.
Before he could regain his bearings, a series of loud, muffled
noises came from the hallway outside, as if something heavy
was dropped onto the ground.
The screeching of metal on metal reached their ears like a
sinister omen, stopping them in their tracks.
Within the dead silence, Qi Leren heard Su He ask deliriously,
―Are you sure we…didn‘t pass any cameras on the way here?‖
Dr. Lu was in no state to reply, slumped in his chair and
gasping for oxygen like a fish out of water.
This setting, this sound, this timing… There was no doubt
about it in any of their minds – it was the sound of a chainsaw
being dropped!
Xue Yingying snapped first, jumping up from the chair as if it
burned before throwing the door open. She screamed as if she
had just witnessed the world‘s most terrifying scene and took
off in the other direction.
Run!
Her flurry of activity spurred everyone else into action –
Qi Leren charged out of the room. He didn‘t turn around, but
out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the figure
standing nearby, who, lifting the bloody chainsaw in his hands,
gave him a perverse upturn of his lips.
All the calm and logic Qi Leren previously held onto shattered,
leaving him with nothing but pure survival instinct as he
sprinted away from the murderer. Behind him, the thumping of
hurried footsteps drew closer, and closer, and closer…
Chapter 15: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XV)

Amidst his frantic running, Qi Leren regained a thread of the

logic he had lost. He knew for a fact that the murderer
possessed astonishing stamina, so running like this wouldn‘t
do – he had to lose his pursuer somehow.
Not far from them was the abortion room, which from memory
had a complicated floor plan that he was more than familiar
with after Dr. Lu both explained and led him through it. His only
hope was to use this locational advantage and shake off the
murderer there!
Resolve flashed in his eyes as he swerved sharply. From the
moment he burst out of the patient hallway and into the
abortion room, a blueprint of the layout was formulated in his
mind with a speed only professionals can hope to attain.
Waste chute, patient entrance and staff entrance, forming
three exits in total. The waste chute was closed, so that was
out, which left the staff entrance if he wanted to leave the area.
The patient entrance led to the break room, where patients can
rest after their procedures. From there it‘d be the operating
theatre, quarantined by glass doors that were unlocked.
If Qi Leren wanted to lose the murderer, he‘d have to turn right
immediately in the break area, go through the nurse‘s station
and into the closet compartment between that and the doctor‘s
office. There were two doors inside the closet compartment, so
if he locks one of them behind him as he enters he‘d be able to
escape out the other, run into the doctor‘s office and leave
through the staff entrance passageway.
The murderer had never been here before, so chances of him
circling around and blocking Qi Leren‘s exit were vanishingly
small. Surely it‘d work!
With his plan in mind, Qi Leren was plunged into darkness as
he ran into the abortion room. Waiting for his eyes to adjust
was out of the question, so from memory he charged to the
right.
His foot caught something hard that sent him sprawling onto
the ground. In the instant before he hit the floor, he realised
what it was – the chair he used to kill the ghost that had
attacked Xue Yingying.
The dark irony of the situation was not lost on Qi Leren.
The murderer burst into the abortion room within these few
seconds of delay. Qi Leren gripped the chair, ignoring the pain
that coursed through his body, and swept it behind him with all
the strength he could muster. The murderer fell to the ground
with a dull thud and dropped his chainsaw, igniting a spray of
sparks as it made contact with the flooring.
This was his chance!
Qi Leren pushed himself up into a run. He could vaguely see
the murderer to his right in the darkness, blocking the entrance
to the nurse‘s station.
He gritted his teeth and recalculated his escape – he‘d have to
go through the operating theatre instead. As he pushed on
despite the flaring pain in his leg, the fallen murderer behind
him let out a roar and hurled the chair at him.
Qi Leren leapt into the operating theatre and threw the glass
door closed behind him, which shuddered dangerously with a
crash when the chair hit but otherwise remained intact.
If he could lock this door…
Qi Leren considered this possibility for a split second before
discarding it, because the murderer was quickly approaching
with his chainsaw in hand. Once again he was forced to flee,
making a beeline through the passageway for the staff
entrance. He threw his weight into the glass door—
–and the clang of metal on metal resonated through the
passageway. He looked down in disbelief at the iron chains
that held the doorway firmly shut.
The staff entrance was…locked…
Qi Leren felt himself turn around sluggishly to face the
approaching murder, a shadowed being of nightmares dreamt
only at the crack of dawn. Delicate lighting pierced through the
glass doors and caressed his handsome, twisted features as a
sharp grin cleaved it in half.
―Gotcha.‖
The voice was soft and husky, oozing the playful malice of a
predator who had just caught its prey.
Qi Leren‘s eyes darted left to the wooden doors not far from
where he was – the doctor‘s office.
Was the door locked? There were at most four metres between
him and the murderer and one between him and the door. S/L
was still in cooldown – there was only one chance.
Was it truly worth the risk?
Of course.
―I give up,‖ Qi Leren announced, throwing his hands up in a
show of brilliant acting and slowly approached the murderer.
―Please, make it quick.‖ In the face of imminent death, he
ignored the pain in his knees the fact that his legs felt as
though they were about to give out beneath him.
The murderer hesitated before subconsciously taking a few
steps forwards, thrown for a loop by Qi Leren‘s actions. And
then he noticed the door by Qi Leren.
Now!
Qi Leren yanked the handle downwards and felt the door give
into his push. Not a second was wasted as he all but shot
forward, elation singing in his veins, and pushed his back
against the other side of the door. The murderer rushed
forward at the same time and launched himself towards Qi
Leren – the two of them were left to their trial of strength.
Flattened against the door, Qi Leren retrieved the crowbar from
his inventory and weighed it in his left hand before jabbing
heavily it through the gap. At the subsequent howl of pain, he
quickly withdrew it, heaved the door closed and – locked!
Qi Leren didn‘t have time to catch his breath, however, as the
unmistakable screech of a chainsaw sent him scrambling
forward – the door had already been pierced by the time he
looked back, and there couldn‘t be more than half a minute
before the murderer could break through.
Qi Leren pushed himself to his feet, darting through the other
office door into the closet compartment, then to the nurse‘s
station before fleeing through the patient entrance.
He ran. There was nothing in his mind about the murderer,
running blindly forward with not a glance back. He didn‘t know
how much time had passed until his feet brought him to a stop
in the stairwell, legs giving out beneath him as he sank down
onto the ground.
Another escape from death‘s yearning grasp.

The dim lighting cast shadows across Qi Leren‘s vision as he

stared blankly at the glowing green exit sign from his position
on the ground. His mind wandered still, unnerved from the
terror moments before.
The speeding heartbeat and gasps slowly calmed. Qi Leren
pushed himself up; his knees twinged in protest, but the pain
was only proof that he was still alive. He breathed deeply,
preparing to continue downstairs.
The tell-tale patter of footsteps passed above him. He froze
and looked up.
―Leren?‖
―Xue Yingying?‖
The two locked eyes before heaving out a relieved sigh.
―Oh good, I thought I was going to die,‖ Xue Yingying said as
she made her way towards Qi Leren. ―Are you alright?‖
―Yeah, I‘m alright. I managed to lose him somehow,‖ Qi Leren
replied. ―Have you seen Dr. Lu and Su He?‖
Xue Yingying looked down and shook her head.
Qi Leren drew in a sharp breath. The murderer had been right
behind him this entire time, so Dr. Lu should have been with
Su He. If there really was something wrong with Su
He…wouldn‘t Dr. Lu be in danger?
He pressed his lips into a thin line. ―Let‘s go find them,‖ he
said, quietly, before making his way down the stairwell.
Xue Yingying started to fret behind him. ―Isn‘t he around here
still? What if we run into him?‖
―Well, we can‘t wait here forever. I think it‘d be best to hurry up
and move before he‘s had a chance to return to
the…surveillance…‖ QiLeren trailed off and froze in his tracks.
―Su He?!‖
The lighting in the hallway was much brighter, hollowly
wrapping itself around Su He‘s silhouette. QiLeren could faintly
make out his elegant features, darkened as it was with solemn
resolve.
―Come here, Qi Leren,‖ Su He said icily, stepping towards
them. ―Now!‖
―Don‘t!‖ Xue Yingying cried, pulling Qi Leren back by his arm.
The grip was hard and bruising even through layers of clothes.
Su He‘s expression held no trace of its usual gentle
amusement. The gaze he directed at Xue Yingying was cold in
its serenity, but softened when it rested upon Qi Leren. ―Don‘t
listen to her. She‘s not Xue Yingying.‖
The hand around Qi Leren‘s arm tightened painfully as Xue
Yingying urged panickily, ―Don‘t listen to him! I‘m sorry I lied
earlier, it wasn‘t that I haven‘t bumped into them, it‘s that Su
He, he…he…‖
extended a hand. ―Come over here,‖ he said, velvety voice
echoing in the stairwell.
―No!‖ Xue Yingying screamed. ―He killed Dr Lu and wants to kill
me too!‖
The two voices collided in a dizzying frenzy. Qi Leren dazedly
stared at Su He on the steps below them, who met his gaze.
―Have you heard of the one who was devoured by a tiger?‖
Chapter 16: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XVI)

The one who was devoured by a tiger? It took a few seconds

for Qi Leren to understand; it was said in a common folklore
that the souls of those eaten by a tiger will linger and help the
very being that killed them to kill more victims, hence the
accusation.
―Don‘t listen to him – that‘s how he lured Dr. Lu away! Just
hurry and follow me, Su He wants to kill us!‖ Xue Yingying
cried as she dragged Qi Leren up the stairs, grip unyielding.
Yes, he should follow Xue Yingying. He had been suspicious of
Su He even just moments before, had he not?
But was the person holding his arm really Xue Yingying? The
strength of her grip, the way that the chill of her skin that
permeated layers of clothing, wasn‘t it all painfully reminiscent
of a certain dead girl he had met in the hallway?
―Miss Xue…is what I‘d call you, but you‘re not her, are you?‖
Su He took another step towards them, solemn eyes bringing
his soft features into sharp focus. ―I‘ve been thinking about how
the murderer appeared outside of Director Li‘s office. If he‘d
seen us enter through the cameras, then it would have taken
him at least five minutes to arrive – we spent no more than two
or three minutes inside the office before having to flee. If he‘d
just seen us nearby the fishbowl and subsequently hurried
over, then it‘d be highly improbable for him to have so
accurately pinpointed our location to the exact office.
―I don‘t believe that he has the capacity to locate others‘
locations, else from the very beginning Qi Leren would never
have escaped. The only possible answer, then, is that one of
us is able to somehow notify the murderer of our location.‖
A corner of Su He‘s lips twitched up into a wry smile as he
continued. ―Moreover, it‘s certainly interesting how you, who
took three tries to open a bottle of water in the office, have
suddenly become shockingly strong, isn‘t it? If I were to take a
guess, there‘d be two factors responsible for this – firstly, you
had just possessed this body and lacked control, and secondly,
the sandalwood and Buddhist statues did their part to weaken
you significantly.
―Am I correct, miss, in concluding that you are the annoyingly
persistent Number Four?‖
Silence, followed by a peal of crisp laughter before something
hard pushed against Qi Leren‘s back and sent him tumbling
down the stairs. In the dizzying tumble, all he could do was to
protect his head and pray for an uncracked skull. Instead of the
painful impact of cement, however, Qi Leren found himself
stopped by the embrace of Su He, who had rushed up the
stairs to catch him. ―Dr. Lu!‖ Su He yelled.
Someone let out an exclamation of ―Ha!‖ as the sound of
splashing echoed loudly in the stairwell – but not as loud as the
scream that followed soon after. Qi Leren pushed Su He away
with a start, vision spinning as he swayed dangerously. The
thick, acidic smell of blood didn‘t help his nausea.
Dr. Lu hurried over with the now empty bucket still in his hand.
―You alive, Qi Leren? Quick- go finish the job- just stab her or
something! I don‘t kill!‖
In the pool of blood nearby, Xue Yingying was writhing in
agony as she let out low moans of pain, fingers clawing
uselessly at the gritty cement floor. Su He slowly strode over to
her side, slender fingers capturing her chin as he observed her
face – eyes rolled back, face spasming as if engaged in battle
with something deep inside of her. He frowned and made a
shallow cut across his arm with a small blade, watching as
fresh blood welled out of the wound and dribbled onto Xue
Yingying‘s face.
She screamed. A wisp of blackened fog spurted out of her
gaping mouth and dissipated into the air, leaving her suddenly
motionless body to slump over in dead faint.
―We should be fine now,‖ Su He said as he lifted her with a
single arm and made his way down the stairs. ―Can you stand
up?‖ he asked Qi Leren. ―Do you need me to carry you?‖
Qi Leren shook his head, pushing himself up in muted daze.
So the possessed one was Xue Yingying. Had he been wrong
about Su He this entire time?
An arm snaked excitedly around his shoulders as Dr. Lu drew
him close. ―Well, that was actually kinda fun – in a really scary
way. How about that bucket of blood I splashed, eh? Was it
right on target?‖ He paused. ―…Hey, are you alright? You kind
of look like you‘re daydreaming. You didn‘t hit your head too
hard, did you?‖
―Let‘s leave this place first, we made too much noise,‖ Su He
interrupted. He threw a towel onto the ground and stepped on
it to clean any traces of blood off of their shoes.
Dr. Lu cooperatively enabled his skill card and led them to a
secluded room with no unsavoury run-ins on the way. Su He
lowered Xue Yingying onto a bench upon arrival and wiped the
blood from her face with a damp towelette.
―I never would‘ve guessed but you‘re actually pretty strong,‖
Dr. Lu noted appreciatively. ―My arm got sore from hauling that
bucket of blood around but you‘re not even breaking a sweat at
carrying a fifty-something kilo person!‖
―I‘m alright,‖ Su He chuckled. ―I quite enjoy working out.‖
Dr. Lu pinched his scrawny arms gloomily.
Having offered not even a word on the journey over, Qi Leren
was still in a state of distracted stupor, staring blankly at the
ceiling from his position in a chair. Too many things had
happened in the short span of half and hour, leaving him
drowning in the residual void of emptiness that swallowed up
his thoughts before they could surface.
He saw drop into a crouch next to him out of the corner of his
eye. ―Does it hurt anywhere?‖ asked in his special timbre of
gentleness.
Qi Leren brought a hand to his knee. The fall from earlier had
only worsened its state, throbbing hotly behind his hand. Dr. Lu
carefully rolled up his pant leg to examine the extent of his
injury. ―It doesn‘t seem to be sprained and the abrasion looks
quite mild,‖ he concluded. ―It‘s just some bruising so far, but I‘ll
give you a spritz of medication.‖ As he spoke, he reached into
his bag for a mist spray and set about treating the wound.
Qi Leren barely had time to rasp out a word of thanks before
his left hand was seized by Su He. The sleeve was pulled
away to reveal a violent black-blue bruise around his wrist in
the shape of a hand. Dr Lu drew in a sharp breath. ―Good lord,
how hard would a person have to squeeze to do that?‖ he
exclaimed.
Su He chuckled drily. ―It wasn‘t exactly a ‗person‘, was it?‖
―What if it has bad energy or something? We don‘t have any
holy water here,‖ Dr Lu muttered as he sprayed Qi Leren‘s
wrist down with medication and wrapped it up with bandages.
―Tell me if it gets worse, kay? I‘ll think of something.‖
Qi Leren mutely stared at the bandages on his wrist, mood
sombre. He couldn‘t bring himself to look at, ashamed of the
misplaced suspicion he had in his companion. He had been so
untrusting, and yet…
If Su He hadn‘t appeared when he had, he would most
definitely have followed Xue Yingying. The possibility of the
undead Number Four possessing Xue Yingying‘s body was not
one he had considered, a mistake that had very nearly cost
him his life.
The guilt gnawed at his insides but vocalising it was not an
option, leaving him with no choice but to listen in subdued
silence as Dr Lu recounted the events that had occurred after
splitting up:
Su He had been the one to raise his doubts about Xue
Yingying‘s condition, with Dr. Lu concurring after a bout of
psychological analysis. The two then decided to test their
theory, boldly making their way to the surveillance room in
block A and making sure that Qi Leren had successfully
escaped before attempting to meet him. Dr. Lu at this point
wanted to destroy the system, but was stopped by Su He:
―Keep them. We already know where the cameras are, so
avoiding detection will not be a problem…perhaps they‘ll be
useful in the future.‖
Su He‘s confidence cheered Dr. Lu, abandoning his idea
altogether in favour of following Su He to the stairwell Qi Leren
had hidden himself in. Sounds of Qi Leren and Xue Yingying‘s
conversation were heard as they approached – it was here that
the duo split up, with Dr. Lu circling around to the upper floor
with a bucket of blood to empty onto Xue Yingying at Su He‘s
signal. If she really had been possessed, then the blood should
elicit the same response in her as it did in ghosts. Su He was
left to draw Xue Yingying‘s attention and buy time for Dr Lu.
The plan was undoubtedly a success, though Xue Yingying‘s
exact condition was left up in the air until she awakens for
confirmation.
―We,‖ Su He said, picking up a pen from the nearby desk and
spinning it around his fingers in perfect, elegant arcs, ―have
two problems at this point in time: how we might go about
disposing of the murderer and the mystery of four thirteen.‖
The pen in his hand ceased its movement as he swept an
amused gaze over his two companions.
―I may have a few clues as to how we can solve these
problems,‖ he admitted with a faint smile, ―so let‘s work from
there together, shall we?‖
 Chapter 17: The First People’s Hospital X City (XVII)

Su He‘s words brought a spark of hope – ―a clue‖ meant that

their chances of survival were once again increased.
―Let‘s talk elsewhere,‖ Su He continued. ―Xue Yingying may be
unconscious at the moment but if she is still possessed we
may be overheard. It‘s far better to be safe than sorry.‖
At his suggestion, the three slipped into a neighbouring office,
checking all the possible escape routes multiple times before
settling down into discussion.
Su He was the one to start.
―I‘ve been considering possible solutions to the problem of the
murderer for a long time. Engaging him head-on is by far the
best option in terms of accomplishing this goal, but this comes
at the cost of at least one or two deaths on our part, hence why
I haven‘t voiced this option,‖ he said measuredly, tapping out a
gentle rhythm on his thumb with the pen. ―There were a few
new ideas I had to consider when Dr. Lu and I went to the
surveillance room in block A prior to this. We could say that the
surveillance room is the central hub of information within the
hospital considering the fact that it grants visuals for basically
every major hallway in both buildings. The main reason we
didn‘t destroy the panels was because I thought we could use
this system.
―The easiest way by far is to set a trap. If done carefully, even
a simple plan may be sufficient in killing him. There have been
incidents in the past where the oxygen storage tank exploded
and killed many people – if we can lure him into a setup along
these lines and light a fire, the chances of our success are
considerably large.‖
Dr. Lu jumped up in excitement at Su He‘s proposal. ―It‘ll work!
We don‘t even need to go to the storage tanks since every
ward is equipped with an oxygen unit. All we need to do is to
raise the concentration of oxygen, slightly alter the electrical
circuit to short-circuit the system and voila – a spark. I
guarantee the explosion will be enough!‖
Qi Leren shook his head. ―But we‘ll need very precise
calculation to time the explosion. This plan won‘t work as well a
second time if we fail on the first.‖
―Precise control of the explosion, huh…‖ Dr. Lu muttered. He
and Su He whipped around to Qi Leren at the same time.
The look was one that Qi Leren was all too familiar with – he
had been subjected to the exact same look in the blood bank!
―You‘re…not going to make me kill myself again, are you…?‖
he said with a reluctant pout.
―Look dude, you have a huge responsibility as bait for the sake
of everyone‘s lives,‖ Dr. Lu sighed and patted him on the
shoulder. ―I‘ll treat you to all the best restaurants around the
country when we get out of this bloody place – don‘t
underestimate the self-cultivation of a foodie!‖
Qi Leren expressed plainly that he had more interest in staying
alive than the self-cultivation of a foodie.
Su He silently watched this exchange, gently smiling at him.
―We could come up with a better plan…‖
Qi Leren paused for a few seconds, conflicted, before giving in
with a sigh. ―It‘s alright, if there really was a better idea I‘m sure
you would‘ve brought it up earlier. I‘ll go, but you have to
guarantee my safety.‖
―Unless you fall over while fleeing, or enter the wrong room, or
forget to save a file, I don‘t believe there will be a problem,‖ Su
He said lightly.
―…‖ This job was sounding more and more dangerous by the
minute. Qi Leren didn‘t want to do it anymore.
After going over some rough schematics, the discussion turned
to the subject of four thirteen.
―Didn‘t you say that you had an inkling to what this may be
about as well, Su He? Mind filling us in?‖ Dr Lu said as he
relaxed into a more comfortable position, splaying over the
napping recliner bonelessly.
Su He sat primly in his seat, fingers intertwined before him to
support his chin. ―Do you still remember the screen in the
lobby? Our attention was focused on the time, but what
happened in Director Li‘s office reminded me that the problem
was not actually the time.‖
Something sparked in Qi Leren‘s mind. He took out the aged
notebook and stared at the cover.
―The name!‖ ―It‘s the name of the hospital?!‖ Dr. Lu and Qi
Leren exclaimed at the same time.
―So that’s what was off about that board – the name!‖ Dr. Lu
stood with a start and started pacing around the room, talking
excitedly. ―The hospital name on the board is the same as the
one on Qi Leren‘s notebook, both missing the word ―First‖. This
suggests that the building we‘re in right now is the hospital
twenty years ago before it changed its name, which means that
the four thirteen on the board isn‘t actually referring to the time
tonight but…‖
―…but four thirteen on a certain day more than twenty years
ago,‖ Su He finished.
Then it should‘ve happened before he turned five, Qi Leren
thought. What happened to the hospital before he turned five?
It must‘ve been a big event, or had been documented
somewhere within the hospital – making a normal person recall
something that happened more than twenty years ago was
absurd. What exactly happened on this certain day at four
thirteen?
―Argh, there are no clues!‖ Dr. Lu yelled. ―God, do
we really have to go to the bloody records room to flip through
documents?!‖
―There‘s a records room in the hospital?‖ Qi Leren asked,
vexed.
―‘Course, but there‘s so much stuff in there we can spend all
night and still not find anything!‖ Dr. Lu grumbled, falling into
his recliner. ―I hate the part of mystery games where they make
you go around the entire map to find evidence. The
hospital‘s huge and it‘ll take forever to find anything.‖
The three discussed this for a while but came to no
conclusions, deciding to save the problem for later and focus
on the murderer.
―Now that we have a plan, all that‘s left is for us to put it into
action. We must prevent any and all accidents that may occur.
I don‘t want you to get hurt,‖ Su He said seriously, locking eyes
with Qi Leren.
Qi Leren nodded slightly.
He was willing to take this risk, not only for his own safety but
for these companions that he had known for a short few hours.
If Su He was willing to courageously step forward to save his
life, then the least he could do was to do this for them. Deep
down, he also wanted revenge for the three times he had been
hunted down.
Besides…he had gotten used to dying.
―We don‘t need to rush into this, there‘s more than enough time
for us to rest before taking action.‖ Su He frowned at Qi
Leren‘s pale complexion. ―I‘ve been wanting to ask this since
we found you near the fishbowl, but does your skill have any
side effects?‖ he asked, concerned. ―Your face is rather pale.‖
Qi Leren brought a hand to his face and felt the coldness of his
skin. The two saves he had loaded near the fishbowl seemed
to have sapped him of his energy. He didn‘t need a mirror to
know that his face was ashen with the stress of the chase;
even his body felt weak.
He was very tired.
―I‘m not too sure…I don‘t think the card said anything.‖ Qi
Leren slid the card out of its slot and studied its effects
carefully, finding no mention of any side effects. His body‘s
condition could not be overlooked, however, and suggests that
the skill does cause harm after repeated use.
―You should sleep. I‘ll wake you at eleven and we can go to set
the trap then,‖ Su He said. He walked around the office, finding
the blanket used by doctors during lunch break and deposited
it in Qi Leren‘s lap.
Qi Leren wrapped the blanket around himself, said ―Thank you‖
and closed his eyes.
―I‘ll go see how Xue Yingying‘s doing,‖ he heard Dr. Lu say to
Su He. He didn‘t hear a reply, but Dr. Lu‘s footsteps slowly
faded into the distance. The office door was gently shut, lights
turned off, and soon the only sound left in the room was of Qi
Leren‘s own breathing.
Was Su He still in here with him? Half-asleep, Qi Leren
couldn‘t resist turning around and cracking open one eyelid to
sneak a look.
He could see Su He quietly sitting by the window, staring out
into the never-ending abyss of mist and fog. Slivers of light
spilled through the glass panel on the door, coating his elegant
profile in an ethereal glow; gentle, but so, so far, like a
lighthouse beckoning miles away from shore, a beacon of
guidance that struck fear in people‘s hearts.
This was a person different to rest of them, Qi Leren thought
sleepily. What a beautiful, extraordinary person.
Su He‘s gaze swept over him like a passing shadow. Qi Leren
thought he might have smiled. There was no way to find out,
however, as Qi Leren closed his eyes to the call of sleep and
fell, softly, into the darkness.
Chapter 18: The First People’s Hospital of X
City (XVIII)

The short nap did no wonders for Qi Leren‘s overall mood,

who had fallen asleep in too tense an environment and was
now having difficulty prying himself from the grips of his
nightmare.
He had dreamt of broken segments; fleeing from the murderer,
his friends‘ mangled corpses, even some murky scenes from
«The Nightmare Games» – under the perpetual honey-gold
sunset of the sky above Dusk Village, he stood by the side of
the street listening to a poet NPC‘s song as passersby,
cloaked with the shadow of death, rushed past with hardened
purpose but not for life. This was a world without hope, order or
salvation.
―It‘s eleven, we better get going.‖ Dr Lu‘s voice pulled Qi Leren
out of his memories and into the present as he tossed a bottle
of water at him.
―How‘s Xue Yingying?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―She‘s alright, just a bit spacey. Didn‘t react to the prayer
beads either so she‘s probably not possessed anymore, but
the possession did some damage to her body which she‘s
sleeping off right now. I sprinkled a lot of blood around her to
hopefully keep the ghosts away,‖ Dr Lu said.
, still sitting in his chair by the bed, smiled back at them. ―Don‘t
worry, if she‘s still possessed we‘d all be dead already.‖
―……‖ Qi Leren and Dr. Lu could both agree that this kind of
reassurance was worse than no reassurance. Su He was truly
a man who could put a horrifying twist on even the most
earnest of phrases.
Upon leaving their hiding place, the trio carefully avoided all
surveillance cameras as they made their way to the ward that
Dr. Lu picked out. ―This room should do nicely. Come in, I‘ll
show you how the oxygen unit works. It‘s that switch above
every patient bed.‖
Dr. Lu closed the windows and set about demonstrating the
operation of the system. ―Every bed has one of these units
under hospital regulation in case a patient has difficulty
breathing. If the oxygen concentration is dense enough, just a
spark is enough to cause an explosion big enough to kill a few
people.‖
Qi Leren stood in this room of steadily climbing oxygen
concentration with growing anxiety – they could all be killed
right now with no more than a spark. ―It‘s not really safe to be
standing around, let‘s get out of here. If it explodes…‖
Dr. Lu took this to heart and was the first to slip out of the door.
The trio loitered around in the stairwell nearby. Dr. Lu sketched
a rough map of their surroundings, asking without looking up,
―Is there a camera here, Su He? I can‘t really remember.‖
―There‘s one here and another one in the foot of that corridor,‖
Su He said, pointing at specific places on the map which Dr Lu
then circled.
―This is about it,‖ Dr. Lu said. Su He studied the simplified map
for a moment.
―Alright,‖ he said. ―You‘ll need to stay in this area and pretend
to be searching for clues. If the murderer is in the surveillance
room, he‘ll quickly notice you and approach.‖
Qi Leren nodded, feeling his heart rate speed up.
―The reason we picked this camera is due to its excellent
position. You‘ll have enough distance to ensure your safety no
matter which direction he approaches from. Once he appears,
you‘ll need to run towards this ward here that Dr. Lu chose; it‘s
situated at the end of a corridor, so you can act as if you ran
the wrong way and was forced into the room as a last-ditch
attempt. This is unlikely to arouse any suspicion.‖ Here, Su He
paused before continuing, ―Make sure you don‘t save too close
to the ward, else you‘ll be caught in the explosion after
loading…‖
―Don‘t worry, I get three chances to load if I die quickly
enough,‖ Qi Leren said with a wry grimace, ―so even if I get
blown to pieces in the explosion after loading I‘ll be able to do it
a second time, then a third time. Surely the explosion will have
finished by then.‖
Dr. Lu clicked his tongue in either admiration or sympathy, but
Su He‘s face immediately darkened. ―Qi Leren.‖
Qi Leren straightened reflexively, feeling almost like he was a
student being scolded by his teacher again.
―Do not keep this flippant way of thinking. Your life is the first
and foremost priority no matter what the situation may be.‖ Su
He‘s disapproval of Qi Leren‘s words were clear as day on his
refined features. ―I would rather the plan fail and think of
another one than to subject you to irreversible injuries.‖
This pulled Qi Leren up short.
Though his agreement to act as bait was genuine, it was hard
to ignore the sliver of bitterness he felt – it was the fact that
only he was capable of doing so that pushed him to agree in
the end. In this moment, however, Su He‘s words had
eliminated all traces of resentment.
Having someone who cared about and needed him, who
acknowledged him…it was a wonderful feeling.
―Don‘t worry, I really want to kill that man as well! Just sit tight
and wait for me to return in victory!‖ Qi Leren said, grinning
confidently as he tossed the lighter in his hand.
Dr. Lu looked away. ―Can you not jinx yourself before facing
the boss?‖
Qi Leren silently slapped a hand over his mouth.
The time was now teetering on the edge of midnight,
evidenced by the significant increase in both ghost numbers
and attack power. The trio were forced to fend them off with
the help of a restocked blood supply, without which the ghosts
would prove to be a much bigger hinderance.
Once everything was in place, Qi Leren quickly ran over the
escape route in his mind and bid his two teammates goodbye,
psyching himself up to the role of bait.
The pristine white of the walls encompassed the empty
hallway. Qi Leren muted his footsteps, forcing himself to look
away from the red light blinking at him from a darkened corner.
He pretended to be searching for something in the nearby
office but never strayed too far from the doorway so that he
could catch the sound of a person‘s approach.
―It takes around five minutes of travel from the surveillance
room to here. If we assume that the murderer‘s been watching
the footage this entire time, it‘s highly likely that he will arrive in
that timeframe,‖ Qi Leren remembered Su He saying.
His eyes darted up to the clock – only two minutes have
passed but these two minutes felt like an entire year!
―Dr. Lu‘s post will be by the only path that leads to where we
are now. He will signal to me as soon as he sees our target,
and I will inform you. The rest is up to you.‖
Phones couldn‘t be used here, so this rather primitive way of
information relay was their only option. It was not without its
risks, but Su He firmly believed that these were risks worth
taking; after all, what right did they have to complain when
compared to Qi Leren‘s task?
A flurry of activity drew Qi Leren‘s attention as he whipped
around to see Su He, sprinting down the corridor and
mouthing: He’s coming!
It was as if his legs were suddenly made of heavy, heavy
stone. Qi Leren was terrified and didn‘t bother hiding it.
Su He engulfed him in a warm hug. ―Don‘t worry, you have
another thirty seconds.‖
―What about you?‖ Qi Leren hissed as he pushed Su He away.
―Get out of here!‖
―I‘ll be fine just hiding here. Be careful,‖ Su He reassured, far
more relaxed than Qi Leren. He slipped into a nearby office,
leaving Qi Leren alone and bewildered as he stared in the
direction Su He came.
Every second was a battle with the approaching scythe, swift
and deadly.
You can do it, Qi Leren, he told himself. You can do it.
In the silent corridor, the sound of heavy footsteps drew near.
He was here.
Chapter 19: The First People’s Hospital of XCity (XIX)

The moment has come.

Whether the hammering in his chest was from fear or
excitement Qi Leren didn‘t know, but all that was left after the
nerve-wracking wait was a mind clearer than ever before; he
could see the floor plan before him from the perspective of an
outsider, rendered in painstakingly-detailed 3D that outshone
Dr Lu‘s rough sketch in every way imaginable.
There was more than enough distance between the murderer
on the other side of the hallway and Qi Leren, but he
nonetheless bolted as soon as the silhouette appeared with a
sudden burst of adrenaline, the murderer hot on his heels. Qi
Leren didn‘t glance back – forward, up the stairs – until he
reached the corner of the stairwell and risked a peek out of the
corner of his eye.
A pair of bloodthirsty eyes locked gazes with him, far closer
than he had anticipated.
Qi Leren inwardly cursed and continued sprinting towards his
goal. A perfectly straight corridor, stark white lighting, carefully-
planned trap less than twenty metres ahead of him – file
saved!

The moment he laid down the save file, Qi Leren felt half of the
burden lift off of his shoulders. Before he had time to feel
relieved, however, the pursuing footsteps behind him drew
dangerously close. A sudden shout burst out behind him as
something heavy whipped across his legs.
Thrown off balance, the lighter flew out of Qi Leren‘s grip as he
crashed painfully into the ground.
Shit.
He scrambled up immediately, throwing himself to the side at
the thick intent for bloodlust above him just in time to avoid a
fatal blow from the chainsaw, which ignited a shower of golden
sparks upon its contact with the ground.
In the moment, Qi Leren couldn‘t feel any pain. The murderer‘s
face was magnified many, many times – the fresh wound that
twisted his features into a mess of sinister malice, the reflection
in his bloodshot eyes of Qi Leren‘s desperate struggling – he
was a hunter, cruelly playing with his prey.
There was no time for him to crawl back up. Conclusion
evident, QiLeren promptly drew his dagger and pierced it
through his heart.
It went through cleanly – he was not going to make the same
foolish mistake of stabbing the wrong place again. No more
than a second went by after the knife first broke skin before he
blinked his eyes open at the save point.
He had ten seconds.
Qi Leren wasted no time darting past the confused murderer
and into the ward. With the chainsaw‘s sparks, there was no
need for the lighter as a source of ignition. He could almost
taste the victory!
The two barrelled into the ward, the murderer with single-
minded focus and Qi Leren with desperate haste. He swerved
to the side of the doorway after entering and tackled his
pursuer to the ground as soon as he entered.
Two bodies tumbled against each other in the darkness. The
chainsaw, having lost its master, fell to the ground with a
grating noise and let out a line of gold.
The room erupted into the brilliant light of a sunset.
Qi Leren could make out the murderer‘s shocked expression
below him. The ever-present malice was gone, leaving only the
raw last moment of a volatile young man before all was ripped
away by the loud explosion that shook the building to its very
foundations.
Immediately thrown to the ground by the shockwaves that
broke through the door after loading a second time, QiLeren
struggled into a sitting position and looked at the broken wall
before him. He coughed, pouring all his fear and terror into the
hyperventilating laughter he let out in between.
He‘d won! They‘d won!
A wave of strength-sapping lethargy crashed down on him
after the brief but intense celebration. Qi Leren collapsed onto
his back and stared at the ceiling, too bright and dazzling for
his eyes. He felt the cold of the ground biting at his back, smelt
the smoke that lingered in the air, too tired to even formulate
coherent thoughts.
He didn‘t respond to the sound of approaching footsteps until a
shadow cast itself over his face. Su He crouched down next to
him, scrutinising gaze running up and down his body.
―Can you stand?‖ Su He finally asked after finding no lethal
injuries.
Qi Leren took the hand offered to him and stood on unsteady
legs. Su He looped Qi Leren‘s arm around his shoulders at the
sight of his dangerous swaying and helped him to a nearby
bench. Around the corner, Dr. Lu had arrived. He poked his
head out from the stairwell, looking ready to bolt at the slightest
warning. His athletic abilities would likely trip him over within a
few steps, but he had the cautiousness of a small animal
nonetheless.
―He died?‖ Dr. Lu asked, slinking over after seeing the two safe
and sound. He looked curiously at the destroyed ward, but held
back at Qi Leren and Su He‘s looks. ―I feel like this…‖ he
hesitated, ―…might be too close to a movie trope. Can we go
together?‖ He fluttered his eyelashes, taking full advantage of
a youthful face that has won over too many middle-aged
women to count.
Qi Leren felt a corner of his lips twitch before taking a deep
breath and pushing himself onto his feet. ―Let‘s go then.‖
The explosion had ripped the door apart, leaving splinters and
only half of the walls still standing. The three kicked away the
debris at their feet as they entered, the extent of the damage
revealed before them:
The charred ward was in complete disarray. The metal of the
bed frame was twisted out of shape recognition and caked with
a layer of rubble, much like the deeply cracked walls and
windows around it. Their target, a serial murderer whose hands
were stained with the blood of many, was lying in the centre of
the room, face and body scorched beyond recognition – but
that wasn‘t what brought the party to a halt.
There were three treasure chests floating above the corpse.
The kind that glowed rainbows and clearly broke the laws of
physics.
Dr. Lu dazedly brought a hand to his forehead. ―I finally believe
that this is a game,‖ he breathed with awe.
Qi Leren laid a hand on the card slots at his hip. With the
existence of skill cards and inventories, he had known that he
was no longer in the real world for the past twelve hours, but
somehow the sight of the chest cemented this fact.
He stepped forward and gingerly raised a hand, if only to
reassure himself that it was real. The moment his fingers
touched the chest, a long-unseen system message
materialised before his eyes:
[Player Qi Leren has completed provisional quest: Eliminating
Abnormality in the Tutorial Village]

[Reward: Lucky draw x1]

Abnormality in the tutorial village? Qi Leren looked to the
corpse at their feet. Could it be referring to the murderer?
―It‘s time for a lucky draw!‖ Dr. Lu‘s joyous tones interrupted Qi
Leren‘s train of thought. He pointed at the chests in
excitement, furiously gesturing at the other two. ―You go first!‖
―You can go first,‖ Qi Leren said, unhurried.
―No, no, I want to do it last,‖ Dr. Lu said resolutely.
―I‘ll go then,‖ Su He smiled. He picked a chest at random and
pressed a fingertip onto its keyhole, opening it with a click. Qi
Leren and Dr. Lu peered inside, seeing nothing but the black of
an empty box.
―It went directly into my inventory,‖ Su He said, generously
bringing it out for the others to see. ―It‘s an item card.‖
[Bloodthirsty Dagger]: A mysterious dagger that grows in
lethality as the number of lives it claims increases until it is able
to kill in one strike. Current status of final ability: Locked.
―So basically it‘s just a normal dagger right now?‖ Dr. Lu gave
Su He a look of both judgement and pity. ―Sounds a bit
useless. It looks pretty though.‖
Su He just smiled. ―Perhaps it‘ll be of use one day.‖
―It‘s your turn,‖ Dr. Lu said, nudging Qi Leren with an elbow. Qi
Leren hesitated for a moment before choosing the one next to
Su He‘s.
[Rations of Shallow Affection]: A bag of mysterious animal
food. Every creature from cats to dogs to even dung beetles
will struggle to forget the taste of these rations after just one
bite. Be the animal whisperer you‘ve always dreamed of
becoming! Remaining rations: 30/30.
Qi Leren almost kneeled over right there and then. The entire
hospital was full of ghosts, where on earth was he supposed to
find animals to feed? The goldfish!?
Dr. Lu took one look at the card before giving him a consoling
pat on the shoulder. ―It‘s time for me to show my worth as the
Prince of Gacha, the one who draws limited cards with a single
pull!‖
Under Qi Leren and Su He‘s scrutinising gaze, the
aforementioned Prince of Gacha wiped the sweat from his
brow and chanted ―Metaphysics be my guide‖ as he touched a
finger to the last chest.
Click.
Chapter 20: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XX)

Dr Lu paused for a few seconds after receiving the card before

bursting into raving laughter. ―IT‘S A HEALING SKILL!‖ he
screamed. ―THANK YOU GOD! Someone‘s looking out for little
old me up there, I tell you.‖
After lots of grabbing and forceful encouragement QiLeren
managed to coerce the card out of Dr Lu‘s hand:
[Doctor’s Orders] (Non-Binding Skill Card): The ability to
work miracles comes with a price – a price for your
patients. There will be no mercy given to those who do not
deserve. Allows the holder to heal all who meet the
following requirements: attractive, not a Virgo and an IQ
over 100. The number of requirements met will determine
the effectiveness of the treatment. Skill cooldown: 2
hours.
―Thank god I‘m not a Virgo,‖ QiLeren muttered.
―Neither am I,‖ echoed Su He. They shared a brief moment of
relief.
Dr. Lu had already clicked the card into his other card slot,
turning to them with a delighted expression. ―Oh, ye poor
mortals,‖ he cried, ―why dost thou tremble so? Fear not, for I
shall grant sanctuary to those who offer me their faith!‖
Qi Leren thought about his bag of dog food with bitterness.
―Dr. Lu is so lucky…‖ Su He sighed.
―Yeah,‖ QiLeren agreed. ―Can‘t you give me a bit of that luck?‖
Surprisingly, Dr. Lu‘s expression thawed to one of abashed
embarrassment. ―Well… It‘s not all me… It‘s mostly thanks to
my skill…‖
His skill? Hold on, no one‘s had a look at this luck-enhancing
skill of his yet. Qi Leren and Su He both turned in one swift
action, leaving Dr. Lu to squirm under their gaze. ―Alright
alright,‖ he conceded, moving his hand off of the belt, ―you can
have a look if you want. But don‘t hit me.‖
―I dislike getting physical under normal circumstances,‖ Su He
said, smiling.
Dr. Lu timidly changed his focus to Qi Leren. ―What about you?
Do you like getting physical?‖
Qi Leren leaned forward, face intimidating. ―Are you going to
give it or not? Give it over or I‘m gonna start getting physical!‖
―Wait wait wait I‘ll give it to you! Don‘t hit me! I‘m fragile!‖ Dr Lu
immediately pulled the card out and presented it respectfully to
Qi Leren.
…What a pushover.
Taking over the card, just the title alone was enough to make
Qi Leren balk:
[Mockery of a Luckster] (Binding Skill Card): You are the
chosen child of Lady Luck. Show those peasants what it
really means to be lucky! Grants the holder a passive luck
buff for 90 minute(s) after activation. The buff will be more
powerful in the near vicinity of those with terrible luck.
Skill cooldown: 3 hours.
―Your buff…‖ Qi Leren levelled depressed eyes at Dr. Lu.
Dr. Lu put his hands together apologetically. ―I‘m sorry! I can
vaguely feel the luckiness of people around me when I have
the skill equipped, and you‘re…slightly worse than average.‖
―…‖ This was the kind of thing Qi Leren considered to be better
left unsaid.
―Su He seemed pretty alright though,‖ Dr. Lu continued. ―Better
than you in any case. But hey, my buff wouldn‘t be so powerful
without you around!‖
Qi Leren could feel his heart slowly shattering into fine shards,
never to be put together again. Su He consolingly wound an
arm around his shoulder, offering soft condolences as Dr. Lu
rambled on in the background about how he would proactively
help heal him in exchange – which didn‘t make Qi Leren feel
any better. Didn‘t that just mean he‘d get injured more often
from Dr. Lu‘s curse?!
The trio carelessly bantered in front of the charred room,
completely unaware of the situation they were in until the
ground below their feet let out a shudder and sent various
objects far away as well as they themselves crashing to the
ground. Dr Lu hit the bedframe with a pained cry. The wall,
already weakened by the explosion, split down the middle with
a loud crack and collapsed to reveal the endless darkness
outside, shrouded in thick layers of fog.
This ward was situated at the end of the hallway, which meant
that it was on the very edge of the building. Without its
outermost wall, Qi Leren could see the unknown yet foreboding
mess that was the outside wall. Luckily, there seemed to be an
invisible barrier that stood between them and the fog.
Qi Leren pushed himself up and pulled Dr Lu up with him. took
a few tentative steps towards the fog and observed it
thoroughly.
It twisted softly, fading and thickening under the hallway‘s light.
It looked eerie.
It looked alive.
Qi Leren gathered his wits and strode forward to stand beside
Su He. There seemed to be something within the fog, but the
lighting was too dim to make it out. Having been inside the fog
once before, Qi Leren was cautious.
―Let‘s go,‖ Qi Leren said softly. ―It‘s too dangerous.‖
Su He sighed. ―You‘re right. We should leave.‖
The two turned back to regroup with Dr. Lu, perched on the
edge of the scene and ready to bolt at any moment. He let out
a visible huff of relief upon seeing that the two had stopped
pushing their luck. ―C‘mon, let‘s get out of this haunted place
as soon as we can. We still need to check Xue Yingying.‖
―What time is it?‖ Su He asked.
―Give me a second,‖ Dr. Lu said, taking out his phone. It had
no signal but otherwise worked fine. ―It‘s twenty-three fifty-ni…
Oh. It‘s midnight.‖
Midnight.
Qi Leren felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if the word
was a signal of some sort, bringing with it a draft that swept
ash off the ground and propelled them into an aerial dance.
The hallway was soon engulfed in the flurry of a black
snowstorm that obscured their vision. The hallway‘s light was
no more than ten metres from where they stood yet felt like a
whole other world away.
Dr. Lu stared at his two companions with alarm from the
doorway of the ward as they whipped around at almost the
same time.
The barrier was gone. Meeting no resistance, the endless
darkness flooded into the building.
―Run!‖ Su He‘s shout resonated in Qi Leren‘s ears he sprinted
for the door.
Dr. Lu had already been left far behind after a few seconds of
running. ―Wait, wait for me!‖ he called helplessly. Resigned,
QiLeren doubled back to Dr. Lu and dragged him along as they
ran for their lives. The familiar sight of their previous camp
greeted them in no time at all.
The fog behind them had disappeared sometime without them
noticing, but still they ran, fuelled by the claustrophobic terror
that threatened to choke.
―What‘re you guys running from? Did you run into a really
powerful ghost?‖ Not far ahead was the strange sight of Xue
Yingying ferociously swinging a bloodied firefighter‘s axe into a
fast-moving ghost as she called out to them.
The sounds emitted by the ghost scraped against their ears. Its
movements were too fast to pin down, causing Xue Yingying‘s
axe to miss more than a few times and embed itself into the
cement walls around them. The deep groove it left behind was
testament to the power in her swings.
Having dealt with the obstacle, Xue Yingying slung the axe
over her shoulder and strode over. ―I think I remember you
guys saying something about killing the murderer while I was
unconscious? Did you want some help with that?‖
The three took an unconscious step back. Xue Yingying
awkwardly stopped in her steps and tossed her axe to one
side. ―Sorry about that,‖ she said, raising her hands in
surrender. ―I don‘t know what came over me, but I just felt kind
of…cold? And I couldn‘t really control my body? I‘m sorry!‖
Her words could not have mattered less to QiLeren at that
moment. All that effort they spent on setting the trap was a
gigantic waste of her skills! Why couldn‘t they have just sent
the berserker in their team in to hack at the murderer?
What a terrible, terrible waste.
Chapter 21: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XXI)

Midnight brought with it a drastic increase in the volume of

ghosts, all of whom were shielded behind a smoky veil of fog.
This left the party, who had quickly found themselves unable to
see past a small radius, completely at the mercy of the silent
assassins lurking unseen around them.
It was not an ideal situation, to say the least.
―Good thing we got rid of that murderer already or we‘d have
another thing to worry about,‖ Dr Lu sighed with residual
trepidation.
―How unlucky do you have to be to run into a murderer during
the tutorial?‖ Xue Yingying muttered. Without so much as a
pause she swung her axe into a ghost that had appeared out
of nowhere, sending splatters of yellow fluid across the pristine
walls around them. It did absolutely nothing to help the already
eerie atmosphere.
The three males shuddered and looked at her with conflicting
feelings. Xue Yingying offered a chilling giggle in response. ―I
can‘t wait till we leave this stupid place,‖ she sighed happily. ―I
bet the feeling of my scum of an ex‘s face against my knuckles
would be divine with this new strength I got from the skill card.‖
Looks like Su He‘s face alone wasn‘t enough to erase all
thoughts of her ex, QiLeren thought.
Lead by Dr Lu, the four weaved their way through the foggy
corridors towards the records room as ghosts pounced from all
directions. By the end of it all, QiLeren had grown numb to the
panic these surprise encounters used to bring. With Dr Lu‘s
mildly annoying voice rambling in the background, QiLeren
wielded his crowbar like an extension of his arm and disposed
of their resident supernatural population with no more than a
few swings each, dully impassive all the while.
―Don‘t lose yourself in your thirst for blood, QiLeren,‖ Dr Lu
advised unhelpfully with a trace of awe.
QiLeren rolled his eyes so far back he swore he could see his
brain. Out of all of them, Dr Lu was probably the weakest one
by far, everything about his pathetic physique pointing to his
presence as half dead weight and the other half even deader
weight. He probably hadn‘t even set foot in a gym before in his
life. Compared to Xue Yingying – who was most likely bleeding
at any given moment yet standing strong as steel as their front-
line fighter, steadily growing strength in her arms suggesting
that she had plenty more where that came from – Dr Lu was
undoubtedly the class dunce.
Su He was likely the most idle. He had the dagger gripped in
his hand, but its delicate craftsmanship and elegant
adornments suggested that it was unfit for even small
skirmishes. Perhaps it‘ll become more useful after its final
ability becomes unlocked; it was, after all, an item from a
chest.
Upon their arrival at the records room, Dr Lu rummaged
around for the key, eventually locating it in a nearby draw. The
heavy doors opened to release the thick, musty air within,
flickering overhead lights illuminating the rows upon rows of
documents resting in their metal coffins.
There was too much material and not enough time.
Dr Lu circled around the shelves. ―This can‘t be all of them.
Where are the earlier ones?‖ he muttered to himself
quizzically, opening some archive racks peering into them.
―What happened?‖ QiLeren asked.
―I can‘t find anything from twenty years ago,‖ Dr Lu replied and
pointed to the open shelf before him. ―See, this is the earliest I
could find.‖
―Could they perhaps be kept somewhere else?‖ she
suggested.
―I can go check the medical records and prescription files,‖ Dr
Lu offered. He pocketed the keys and headed towards the
neighbouring room.
Something was wrong. QiLeren took in the shelves that
towered over them menacingly in the cold lighting, each held
closed by their own handle. There must be a reason as to why
the documents were nowhere to be found.
It wasn‘t long before Dr Lu returned with disappointing news. ―I
couldn‘t find anything,‖ he reported, shaking his head in
mystification.
Su He frowned. ―Did the hospital by any chance relocate
twenty years ago?‖
―No, we‘ve been here for fifty years already,‖ Dr Lu replied with
the confidence of a true local. ―Even if we did it wouldn‘t have
just erased the records as cleanly as this.‖
Su He considered this. ―This hospital underwent a name
change, yes?‖ he asked after a pause.
―Yeah it did.‖
―If I recall correctly, I believe you said that the ‗first‘ was added
after its reconstruction twenty years ago.‖ she said, standing
beside a filing cabinet. Under the light, something danced
within his eyes.
Dr Lu froze for a few seconds before slowly, ever so slowly,
opening his mouth into a soundless gasp.
How could QiLeren describe his expression? It was the raw
emotions of a lost man who had finally found light after
trudging endlessly through the dark, only to find that the world
he had dreamt of so longingly was no more hell on earth. It
was twisted, sickening and unbelievably cruel. The others
found themselves unable to respond and opted to watch
silently.
Dr Lu remained frozen to the ground where he stood. ―…Did it
ever occur to you,‖ he rasped finally, ―that there‘s been two
earthquakes since we first arrived?‖
Two earthquakes? The realisation hit QiLeren like a bus; yes,
there‘d indeed been two earthquakes! The first was when they
took shelter in Director Li‘s office, which caused the murderer
to drop his chainsaw and subsequently offer the party precious
seconds in which they fled. The second was the incident that
exposed them to the fog outside not long ago in the charred
ward. The fact that none of them had stopped to think about
this would be puzzling had both occurrences not been
immediately followed by life-threatening danger.
Of course there‘d be earthquakes. After all, X City itself had
been the host to a particularly large one twenty years ago!
The earthquake had been no more than a vague memory by
the time Qi Leren‘s family moved here, the city having rebuilt
itself, so it was small wonder that it slipped his mind. Even so,
the severity of the disaster had made itself known to all.
―I see. So at four thirteen on a certain day more than twenty
years ago, a large earthquake in X City caused the hospital to
undergo reconstruction, which led to the loss of all records up
to that point,‖ Su He concluded. ―If we are to survive until
dawn, we‘ll need to find shelter.‖
Qi Leren‘s heartbeat thundered in his ears. Finding shelter
meant leaving the building for an open area, but who knew
what the mist outside held?
―We can‘t go outside,‖ he said resolutely, shaking his head.
―We mustn‘t. Ever.‖
―But we‘ll die if we stay here!‖ Xue Yingying argued. ―Wouldn‘t
it be better to try our luck outside?‖
QiLeren brought a trembling hand to his face. ―You wouldn‘t be
saying that if you saw what I did.‖ In fact, he‘d rather die a slow
and painful death, crushed under the debris of an earthquake,
than to face that horrifying scene again. It was not something
anyone‘s understand unless they had seen it for themselves.
His dour words and demeanor left the atmosphere grim.
It was Dr Lu who finally broke the silence. ―Wait!‖ he exclaimed
suddenly.
―I think I know how we can survive the earthquake without
leaving the building!‖
Chapter 22: The First People’s Hospital of X City (XXII)

Dr Lu‘s words were a much-needed flame in the darkness.

―Our hospital is equipped with a fallout shelter,‖ he said giddily
under the gaze of six hungry eyes. ―It just so happened to be
rebuilt during the nation-wide construction of underground air
shelters, plus we‘re at a very important location, so they added
in a nuclear-grade shelter.‖
―Is it far from here?‖ Su He asked.
―It‘s inside the hospital,‖ Dr Lu answered. ―The door‘s outside
the outpatient building, but that one‘s solid steel and really hard
to open. Luckily for you, I know where the back door is!‖
He looked at his companions expectantly for praise but
eventually continued when he was met with tense silence.
―…It‘s around the A block emergency hallway. As soon as
summer comes around everyone hides in there to take naps
during the day because it‘s cooler than the aircon.‖
If the entire experience thus far was a rollercoaster ride, then
Dr Lu‘s information was the final stretch in which they pull into
the station. For the first time in far too long, QiLeren could feel
the solid ground beneath his feet.
Xue Yingying saw no reason for further delay. ―Why are you
just standing there? Lead the way!‖
At Xue Yingying‘s urging, Dr Lu turned around with a call of
―Alright kids, follow me‖ and ushered them towards A block.
The four waded through the misty hallways that formed their
tomb. No amount of lighting could neutralise the chill they felt
at the sinister desolation, the paranoia from ghosts they walked
among.
Mutilated corpses littered the path they travelled. From the
numbers that decorated the ground beside them, the identity of
the killer was obvious. It was fortunate that the murderer had
been taken care of already; to take a path with so many
surveillance cameras would be suicide.
―Do you think there are any other players left?‖ XueYingying
asked softly.
―Maybe a few of them are hiding somewhere?‖ Dr Lu
suggested.
Maybe. But they may also have become victims of the
murderer, or perhaps sacrificial offerings to the ghosts.
―We can go give a holler over the PA system if you really
want,‖ Dr Lu shrugged. ―That‘s about all we can do. If they still
end up dying then that‘s not really our problem anymore.‖
Meeting no opposition, the party changed routes to the
broadcasting room. Dr Lu strode in and spoke solemnly into
the mic:
―To all those who are still alive: good evening.‖ The sudden
sound was startling to say the least, but Dr Lu‘s mellow voice
softened the edges of their midnight announcement. ―It is
currently twelve forty-three a.m. Beijing time, leaving
approximately four hours until the X City Earthquake. Yes, you
heard correctly – we have reason to believe that the hospital
we‘re in right now is one whose time overlaps with that of
twenty years ago. The two tremors that occurred not long ago
is, I believe, proof enough.
―If you wish to live, I highly suggest seeking shelter in a stable
location. According to a teammate who wishes to remain
anonymous, all that waits outside the hospital is a sea of
ghosts, so we wouldn‘t really recommend leaving the building.
As a side note, we have eliminated the problem of our friendly
neighbourhood serial killer so for anyone still worrying about
him, feel free to turn your attention to the matter at hand. If you
think you can trust us, please come to the level one foyer in A
block; we have found a safe shelter that is sure to protect us
from the impending earthquake. That is all.‖
Satisfied, Dr Lu turned to his companions. ―Anything anyone
wants to add?‖
XueYingying shook her head.
After a moment of consideration, something occurred to
QiLeren. ―Do you think the goldfish jumping out of their
fishbowl was, like the foreshocks, a sign of the earthquake?‖
―I think I‘ve heard about that before. Most animals display
strange behaviours before earthquakes, and I believe fish tend
to jump out of the water? This horror game is more well-
researched than I thought.‖ Dr Lu nodded and turned to Su He,
who was deep in thought. ―Did you want to add anything over
the PA system?‖
Su He took a second to respond. ―I have a question…‖
His three teammates prompted at the same time, ―About?‖
―About the time.‖ Su He frowned slightly. ―Are we sure that time
of the earthquake is four thirteen?‖
―Uh…probably? It was sometime after twelve, but I was on
holidays in America with my family around then so I‘m not sure
of the exact time… Hey, what‘s that look for? I know visas
were tricky twenty years ago but my grandma is American and
my grandpa has permanent residence after their marriage. It‘s
totally normal for me to go over and visit family! My mum
actually wanted to move overseas after the earthquake, but my
dad was so against it that they ended up just staying here,‖ Dr
Lu reminisced. He shot QiLeren a suspicious look. ―Do I have
something on my face?‖
―No, I was just thinking about your hair colour. Not dyed but
inherited from your grandma, huh… Can good luck be
inherited? No wonder your entire family was able to avoid that
earthquake.‖ Here, QiLeren let out a defeated sigh.
Unfortunately for him, his genes had decided to ignore his
mother‘s beauty and acting ability in favour of his father‘s
terrible luck.
―Of course! I don‘t think we‘ve ever been short on anything
before; my parents would just win whatever random
supermarket raffle that they enter. I‘m pretty sure we have
more than a few TVs just lying around.‖
―So what you‘re saying is,‖ Su He cut in, watching with
resignation as his topic raced further and further off track, ―we
don‘t know the exact time of the earthquake.‖
―Isn‘t it four thirteen? That‘s what it says on all the screens,‖
XueYingying said with conviction.
Su He quietly looked at them before sighing softly.
…Why was there such a heavy feeling of condescension?
Su He tried again. ―Four thirteen in which month?‖
―I know!‖ Dr Lu answered eagerly. ―It was the fifteenth of
August!‖
―Which would place this earthquake at four thirteen on the
morning of August fifteenth, twenty years ago.‖
―Yeah!‖
None of them could see where Su He was going with his
prompting, but the concerned expression on his face
steadfastly held their attention for the reveal.
Su He didn‘t disappoint.
―If I recall correctly,‖ he said measuredly, ―this country operated
under the daylight saving time system in the summer of that
year.‖ His tone was light, voice unwavering, but his words
brought to light a dangerous trap that had very nearly cost
them their lives.
Daylight saving time.
―Daylight saving time… I think it was around when I was really
little.‖ XueYingying was very confused. ―Is there a problem with
that?‖
Dr. Lu and Qi Leren, on the other hand, finally understood what
Su He had been trying to say for the past few minutes; there
was a time difference of one whole hour between standard
time and daylight saving time!
―Daylight saving time is typically implemented during the
summer months to save energy and to make use of daylight
hours. All clocks within the country will be pushed forward one
hour during daylight savings and pulled back to standard time
in September.‖ Su He explained patiently to XueYingying. ―If
the time given on the screens is indeed in daylight saving time,
then the earthquake‘s onset in standard time would actually
be three thirteen.‖
―Oh my god, then what are we standing around for? We need
to get to the shelter!‖
―We still have plenty of time, but I suppose there‘s no use to
loitering around,‖ Su He agreed. ―Let‘s go.‖
This time the party took no detours and immediately headed to
the emergency hallway. After a violent upheaval of the nearby
furniture Dr Lu triumphantly uncovered the key hidden away in
a drawer and lead the party to the door.
QiLeren would never have believed that a fallout shelter laid
behind the slab of unassuming concrete before them if he
hadn‘t been told.
Movement from the door triggered the emergency lighting to
reveal a space, large enough to fit more than a hundred
people, boxed in by secure walls of reinforced concrete that
gave a peculiar sense of security.
―Ventilation and air flow here is basically as good as it gets.
There‘s some new medicine and food stocked less than a few
days ago when the higher-ups came for their routine check, so
they should all be safe to eat.‖ Dr Lu‘s voice held a slight
tremble as it echoed off the walls, still nervous about Su He‘s
hypothesis.
Su He smiled gently in response. ―It was just a guess,‖ he
soothed. ―Perhaps the ‗four thirteen‘ was actually in standard
time. We don‘t need to worry so much.‖
―No, you‘re right,‖ Dr Lu said insistently. ―I think we‘ve all been
missing something. If you think about everything we‘ve been
through today, it‘s obvious that what this tutorial village is
testing isn‘t our combat abilities but our capability for logical
analysis.
―From the very beginning, that‘s what pushed us forward.‖
Chapter 23: The First People’s Hospital of X
City (XXIII)

Having gained everyone‘s attention, Dr Lu cleared his throat

before continuing. ―Let‘s first ignore the surprise element of the
murderer,‖ he said. ―Without him, we would be in a puzzle-
solving game with relatively low requirements for combat
ability; the ghosts were pretty easy to deal with after we figured
out their weakness-‖
Qi Leren narrowed his eyes sceptically. Dr Lu had been carried
through practically every combat situation thus far.
―-which brings us to the topic of surviving till dawn. Sounds
straightforward on paper but it actually required us to find out
what exactly was going to occur and how to avoid it. Again,
logical analysis – if we overlooked the earthquake in any
capacity, we would‘ve died for sure once the time was up
anyway.
―Basically, what you needed to survive in this game was never
strength but intellect. Even without someone like me with home
advantage, it shouldn‘t be too hard for fifteen normal players
who don‘t know about the earthquake to figure it out. The
murderer was an anomaly, no? Everyone could‘ve worked
together to solve riddles, look for clues…‖
―It‘s such a shame…‖ QiLeren mumbled.
―Yeah,‖ Dr Lu agreed softly. ―The earthquake should be easy
enough for most players since every local would‘ve at least
heard of the one twenty years ago. Figuring that out would only
be a matter of time, especially with the two foreshocks, which
is why I‘m not very surprised at the little trap they placed.
Speaking from my years of experience from playing horror
games, the real puzzle here was the time of the earthquake,
not the earthquake itself.‖
There was a very real possibility that, had they not worked out
the time difference, they would be wandering around outside
and looking for survivors only to be killed by the earthquake
themselves. To lose their lives from such a small yet fatal detail
would be nothing but utter despair.
XueYingying raised her question timidly. ―So are we going
to…you know, look for survivors…?‖
―I‘m not taking a single step outside of this shelter,‖ Dr Lu
refuted immediately. He shook his head. ―We‘ve already done
our part by notifying them of the danger.‖
―But isn‘t there still two more hours?‖
―It‘s not just the earthquake, the number of ghosts outside is
increasing as well. Plus, what if we went outside and wasted a
few hours on another goldfish incident? We‘d be dead meat.‖
―Oh…alright…‖ XueYingying conceded with a face full of guilt.
QiLeren frowned at the door. XueYingying was right;
there was a lot of time left, and if there really were survivors
waiting in the foyer who didn‘t know about the time
difference…
―I‘ll go,‖ Su He said as he stood up, cutting through the silence.
―I‘ll just leave a note – it‘ll take no time at all.‖
Dr Lu wanted to scream. ―Did you really have to jinx yourself
like that before leaving?! Why can‘t you just go like a normal
person?!‖
Su He couldn‘t hold back his smile. ―My bad,‖ he apologised
insincerely. ―Don‘t worry though, the foyer is just a few minutes‘
walk from here. I‘m sure nothing bad will happen.‖
His utter lack of self-awareness rendered Dr Lu speechless.
―It‘s alright, I‘ll go with you,‖ QiLeren decided. ―It‘ll be safer with
two people.‖
Su He considered him for a moment before smiling. ―In that
case, I‘d be glad to have you.‖
Dr Lu and XueYingying bid them farewell with the air of parents
watching their children leave to war. QiLeren glanced at the
time – one fourteen.
Good. There was still time.
The hospital felt deader with the silence. Bright crimson
splatters of blood left behind cut through the thick fog
obscuring their vision, painting a scene of horror onto the
pristine canvas it lay upon. The only sounds QiLeren could
hear were of their footsteps and faint breathing, but each time
he opened his mouth to speak he found himself at a loss of
words. What could he say?
As they passed by a window, Qi Leren glanced at Su He‘s
reflection out of the corner of his eye; Su He met his gaze and
sent him a gentle smile.
Shivers danced down Qi Leren‘s spine. Unbidden memories of
holding ―Su He‘s‖ hand surfaced to the forefront of his mind,
bringing with it the terror of discovering the true owner of the
hand in his own. He wrenched his eyes away from the glass
and trained it on the path ahead.
―Did I scare you?‖ Su He‘s soft, soothing voice washed softly
over his companion.
―Erm…no…‖ QiLeren denied. He didn‘t particularly want to
admit his frightening train of thought.
A light chuckle. ―I was actually quite surprised when you said
you wanted to come earlier,‖ Su He mused.
―What do you mean?‖
Su He turned so their gazes intertwined, delicate features
graced with the gentleness of a faint smile. ―Did it ever occur to
you that I might have ulterior motives before naively following
me like this?‖
It was as if someone dumped a bucket of cold water over him.
Qi Leren flinched violently backwards, face full of open horror,
but before he could do anything Su He let out a suppressed
chuckle. ―I‘m joking,‖ he amended mirthfully.
―!!!!!!!!‖
At the sight of Qi Leren‘s clear unease, Su He rushed to
placate. ―I apologise, I shouldn‘t have done that. It‘s just that,
with the way you were looking at me, I couldn‘t help but…‖
…But to tease this little guy a bit.
―I can walk in front of you if you‘d be more comfortable with
that,‖ Su He offered when Qi Leren only bristled at his attempts
at placation. Receiving no reply, he quickened his steps.
QiLeren hesitated but decided to follow anyway.
Su He‘s back formed a tall silhouette in his field of vision. ―You
don‘t trust me, do you?‖ His melodic voice weaved itself into
the air around them, bringing with it the ever-present calm and
serenity despite the situation.
QiLeren opened his mouth to refute but found himself unable
to do so upon recalling his doubt at the fishbowl.
―I‘m the same,‖ Su He continued, unfettered. ―Everyone here
has the potential to be a dangerous enemy. Some are rather
unsubtle about it, like the murderer, but others…‖
Who was he referring to?
―Number Four, for example. I think she would‘ve been quite a
clever and ambitious girl when she was still alive. It‘s a shame
she met her death so early.‖
At Su He‘s mention of the girl, Qi Leren felt a heavy weight
settle in his heart.
―Do your best to escape from here safely, okay?‖ Su He
stopped at the end of the corridor and turned back to QiLeren
with a smile. ―I‘ll…tell you a little secret of mine when we leave
this place. I believe we can become very good friends.‖
Somewhere during Qi Leren‘s shaken daze, they had arrived
at the foyer.
QiLeren could feel his mind resettle itself after leaving the note
and embarking on their journey back to the shelter. Su He‘s
honest words had soothed his nerves; the admission of
paranoia made him feel closer to the companion he walked
along.
Qi Leren steered his thoughts away from Su He‘s so-called
―little secret‖. He seriously doubted it was a little secret in any
capacity.
Having met not a single other human and leaving just a note,
the pair quickly arrived back at the shelter. Dr. Lu and Xue
Yingying‘s face of relief was welcoming but also somewhat
insulting to QiLeren – was their survival really so surprising?
Despite the relief, Dr Lu was determined to verify their
identities. A few minutes later saw Qi Leren silently wiping
blood plasma off his hand with a cold glare in Dr Lu‘s direction,
which Dr Lu openly ignored in favour of caving under Su He‘s
smile instead. Under the pretence of napping, he slinked away
and wrapped himself into a blanket from his inventory.
XueYingying likewise nestled herself into a corner to rest.
Qi Leren‘s nap from earlier was nowhere near enough to
compensate for dying twice, but where his body felt fatigue his
mind was abnormally alert. Giving up on the idea of rest, he sat
down next to Dr Lu and began writing a rough recount of the
events thus far.
―No offence dude, but I don‘t think writing in your diary is the
best idea,‖ Dr Lu advised, peeking out of his cocoon.
―What do you mean?‖
―You know how most horror games and movies have a diary as
a key item? This means that the writers would‘ve had to have
died in order for their diaries to give the protagonist the help
they need, which means that writing in diaries equals death,‖
Dr Lu concluded sagely.
QiLeren decided to ignore him.
Time passed in slow, torturous seconds. The closer they were,
the more alert everyone became – Dr Lu‘s eyes were
practically glued to his phone.
Tick.
Three thirteen.
Suddenly, it was as if the room itself came to life. Upheavals
wracked the walls around them, buckling like a creature unable
to withstand the powerful blows of a god. Through the
cacophony that threatened to overtake his senses, QiLeren
had several moments in which he expected to die – but the
shelter held. Its meticulously planned surfaces were now
scarred by deep fissures, but it held.
The earthquake lasted no more than a short minute, but to
them, it had been an eternity.
QiLeren let out a long breath of relief. After so many close
brushes with death, it was them who came out victorious.
There were three hours left until dawn.
 Chapter 24: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (I)

[Player QiLeren has completed Tutorial Quest 3: Surviving

Until Dawn]
[Quest reward: 10 Days Lifespan]
[Sync Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Sync Complete]

The soft gold of dusk trickled over the horizon, dyeing the
ocean into the colour of honey over which seagulls glided.
Salty-cool breezes caressed the land with its delicate limbs
and swept away all worry, leaving behind only dazed
captivation and a gentle blanket of warmth.
QiLeren found himself momentarily disorientated. Where were
they? What happened to the shelter? He looked around; the
buildings and scenery were clearly not of the real world but
rather similar to that of the industrial revolution, unpolished
works of intertwined timber and metal looming over its
inhabitants. All around them was the magnificent presence of
steampunk technology – windmills, engines, exposed gears,
seaplanes. When QiLeren looked up at a shadow that befell
him, a colossal metal airship greeted him with its unique
rumble as it sailed overhead.
It was…familiar. QiLeren stared into the horizon, suddenly at a
loss for words.
Eventually, Su He stepped forward. Illuminated by the sunset
behind him, he flashed the trio a comfortable smile. ―Welcome
to Eventide Village.‖
Eventide. It was as if someone had struck QiLeren in the chest,
giving him pain, giving him terror.
Advertisement
―It is one of the two major strongholds of humanity in the
Nightmare World, named Eventide after its eternal sunset.‖ Su
He‘s voice was feathery light, dancing upon the salty sea
breeze.
Dr Lu retreated half a step back. ―Who are you? Why do you
know this?‖
Su He‘s eyes shone with humour as he looked into Qi Leren‘s
unfocused ones.
―I’ll…tell you a little secret of mine when we leave this place.‖
That‘s right. He‘d said that, hadn‘t he?
Now QiLeren knew.
―Please allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Su
He, a player in this game just like you, only I entered quite a bit
earlier. Less than a day ago I received an urgent quest to
investigate the abnormally high death rate in a certain tutorial
village – I suppose the system may have suspected that it was
the fault of a bug. I quickly found out after arriving that it was in
fact another player who was causing the deaths, which was
unfortunately out of the system‘s jurisdiction.‖
Xue Yingying‘s jaw was seconds away from dropping to the
ground.
Silhouette softened by the sunset, Su He continued. ―Due to
the special condition of the quest, I was to leave the tutorial
village as soon as the investigation was completed. My original
plan was to fall off the roof and fake my death so as to conceal
my identity – a requirement of the quest along with being
unable to provide assistance – but QiLeren truly surprised me.‖
Su He shifted his gaze onto Qi Leren‘s face, which was tinged
red by the lighting. The soft affection and slight amusement
proved to be too much, forcing QiLeren to turn away. ―I didn‘t
expect him to risk his life for mine, even if it was just a moment
of impulse – for that, I owe you my gratitude. It was this
sincerity that convinced me to stay and guide you through the
tutorial village.‖
―But you did help us,‖ XueYingying mumbled quietly.
―Well, you‘ll find that the system is quite inflexible sometimes.
Its definition of help did not extend to this type of help.‖ Here,
he tapped his temple.
―So that’s why you were even more of a dead weight than me
with fighting!‖ Dr Lu blurted, suddenly enlightened. ―So that
stuff you said about not having any skill cards…?‖
―I apologise for lying to you about that. I couldn‘t use any of
them, but I do indeed have many skill cards. However, if I
revealed this then I would‘ve been forced to use them at some
point, which would violate the quest conditions. Again, I‘m very
sorry.‖
Xue Yingying refused to accept Su He‘s apology. ―Please don‘t
be sorry!‖ she exclaimed, hands floundering. ―It‘s us who have
to be apologise for being so useless – without you we‘d all be
dead!‖
QiLeren was still lost in his own thoughts. He hadn‘t believed
Su He at the time, but he was a ―programmer‖ indeed.
Something occurred to him.
The three goldfish were representing him, Dr Lu and
XueYingying. As for Su He, he was the one who ―did not exist‖.
So that‘s why, QiLeren thought mutely. That‘s why.
With all their secrets out in the open, the atmosphere between
them reverted back to the relaxed air it always had been. Dr Lu
leaned forward from his position on a half-metre deep dam,
whipping his head back and forth to drink in the view. ―This
place looks like something out of a fantasy novel! Is this the
second instance dungeon?‖ He paused, then corrected
himself. ―No, wait, the system hasn‘t given us any new
notifications yet, has it? I got ten days of lifespan though.
What‘s that?‖
Having never played «The Nightmare Games», Dr Lu‘s
confusion at Eventide was to be expected. The oppressive
feeling from earlier came flooding back; this land of eternal
sunset was one of the last remaining strongholds humanity
possessed in this world. Taking a single step outside its
protection would land one in demon territory, where humans
lived as prey in days without hope nor refuge. Qi Leren had
spawned in Eventide at the start of his playthrough, only
discovering the main quest after too many sidequests. The
experience, unfortunately, ended shortly after with the bad
ending and subsequent death of his laptop while trying to load
a save.
From the looks of it, he was the only one who had any
knowledge of the game.
―We call this place the Nightmare World. Technically speaking,
this isn‘t an instance but rather the overworld. Quests you
receive can vary in location with both the overworld and
instances, type, difficulty…‖ Su He shook his head. ―There are
too many to talk about here. Shall I take you to the player hub?
It‘s on the island just ahead of us. I‘d like to treat you all to a
meal if it isn‘t too much to ask for – think of it as an apology for
my dishonesty.‖
At the mention of food, Dr Lu‘s eyes lit up. XueYingying
likewise gulped, stomach growling. QiLeren couldn‘t find any
reason to turn the offer down, settling for an abashed ―You‘re
too generous.‖
Su He‘s captivating smile drew the attention of two people
hurrying past. One of them – a young girl – murmured quietly
to her companion. ―Are those newbies? Should we go be ―tour
guides‖?‖
―No, the ship is leaving soon,‖ the older woman replied, though
her gaze lingered on them for a few seconds longer. Her
precise features betrayed no emotions, considering the group
before her as a merchant would their goods before giving a
negative conclusion.
The girl was evidently displeased with this answer, turning
back to give Su He a friendly smile before being tugged away
by what seemed to be her sister.
―Tour guide?‖ Dr. Lu asked Su He.
―Some players may offer to explain some things to new
players, though most of them tend to charge for the service,‖
Su He explained.
―Charge? I think I might have a bit of cash on me, does this
place take card?‖ XueYingying patted her pockets and pulled
out a few notes she had prepared for the abortion.
Su He chuckled. ―The currency we use here isn‘t money, nor is
it precious metals.‖
―What do you use then?‖ XueYingying asked, curious.
―Here,‖ he answered, giving them a deep look, ―we trade with
our lifespans.‖
 Chapter 25: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (II)

The airship drew away from the seaport in all its metal-
enclosed glory, beginning its journey over the waters with the
gradual steadiness of vessels of old. Archaic round windows
allowed its new inhabitants a glimpse of the heavens outside
and the rolling clouds that, emblazoned with the fires of dying
stars, tumbled into the waves they rode upon.
The sharp scent of gasoline and food wafted through the air. It
wasn‘t a pleasant smell exactly, but the hustle of people
around them gave QiLeren a peculiar sense of vitality; they
weren‘t NPCs but living, breathing humans just like them.
He put aside his curiosity for the moment and quietly observed
his fellow passengers. Most of them were young adults with
few older and even fewer younger, more or less evenly split
between male and female. They all seemed accustomed to life
within this game, some conversing mildly with companions of
recent spoils and incessant pleasantries while others sat alone
in the belly of the ship and stared bleakly into the sunset with
unseeing eyes.
They were at the peak of their youth, yet moved with the air of
dead men walking.
Were their lifespans running low? QiLeren felt his chest tighten
at his own hypothesis – he himself only had a mere ten days.

―Lifespans?‖
Following Su He‘s words, a horrified reutterance tumbled
unbidden from Dr. Lu‘s mouth.
Su He cast his gaze out to the unending ocean, features aglow
from the brilliant passion of a midnight sun. ―Yes,‖ he said,
―lifespans. Every player is gifted with ten days upon clearing
the tutorial village and it is in these ten days that you must gain
more or meet your death. Without lifespans, everything is
meaningless. Money, too, is worthless here.
―Perhaps time is just an arbitrary concept to those outside,
something granted to them in abundance. Most pay very little
mind to the value of their day and allow it to pass them by
without a second thought. Here, time is the measure of life, the
most precious resource of all.‖
Su He‘s voice was soft, but the steely glint of its implication
was clear. QiLeren thought back to his aimless days spent
lounging around, playing video games and accepting the
occasional design work as a freelancer to maintain an income;
the distant future was not something that had even crossed his
mind, but now with only ten days left on his clock…what he
wouldn‘t give to rewind all the time he wasted! In his hands
was a mere whisper of what he had, but he…
He wanted to live.

Su He returned with some bread and water and passed them

out. ―Some items from instances can‘t be brought into the
overworld, which includes food. Here‘s something small to tide
you over until we arrive.‖ He smiled at the sight of his
companions wolfing it down.
Under his composed gaze, XueYingying felt her cheeks colour.
―Wh… What about you? Do you want some?‖ she stuttered
around a mouthful of bread.
―It‘s fine, I can wait until we arrive,‖ Su He replied mildly. ―You
should save yourselves for the proper meal we‘re going to
have as well.‖
QiLeren personally thought that it was more because the food
was comparable to mouldy bread. Su He seemed like
someone with rather expensive tastes.
A passing passenger‘s cape brushed against Qi Leren‘s cup.
As he reached out to steady it, QiLeren caught a glimpse out
the corner of his eye as the man, whose cape was wrapped so
tightly that his silhouette was almost shapeless, stopped by the
corner of the room in conversation with another person.
There was a patch over his right eye, most likely blind from an
injury, while his companion‘s prosthetic leg gleamed with
reflected light.
QiLeren felt a peculiar precognition.
These two were fugitives.
Almost as if a trigger had been flipped, the one with the
prosthetic leg swung a heavy kick into the cabin door before
slapping a piece of paper onto it, sending the quietened room a
menacing smile as he placed a hand on his companion‘s
shoulder. Eyepatch slowly pushed his cape aside, revealing
the rows upon rows of explosives strapped to his body and a
detonator clutched in his hand.
QiLeren stared in apprehension. Robbers?!
―You see, me and my buddy here, we‘re not doing so good,‖
Prosthetic Leg rasped, voice stained with the colour of giddy
mania. ―Upsetting some folks we probably shouldn‘t have with
my missing leg and his missing eye, our days are running real
low – but guess what? We‘ve decided that we‘re not gonna die
just yet. We‘re not asking for much, just ten days from
everyone on this ship. If you‘ll all just sign your name on this
contract here, we guarantee you‘ll live to see tomorrow. If
not…‖ Prosthetic Leg patted Eyepatch‘s hand. ―I guess we can
all die together!‖
The cabin was deathly silent. Eventually, a young man stood
and spoke up. ―I need to have a look at the contract.‖
―It‘s right here on the wall, buddy. Sign your name, let us tie
your hands together, go stand in that corner over there and
we‘ll let you go when the ship arrives,‖ Prosthetic Leg drawled
easily.
The young man raised his hand in surrender and approached
the contract under the robbers‘ cautious gazes. ―By signing the
contract below, Party A (signee) hereby agrees to provide
Party B with 10 days of lifespan in consideration for the benefit
of arriving safely on land,‖ he read aloud. ―Party B is not to
harm any persons undergone the transaction…this kind of
contract would never have been approved! This‘ll be ruled as
fraud in no time and the only thing waiting for you then is
death!‖
Prosthetic Leg burst into laughter. ―This isn‘t some run-of-the-
mill contract, kid, what do you take me for? No, this is a
demon‘s contract – I signed an agreement with Archduke
Demon of Deceit so it‘d be binding regardless of the
legitimacy!‖
The young man‘s frown deepened. ―You…surrendered yourself
to a demon…‖
―I‘d sell my soul in a heartbeat if it‘d buy me another day to live!
Fortunately for you, I‘m not asking for your souls but a mere
ten days. Great deal, isn‘t it? Are you sure you want to risk
your life for ten days?‖ Prosthetic Leg placed a pen down
before the young man. ―Sign it.‖
The man signed crisply despite his dark expression before
allowing his wrists to be bound and was ushered to the
designated corner.
―Hurry up, who‘s next?‖
QiLeren, Dr Lu and XueYingying shared a look of panic. Ten
days may not be much for the veterans on the ship but to them
it was all they had – handing it over would mean certain death!
―Excuse me, I have a question.‖ It was the woman from the
harbour, sitting one table away. ―What should we do if we don‘t
have enough days to give?‖
Prosthetic Leg sent her a poisonous look. ―Then you can go
die.‖
The woman chuckled placatingly. ―Don‘t worry, I myself have
more than enough. The same can‘t be said for everyone on the
boat, however; will you allow me to pay for them?‖
The poison subsided, but Prosthetic Leg‘s tone was still cold.
―That‘s fine.‖
Smiling like a cat that got the cream, the woman turned to Qi
Leren‘s table. ―Pay me back three times the amount within a
month, deal?‖ she asked in a low voice.
QiLeren felt like he was dreaming. Was this person seriously
doing business in this kind of situation…?
Beside him, Su He let out a longsuffering sigh.
―Businesswoman Chen Baiqi, you never miss any opportunity
to make money, do you?‖
―I‘m honoured that you know my name, handsome. I have to
apologise for not being able to return the favour, which is weird
because a face like yours would surely stand out in my
memory,‖ Chen Baiqi mused, raising an eyebrow. Her warm
demeanor was a complete one-eighty from their chilly
encounter on the harbour, where she spared not a second
glance at Su He and looked at him as one‘s look at a piece of
rock on the sidewalk.
―I must say I don‘t find myself visiting Eventide very much,‖ Su
He replied lightly. ―Compared to the eternal sunset here, the
scenery of daybreak is much more suited to my tastes.‖
―You settled in Aurora Village?‖ Chen Baiqi said, taken aback.
―No wonder… I was a bit rude earlier, sorry about that.‖ At this,
she pulled away with her the girl she had been silencing with
sharp looks for the past few minutes to sign the contract,
retreating to the corner with not a further word about lending
lifespans.
Aurora? From what little he could remember, QiLeren recalled
that it was the other major stronghold for humanity whose
standards of living were vastly higher than those of Eventide.
To think that Su He lived there…
During their short chat, most of the passengers had already
lined up and signed their names. Some were clearly hesitant
but ultimately decided that ten days was not worth the risk –
the robbers had clearly decided on an ideal number.
Su He turned so that his back faced the robbers and leaned in.
―Don‘t worry,‖ he whispered, ―those two won‘t be a problem for
much longer.‖
 Chapter 26: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (III)

With the increase of passengers onto one side of the ship, so

did the amount of signatures on the contract. The fugitives‘
eyes contained an glint of joyous greed; there were at least
sixty or seventy passengers on the boat, netting them an entire
year‘s worth of lifespan each after all was said and done. This
would undoubtedly be a huge income for most players, much
less two fugitives on the verge of death.
SuHe stood, shooting his companions a comforting smile
before approaching the fugitives and picking up the pen. ―I‘d
like to cover the fees for my three friends. Would amending
clauses be needed for it to take effect?‖
One of them glared, irritated but unwilling to part with the
lifespan he was about to receive. ―Go sit back down,‖ he
snarled. ―I need to think about this.‖
QiLeren, Dr Lu and XueYingying watched the scene with
trepidation, but SuHe calmly returned to their table.
―What‘s gonna happen now?‖ Dr Lu whispered to SuHe,
staring restlessly at the two figures by the contract. ―They‘re
not gonna kidnap us or anything, right?‖
A corner of SuHe‘s lips drew up sharply into a cold, mocking
smile. ―Don‘t worry, they‘re here already.‖
QiLeren reached for his cup, feeling thirsty, and as he did so
something flashed across his peripheral vision that very nearly
made him fall out of his chair – there was a person hanging
outside the window! The airship wasn‘t quite as fast as a plane,
but why would there be someone clinging onto the outside of a
vehicle so far from the ground?!
The figure seemed to be surveying the situation inside and
disappeared in a blink. QiLeren stared blankly at the window
as if the person would come back if he kept his gaze there.
―They‘re here.‖ SuHe leaned into his chair with crossed arms,
eyes half-lowered and content to just sit back and watch the
scene unfold.
His three companions turned their attention to the fugitives to
see a young, uniformed man phase through the airtight walls
and into the ship without a single sound. The room was deathly
silent aside from the fugitives‘ ceaseless hustling, ignorant to
the figure behind them.
At this, the passengers of the ship displayed a unity that before
this was unthinkable to QiLeren. Not a single person gave any
outward reaction to this new development, not a single whisper
nor change in expression, all minding their own business and
wordlessly waiting for the fugitives‘ inevitable capture.
The young man swung the metal pole gripped in his hand and
downed Eyepatch without fanfare. When Prosthetic Leg turned
around suspiciously at the noise, all he saw was the
unforgiving glint of approaching metal before likewise dropping
unconscious beside his friend.
A total of no more than three minutes elapsed between the
young man‘s first appearance and the incapacitation of both
fugitives; there was not a wasted motion nor any tension.
Perhaps one could even describe the whole process as being
somewhat anticlimactic, but QiLeren personally thought that
this was the way things should be – simple, efficient and
effortless. The idea of rescue workers engaged in a drawn-out
cinema-worthy showdown with the fugitives, in which the
bombs may or may not be seconds away from being detonated
for extra points, could not be less appealing.
The uniformed young man looked down at the hand under his
boot before shifting focus, tilting his head at the detonator on
the ground.
―I‘ll defuse it.‖ Emerging from the crowd was a smiling
ChenBaiqi, whose hands had somehow been freed from its
bindings. ―Since it‘s for my own safety, I won‘t ask for
payment.‖
The young man gave her a steely look and retracted his foot.
ChenBaiqi didn‘t disappoint, making short work of the
detonator and stripping off the explosives, which she threw to
the young man. ―I suggest throwing these outside. If they go off
accidently because of shoddy workmanship…‖ She chuckled
dryly.
―This is material evidence.‖ As if a switch had been flipped, the
young man started speaking, though his expression remained
cold. ―Two pieces of scum with not even a card on their body.
Probably sold them all long ago, hence why they turned to
robbery. Can someone give me a rundown of what happened
here?‖
―I can do it!‖ the little girl who came with ChenBaiqi
volunteered.
The young man made notes on a notebook as she recounted
the events, raising questions where needed. ―How many
people signed this contract?‖
―Everyone standing on this side,‖ ChenBaiqi answered,
pointing.
The young man tore down the contract and fell silent as he
read the terms. ―This…this is a demon‘s contract?‖
―Yes, Mr Al,‖ the little girl replied softly. ―The robber said that
it‘ll be effective as soon as we sign. I got a notification saying
that ten days were deducted.‖
Al gave the fugitives on the ground a disgusted sneer. ―The
institution will get it out of them.‖
A few minutes later saw the contract put away and the two
fugitives snugly tied up in the corner. The young man named Al
slouched contently in his chair, arms crossed as he spoke to
ChenBaiqi. QiLeren could hear them clearly due to how close
they sat, but the two made no moves to conceal their
conversation.
―That‘s not the weapon I remember you using,‖ ChenBaiqi
commented at the metal pipe now discarded on the table.
―I ripped it off the side of the ship. It‘s enough against two
pieces of trash,‖ Al replied leisurely. He looked at QiLeren.
Qi Leren‘s heart skipped a beat. This man, who was most
definitely the same person who he saw earlier hanging by the
window, was no ordinary passer-by.
―Who are you?‖ Al asked. The person he addressed was, of
course, not QiLeren but SuHe.
―Friends,‖ ChenBaiqi introduced with a smile. ―One from Aurora
and three fresh out of the tutorial.‖
Al‘s eyes held a blatant display of armour-piercing scrutiny, as
if he was going to peel SuHe‘s defences apart, layer by layer,
until the very components of SuHe‘s soul were bared for him to
examine.
―Would it be correct for me to assume that Mr Al is an officer of
the Tribunal Institute? I‘ve heard much about the renowned
institution, but your efficiency today was truly impressive.‖
SuHe smiled, but didn‘t offer up his name.
…Which was just as well since Al didn‘t seem very interested
in knowing, seemingly losing interest in this stranger
immediately after learning their origins. It was as if he was a
beast in the wild, running into one of his own kind and unwilling
to expend even a single drop of additional effort after
confirming that the other was not a threat.
―There‘s been an influx of diabolical followers recently,‖
ChenBaiqi brought up offhandedly.
Al‘s eyes closed as he dozed in the chair. His voice held the
delirious air of sleep talking. ―Weaklings will always choose to
betray, and those who betray will be judged at trial for their
crimes. They have committed unforgivable sins that can only
be washed away with death.‖
The little girl sitting by ChenBaiqi sneaked glances at SuHe,
evidently wanting to talk but held back from doing so every
time by ChenBaiqi‘s warning looks.
The ship around them had fallen silent, previous chatter
dropping into hushed conversations to out of consideration for
Al. The young man looked as though he was asleep already,
but QiLeren knew he‘d be ready for combat in a split second at
the faintest suggestion of disturbance.
He was most likely a highly experienced player, QiLeren
thought. To think that a veteran would be so frightening –
suddenly appearing on an airship sailing high in the sky,
having the ability to soundlessly phase through walls and
knocking down someone with a single hit…not to mention the
fact that, from Chen Baiqi‘s remark, this metal pole was
apparently not his normal weapon. Even this clear underplay of
Al‘s abilities was enough to render QiLeren speechless.
Would he become that powerful as well? Qi Leren brought a
hand to the card slots on his belt and thought of the fugitives‘
lunacy, the desperation of men with nothing left to lose and
everything to gain, bringing with it a sympathetic bitterness. If
he couldn‘t become stronger then the only road left for him was
to die here.
Ahead of him, the road to survival seemed endless.
 Chapter 27: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (IV)

Passengers filtered out of the airship upon landing, leaving

the unconscious bodies of the fugitives for several similarly
uniformed people to collect. ChenBaiqi shot the four an
amicable smile before joining the flow with what seemed to be
her little sister.
―This place is called Nightfall Island, the central player district
of Eventide. I suppose I‘m getting a little nostalgic – it‘s been
quite a while since I‘ve come here…‖ SuHe‘s voice was as soft
and mellow as the island before them, bathed in sunset.
QiLeren stood at the hatchway and followed his gaze. Under
the honeyed glow of the sun, a lone island stood, an
untouched sanctum in the vast ocean that surrounded it,
magnificent yet intimidating in a way that made people hesitate
to approach. He had heard about this island in passing from
NPCs but never had the chance to visit.
If only he had taken the game more seriously…
Dr Lu‘s head popped over Qi Leren‘s shoulder. ―Move over,
giants, cute gnomes coming through!‖
―Yeah guys, have some consideration for us short ones,‖
XueYingying agreed.
QiLeren and SuHe were herded to one side and forced hug the
metal handrails as they disembarked within with the stream of
passengers.
―This aesthetic should be called steampunk, right?‖ QiLeren
pointed up towards the airship. ―It‘s kind of unbelievable how
that looks identical to normal ships that sail on water but could
just…fly.‖
―This is nothing compared to a lot of the things you‘ll see here
in the future,‖ SuHe replied with faint amusement.
The four passed through a narrow alleyway and made their
way to a metal bridge. The sight of highly mechanical yet
somewhat run-down buildings surrounded them, transforming
their world into what could be an industrial revolution era
factory district littered with wide pipes that unloaded wafting
clouds of steam.
―This restaurant‘s been here since I first came to Eventide and
is quite famous in this region. I was actually worrying about
what I‘d do if the owner was no longer here,‖ SuHe introduced.
The important information didn‘t escape Dr Lu. ―The owner‘s a
player as well?‖
SuHe nodded. ―Some players choose to earn their lifespan
through methods other than quests. ChenBaiqi and Al for
example both have alternate sources of income, but the
monthly compulsory quest can‘t be circumvented.‖ The three
nodded vaguely in response before following SuHe into the
unremarkable restaurant.
If QiLeren was being honest with himself, the store itself was
less than glamourous; actually, it‘d be a miracle if it passed any
food safety inspections at all. The dim lighting did nothing to
disguise the mottled stains on its walls and flooring, which,
combined with the faint but constant smell of gasoline, made
the presence of food somewhat unwelcome. That was not to
say that the smell was solely localised here; the entire walk
reeked sharply of engine oil, so much so that QiLeren was
ready to give himself the wild diagnosis of anosmia from the
growing numbness in his nose.
The four picked and entered a private booth that allowed for
quiet conversation. XueYingying carefully positioned herself
onto a patch of the sofa that looked adequately clean as Dr Lu
likewise showed much disdain for the poor hygiene and was
forced to overcome his occupational germaphobia. QiLeren, on
the other hand, had no such hesitation and leaned back as he
read the weirdly sticky menu. ―This place is all western food?‖
The dubious food items on it didn‘t seem terribly appetising
considering his general apathy towards the cuisine.
SuHe didn‘t take offence. ―There are places for Chinese as
well. Perhaps next time.‖

The wait for their food to arrive provided an excellent

opportunity for the three newcomers to raise their burning
questions – with the first being, of course, the way to return to
the real world.
Under the expectant gazes of three pairs of eyes, SuHe let out
a light sigh. ―What a question to start with. I‘m afraid I can‘t
answer that – nor can anyone else here, for that matter.‖
―Will we go back if we die here?‖ XueYingying asked with no
shortage of hope.
―You can attempt doing so if you happen to have the courage,‖
SuHe replied mildly. ―Unfortunately, nobody living here will
know of the outcome.‖
―I wouldn‘t think so.‖ Dr Lu‘s refute was unwavering. ―If that
really were the case, those two fugitives wouldn‘t have risked
so much for their lifespans.‖
SuHe nodded. ―The general consensus among players is that
death is just death, which erases you from both the real world
and the one we‘re currently in. It‘s been said that the key to
returning lies at the end of the main quest.‖
The end? What constitutes as the end? A thousand
possibilities flashed through Qi Leren‘s mind; the game did
indeed have a main quest, but he died far too early to make
sense of it all.
―You‘ll need to understand the history of this world to
understand the main quest,‖ SuHe patiently explained. ―The
beginning of the Nightmare World occurred about twenty years
ago. According to the evidence players have uncovered so far,
the earliest batch of players arrived twenty-two years ago –
these people have since disappeared and are most likely dead.
To the world itself, this was when the most significant changes
started to take place.‖ Warmth from the glowing red sunset
filtered through the smudged glass window and into their dimly-
lit room, mellowing SuHe‘s features to match his gentle tone.
―Twenty years ago on a day of eclipse, the Archduke Demon
crossed into the mortal realm through the sacrifices of his
worshippers and overtook the Holy City, which had up until
then been the seal that kept the demonic realm at bay. He led
a legion of demons to slaughter and enslave a devastating
number of humans before returning and leaving behind armies
of followers and an endless flow of sacrifices. The world he left
behind was one of chaos, still bleeding freely from its wounds
with what little faith it once possessed having crumbled to its
foundations.
―From then on, a fracture divided the people into two. The first
faction simply gave up on resistance, preferring to accept the
sign of apocalypse for what it was – divine punishment for their
sins. These people followed the church to Neverland, where
they rebuilt their homes. The other faction was determined to
fight until the end. They endeavoured to preserve the human
civilisation in the years following the invasion, establishing
places like Eventide and Aurora. These villages are located at
the two ends of the mortal realm, separated by immeasurable
distance. Due to reasons unknown, Aurora is in a constant
state of sunrise just as Eventide remains static in its eternal
sunset. Civilians settled down in the villages and restarted their
lives, though those with wisdom in their minds foresaw a
second rising of demonic power.
―They were, unfortunately, proven right. Three years ago, the
demonic race once again set foot into the mortal realm.‖
―Again?‖ XueYingying muttered, sounding disgusted.
Su He chuckled. ―Yes. But this time, the one leading them was
not the Archduke Demon from twenty years ago. Three new
demons had risen to take his place, representing power,
bloodlust and deceit. Under their leadership, the mortal realm
was once again plunged into a war that would see many new
followers for the demonic race, leaving only Eventide and
Aurora as some of the last remaining shreds of peace in this
ravaged land due to their special construction that proved to be
difficult to breach. Humans outside of these strongholds
currently live in what could be said as an abyss of suffering
and misery, some converting to the worship of demons and
others doing anything they can to live just one more day.‖
The more Su He said, the more alarmed Qi Leren became; this
familiar story was identical to the background of «The
Nightmare Games»!
―And I suppose this background story has something do with
us players,‖ Dr Lu said after a moment of thought. ―Is there a
main quest that requires us to aid the humans in defeating the
demons?‖
―That is a rather difficult question to answer,‖ Su He answered
vaguely. ―The current demon invasion has not yet ended.
Though most of them have returned to their own realm, the
passageway remains open for demons to come and go as they
please, not to mention the vast numbers of lesser demons that
still remain outside. Defeating even those is quite a feat for any
player, much less the archdukes.‖
The three newcomers were understandably left dejected by the
information, though the hurdle of simply surviving at their skill
level was enough to stave off thoughts of the more distant
future.
As the waiter arrived with their food, Su He glanced quizzically
at the lamb placed before him. ―Did you change chefs?‖
The waiter blinked. ―Which chef might you be referring to? I‘m
afraid I haven‘t been here for very long but we‘ve had about
eight chefs in the last three years.‖
Su He stared at him, a rare sliver of bewilderment visible in his
deep eyes, before politely thanking the waiter. ―Looks like I
can‘t treat you to the lamb I‘ve been thinking about for three
years after all,‖ he lamented to his companions, knife and fork
in hand. ―What a shame, I really was fond of the flavour…‖ Su
He‘s sombre words danced across the air before dissolving
into the roar of a passing engine that disrupted the silent
twilight around them.
Their life in this strange, fascinating world of nightmares had
officially begun.
 Chapter 28: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (V)

The meal its last threads of conversation were finally brought

to a close as the time neared nineteen o‘clock. Eventide‘s
perpetual sunset made it quite hard to tell the time, making the
distant chiming of a clock and Su He‘s pocket watch their only
source of such information.
―I‘ll take you to the marketplace first,‖ Su He told them as he
paid for the meal. ―You won‘t be able to afford any of the cards
or items they offer, but you can apply for an empty house to
stay in. After that we can drop by the quest hub so I can show
you how to take quests and the rest will be up to yourselves.‖
―You‘re leaving?‖ XueYingying grew uneasy at the implication
in his words. Qi Leren watched Su He with apprehensive eyes.
―I need to return to Aurora soon, but you can‘t go there yet. It‘s
mostly NPCs living in the village right now since to unlocking it
requires the completion of a chain of quests.‖ Su He stepped
outside the restaurant and into the gentle shower of twilight
with the three newcomers in tow. Nightfall Island around them
was illuminated in a dreamlike haze, as if even the most
fantastical of fantasies had their place here. ―I‘ll be staying here
for a day or two before I leave. I hope to see you in Aurora one
day – I believe in you.‖
The sunset pulled at Su He‘s shadow, leaving behind a
silhouette that would stay in Qi Leren‘s mind until the end of
time.
The trio settled in at Eventide with Su He‘s help. Their
allocated homes were spread out across Nightfall Island, but
the island itself was small enough to travel across with ease.
Qi Leren was the last to be bid goodnight by a good-natured
Su He, who had walked him to his home as it was located near
Su He‘s accommodation on the west coast. He stared at the
house that strangely reminded him of Hobbiton, hesitating –
and unlocked the door to his new home.
Judging by the complete mess inside, the previous owner was
evidently not one for order. QiLeren firmly reminded himself
that defamation of the dead was a rude thing to do before
sluggishly setting about to tidy up the bedroom.
The flower on the windowsill was long dead. A thick layer of
dust had settled over the bed. When QiLeren rolled up the
bedding to throw into the floor and promptly burst into a fit of
coughing, he discovered that the thick layer of dust in fact
covered the entirety of the room.
He managed to uncover a reasonably clean bedspread from
the closet, though his sleep-addled brain could not care less at
that moment. Nearing almost twenty-four hours of
wakefulness, QiLeren threw himself into the shortest shower
he could manage before collapsing onto the bed.
He was out almost immediately, falling into an oblivion so deep
that not even dreams could reach.
QiLeren woke a warm sunset and confusion. He blinked; this
wasn‘t his apartment.
Oh, right.
He was in another world. A world where danger lurked around
every corner, where every second spent was a second burned
off his life. He aimed a cursory gaze at his remaining lifespan –
nine days, seven hours and twenty-eight minutes.
Well, that was his good mood gone. QiLeren ran a hand
through his hair as he reluctantly pushed himself up and
reflected upon his situation.
Despite their inability to afford any cards, the staff member at
the Trading Centre had informed them of the room allocation
system with amicable professionalism. Places of permanent
accommodation on Eventide operated on a lottery system;
every newcomer was to be granted a place to stay until their
death, where their home would be given to another newcomer.
Any special requirements for accommodation can be acquired
through trading and other means of exchange.
In fact, it wasn‘t restricted to houses; food, weapons, skill
cards, item cards and the like were all able to be traded
between players. Trading itself, however, was an activity that
was strictly monitored for justice. Robbery under the guise of
‗trading‘ was not tolerated and will be met with both
punishment for the offending party and reversal of the contract.
The meal with Su He came to mind. The currency he used to
pay was not money but time – a total of six hours and
seventeen minutes to be paid upon signature, from what
QiLeren could recall. The restaurant was a legal business, so
the transaction was established as soon as Su He pen left the
paper.
On the opposite end of the spectrum were the fugitives on the
airship. Using a ‗contract‘ to trade for others‘ lifespans was a
transaction that never should‘ve been established, but they
achieved it anyway through demonic power. To illegally obtain
lifespans of other people in such a way was undoubtedly
dangerous.
QiLeren dug through the mess to find an old notebook from the
previous owner and seated himself on the bed as he recorded
what he could remember of the game‘s plot.
The background lore was more or less the same as Su He‘s
explanation. He had found what seemed like the main quest
during his playthrough, which led him to the Holy City and
triggered his first and final bad ending. He had, however,
undertaken a number of sidequests before then. If this world
was the same as that of the game, then maybe the sidequests
would be as well.
It was only yesterday that Su He had told them of the two types
of quests: quests concerning the nightmare world and quests
that take place in instance dungeons. The first type had the
ability to change the course of the world itself – rumour has it
that the second demon invasion three years ago contained the
handiwork of players.
For QiLeren though, such matters were only faraway concepts.
His primary goal for now was to take as easy of a quest as he
could get for bit more lifespan. Only then could he afford the
luxury of mulling over returning home.
Having finished recording what he could, QiLeren put away the
pen and paper and lied back pensively.
Why had they been chosen for this game? Was there a criteria
that everyone had to meet to be chosen in the first place?
When they asked Su He about this the night before, Qi Leren
felt a twinge of guilt; what if it was because he‘d played the
game and everyone else, including those who died, was simply
wrapped up in it all?

―Another difficult question,‖ Su He had sighed with a shake of

his head. ―I don’t believe anyone truly understands why they
were chosen. If I were to take a guess from the player
demographics though, most of the players are promising young
adults with a high tolerance for stressful conditions who’ve
arrived in waves; which is to say that at a certain point in time,
a certain location will become a tutorial village – in your case,
the hospital – and a portion of the people within that location
will be chosen to enter the corresponding tutorial village. These
people have now become the newest wave of players to enter
this world. It seems so far that places dense in population like
schools, hospitals, stations and malls are especially likely to
spawn such instances.‖
―And what of our bodies? Did they come with us inside the
game or get left behind outside? Are we made up of lines of
code right now?‖ As a doctor, Dr Lu was much more interested
in this.

Su He shook his head again. ―I’m afraid I can’t answer that

question either. There are many skills in that defy logic –
turning reality inside out, rising from death – that I trust you’ll
form your own thoughts on when you witness them in the
future. And as to whether it’s real, I will ask you this: to mortals
who are struggling to live another day – does it truly matter?‖

The discussion with Su He had opened the newcomers‘ eyes

to the reality around them, to the overwhelming pressure that
followed them as they walked, never to be escaped from.
Qi Leren was still unsure of whether he was alone in having
played «The Nightmare Games», nor did he want to risk
finding out. Not even to Su He, whom he trusted, did he dare to
reveal even the slightest of hints.
Not to mention that Su He was leaving soon, anyway.
Despite their short acquaintance, Su He had truly left an
everlasting impression in Qi Leren‘s mind. His mystique, his
unwavering calm, his intelligence – they were just the icing on
the cake that was his immense power. For such a person to
remain and guide them in return for a single (unneeded) act
was already enough to drive QiLeren to the height of gratitude,
much less ask for anything else.
And anyway, Su He had said that they‘d meet again in the
future, had he not?
Maybe, just maybe, QiLeren will have grown to be as powerful
as him when the day comes.

QiLeren didn‘t spend much more time dwelling on the brief

introspection and pushed himself to clean his new home to an
acceptable standard. He wasn‘t particularly good at
housework, but years of living alone had honed his speed to a
fine point.
Surveying the now habitable quarters before him in
satisfaction, QiLeren felt his stomach rumble and headed to
the kitchen, which held some food left over from the previous
owner…
…all of which were mouldy to the point where QiLeren
suspected that simply looking at it could cause food poisoning.
Perhaps it was best to hunt for food elsewhere. He could drop
by the Quest Hub and have a look for a beginner quest while
he was at it, ideally something with good rewards.
The now familiar sight of a dazzling sunset greeted him as he
stepped outside and took a deep lungful of the salty, engine-oil
infused air. The machines around him hummed to the rhythm
of human civilisation, to the power of survival.
And him? He was going to survive!
The moment was somewhat ruined when his stomach gave a
grumble in protest. Maybe he should go get something to eat
first, QiLeren thought as he patted his stomach in resignation.
 Chapter 29: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (VI)

Under the twilight sky, QiLeren made his way through the
many roads and alleyways of Nightfall Island. Apparently all
the residents here were players apart from a small handful of
NPCs, unlike the player-to-NPC ratio of the rest of Eventide.
QiLeren felt his mouth water at the smell of food wafting along
the trunk road, and – was that braised meat he smelt?
No, he had to save money. With great pain he brought himself
to a food cart and purchased a large bowl of fried rice instead,
which he ate with a bowl of soup. Reenergised, he signed the
bill –
[20 minutes have been deducted from your account.
Remaining balance: 9d4h7m. All complaints and objections are
to be submitted to the Trading Centre.]
Qi Leren‘s eyebrow twitched. The imminent problem of survival
was a constant thorn in his side.
He should ask Dr Lu for his plans, QiLeren thought as he left
the trunk road and approached his friend‘s new house. Maybe
hanging around this lucky guy who mained support would give
him an extra life of sorts.
Rather than chance his (unimpressive) luck in the winding
alleyways of Nightfall Island, QiLeren opted to retrace the
steps of last night when he walked with Su He. At least he
wasn‘t too terrible with directions – actually, his memory was
pretty good with things like this. Once was generally enough to
commit the way to memory.
As QiLeren walked, the ringing of the clock tower at the heart
of the island once again reverberated through the apricot sky,
adding a tinge of melancholy to the unending sunset of
Eventide; a reminder that every minute, every second brought
them one step closer to death.
QiLeren sighed. There must‘ve been many, many people just
like him, with the same worries and woes. In this world that
toyed with the lives of its people with a childlike cruelty, they
too must have been left with no option but to struggle on,
lacking the courage to chance escape through death.
In the hazy dusk, a large black bird approached from afar and
landed itself on a fence by Qi Leren‘s side. The lighting was
somewhat dim but it was enough for QiLeren to realise that the
bird was perhaps not a seagull. It looked more like an eagle.
QiLeren frowned suspiciously. Did this place have eagles?
The bird raised its head in a sudden motion. ―Human,‖ it said,
voice profound, ―make a contract with me and become the
chosen hero of legend!‖
!?!?!?

QiLeren couldn‘t have masked his shock if he tried. This bird

could speak? Was it even a bird? Or did he stumble upon
some hidden sidequest?
He schooled his expression into something more composed
before carefully asking, ―What contract?‖ At the very least, he
couldn‘t let himself seem like some gullible idiot who fell for
scams so easily.
A pair of beady black eyes stared into his soul for what
seemed to be hours. Just as he thought the bird was going to
hold this staring contest with him until the world goes to ruin, it
let out an odd sound of laughter.
―Haha,‖ it chirped, ―I was lying.‖
Murder sounded good, QiLeren decided. Perhaps roast bird
was on the menu tonight.
Dark thoughts aside, he fished out the [Rations of Shallow
Affection] and threw a handful onto the ground. The rations
gave off a scent so alluring that even QiLeren, who was far
from hungry, felt the instinctual urge to lick some off the
ground.
Unlike QiLeren, the bird had no such qualms and immediately
dropped into a nosedive and squawked at QiLeren for more.
What was the deal with this bird? Was it a quest NPC or not?
He supposed he could give it another handful, but there were
only thirty in total and now that he used one…
Before he could reach a conclusion, the a shrill whistle tore
through the air and froze the bird in its tantrum. It flapped its
wings, pausing to cast QiLeren one last look before taking off
towards the sound. Maybe its owner was the NPC he heeded
to find. QiLeren quickly put away the rations and ran to catch
up.
The intricate alleyways soon proved to be too much, leaving
QiLeren to run around blindly, having lost sight of the bird long
ago. A little bit miffed, he rounded a corner and-
-skidded to a complete stop. The intense metallic smell of
blood greeted him, forcing him to stumble back as he took in
the familiar sight of corpses on crimson; there were at least
seven or eight bodies strewn across the floor, but not a single
one exhibited any sign of life. This was very clearly a murder
scene.
QiLeren hesitated. The culprit may very well be doubling back
at this very moment, so the best thing to do would be to turn
around and leave like nothing had happened.
But would fleeing do anything? whispered a nagging voice in
the back of his mind. This isn’t your world of peace and
sunshine. If fleeing truly granted people the chance to survive,
then why would anyone take the risk of hijacking an airship?
Oh, to the hell with it. No risk, no reward, and QiLeren had
ample experience with the former. He lingered at the alley until
it was clear that nobody was coming back before cutting off a
sleeve to cover his face and approaching the scene in careful
steps.
The seven bodies, QiLeren noticed, were clearly divided into
two groups. One group was of five men clad in indistinct
uniforms, all armed with weapons. Their fatal wounds were
clean and concise, clearly dealt by a skilled hand. The other
group was two young women no more than seventeen who
looked similar enough to be sisters. Neither were armed, their
bodies littered with wounds that seemed to have been inflicted
during bouts of struggling.
If QiLeren were to guess, the sisters were likely killed by the
five men, who in turn were killed by an unknown killer – whose
bloody footprints trailed into the alleyway before gradually
fading into nothing.
The men had nothing on them except some food and
weapons. Judging from their distinctly western features, they
were most likely NPCs. Massaging the pins and needles out of
his legs, QiLeren pushed himself from his crouch and made his
way over to the unfortunate sisters.
Something caught Qi Leren‘s eye; one of the girls sported what
looked to be a painted emblem on the back of her hand.
Leaning in for a better look, his hand unintentionally brushed
against the design.
Almost immediately, a flourish of colour bloomed on the back
of his hand like a flower in spring.
[Special quest: Witchcraft Sacrifice. Remaining time until quest
commencement: 7 days. Lifespan countdowns will be frozen
upon arrival until quest completion. Please ensure your arrival
at Makah Village prior to quest commencement as late arrivals
will be regarded as quest failure and induce a penalty of -100
days.]
So there was a quest! QiLeren slapped his right hand over the
emblem and frowned to himself. He didn‘t have time to loiter
around anymore. Where even was this Makah Village?
He searched the bodies of the sisters, this time with haste, only
to uncover nothing at all relating to the quest.
What?! How was this even possible? Not only did they not
carry any important items, they didn‘t even have food or water,
almost as if…
Someone else had searched their bodies already.
Qi Leren‘s expression darkened as he took in the other body,
the one without an emblem on her hand. What if the killer had
triggered the same sidequest? It‘d make sense for them to take
away everything on the bodies and any key items then,
wouldn‘t it?
The new revelation did absolutely nothing for Qi Leren‘s
situation; arguably, it made it worse. This was definitely not a
solo quest, but it probably wasn‘t a party quest either judging
by the lack of any mentions of such. He wouldn‘t go so far as
to rule out the presence of other players, though he doubted
they‘d be allies when the time came – perhaps a free-for-all?
QiLeren could feel the beginnings of a headache. Resigned, he
pushed himself to his feet and left the way he came, making
sure to scuff his footprints off the ground before doing so.
He should go find Su He. At the very least, he‘d know how to
get to the quest location.
Not long after Qi Leren‘s departure, another player stumbled
upon and reported the murder scene to the institution. If he had
remained there, he might‘ve recognised the squadron leader
as Al, the young man he‘d come across on the airship.
―All seven victims are NPCs, but the wounds differ between
them,‖ an officer reported to Al. ―The five male bodies suffer
knife lacerations, dealt by a user of combat knives in the dual-
wielding style judging from the angles. The wounds were
cleanly targeted to fatal areas and likely caused instantaneous
death. No potential murder weapons were found. The female
bodies both suffer multiple lacerations, all of which were
successfully matched to weapons found in the possession of
the male bodies. Aside from the one who reported the crime,
there is evidence of two people who have visited this crime
scene. One left complete footprints and departed through the
alleyway while the other destroyed them before departing in
the opposite direction.‖
Al‘s paused before Qi Leren‘s footprints for a brief second
before turning away. Any details that may have been present
were severely smudged, leaving them with no way to
determine the suspect‘s height or posture.
―Are we to further the investigation?‖ asked the officer.
―Nah, the institution has better things to do than sort out
pointless NPC business,‖ Al replied lazily, though this image
was quickly broken by his next sentence. ―We‘ll just go ask the
culprit.‖
Another officer standing nearby did a double take. ―You know
who the culprit is?! The footprints still need to be matched and
we haven‘t even sent the bodies in for autopsies yet!‖
Al gave a dry chuckle in response and pointed at a puddle of
blood in the corner – or rather, the feathers stuck to it. ―We‘re
looking for someone who keeps a pet bird, wields double
knives and is skilled in combat,‖ he listed off in a sardonic
voice. ―You think you can find a second person on Nightfall
Island who meets those points? Who else would it possibly
be?‖
 Chapter 30: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (VII)

Due to the little accident along the way, QiLeren abandoned

his plan of visiting Dr. Lu altogether and quickly headed to Su
He‘s accommodation instead. When he arrived, QiLeren
realised that he shouldn‘t have worried after all; Dr. Lu was
also at Su He‘s place, proudly showing off the new item card
that he picked up off the road:
[Free WiFi]: A strange item that causes people to gravitate
towards it. As long as it works property, nobody will care
about where it comes from and easily overlook its owner
as they concentrate on their phones own business
instead. Should the holder move a certain distance away,
the people will follow. All surrounding NPCs and players
will be compelled to enjoy the holder’s company.
Remaining usage: 88 hours.
―So there I was, out on a walk, and I spot this bad boy lying in
the corner. I have no idea who left it there.‖ Dr. Lu gleefully
grabbed his card from Qi Leren‘s hands and slid it into a card
slot.
QiLeren subconsciously shuffled towards Dr Lu. Any choice
words he wanted to say evaporated in an instant, leaving him
to turn to Su He instead, who patiently listened as he
recounted his encounter in the alleyway.
After he finished, Su He took a moment to consider his words.
―This is clearly a quest that happens in the Nightmare World
itself. From the name, I‘d wager that it has something to do
with demonic worship.‖
―Huh? Demonic?!‖ Dr Lu quivered a bit and shot QiLeren a
look of pity.
Unfortunately, his words went unnoticed.
―Witchcraft sacrifice… It sounds very similar to offering
sacrifices to demons in exchange for power or protection.
Since you mentioned that others may have received the same
quest, then it‘s very likely for it to be one with multiple players
at the same time. Conflicts may arise between players, which
makes it…disadvantageous for a newcomer such as yourself.‖
QiLeren grimaced. ―I figured as much…but even if I can‘t win
by brute force, I still stand a chance as long as S/L isn‘t in
cooldown. Getting rid of that murderer gave me some
inspiration; if I catch my opponent off guard, I can probably
take them with me and then load a save.‖
Su He nodded appreciatively. ―I‘m glad you‘ve found a way to
creatively utilise your skill. Many people dismiss cards that
come into their possession as useless, when in reality it‘s
simply not been used to its full potential. Here‘s a suggestion:
to unlock the full potential of the law of S/L, consider obtaining
an skill card that predicts the future or enhances your intuition
to warn you of threats.
―There are two paths you can go down. One is, as you said, to
use kamikaze tactics. The other would be similar to Xue
Yingying‘s combat style, where you trade your vitality for bursts
of attack power. This would suit you very well as unlike other
people, you don‘t have to worry about the drawbacks. Item
drops from quests tend to be heavily dependent on RNG
though, so I would suggest saving up and trading for such
cards.‖
QiLeren dazedly digested the information. ―I…have never
thought of it that way.‖
―That‘s not all,‖ Su He said with a smile. ―I‘ve once heard of a
card that can revive another person at the cost of the holder‘s
life. It sounds quite amazing but was deemed to be lacking in
practicality and eventually sold for a very low price. If you could
pair such a card with your skill…‖
Dr Lu gasped. ―Oh my god, so your skill‘s
actually broken. You’re the one with the cheat codes all this
time!‖
No, Qi Leren thought, that‘s Su He.
―And in regards to the quest location, Makah Village,‖ Su He
continued, passing on his experience, ―I would suggest doing a
bit of research. You may find some clues that will save your
life.‖
―Where would I find the resources?‖ QiLeren asked, ever the
good student.
―Eventide has libraries that you can browse for a small fee.
Alternatively, you can seek out information brokers like Chen
Baiqi. One of the many things she deals in is intelligence.‖
―Does… Does she charge a lot…?‖ As a broke newcomer, this
was Qi Leren‘s primary concern.
Su He chuckled lightly. ―She prefers to deal long-term
businesses. If she likes what she sees, she‘ll be willing to give
you a loan for your potential.‖
―A loan?‖ muttered the long-forgotten Dr Lu. ―She‘s not scared
of people dying and leaving their loans unpaid?‖
―No, she‘ll get her money back from those who are alive.‖
―You finally noticed me! You‘ve been ignoring me for so long,‖
Dr Lu exclaimed. ―This WiFi card is pretty useful, huh.‖
Su He gave him a faint smile. ―It does indeed lower your
presence, but this degree of disguise will do nothing for those
with sharp senses.‖
Dr Lu drew the card out with a sigh. ―Well, it‘s better than
nothing I guess.‖
It was only after the card was removed that Dr. Lu‘s existence
became more solid in Qi Leren‘s eyes. It wasn‘t that he
couldn‘t see him per se, but rather that it was too easy to forget
that there was another person there.
―Come to think of it,‖ Su He mused suddenly, ―I don‘t believe
you‘ve told us of your real name.‖
It took QiLeren a beat to realise that Dr Lu wasn’t a real
name. He had completely overlooked this detail in the tutorial
village!
Dr Lu burst into nervous laughter. ―Names are…very
unimportant, wouldn‘t you agree? …Hahahahaha…haha…‖ He
waved a hand as if to dispel the question.
Qi Leren and Su He looked meaningfully at each other before
simultaneously turning to Dr Lu and burning into him with their
eyes.
The room was completely still for a second. Two seconds.
Three seconds.
………
Somewhere around the ten second mark, Dr Lu caved into the
pressure. ―Alright, alright, I‘ll tell you so stop looking at me like
that! But you have to promise not to laugh.‖
―I promise not to laugh,‖ QiLeren said with a straight face.
―I‘ll try,‖ Su He offered instead. He flitted his eyelashes at Dr.
Lu, which was totally unfair.
―Ok, fine,‖ Dr Lu conceded. ―My full name is…‖ his voice
lowered to a whisper so soft Qi Leren almost couldn‘t hear,
―…Lu Cangshu…‖
―Pfft-‖ QiLeren tried his best, he really did. Beside him, Su He
attempted to disguise his aborted laugh as coughing.
Dr. Lu levelled them a half-hearted glare, pouting. ―You
laughed. Liars.‖
―I‘m sorry, but…‖ Qi Leren‘s face twisted horrifyingly as he
fought with his smile before just giving in to the howling
laughter.
―It‘s not the Cangshu you‘re thinking of!‖ Dr Lu insisted with
indignation amidst his friends‘ display of pure betrayal. ―My
name uses different characters to the ones for hamster!‖
His attempts at explanation were only met with knowing grins.
He gritted his teeth. ―I‘m telling you right now, do not call me by
that name! I didn‘t spend all those years in med school only for
people to not respectfully address me as Dr Lu, okay?! I‘m
going to be a legendary doctor in the future, so you better not
mess with me!‖
―That‘s quite the goal,‖ SuHe said encouragingly.
―Duh, I didn‘t go through the torture that‘s getting my
certification just so I could die as some cannon fodder,‖ Dr Lu
huffed.
SuHe patted his left shoulder. ―Keep up the good work.‖
QiLeren patted his right. ―I believe in you.‖
Sandwiched between the two, Dr Lu was suddenly acutely
aware of their differences in height. ―I hereby curse the both of
you to a life without cute girls…‖ he sulked bitterly.
―Sorry, but I prefer the beautiful onee-san type who can hold
their own. I strongly suggest you reconsider your preferences,
because there‘s no future between a cute girl and a hamster,‖
QiLeren advised sagely.
Dr Lu wanted to murder someone.
―So that’s Leren‘s type,‖ SuHe said, as if he‘d stumbled upon
an astonishing revelation.
QiLeren nodded fervently. He was fiercely appreciative of
independent women with career ambitions, perhaps as a by-
product of having grown up being influenced by his mother.
Cute girls were nice and all, but they lacked that particular
spark for him. ―What about you?‖ he asked SuHe as an
afterthought.
―I prefer cute boys,‖ SuHe dropped the bombshell with
astonishing sobriety.
―!!!‖ As a legal shota, Dr. Lu darted behind Qi Leren in a flash,
who looked at Su He a little weirdly.
―I‘m joking,‖ SuHe said, a mirthful smile playing on his lips. ―Of
course.‖
 Chapter 31: Arrival at the Village of Dusk (VIII)

In the end, QiLeren decided to follow Su He‘s advice and

seek out Chen Baiqi. He‘ll definitely have to cough up a pretty
penny for her information, but it‘d be worth it.
He eventually managed to find her not in her shop but at the
coastline of Nightfall Island, gazing into the horizon with a
wistful expression. The little girl she was always seen with was
searching for seashells on the beach, turning around with a
brilliant smile as she showed off a beautiful conch to Chen
Baiqi.
In the sunset, her sharp, indifferent features were stained a
warm orange-red as she stared beyond the city, softening the
edges until QiLeren became painfully aware of the fact that she
too was just a young adult.
Chen Baiqi didn‘t turn around. ―I‘m surprised you‘re the first to
find me.‖
QiLeren didn‘t understand. He stood beside her and mimicked
her relaxed lean into the dam wall. ―Why can‘t it be me?‖ he
asked at the sunset.
He received silent laughter and an offer for a cigarette in lieu of
a response. When he turned it down, Chen Baiqi shrugged and
lit up her own. ―I thought,‖ she said around the cigarette,
nonchalant, ―that your friend Mr Su was going to seek me out
for information.‖
―Why?‖ He really needed to work on not seeming like a
complete idiot, but he was curious.
She blew out a breath of smoke and gave QiLeren a sardonic
look. ―Surely you don‘t think a player hailing from Aurora would
look after a group of complete newbies out of the kindness of
his own heart? Back on the airship I thought that he just
wanted to hitch a ride to Eventide with you guys at the end of
the tutorial since Aurora is quite far, but maybe that‘s not quite
it.‖
Qi Leren grappled with words as Chen Baiqi turned around so
her back leaned against the wall instead, coming up with none.
With the sun behind her, the end of her cigarette flickered with
the sea breeze. ―Something happened in that tutorial village of
yours, didn‘t it?‖
―…Yes.‖ This woman was frighteningly perceptive. He
should‘ve known that anyone who managed to find their footing
in this world was bound to be sharp as a razor.
―I‘ve heard that players who enter Aurora are granted special
privileges and can be assigned special quests by the system,
like cleaning up bugs in instance dungeons. Compared to
normal players like us, I guess they‘d be more like GMs,‖ Chen
Baiqi mused, flicking off some ash before continuing. ―The
number of people who game out from your tutorial village was
too low. Normally a batch of newbies will either all die together
or come out with over half still alive. You guys, on the other
hand, arrived in Eventide with only three newbies and a player
from Aurora – there must‘ve been a problem with your tutorial.‖
―You‘re right,‖ QiLeren confirmed. ―One of the players in our
tutorial village was a serial killer who ended up murdering most
of the players there. If it weren‘t for SuHe, we probably
would‘ve died together as well.‖
Chen Baiqi frowned. ―A player? That‘s not a bug.‖
―Yeah, which is why SuHe initially planned to fake his death
and leave after he realised, except then I saved his life…well, I
guess it‘s more like I interfered with his plan.‖
Chen Baiqi made a noise in acknowledgement, pinning Qi
Leren with an undecipherable look that made his hair stand on
end. ―Is something wrong?‖ he asked nervously.
She chuckled and took a long drag from her cigarette. ―Mr Su
must really like you.‖
Su He‘s joke from half an hour ago replayed itself in Qi Leren‘s
mind – wow, he was very uncomfortable with that thought – but
he soon realised that Chen Baiqi was referring to the normal
meaning of the word.
―There‘s only one explanation I can think of for Mr. Su‘s
behaviour, and it‘s that one of you have piqued his interest. I
suppose that‘d be you. I don‘t know how exactly you ‗saved‘
him, but if I were him I think I would be interested too. As a
veteran, the amount of time we spend trying to off each other
grossly overshadows time spent helping each other; I haven‘t
been saved by a stranger in a very long time, and I‘d imagine
that number only grows larger for Mr Su.‖ The look Chen Baiqi
gave him was stained with the colour of schadenfreude,
sending shivers down his spine.
QiLeren could almost hear her unspoken words: Very good,
boy, you’ve caught my eye.
No, he didn‘t want this kind of onee-san!
Thankfully, Chen Baiqi decided to take pity on him. ―Alright, I‘ll
stop teasing you. So, what did you need me for? Don‘t tell me
you just wanted to watch the sunset with me. Sunset dates
with a cute boy like you has a great aesthetic, but I‘m not going
to give you any discounts for it.‖ She stubbed out the cigarette
and gave QiLeren an amused look.
No no no no no, he liked beautiful mature women who were
elegantly aloof. Not like this. No thanks.
―I do indeed have something I was hoping you could help me
with. It‘s about a place called Makah Village…‖ QiLeren
carefully omitted the origins and details of the quest, giving
only the location and his request for its history.
―Makah Village…I have a vague idea.‖ She crossed her arms
as she considered this, before asking, ―How much of your
lifespan have you spent already? How much I tell you will
depend on it.‖
Oh no. ―…Not much.‖
Chen Baiqi sighed. ―Scratch that thought, I‘ll offer you a
bargain: give me three days and I‘ll tell you everything I can.‖
She immediately produced a blank contract, filled in the details
and gave it to QiLeren to sign. With great pain, QiLeren printed
his name onto the line.
Chen Baiqi was clearly unsatisfied with the meagre three days
as she rolled up the contract, but a deal was a deal. ―This
Makah Village of yours isn‘t too far from Eventide; there‘s been
players who‘ve passed by there before. They have a delightful
tradition of sacrificing girls to demons.‖
QiLeren nodded slowly. So far, everything was as SuHe
predicted; the background of this quest should be the sacrifice
of young girls to demons in exchange for power or protection.
―This tradition stems from the first demon invasion of twenty
years ago, when Makah Village, along with several others in
the vicinity, gave themselves to the demons and obtained
protection through continuous sacrifices. Every three years,
thirteen girls are chosen as offerings and thrown into a forest
until one of them is chosen and becomes a witch to act as a
demon servant.‖
Here, Chen Baiqi paused to look Qi Leren from head to toe,
finally settling on the emblem on his left hand. ―Some guys
from the institution dropped by a few minutes before you to ask
me about something. Apparently two NPC girls got killed
nearby. The killers were NPCs as well, but here‘s the strange
thing – the killers also got killed, though their killer is nowhere
to be found right now. Considering the time, people involved,
age, gender, as well as that recently-surfaced emblem on your
hand…‖ A dry chuckle. ―Let me guess. Did you see something
you shouldn‘t have?‖
Qi Leren‘s heart was beating out of his chest as his mind raced
for a response. How did she get all that from his simple
question?! And now that she knew he was a witness, was she
going to report him to the institution?
―Don‘t worry, I know you‘re nowhere good enough to actually
have committed the crime.‖ She fixed QiLeren with a look of
equal parts amusement and curiosity. ―Besides, the institution
already knows who the culprit is, they just sent some officers to
ask if I knew of their whereabouts. You‘re a surprise though,
walking into a trap like you did. Anyhow, I have no interest in
informing the institution of this; I don‘t report to them, nor am I
unprofessional enough to sell out a client I‘ve already
charged.‖
Qi Leren let out a breath he didn‘t realise he‘d been holding
and shot Chen Baiqi a look of gratitude. Letting the institution
know that he was a witness probably wouldn‘t amount to
anything big, but the fewer complications, the better.
―Did you see the person who did it?‖ Chen Baiqi asked,
quirking a long slender brow.
QiLeren shook his head and was met with a laugh.
―Pity. A cold beauty, that one.‖
Was the culprit the owner of that talking eagle? The whistle
had come from around the crime scene, and then he followed
the eagle straight to the bodies…the time matched up, at least.
―Oh, and one more thing,‖ Chen Baiqi suddenly added. In the
distance, the little girl had become tired and was running back
with an armful of seashells. ―If you do end up in the same
quest, don‘t oppose them no matter what. You‘ll never win.‖
―I‘ll be careful.‖ Going by Chen Baiqi‘s description, Qi Leren
created the mental image of the woman, beautiful and aloof,
that he‘ll meet in the next quest.
―Sis, look what I found!‖ The little girl nimbly climbed over the
concrete wall and held out her spoils with a proud grin.
Chen Baiqi patted her head indulgingly. ―You‘re so good at
picking out the really pretty ones.‖
What the little girl held in her hands were just normal shells,
QiLeren realised. The only thing that could really be
considered to be pretty was a little conch.
―I‘ll compile all the information I have on Makah Village and
send it to you,‖ Chen Baiqi said as she dusted the sand off her
sister‘s dress. ―One last thing.‖
―Yes?‖
―Bring some bird food.‖ She took her sister‘s hand and left with
a smile.
QiLeren stood silently, watching their departing figures. Bird
food?
 Chapter 32: Witchcraft Sacrifice (I)

[Player QiLeren has commenced quest: Witchcraft Sacrifice]

[Quest background: There exists a tradition in Makah Village

and several others around it of sacrificing thirteen young girls
to demons every three years. These thirteen girls are driven
into the depths of the forest, where they must unlock the four
sealed towers to reveal the sacred sacrificial palace. There,
one girl shall be chosen to become a witch and the demon for
eternity.]

[Due to quest specifics, male players will be granted female

bodies for the quest duration, reversible upon completion.]

[Witchcraft Sacrifice (Stage 1): Unseal the four towers. Current

progress: 0/4.]

[Sync Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Sync Complete]

Awareness came in pieces. QiLeren could feel the ground

faintly shaking beneath him, the distant sound of hooves and
hushed female voices feathering at the edges of his
consciousness. With a jolt, he opened his eyes.
He was on a carriage.
Lines of game notifications flashed across his mind, and he
subconsciously looked down at his chest when it came to a
certain one – lo and behold, there were two things on there
that definitely shouldn‘t be. At all.
What the fuck?! Whoever designed this quest desperately
needed to see a psychiatrist, because this had crossed the line
from questionable taste to psychopathy. With a sinking feeling,
he clenched his legs together, and felt – yeah, nope, the
important thing between them was gone.
This fucking game.
QiLeren was never going to choose another female avatar for
the aesthetics in his life. The trauma ran too deep.
―Are you alright?‖ the person sitting across from him asked.
QiLeren wiped the expression off his face as he raised his
head, though he paused at the distinctly Asian woman before
him. His gaze darted to her waist – she didn‘t have a belt on,
but the fact that they both wore identical white sacrificial gowns
made it unclear if she had no belt in the first place or simply
chose to hide it. NPC? Or player?
―I‘m Ye Xia, nice to meet you. We‘re…the same.‖ With a flick of
her handsome face, she unflinchingly patted her waist and
gave away her identity as a player.
Ye Xia…with a name like that, could this person be male as
well? But considering the easy attitude of her introduction,
maybe that wasn‘t the case.
QiLeren moved his attention to the other two women on the
carriage. One of them looked to be of mixed blood, a pair of
beautiful emerald eyes shining from the corner she was quietly
curled into, while the other had the classic appearance of a
blonde hair blue-eyed doll.
The blonde, clearly the youngest, fixed them with a watery
look. ―Have you seen my big sister?‖
―Who‘s your sister?‖ Ye Xia asked.
―My sister‘s name is Elsa, and mine is Elle. If you see her,
could you please bring her to me?‖ Elle begged. ―She gets sick
really easily and I‘m scared something‘s going to happen to her
while she‘s all alone.‖
Almost immediately, QiLeren received a notification:
[Branch quest: Locate Elsa. Help Elle reunite with her sister,
Elsa, before completing the primary objective. Reward: 10
days + Lucky Draw x1. No penalties apply for quest failure.]
When he looked enquiringly at Ye Xia, he found her staring
back – she had clearly received the same quest. ―Looks like
we can consider working together for now.‖
―My thoughts exactly.‖ QiLeren startled at the sounds that
came out of his own mouth. The hell was this loli voice? Could
someone please save him from this nightmare?!
Ye Xia laughed and fluttered her eyelashes at him. ―Adorable
little girls like you shouldn‘t act so solemn.‖
Did…did he just get teased? QiLeren took a moment to feel
indignant about his designation as an ―adorable little girl‖; he
may not be as handsome as SuHe, but he was still good-
looking enough to coax an extra ladle of food from canteen
ladies. Why was his female counterpart a loli?!
―Qi Leren. My name.‖ Thank god his name sounded
androgynous. It‘d be way too awkward for him to reveal his
true gender at this point in time.
―What about you?‖ Ye Xia asked the girl huddled in the corner.
The girl hesitated, unease flashing through her eyes. ―My, my
name is Anna…‖ She lowered her head and fell silent.
It seemed that Anna was more aware of the gravity of their
situation than Elle, who was still young and somewhat naive.
―A girl from the village next to ours was chosen three years
ago,‖ Elle said, telling Ye Xia about the legend in her village.
―The adults all said she went to serve the noble demon and
now it‘s me and my sister‘s turn. My sister was really scared
and kept saying she didn‘t want to go, but we get locked up if
we don‘t… A few girls ran away together a few days ago. Chief
sent so many people after them. I wonder if they got away.‖
Ran away together? QiLeren looked at the back of his left
hand, which had shrunk a few glove sizes after his
transformation; the emblem on it was probably from one of the
girls who ran away.
An idea came to mind. ―Do you know how many girls ran
away?‖
Elle started counting off her fingers, ―One, two, three, four,
five…six, there were six girls that ran away.‖
Then there were probably six players in this quest.
Elle scrunched up her nose and wilted a little. ―I miss my big
sister…‖
―Don‘t worry,‖ Ye Xia reassured as she gently petted Elle‘s
hair, ―we‘ll find your sister.‖
Cute…
This was not the time for cute. QiLeren wrenched his thoughts
away from frivolous matters and onto the situation at hand.
―Where are we going now?‖
―We‘re going to Demon Woods. Chief said that we need to
unlock four sealed towers before going to the underground
palace to see the noble demon. But…but I really want to go
home…‖
Elle‘s information was more or less in line with the quest
background. Closing his eyes, he combed through the details;
they first needed to find the four towers, and then unseal them
in some way, and then enter the palace and become a witch.
His strength and speed were definitely lowered in this body. He
had bought some potentially useful items with what little
lifespan he had left, but whether or not he‘ll actually get to use
them was uncertain. Thankfully, SuHe had left his [Bloodthirsty
Dagger] with him before leaving…

―I’m afraid this quest will prove to be quite difficult for you,‖
SuHe said as they stood before the entrance of Makah Village,
calm and gentle as always. ―I can’t help much, but I hope this’ll
prove to be some use to you.‖ Here, he delivered the ornate
dagger into Qi Leren’s hands.

Before QiLeren could protest, SuHe interrupted him with a

smile. ―Please hold your words until I finish. This may sound
like a boast, but I am in no need for weapons such as these.
To me, this dagger is but another item for my collection,
whereas to you it may prove to be incredibly useful. Your S/L
skill is very compatible with it; perhaps you’ll be able to unlock
its ability quite quickly. But most importantly…

―I dearly hope we’ll meet again.‖ Su He’s voice was soft as it

danced upon the breeze, so gentle Qi Leren thought the sight
before him might shatter at the slightest touch. ―So make sure
you live on, alright? Let’s go on another adventure together
sometime; I can hardly wait for the day.‖

The carriage came to a sudden stop. Amidst the vicious

barking of dogs outside, the carriage door was thrown open
and the four passengers were ushered out.
The world outside of Eventide, abiding by the cycles of the sun,
was current bathed in the hazy darkness of twilight. The woods
before them exuded a cold eeriness that made QiLeren
hesitate to approach.
A few villagers, all armed, were muttering amongst themselves
nearby. QiLeren strained his ears to their whispers –
apparently two other carriages were not yet at their destination.
―Alright, that‘s time.‖ An elderly villager emerged from the
crowd, closely followed by four snarling, slobbering dogs, held
back by their leashes. Elle and Anna flinched at each bark,
attempting to hide behind the other two.
―It‘s very cruel, but we have no other choice…we‘ll all die if we
fail to satisfy Their Excellency.‖ The elderly villager‘s wrinkled
features were twisted in a shallow mockery of sympathy as he
waved his hand at the villagers behind him. ―Do it.‖
The moment their leashes were released, the dogs pounced.
Elle screamed, lifting up her dress as she ran into the woods.
QiLeren did likewise, but the sacrificial gown proved to be a
major hinderance to his ability to move. As a first time dress-
wearer, he quickly fell far behind the other three, the dogs
nipping at his heels.
The four sacrifices were mercilessly driven into the forest and
soon separated in their desperate flight for survival.
 Chapter 33: Witchcraft Sacrifice (II)

Unfortunately for QiLeren, the forest floor was made up of a

mess of winding roots and slippery mud that nearly tripped him
more than once. Clad in a gown that looked pretty but proved
to be an absolute horror to run in, QiLeren quickly found
himself losing ground to the dog behind him.
He needed to do something before he became dog food! Could
he load a save? No, there was no point, the dog would still be
there. Other skills? Items? Or-
Wait, the rations!
QiLeren quickly dug out the rations, grabbing a handful and
throwing it as hard as he could behind him. The instant the
rations left his hand, the dog that had pursued him with single-
minded determination abandoned its mission completely and
twisted in an almost comedic fashion towards the rations
instead.
QiLeren paused for a second at the sudden change and
debated whether or not to kill the dog. It‘d save him future
headaches but…perhaps it was best not to push his luck. If
worst came to worst, he could just throw another handful of
rations. Nodding to himself, QiLeren turned his back on the
dog and ran into the forest.
Luckily, the dog didn‘t follow. As he had predicted, this new
body of his couldn‘t hold a candle to his normal one, leaving
him gasping for air against a tree not long after he had started
running. That wasn‘t the worst part though – the worst part was
that even his panting sounded loli.
QiLeren pulled out his water and took a few gulps. Drops of the
icy liquid leaked out the corners of his mouth, trailing down his
chin and pattering gently onto his chest. He paused and looked
down, hesitating, before tentatively placing a hand on it – it
was…soft…very soft…
Uhh.
So he didn‘t just imagine the bouncing on his chest.
That aside, he definitely needed to get out of these annoying
clothes. Thankfully, he had the foresight to bring a set of active
wear.
The thought was quickly dashed when he found out that the
gown he was wearing was not to be changed out of for the
duration of the quest. This quest was the actual worst, QiLeren
decided. The trauma it gave its male players was not worth
whatever rewards it was going to give.
Well, he was stuck with the gown for now. With the dagger
SuHe had kindly given him, QiLeren hacked his long dress into
a short one. His legs felt a bit cold, but it was better than
tripping.
Clothing sorted, QiLeren took out the compass he had
prepared before coming and headed north. Thank god for
Chen Baiqi; she may have taken an entire third of his lifespan,
but her service was impeccable – her sister showed up not a
day after their chat with a folder containing all the information
on Makah Village, including a map of the general area.
…Calling it a map was perhaps a bit of an oversell, sloppily
drawn as it was by most likely a passing player or NPC, but
there were two locations marked within the Demon Woods
area – Swamp Tower and Cave Tower. He figured that he was
probably in the entrance closest to Makah Village, so the
closest tower to him would be the Swamp Tower downstream.
All he had to do was to find the river. There was no more
information to be gathered from the map, but QiLeren was
more than happy with what he had.
Thankfully, the soft trickle of flowing water soon reached his
ears. Quickening his steps, QiLeren made a beeline for the
river and splashed some water onto his face before looking
down at his reflection.
The face that greeted him was framed by long brown hair that
cascaded gently down her shoulders, features extremely
similar to his if not for the fact that it was softened to look
distinctively feminine, and a few years younger, and – oh god,
he looked like a loli.
If he saw this face on the street he might‘ve given it a second
glance, but actually having the face for himself was a different
matter altogether!
No, he needed to calm down. This was just for the quest – he
was going to leave, be turned back to how he was before and
never have to mention this to anyone.
Having deluded himself into calming down, QiLeren pushed
the matter of his appearance into the back of his mind and
began to plan out his next steps.
It was getting dark, which made travelling through the forest a
terrible idea – perhaps he should find shelter for the night and
wait until light to continue moving. QiLeren picked himself up in
resignation and went hunting for twigs; he wasn‘t exactly an
expert on wilderness survival, but fire should theoretically ward
off wild animals in the night, right?
What TV shows neglected to show was just how frustrating
lighting a fire was, QiLeren discovered as he just about hacked
up a lung. Rather than bursting into the flames he had
expected, the moisture inside the tree branches effectively
reduced what felt like the first fifty attempts into thick smoke. At
least he had thought to bring a lighter; if he had to use a fire
drill he‘d most likely die before he could even light a spark.
Beneath the dark sky, QiLeren leaned back against a tree and
feasted upon his meal of dry bread and water. The bread was
hard as rocks and wasn‘t going to get good reviews anytime
soon, but was easy enough to store that QiLeren had brought
well over a month‘s supply. Better safe than sorry, in any case
– no one knew how long the quest was going to last.
At least lifespan countdowns were paused, or he‘d have more
to worry about. He shot a worried look at what little remained of
his lifespan; he‘d have to take another quest not long after this
if the rewards turn out to be insufficient, which SuHe had
explicitly warned them not to do. He had suggested for them to
learn some basic combat skills when they had the time, since
the difference between someone trained in combat and
someone who wasn‘t was quite large.
The bonfire before him crackled periodically as it burned.
QiLeren curled into his blanket; the oppressive atmosphere
made it hard to fall asleep, but he knew that if he neglected
sleep he‘d be way worse off the next day, nevermind finding
the four towers. What he needed was an ally to sleep in shifts
with. The quest didn‘t seem to call for any unavoidable conflicts
between players so far. It was too bad that he got separated
with the other three from the carriage.
QiLeren was hovering between sleep and wakefulness when
he jerked upright at the sudden sound of wings. A black shape
had landed itself by his bonfire – a bird that
looked very familiar.
He stared at it for a while before realising that it was the bird
that ate a handful of his rations and then lied to him in the
alley. Wait, if it was here now then…
QiLeren shuddered. The memory of the shrill whistle was still
fresh in his mind, as was the scene he had stumbled upon
afterwards. The bird‘s owner was most likely the culprit. A cold
beauty, Chen Baiqi had said.
The bird let out a strange sound, letting QiLeren brew in his
anticipation for a bit before continuing. ―Wolves! Wolves!‖ it
crowed.
QiLeren all but dived out from under his blanket and whipped
his head around the surroundings. Under canopy of leaves
above, all was calm.
The damn bird tricked him again!
Something fiery bubbled within. The bird seemed to be aware
of his murderous intent, launching itself onto a high-up branch
almost immediately and squawking its sardonic laughter at the
figure pacing in fury below it.
Eventually, the surroundings fell quiet. After a long while of
unsuccessful waiting for the bird‘s owner to make their
appearance, QiLeren sagged back into his seat and began
munching on some rations.
Almost as if it had been waiting, the bird started screeching its
cries of ―Wolves! Wolves!‖ again.
QiLeren chuckled dryly. ―You think I‘m gonna fall for that again,
you little asshole?‖
The bird responded by tilting its head innocently, which
QiLeren ignored with crossed arms. He looked around,
unimpressed, when something caught his eye.
A pair of green eyes peered at him from within the
undergrowth.
Fuck, there were actually wolves?! QiLeren threw himself at
the campfire and drew out a branch to use as a makeshift
torch. Wolves were supposed to be scared of fire, so he‘d be
fine if he stayed close.
A lone wolf stalked out of the bushes, approaching him like a
hunter would a prey.
QiLeren gulped. His heart thundered in his ears.
A second wolf approached from the opposite side, followed by
a third, and a fourth…
Being faced with beasts whose minds have been corrupted by
hunger felt distinctively different to the ghosts from worlds
before. QiLeren didn‘t know which was scarier, the insatiable
malice that snarled at him now or the uncanny emptiness of
the undead. His hand tightened around the fistful of rations;
would he still be alive if not for this item that he only now
celebrated obtaining?
Saliva dribbled down the wolves‘ mouths as they growled
greedily and lowered themselves to the ground. The menacing
pressure forced QiLeren a step back.
Instincts triggered, one of the wolves pounced at QiLeren
despite the fire he stood next to. The human promptly hurled
the rations in his hand, along with the still flaming torch,
towards the wolf – something sharp shot past his ear, missing
it by a hair, followed by a dying cry that pierced the air as the
wolf fell heavily onto the ground. Having watched the entire
encounter as if it was mere entertainment, the black bird dived
down from its perch and stole away the rations with a joyful
squawk.
QiLeren stared at the wolf. Embedded into its skull was a
shining silver arrow, reflecting brilliantly in the night.
 Chapter 34: Witchcraft Sacrifice (III)

Before QiLeren could find the stranger in the darkness,

several silver streaks shot past him in quick succession, each
arrow finding its target with pinpoint accuracy and killing all the
wolves who dared to set foot within a few metres of the fire
with its bone-piercing force. The rest of the hungry pack turned
and fled, disappearing quickly into the shadows.
Silence settled around them, the rustling of trees fading until all
that was left was the quiet crackle of the bonfire.
Qi Leren was keenly aware of the stranger lurking closeby; in
fact, he wouldn‘t be surprised if there was another arrow aimed
at the back of his head, ready to fire at the slightest sign of
animosity.
To be honest, he was more afraid now than when he was
surrounded by wolves. The one he faced now was definitely a
player of far superior skill, someone who could kill him as
easily as they killed the wolves. He didn‘t even know where
they were hiding.
The sheer gap in power sent chills down Qi Leren‘s back. He
had to say something, anything, to discourage the stranger
from killing this potential rival if nothing else.
He raised his hands slowly in appeasement and said with a
slightly trembling voice, ―Hey there? Thank you for saving me.‖
QiLeren wracked his brain for things to say.
―Do you know Chen Baiqi? She told me about you and how
you accepted the same quest as me… I promise I don‘t have
any ill intent – if you don‘t mind, perhaps we can consider
working together?‖ Considering Chen Baiqi‘s tone, she
probably knew the owner of the black bird. Whether or not they
were on friendly terms was left up in the air, but it wasn‘t like
he had any other options.
QiLeren heard what he thought might be the soft sound of a
weapon being put away before the branches above rustled
lightly under the weight of a person‘s agile steps.
Someone dropped onto the ground before him.
Illuminated by the soft light of the fire, QiLeren took in the sight
of the stranger – it was just one look, but Chen Baiqi‘s reason
for calling her a cold beauty was made crystal clear.
The stranger was dressed in the same sacrificial gown as him,
though what was once a loose gown was now bound tightly
around her body, its sleeves cut off and hemline shortened.
Her long hair had been tied up into a high ponytail, revealing
refined features that held the poised beauty of a rose covered
with frost and snow.
QiLeren stared. Something akin to warmth unfurled within his
chest – perhaps some would call it love at first sight.
A gorgeous face that gave off an icy vibe due to her overall
aura of a cold beauty, coupled with long legs and the maturity
that came with sheer competence? Was she not the physical
embodiment of his perfect goddess?
He had to leave a good first impression.
QiLeren stamped down the chaos of his trembling heart and
forced a pleasant smile for his goddess. ―Hello, pretty goddess,
my name is QiLeren.‖
Was he seeing things or did her eye just twitch?
He took a step forward before continuing, ―What‘s your name?‖
He might‘ve hit some dangerous trigger with this, QiLeren
thought as his goddess drew a short knife hanging by her side
in a sudden motion and hurled it towards him. Had he said
something wrong? Why was she trying to kill him?
Most importantly, he hadn‘t saved a file yet for the goddess to
kill him a few more times until she was happy!
In the instant between life and death, it was obvious that Qi
Leren‘s brain was no longer functioning correctly. The
expected pain, however, never came. The short knife had
instead embedded itself by his feet – or rather, in the
triangular-shaped head of a rather colourful snake.
Oh. It was to save him. Feelings complicated, QiLeren carefully
sneaked a glance at his goddess. Her deep eyes reflected a
faint blue hue in the campfire as she shot him a cool look. His
glance was probably not as sneaky as he‘d hoped.
QiLeren hurriedly bent down and pulled the knife from the
snake. It was heavier than it looked, despite the pair of fullers
that ran down its length, glinting its cold lethality in the night.
―Here.‖ Pinching the blade between two fingers, he presented
the knife handle first, which his goddess accepted and slotted
back into its sheath – she had two short knives on her person,
Qi Leren noticed, and neither were in the inventory but rather
belted to her thigh.
It was probably faster to use them this way.
Contrary to his expectations, his goddess seated herself by the
campfire and started cooking some meat jerky she took out of
the inventory. As the inviting smell of warmed meat wafted
through the air, QiLeren quietly lamented the rations in his
stomach.
Somewhat desperate to make conversation, he coughed lightly
to draw his goddess‘s attention, then closed his mouth when
she looked at him.
What if he, having never gone after a girl before despite having
being alive for twenty-five years already, said the wrong thing?
The black bird descended down from its perch and landed on
his goddess‘s shoulder, before crowing in disgust at the meat
she offered. It flew to QiLeren with hopeful eyes.
Should he feed it?
Seeing Qi Leren‘s prolonged hesitation, the bird bit him on the
arm and flew back to its owner in a fit of irritation.
QiLeren stole a peek at his goddess. She was chewing on her
meat with a blank expression and exuded unapproachable
animosity.
Damn it, she clearly didn‘t want to talk! She hadn‘t left yet
though, so she must be at least somewhat willing to get along
with him temporarily?
Gathering his courage, he finally spoke again to the crush he
had fallen for at first sight. ―I… My name is QiLeren. What‘s
your name?‖
The beautiful stranger lowered her meat jerky and fixed him
with an indiscernible gaze, blue eyes seemingly glowing in the
night. The half of her face illuminated by the campfire looked
almost ethereal, though her eyes held no trace of emotion – no
joy, no sorrow, no vitality.
QiLeren swallowed. This person sitting in front of him…was
she even a player?
His goddess stared at him for a beat longer as QiLeren
inwardly panicked and held his breath to meet her gaze, then
coolly turned away and resumed eating her meat jerky.
Qi Leren‘s mind exploded into a flurry. What was that
supposed to mean?!
The black bird on her shoulder gave a sudden squawk, before
craning its neck and saying, ―She‘s mute, she‘s mute!‖
What?!
―I swear on my bird-tue that I‘m telling the truth!‖ the bird
added, sprouting nonsense in its annoyingly inscrutable way.
QiLeren had no idea if the bird was intelligent or not, but given
that it had screwed with him twice already, its virtue, no, ―bird-
tue‖, was pretty much non-existent. It‘s a wonder how his
goddess puts up with it.
Even worse was that his goddess didn‘t correct its words. She
quietly looked at QiLeren for a bit, before adding more firewood
to the fire and closing her eyes as she leaned back against a
tree.
Qi Leren‘s chest immediately warmed with the pride of being
trusted. Was she about to sleep?
His goddess! Was going to sleep right in front of him!! She
trusts him enough to keep watch!!! A nagging voice in the back
of his mind mocked him for being so weak that there was no
reason for caution, but he squashed it down and concentrated
instead on staying awake and being the best night watch his
goddess would ever meet.
In the quiet woods, the strange calls of unknown birds and
crackles of the bonfire filled the air as time passed in slow
seconds. Now that she was asleep, QiLeren could finally study
his goddess‘s face with audacity – the more he looked, the
more he felt his inner appreciation for beauty awaken.
Goddamn it, how could she be so pretty! Her smile could bring
ruin to the world with its sheer radiance if she ever showed it.
The woods at night was a little cold. QiLeren lightly gathered
the blanket he had discarded onto the ground before to cover
the sleeping girl, only to meet her opened eyes not a few steps
in. The reflection of a dancing flame burned within her pupils,
alluring and unearthly.
―It‘s cold at night,‖ QiLeren explained, handing over the blanket
with forced calm. ―Here, you can use this.‖
Thankfully, she accepted his offer, drawing the blanket around
herself as she closed her eyes again.
QiLeren silently gave himself a pat on the back. He didn‘t mess
up this opportunity to show his ability to be a great boyfriend.
Perfect performance!
Despite his excitement, QiLeren found himself nodding off as
he stared at the bonfire. Its light and warmth drew away from
him, farther and farther into the distance until it disappeared
altogether.
He fell asleep.
It was a deep sort of slumber, unwilling to let go even as
QiLeren awoke to the sound of bird calls. He took a few
minutes to realise where he was before struggling to sit up.
Something fell onto his lap. It was the blanket he had given his
goddess last night, now draped over his body. The bonfire next
to him was burned out, and when he looked to the tree trunk
nearby, the figure that had been resting there last night was
long gone.
Bathed in the hazy light of daybreak, QiLeren couldn‘t help the
bitter taste of disappointment that rose to his tongue.
 Chapter 35: Witchcraft Sacrifice (IV)

QiLeren packed up his things among the fine mist that

enveloped the woods at dawn. Before leaving, he crouched by
the creek to splash his face with some water. The face of a loli
stared back at him. Thinking back to how he met his goddess
with this exact face, QiLeren sighed.
To be completely honest, this gender-swapped face of his
wasn‘t bad, considering his mother‘s genes and her status as
an A-list actor before retirement – though her marriage with her
non-famous childhood friend baffled many fans. It was his
father‘s downward-slanting eyes that transformed him into a
loli.
Could his goddess have saved him only because he looked
like a loli? Had he fallen to the point of relying on his face to
ride on girls‘ coattails and be carried through the battlefield?
There was no point thinking about it, QiLeren decided,
snapping himself out of his reverie. Finishing the quest in one
piece and earning lifespan was more important.
Steeling himself for the journey, he continued towards Swamp
Tower.
The morning air in the woods was cold, a chilly breeze
brushing past his neck and leaving goosebumps in its wake.
The strange feeling of being watched nagged at the back of his
mind as he halted in his steps multiple times to survey his
surroundings. There was nothing out of place, only the crisp
calls of birds that filled the woods with quiet serenity.
Berating himself for overthinking things, QiLeren dismissed the
thought.
As the soil beneath his feet slowly transitioned into mud, the air
he breathed became colder. By noon the woods he walked
among had all but disappeared, giving way to a wide open
plane of low shrubs and shallow patches of water, broken up
into gurgling streams by strange trees whose roots grew
exposed to the air.
Was this the swamp?
QiLeren took a deep breath, the rancid air of decomposition
filling his lungs as he warily eyed the soft vegetation.
Maybe continuing like this was not the best idea, just in case
he finds himself sinking into the swamp. Dying like that would
really be the biggest black mark on his life.
A gaunt-looking crow rasped a caw from its perch on a dead
tree. Breaking off a branch, QiLeren tapped it against the
ground ahead of him and carefully picked his way across the
winding roots; it was a harder path, but at least this way he
wouldn‘t sink into the mud.
The sky seemed to darken with every step. There was a dense
layer of fog that QiLeren didn‘t remember being there before,
laden with a putrid smell that made him dizzy. The further in he
walked, the more wary he became; it almost felt as if there was
something lurking in the fog around him, ready to strike in the
next moment.
Just as QiLeren was starting to wonder if he had in fact gone
down the wrong direction, the scenery before him changed.
Hoisting himself up the roots of a dead tree with some
difficulty, QiLeren could just make out the foggy shape of a
black tower deep within the swampland.
There it was! With the destination now clear, it took no time at
all for him to arrive at the foot of the tower.
The sealed tower before him was an imposing black structure
of some seven or eight metres tall and about two arm spans
around. Its base seemed to be carved from smooth marble, yet
emitted a cold mysterious light that dimly illuminated a vaguely
religious emblem engraved onto the surface. QiLeren
examined the emblem on his hand; it was somewhat similar.
Perhaps it was some sort of evil demonic religion, QiLeren
mused to himself as he reached out a hand. As his fingertips
brushed against the tower, a line of text appeared within his
mind:
[Player QiLeren has discovered Swamp Tower. Current
status: Sealed. To unseal tower, place the body of one
young girl as sacrifice at the foot of the tower. Removal of
seal will grant Lucky Draw x1.]
A chill ran down Qi Leren‘s spine. The system message
seemed fine on the surface but carried with it a sinister
undertone. There were four sealed towers here, so to open
them would require four deaths…not to mention that this was
just stage one. Who knew what awaits them within the palace?
QiLeren took a step back, deep in thought.
The first thing to consider was his S/L skill. If he saved a file
then killed himself at the foot of the tower, would the tower
acknowledge his death? His body disappears immediately after
dying and reappears at the save file though, so maybe not.
Maybe he should give it a try, QiLeren deliberated.
―Ahh, I can‘t watch this anymore. I wouldn‘t be stupidly
standing out in the open like that if I were you,‖ a crisp female
voice sighed from behind him.
QiLeren jumped away, dagger gripped in hand.
The girl, who definitely hadn‘t been standing there before,
shrugged to show her good will. ―Look, you left yourself open. I
could‘ve killed you ten times over on the way here if I really
wanted to.‖
Dressed the same sacrificial robes as him, her hair was bound
into two pigtails. She was definitely cute, but the expression on
her face was somewhat…sleazy.
Sure enough, the girl flitted her eyelashes and asked coyly,
―So what‘s your name, cutie pie?‖
This was the sleaziest girl he had ever met! ―Why should I tell
you?‖ he huffed.
Her flirty expression disappeared in an instant. ―What? How
could you not answer my question?!‖ she accused, taking a
step back.
Qi Leren levelled her a baffled look. Why did he have to
respond?
The cute girl crossed her arms. ―No female can refuse to
answer my questions,‖ she announced valiantly. ―That leaves
only one possibility – you are not female!‖
This person was more likely than not mentally deranged and
unfit for human conversation, QiLeren promptly decided.
―I‘m being serious. You‘re a male player, aren‘t you?‖ The cute
girl sized him up, unhurried. ―No doubt. I‘m one hundred
percent certain that my card‘s in its slot, so the only reason you
could avoid answering my question earlier must be that you
don‘t fit its requirements. You‘re…crossdressing?‖ She tilted
her head to one side in consideration.
QiLeren finally understood the situation – the girl before him
probably had some sort of skill card that compelled female
players to answer truthfully. Unfortunately for her, he was a
guy.
―I‘ve been following you this entire time. You‘re a bit clumsy,
but I‘ll be gracious enough to overlook that and hope you come
in handy. Anyway, my name is Lu Youxin and I‘m a lesbian
who loves other lesbians, which doesn‘t include you so you
can rest easy. How about it?‖ She extended a hand,
embellished with the same emblem as Qi Leren‘s.
―…QiLeren,‖ he offered somewhat reluctantly. To be honest,
this zany character was not his first choice of an ally.
―You know the exact location of the towers, yes?‖ Lu Youxin
asked with a quirk of her lips. Without the frivolous expression,
all that was left was the sharpness of an experienced veteran.
―I know a bit,‖ QiLeren deflected, unable to meet her eyes.
Lu Youxin smirked. ―Don‘t worry, I wouldn‘t kill you for outliving
your usefulness even if you only knew the location of this one
tower.‖
In Qi Leren‘s resounding silence, she placed her hand on the
tower, mulled over the system message and finally turned with
a sweet smile. ―Looks like we still need a sacrifice.‖
QiLeren immediately tensed at the implication, ready to save at
the slightest provocation.
―Let‘s go get an NPC to sacrifice,‖ Lu Youxin suggested easily.
―I don‘t like having to kill each other.‖
An NPC, huh. QiLeren thought back to Anna and Elle on the
carriage. They were NPCs, but to sacrifice them would be no
different to killing a normal human, something he was by no
means ready for.
―Someone‘s coming!‖ Lu Youxin seized Qi Leren by the wrist
and bodily dragged him behind a tree, putting a mess of
tangled roots and shrubs between them and the newcomer.
Illuminated by the dim lighting, a shapely woman approached
from the distance with a corpse slung over her shoulder, long
hair swaying with every step.
 Chapter 36: Witchcraft Sacrifice (V)

QiLeren froze and held his breath in fear of breathing too

loudly. Beside him, Lu Youxin displayed no such qualms.
―Now there’s a ten out of ten if I ever saw one,‖ she exclaimed
giddily. ―Look at those sexy curves! That bouncy ass! Legs for
literal days! Daaaaaays, I tell you. And that foxy
face? Ravishing. What an absolute babe. She could shank me
in the gut and I‘d probably thank her for it. What we‘re
witnessing right now is the peak of humanity, QiLeren.‖
There was a moment in which Qi Leren was not quite sure
whether Lu Youxin was actually real and not a hallucination.
Wasn‘t she supposed to be a veteran of sorts? Where was the
class? More importantly, was there still any class to be
salvaged considering the fact that she was currently squatting
behind a bush to leer at a pretty girl while providing
commentary about it?
―Keep your voice down,‖ QiLeren hissed.
―Don‘t worry, I know what I‘m doing,‖ Lu Youxin reassured with
a huge grin.
The aforementioned foxy beauty came to a stop before the
sealed tower. Despite wearing the same sacrificial robes as the
rest of them, there was not a sliver of innocent purity left on
her; instead, her presence felt akin to an elegant snake,
swimming through the darkness – dangerous, but alluring
nonetheless.
Lifting a porcelain hand, she allowed the insects hovering
around her to perch upon a fingertip.
―Why are my babies so restless today?‖ she whispered lovingly
to the insects. ―Do you smell something you don‘t like?‖
QiLeren tensed; if this woman was able to control insects, then
they were in grave danger.
―Go, find her for me,‖ she commanded, flicking her finger
gently. The insects hovered for a few moments with loving
hesitation.
He wasn‘t going to go down without a fight. QiLeren took in a
deep breath, gripped the miniature bomb he had bought prior
to leaving and readied himself to save at a given moment.
―Stop stressing, she‘s not going to find us,‖ Lu Youxin said
confidently as she pushed down his hand. When QiLeren shot
her a look, she pointed to her card belt with a wordless smile.
Sure enough, the insects flew in the opposite direction and
finally came to rest under a dead tree. A cold light ignited
within the shadow, striking the insects out of the air.
The woman let out a soft ―huh‖, gaze passive as it swept over
the leafy darkness. ―It was you?‖
―I wasn‘t expecting to see you here either,‖ came the response,
calm as its owner emerged from hiding.
It was Ye Xia.
The woman clicked her tongue. ―What were you doing, hiding
in the trees? Might the noble and virtuous Ye Xia have stooped
to using such utterly deplorable tactics as sneak attacks?‖
―None as deplorable as your existence, I assure you,‖ Ye Xia
scoffed coldly.
―Well, I suppose we can settle all our grievances together,
hm?‖ The woman smiled sweetly before swinging an arm up to
release hundreds of insects from her gown, forming a dense
cloud as they swarmed towards Ye Xia.
Ye Xia let out an icy laugh and drew her sabre. Its gleaming
blade cut through the bitter air, calling forth strong gusts of
wind that sought destruction. The swarm of insects halted as if
coming into contact with an invisible wall before glaciating into
a flurry of snowflakes that drifted, softly, onto the soil below.
―Did you somehow forget that I can counter your ability? I won‘t
let you escape again.‖ With a light smile, Ye Xia shot towards
the woman, fast as an arrow and just as deadly.
The woman leapt atop the dead tree with a graceful
manoeuvre. ―Looks like you forgot something as well,‖ she
remarked from above. ―Only fools judge another in past tense.‖
With that, the hand she pressed against the branch began to
emit a faint glow that spread throughout the tree, which
trembled beneath her touch and revived itself like a giant from
century-long slumber. The silty ground at their feet crumbled to
give way to massive winding roots that unearthed themselves
from the surface, while the previously lifeless trunk waved
around like an arm before whipping towards Ye Xia.
―Holy shit, what a bitch fight,‖ Lu Youxin breathed, delighted, to
the high-strung Qi Leren still crouching next to her. ―How‘s the
pure energy that chick‘s emitting, eh? Both bugs and trees?
Goddamn, she‘s going to be a force to be reckoned with in a
forest like this.‖
―Could you watch your volume?!‖ QiLeren snapped, half-
suspecting that she possessed a skill that disguised her body
and voice from outsiders. There was no way the two women
could‘ve missed her loud exclamations.
―Cool your jets, you ever heard of ‗falling on deaf ears‘ before?
As long as you don‘t step out of the effective radius, no one‘s
gonna hear you even if you scream.‖ At this, Lu Youxin flashed
him a sharp smirk that stood at odds with her cute face.
QiLeren averted his eyes immediately.
Her skill sounded uncomfortably similar to something teenage
delinquents would say to wholesome girls on the street. Wait,
wouldn‘t that make him the wholesome girl?
Lu Youxin was completely unperturbed by Qi Leren‘s obvious
judgement. ―How could a peeper as masterful as I not possess
the means to hide myself entirely?‖ she gloated. ―To do so
would be a stain upon the art of peeping!‖
QiLeren chose to ignore the person patting herself on the back
beside him and focused instead on the fight.
The situation had changed dramatically. Having previously
taken the upper hand by virtue of her ability, Ye Xia was
quickly finding herself overpowered by the massive tree giant
that rendered both her weapon and ability ineffective. Despite
the nimbleness she dodged the tree‘s onslaught of attacks
with, there was only so long she would last if the fight dragged
on.
QiLeren couldn‘t help but hold his breath for her; they were by
no means close, but he didn‘t want the charismatic player he‘d
met on the carriage to die here.
―You know each other?‖ Lu Youxin suddenly asked.
―…We met on the carriage,‖ QiLeren admitted.
―Oh. What‘s her name?‖
He squinted at her. ―Ye Xia.‖
Lu Youxin stroked her chin. ―Hm. Cute name, person‘s pretty
cute as well. She‘ll do.‖
―What are you doing?‖ he asked, confused.
―Going to help her, obviously.‖ Lu Youxin grinned. ―How could I
leave a cute girl in need?‖
―…I thought you liked the other one. Why Ye Xia?‖ Lu Youxin‘s
absolutely unneeded commentary on how hot the other woman
was had not yet left Qi Leren‘s mind.
Her eyes immediately turned serious. ―You really want to know
why?‖
Influenced by the sudden gravity of the conversation, QiLeren
responded with a solemn nod.
―It‘s because she has big tits,‖ Lu Youxin declared sagely. ―Big
tits are justice, I want to bury my face in big tits.‖ Following her
proclamation, she propelled herself out of the shrubbery they‘d
been hiding behind with a call of ―Let me help you, Ye Xia!‖ like
a true white knight. Somewhat distantly and a bit wide-eyed,
QiLeren wondered if something had finally broken inside his
brain.
Startling blue flames erupted at Lu Youxin‘s feet and surged
towards the two women engaged in battle, engulfing the tree
giant in a split second. Colour draining out of her face, the
woman standing atop the tree soon found herself surrounded
by flames from all sides. In the midst of certain death, she leapt
decisively off the branch she‘d been perched on despite the
danger of getting burned, wrapping her cloak tightly around
herself and tucking into a roll. She glared at the pair as she
emerged from the sea of fire. ―You had backup,‖ she spat. ―I‘ve
miscalculated.‖ Outnumbered, she fled without hesitation.
―Don‘t bother chasing after her, there‘ll be traps,‖ Ye Xia
cautioned, flinging out an arm to stop Lu Youxin from further
pursuit.
Lu Youxin changed focus immediately, grasping Ye Xia‘s hand
with deep passion in her eyes. ―What am I but a servant to the
words of a beautiful lady like yourself? Don‘t worry, I won‘t
chase after her; my eyes shall gaze upon nobody else but you
alone.‖
Ye Xia‘s clearly bewildered expression was what finally drove
Qi Leren to emerge from hiding. ―We meet again, Ye Xia.‖
―Ah, it was you.‖ At this, Ye Xia smiled gratefully at the two.
―You have my gratitude. If it weren‘t for your help, I‘d no doubt
be the one unbecomingly fleeing for my life right now.‖
―There‘s no such thing as whether or not your escape is
unbecoming, only that it works. As long as you get away in the
end, you could make your escape by rolling through mud and
it‘d still be a good escape,‖ Lu Youxin advised.
Ye Xia simmered with laughter. ―You‘re a very interesting
individual.‖
Lu Youxin visibly lit up, turning to Qi Leren with a joyful
exclamation of ―A cute girl called me interesting!‖, to which
QiLeren looked away wordlessly.
Was it too late to claim he didn‘t know her?
 Chapter 37: Witchcraft Sacrifice (VI)

Ye Xia was quickly brought up to speed in regards to the

towers‘ rules with Qi Leren‘s information. She cast a glance at
the corpse on the ground – the girl looked to be a sixteen or
seventeen year old girl, likely an NPC in the quest. Her eyes
remained wide open in death but were clouded over with a veil
of grey. From the greyish-green tinge of her skin, the cause of
death seemed to be some form of strong poison.
Crouching down with a sigh, Ye Xia gently closed the corpse‘s
eyes. ―There‘s not much difference between NPCs and
humans no matter how you look at it, is there?‖
―Beautiful on the inside and out. I like that in a person,‖ Lu
Youxin made sure to appraise on the side.
QiLeren tried his best to pretend nonchalance and turned his
head elsewhere. Just standing next to Lu Youxin filled him with
a deep sense of embarrassment.
―Someone once said to me that only the compassion of the
strong can be called kindness.‖ Ye Xia‘s smile was grim.
―Compassion of the weak is nothing more than mourning for a
death of their kind.‖
Ye Xia‘s words struck a chord within Qi Leren as he looked,
almost involuntarily, at the dead NPC. He obviously felt some
form of grief at death, but it was at best a weak struggle of
conscience – he didn‘t even know how long this conscience
would last.
―Alright, that‘s enough about that,‖ Ye Xia said, breaking the
sombre silence. ―I‘ll leave the matter of unsealing the tower to
you two to decide as thanks for helping me. You might get
something decent from the lucky draw.‖
―I didn‘t help very much, Lu Youxin can do it.‖
―Cool, thanks,‖ Lu Youxin replied easily without a modicum of
obligatory resistance, contrary to Qi Leren‘s expectations. With
that, she scooped the corpse up, tossed it at the foot of the
tower and placed a hand onto the tower wall. A soft glow
began to emit from the emblem on her hand, diffusing into the
air like a fine mist of light before sinking into the body of the
tower. As QiLeren watched on with stunned fascination, a
radiant beam of azure light burst from the top of the tower into
the heavens, sending ripples across the sky at its contact with
the clouds. The entire forest was bathed in its light, this brilliant
pillar that remained aloft and visible in exchange for the body
on the ground that had since disappeared.
―This beam is too conspicuous,‖ QiLeren noted, frowning.
―We‘ll be long gone before anyone can get here, don‘t worry.‖
Lu Youxin retracted her hand. A chest had materialised beside
the tower, which opened to reveal a card when she pressed a
finger down on its lock. She raised a surprised eyebrow. ―They
might as well have given me a pigeon,‖ she muttered so softly
that QiLeren might have missed it entirely had he not been
standing close. The card was shoved into her bag without a
second thought.
The chest remained. Confused, Lu Youxin took another peek
inside and pulled out a piece of paper. ―A map?‖
QiLeren snuck a glance. It didn‘t look like a map of the forest,
but rather…
―This looks like the map to the palace that‘ll open once we
unseal all four towers,‖ Lu Youxin confirmed before smiling
sweetly at Ye Xia. ―This is probably gonna be pretty important,
babe. You want a copy?‖
―No thank you.‖ As if taken aback by her own answer, Ye Xia
froze, bewildered.
Lu Youxin clicked her tongue. ―Looks like you still don‘t really
trust me, do you?‖
Ye Xia‘s elegant brows drew together into a frown as she
pinned Lu Youxin with a scrutinising gaze.
―Don‘t worry, it‘s just a harmless trick,‖ the culprit offered
smugly, shrugging. ―Every pretty girl I come across will have to
honestly answer the first question I ask; I usually use it to get
their bust/waist/hip measurements.‖
So that was why she had seemed so surprised when he
refused to answer her question, QiLeren realised. Sleazy
questions like this were such a waste of a good skill.
―Well, if y‘all don‘t want it…don‘t mind if I do,‖ Lu Youxin
concluded.
Hold on, he never said anything of the sort. Did males not hold
rights in Lu Youxin‘s eyes? Perhaps the mournful bitterness in
Qi Leren‘s eyes wasn‘t as subtle as he thought it was, since Lu
Youxin looked him up and down before reluctantly offering for
him to make a copy.
―I just need a quick look.‖ QiLeren was rather confident in his
memory. True to his word, he passed it back to Lu Youxin after
half a minute.
The composition of the palace was a bit more complicated than
he had anticipated. Unfortunately, only a quarter of it was
mapped out; the rest would likely be at the other towers. He
knew where Cave Tower was, so…
―It‘s probably time for us to leave. Want to go together?‖ Lu
Youxin asked Ye Xia, completely ignoring Qi Leren.
―No, but thank you.‖ Politely turning down Lu Youxin‘s offer, Ye
Xia bid the pair goodbye and headed off on her own.
After a brief struggle, Qi Leren decided to do likewise; he might
not survive being in the presence of Lu Youxin for extended
periods of time, to which the girl just shrugged with
nonchalance. ―Well then be careful I guess, I‘m not going to be
protecting you like you‘re a cute girl this time.
Qi Leren was absolutely positive he didn‘t need that kind of
protection.

After leaving Swamp Tower, Qi Leren made his way south.

According to the map, he would arrive at Cave Tower in the
south of the forest before nightfall if all goes well.
Trying to travel alone in an unfamiliar forest was, as QiLeren
discovered, much harder than he had thought, to the point
where he actually regretted turning down Lu Youxin a little bit.
Despite her general air of unreliability, perhaps it was because
of her skill that she was able to display so much of her
personality and quirks without fear.
There was no prickling feeling of eyes on his back this time. Qi
Leren suspected that Lu Youxin had moved onto stalking Ye
Xia considering she was an actual female, a thought that filled
him with pity for the new victim.
The overhead sun after noon made its presence known with its
sweltering heat. Wiping beads of sweat off his forehead with a
sleeve, he lamented the terrible condition of his clothes. After a
day of rolling on the ground, climbing trees and crouching in
swamps, the previously pristine robes were now no more than
glorified rags. The most damning thing about the whole
situation was the system requirement to have them on at all
times, leaving him unable to even wash them properly.
The sight of a trickling stream before him invoked a feeling akin
to seeing the light at the end of a tunnel, something Qi Leren
basked in as he ran over and promptly washed his face. Cool
splashes of water drew away some of the heat simmering
beneath his skin. Unsatisfied, he waded into the stream and
submerged himself entirely as he scrubbed wherever he could.
He couldn‘t take the robes off, but soaking in water with clothes
on never harmed anyone.
The stream wasn‘t very deep, but it was clear. Qi Leren could
see schools of little fish no bigger than his thumb swimming
through the water, as well as his feet – his petite, feminine feet.
As with everything about his current appearance, he sighed.
Something upstream caught his attention. He rubbed his eyes
to make sure he wasn‘t seeing things. No, there was definitely
something floating towards him. As the thing got closer, he
realised with a start that it was a piece of torn fabric – and not
just any piece of fabric, but the exact same fabric as his own
robes!
Qi Leren immediately stumbled out of the water, fabric gripped
in one hand and skimming his knee in his haste. Unperturbed
by how drenched he was, he smoothed out the fabric.
Bloodstains had seeped into its threading, having spread into
large, horrifying blotches of light red after being soaked in the
stream.
That was his destination, Qi Leren thought with dismay. What
on earth could‘ve happened upstream?
Unnatural squawking overhead sent Qi Leren‘s head whipping
upwards. Perched on the tree in front of him was a familiar
black bird – it was his goddess‘s bird! Was she here as well?
Before he could get a good look around him, a heavy coat fell
from above and effectively swallowed his body whole. He could
hear the sound of a body dropping onto the floor next to him in
the darkness as he struggled to resurface, finally emerging to
the sight of a face so icy it was hard to look at directly.
It was her!
 Chapter 38: Witchcraft Sacrifice (VII)

Ah, as expected of his goddess. The mere sight of her face

sent Qi Leren‘s mind spiralling into nothingness, face aflame
as he stuttered out a frankly pathetic ―Hello‖. His goddess
merely looked down at him with familiar iciness. Her bird,
having returned to his perch on her shoulder, tilted its head
cutely at QiLeren. ―Good food, good food!‖
It was not without great reluctance that QiLeren complied. His
rations were for life-threatening situations, damn it, wasting it to
curry favour with a bird…well…since it was his goddess‘ bird…
Feeling the last of his principles crumble under the temptation
of beauty, QiLeren offered up a portion of what little was left in
the palm of his hand and watched in quiet despair as the black
bird pecked at it eagerly. His goddess made no move to stop it,
nor did she make any sound at all as she fixed her gaze upon
QiLeren. At such a close distance, her eyes, shining between
two rows of thick eyelashes, shone beautifully like pure,
polished sapphires.
A spark of something akin to suspicion flared in QiLeren‘s
mind; could she be of mixed blood? SuHe had mentioned that
there had never been a single foreign player in the game
before, but almost all NPCs looked distinctly non-Asian, which
made the difference between players and NPCs quite telling.
The black bird eventually finished its meal and affectionately
rubbed its head in QiLeren‘s hand before flapping up to a tree
branch with a flurry. Seeing his goddess‘ gaze drift to the torn
pieces of the sacrificial gown, QiLeren hurried to explain, ―I
saw it floating down the river earlier…hey, it looks like we‘re
wearing the same thing.‖
At this, he pulled open the coat that had fallen onto him earlier
to compare it to his own (still dripping) gown. Before he could
uncover anything more than his collarbone, however, his
goddess stopped his hand and packed him tightly back into the
coat draped around his shoulders.
What the heck was she doing???
The black bird squawked twice from its perch on the tree and
finally said its first semi-presentable sentence: ―Public
indecency.‖
What? What on earth was happening?? Public indecency???
All he did was expose some collarbone! His clothes were
indeed soaked through and sticking quite close to his skin, but
they were both girls so what did it matter… Oh, wait, he was
male. That was close.
Could his goddess have realised what his true gender was?
QiLeren flinched at the thought and sneaked a peek at her, but
she had long since turned away to dazedly stare at the clothes
on the ground. Upon further inspection, QiLeren was alarmed
to find that her ear had turned red.
…!
She was embarrassed? Good lord, how could she be this
cute?!
Fears laid to rest, QiLeren could focus on nothing else but the
adorable shyness of his normally aloof goddess. To test the
theory, he calculatingly shifted the coat and hiked up a corner
of his gown over his thigh to reveal the creamy expanse of skin
underneath. ―I accidentally scraped my knee on the rocks
when I came out of the river…‖
His goddess‘s gaze swept over the bruised and bleeding skin
of his knee for a split second before she…swiftly pulled his
gown back down, shoved something cold into his hands and
leaped to the other side of the river before he could snap out of
his confusion. QiLeren stared at the opposite riverbank, slack-
jawed, but there was no trace of his goddess. The river was at
least three or four metres wide; had she just jumped over it in
one leap?
The black bird let out a strange chuckle, as if mocking him for
his failed seduction attempt, before taking flight after its owner,
but not without leaving behind an ―I can fly, dumbass‖.
QiLeren felt as if something inside of him had exploded. His
goddess ran away! That‘s not what he had meant to do; he had
just wanted to see her being embarrassed, not force her to
look at his thigh!
Alas, she had left. Left standing on the riverbank, still dripping
wet but now armed with his goddess‘ gift of a coat and
ointment, he had no words to express his anguish.
Unfortunately, the quest wasn‘t going to complete itself.
Opening the alarmingly high-quality looking ointment, QiLeren
rubbed some onto his knee and watched as it healed almost
immediately before promptly deciding to save it for the future.
When he took off and examined the coat around his shoulders,
the silver crosses adorning its upper sleeves did nothing to
distract from the fact that no matter how he looked, it was
unmistakably a man‘s jacket.
Wait, could his goddess have a boyfriend?
All the colour drained from QiLeren‘s face as he dwelled on
this fact. No, he couldn‘t accept this. Her boyfriend must have
atrocious taste to have chosen such a plain black jacket and is
therefore completely undeserving of his icy and unbelievably
cool goddess.
No no no, maybe his goddess just liked male clothing? It
wouldn‘t be strange at all for a beauty so far out of everyone‘s
league like her to wear male clothing! Having convinced
himself, QiLeren reluctantly shrugged on his newly attained
jacket and made his way upstream, finally arriving around
sunset. Vision brought by the thinning forest and elevated
ground brought with it a strange odour, he noted with unease
as he opened the map to check his position; he was not too far
from Cave Tower.
A smidgen of browning blood caught QiLeren‘s eye. Walking
closer to investigate and swiping a hand through the stain, it
seemed that the blood was likely fresh and spilt not long ago.
Surrounding it were similar splotches of blood and…some
traces of bloodstained clothing.
QiLeren swallowed, mouth suddenly feeling dry as his heart
thumped in his ears. The bloody gown was most likely from
here, but where was the body? How did she die?
The surrounding area was made up of sparse trees and a
dense cushion of tall grass that covered the ground
completely, making it difficult to make out bloodstains on the
ground. Following the trail with some difficulty, QiLeren noticed
that along the trail were traces of bark that had been ripped off
in large chunks, some branches even broken, almost as if they
were snapped by…rough trauma of some sort. The sort that
seemed too violent to have been done by wild animals.
If not an animal, then who…then what could have caused the
wreckage before him?
The woods around him were deathly silent, devoid of even the
birdcalls that had chirped incessantly before. An unpleasant
odour wafted through the darkening sky. QiLeren could hardly
hear over his own heartbeat, each step feeling as if he was on
the edge of a cliff.
There was danger ahead.
An unspeakable intuition urged QiLeren to flee, but with Cave
Tower at his fingertips and all his items on hand to fight, he
couldn‘t justify running any longer. Rather than hiding in a
corner and waiting for death, he might as well give his all;
nothing ventured, nothing gained. Forcing himself to press
onwards, he reached the hill‘s peak at last and surveyed the
area.
No more than a few hundred metres away from him was an
open area of gravel, next to which was a looming cave
surrounded by a haphazard barrier of stone around one metre
tall. Within the barrier was a hulking giant stirring a huge
cauldron with a thick wooden stick.
Beside it, a pack of wolves happily feasted on a mutilated
corpse.
The giant reached out a clumsy hand to pull out a macabre
bone from the wolves‘ dinner and threw it, still dripping with
torn flesh and blood, into the cauldron. Bubbles gurgled out of
the green-brown liquid. The wolves dragged the corpse slightly
away, whimpering softly but not daring to resist, before
continuing their meal.
A gust of wind carried a peculiar scent from the woods. The
wolves, following the scent, paused in their feast and raised
their heads to growl to QiLeren, who was situated upwind from
them.
A pair of giant, blood-red eyes met QiLeren‘s own.
With a roar of excitement, the giant jumped to its feet and
thundered towards to him on strong and solid legs. The wolves
howled in unison at the sound of the clarion call, advancing as
one behind the giant with their eyes set on QiLeren!
 Chapter 39: Witchcraft Sacrifice (VIII)

Oh lord, he was going to die.

QiLeren finally realised why there was a bloody gown floating
down the river, but the realisation came too late. Scrambling
away, his mind ran a mile a minute.
What could he do? This was not something he could escape
easily- but no, it was too early to give up. The skills and items
and skills he had on hand – S/L card, rations, dagger and
miniature bombs bought from Eventide – were sufficient for this
dilemma.
Cave Tower was denoted to be adjacent to the giant‘s camp,
so entrance into the camp was a must for access to the tower.
He needed to lose, no, kill the wolves and giant.
The giant sent branches splintering in half in its pursuit,
wooden stick clearing what obstacles remained in its path.
Every thundering step brought with it an upsurge of fear as it
barrelled through the forest like a prehistoric beast. Inevitably,
QiLeren‘s female form proved to be a hinderance to his speed,
with the giant‘s stick missing his back by a hair‘s breadth
multiple times before falling away.
There was no more room for hesitation, not when even a
second‘s delay could mean death!
Shoving all doubts to the back of his mind, QiLeren steeled
himself for the deaths that were to come and cast three
handfuls of rations to the incoming wolves, who turned head
immediately. The giant, however, was unswayed. It brought its
stick down with a mighty roar, glancing QiLeren as he hastily
rolled to the side to avoid certain death.
File saved!
Here it comes – miniature bomb gripped in the palm of one
hand and vision obscured, QiLeren rushed towards the giant.
The only thing that remained in his mind was that he couldn‘t
fail, couldn‘t die, not here. He needed to survive, even if he had
to risk everything!
Taken off guard by QiLeren‘s abrupt change in direction, the
giant paused for a second before thinking to raise its stick
again. This gave QiLeren time to dart into the giant‘s muscled
leg and, gritting his teeth against the overwhelming stench,
activated the bomb.
With the giant as ground zero, everything within a three metre
radius was reduced to charred cinder in the following
explosion. QiLeren lost consciousness at the moment of the
explosion, before blinking into awareness at the save location
and being thrown onto his back by remnant shockwaves.
A flash in the system, followed by a message:
[Player QiLeren has met upgrade prerequisites for skill
card [Law of S/L]. Allows the holder to create a save file at
the position in which this skill is activated. If the holder
experiences a fatal wound or death within a time limit of 30
seconds, they will be returned to a specific location and
state as per the save file and a subsequent countdown will
triggered immediately. Save files will expire after 30
seconds if unused. A maximum of three save files can be
created per use, after which the skill will be subject to a
cooldown of 1 hour. Sometimes death is the only way to
survive. (Current use is subject to upgraded conditions)]
The upgrade could not have come at more opportune time.
Before QiLeren could get too ecstatic, in his peripheral vision
emerged the wolves, having finished their fight for rations, less
than twenty metres away and fast approaching.
Thirty seconds was enough. He wasn‘t going to run away
again – this time, he was going to resolve the problem for once
and for all!
The first wolf lunged for its prey and sunk its teeth into
QiLeren‘s arm. The pain that flared up his wrist was nearly
enough to make him drop the dagger as he mustered up all the
strength in his body to plunge the blade into the wolf‘s back
instead. With a pained howl the wolf began tearing into his
flesh, to which QiLeren responded in kind, taking particular
care to protect his neck. When both parties were sufficiently
wounded, he slit his throat and reverted a save.
Blinking awake, QiLeren could see the wolf that had bitten him
lying on the ground, seconds from death. The other two
hesitated at the perimeter, cowed by his earlier burst of mania,
wasting time that QiLeren didn‘t have. He ran at them with a
guttural cry that sent the wolves fleeing into the forest.
QiLeren collapsed heavily onto the ground. Reading two save
files had sapped all the strength out of his body, to the point
where he wasn‘t sure if he could muster the same power if he
had to do it again.
But no matter – he had won, and with one remaining bomb to
boot. He could only afford to buy three, making any saved a
valuable resource.
Pushing himself up on trembling legs, QiLeren wiped a hand
over his face and made his way over to ground zero. What
remained of the giant‘s body was now no more than charcoal,
mere rubble beneath a floating treasure box identical to the
one that appeared when they killed the murderer in the tutorial.
Seems that the game also granted rewards for defeating mini-
bosses.
The chest opened as QiLeren placed his finger on the lock to
reveal a skill card. Elation flooded QiLeren upon reading the
description:
[Rain-Day Laundry] (Non-Binding Skill Card): Passive skill.
In the overcast of looming storm, housewives will often
look to the sky in worry to estimate when the rain will
arrive, and whether they will have time to retrieve the
laundry. While skill is activated, players will sense the
shadows cast before coming events – though, of course,
this is not a given. Up to 3 threats may be detected within
24 hours. Remaining uses: 3/3.
An forecast type card, just like SuHe had suggested. The type
he was looking for!
Though…
QiLeren considered the two card slots on his belt woefully. One
was used for S/L, while the other one was for the bloodthirsty
dagger, which could only be used when equipped as a card.
Unfortunately, the cooldown timer for S/L would pause as soon
as he took it out of the slot. After some deliberation, QiLeren
decided to swap out the dagger and make do with a normal
one.
As soon as he equipped the laundry skill, QiLeren could feel
his senses sharpen – no, in fact, he felt like his current
situation was extremely dangerous! The feeling was akin to
standing alone in a void – somehow, despite the darkness,
there lurked something just out of reach. It stalked its prey,
eyes glinting with malice, ready to strike…
[Rain-Day Laundry] Remaining uses: 2/3.
It was here.
QiLeren whipped around to face the thin shrubbery, eyes
catching on two pairs of glowing emerald orbs observing him
silently.
The wolves came back?! With a start, he realised that S/L was
still in cooldown.
What could he do? Run away, or…
Hold on, he still had his rations. Letting out a relieved sigh,
QiLeren readied two handfuls; conserved items were of no use
to a dead man, after all. Before he could throw them, two silver
arrows flew past his head. There were twin sounds of dull
impact as something fell to the ground, then silence.
Turning around, QiLeren could just barely make out the pattern
of a sacrificial gown. A familiar black bird flew over and rested
on his shoulder with a chorus of ―yummy food, yummy food‖
without waiting for him to call out.
QiLeren swallowed down his inhibition and yielded a handful of
rations to it. Watching the bird swallow it in one gulp, QiLeren
consoled himself with the fact that he had, ultimately, saved
the other handful.
―Hey,‖ he finally called, ―I don‘t even know your name.‖ She
had saved him twice already, surely she could spare a name.
Unfortunately, his goddess turned away without a hint of
anything on her face that might‘ve indicated that she‘d heard
him at all and disappeared with a gentle disturbance of a
nearby branch. Her bird nipped his ear as a playful
endearment before following its master.
Ah, his goddess was so cold. QiLeren, feeling somewhat like
an abandoned puppy, was forced to re-examine his tastes.
Damn it, he lived for this kind of aloof apathy.
Judging by the direction she left in, it wasn‘t entirely impossible
for her to also be heading to Cave Tower. Maybe they‘d run
into each other at the cave! He really had to get her name
before leaving the instance though, he didn‘t want to go ask
ChenBaiqi. Was his goddess actually mute? Could her bird
have been speaking the truth after all? She hadn‘t uttered a
single word since meeting him.
If so, then the heavens must have been jealous of her beauty.
QiLeren spared a second of tender affection for his goddess.
Did Eventide have a place that taught sign language? If it was
for her, he was willing to learn to the best of his ability!
Maybe it was time to get back on track and head to Cave
Tower.
QiLeren recollected himself and approached the wolves‘
bodies. As expected, a silver arrow adorned the crown of each
wolf. He chose one to pull out and – failed? He looked at his
palms in disbelief, now red from gripping the arrow, before
rubbing them together and trying again, to no avail.
Still puzzling over the pain, QiLeren wrapped the corner of his
gown around his palm to produce more friction. This time he
pushed the wolf‘s head down with his foot as he pulled with his
entire body, which sent him toppling to the ground when the
arrow slipped through his hands. He hit the dirt in frustration –
was this what girls felt like in the face of stubborn water
bottles?
God, his goddess‘ arm strength was incredible. Her bow was
definitely too hard for normal people to pull back.
In the end, QiLeren was forced to sulkily pry the arrow out with
his dagger, splattered in blood and extremely miserable. Giving
up, he walked back to the stream to wash the arrow and
reapply ointment to his wounds while bidding silent thanks to
his goddess‘ generosity.
Having finally taken care of pressing matters, QiLeren ate a
light snack before making his way to the cave within the giant
camp.
In the hazy dusk of twilight, the promise of a tower beckoned to
him.
 Chapter 40: Witchcraft Sacrifice (IX)

The cauldron of mysterious green liquid was still bubbling

away in the middle of the camp. Curiosity piqued, QiLeren
leaned over for a look and was immediately hit by an
overwhelming odour; this was not mere food poisoning level
but straight up murder. The giants truly lived a hard life if this
was their main cuisine…
QiLeren carefully surveyed his surroundings again. The
corpses around him were ravaged to the point where he would
be hard-pressed to identify them as human remains. Aside
from what little bone and flesh were left after the wolves‘
feeding, the remaining scraps had been thrown into the pot. He
heaved a heavy sigh – he didn‘t even know if they were NPCs
or players, though it was far too late for such questions to be
pondered anymore. Toeing hesitantly at the edge of the cave,
QiLeren tried to peek into the darkness and could just make
out the vague reflection of light on water, likely rainwater
gathering on the concave cave floor.
Something was watching him.
Qi Leren‘s eyes flickered to the system messages, keen
senses sharpened by equipping ―Rain-Day Laundry‖; there
were two out of three uses left for the skill, with the missing use
having been deducted when the wolves approached. Seeing
as the number hasn‘t gone down, perhaps he wasn‘t in danger
after all?
Could it be LuYouxin? No, her presence felt slightly different…
 Given the darkness inside, waiting out the cooldown for S/L at
the entrance was probably better option compared to entering
the cave immediately, which could potentially leave him
vulnerable to unforeseen attacks. It wasn‘t until nightfall that he
set foot into the cave, having filled his stomach and regained
his strength.
The interior, finally illuminated with a lantern he had bought
from Eventide, was larger than he had thought. Light glancing
off the ankle-deep water brought an eerie air to the cave.
Something could easily rush out of the darkness in the next
second, QiLeren thought, something dangerous. Faced with
lurking unknown danger, some degree of fear and
apprehension was to be expected – though the fact that his
goddess might also be in there brought peace to his heart.
No, hold on, was he doomed to rely on pretty girls to save him
from danger forever?! And it‘s already happened multiple
times! Where was his value as a person?
The underground cave was immensely large. Now past the
shallow water, QiLeren found himself once again standing on
dry land. Stalactites dripped from the stone walls around him,
blending into the murky darkness beyond his lantern. The dim
lighting made navigation difficult as he continued his venture
deeper into the cave, which seemed to almost stretch
endlessly downwards.
Just how deep was this cave? And where was the tower?
 The deeper QiLeren ventured, the more on edge he felt. The
crushing void threatened to swallow him up with each echoing
step he took, silent and oppressing around his single light
source. Beyond the faint light were shadowy gazes that
whispered soundlessly amongst themselves.
Something snapped with a sharp sound, and QiLeren looked
to his feet. He had stepped on a blanched bone, brittle from the
passage of time and easily broken with gentle pressure.
Perhaps it was once an animal, or perhaps…
QiLeren lifted the lantern and strained to project the light
further. He squinted into the murky distance with the help of its
feeble rays, eyes suddenly widening –
Before him, in the boundless void, he could make out a sea of
ashy white bone – layers upon layers, piled upon one another
to form a vast ocean below the ground with no end in sight.
Phantom ghost fires danced through the air like jellyfish
underwater, glowing an unearthly, fluorescent green. The soft
rays did nothing to illuminate the darkness, rather adding a
touch of psychedelic eeriness.
QiLeren felt ice crawling up his spine; this was a graveyard of
bones. Just how many living creatures were buried here?
A gust of cold wind blew from underground, bringing with it a
rancid, rotten odour. QiLeren tugged the gifted coat tighter
around himself as a full-body shiver washed over him, the
other hand subconsciously reaching for the dagger SuHe had
given him before remembering that he had run out of card
slots. Instead, the dagger equipped was an ordinary one.
 The amount of bone only increased with QiLeren‘s venture
deeper into the cave. Some looked to be the remains of wild
animals, while others were more difficult to identify; QiLeren
was fairly sure he had seen a fang as long and thick as his
arm. He couldn‘t begin to guess at what kind of animal that
might have belonged to, or even if it was a creature that
existed on earth at all. Perhaps it was native to this world, like
the giant outside the cave.
Despite having prepared himself, QiLeren was nevertheless
taken aback when he reached a skeleton at least ten metres
long with a skull that was bigger than his entire body and two
massive, jagged wings, likely to have belonged to a colossal
dragon. It must have cut an impressive figure before its death.
Now, however, reduced to crumbling bone half-buried under
the earth, just one in the sea of others just like it, it was hard to
envision its past majesty.
The needling prick of an unwelcome gaze drew QiLeren out
of his stupor. Pretending to not have noticed, he made a show
of being drawn to the skeleton and observed the entrance out
of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, a pale shadow flashed
past behind the stalactite – a person who had followed him,
now hidden quietly there.
QiLeren could feel his heart pound in his chest at this
mysterious stranger of unknown intentions who had tailed him
the entire way. There was no way to tell if she was a friend or
enemy, and he wasn‘t about to wait for her to reveal herself.
 Caution, and pre-emption. QiLeren considered his options,
then calmly walked on as if nothing had happened.
There were several forks in the road before him, each winding
to their own destination. He picked one to enter, then turned off
the lantern as he turned a corner and pressed himself against
the wall to await his shadow.
Darkness enveloped his surroundings save for the faint glow
of moss on the rock walls, without which he would be entirely
blind. In the silence, QiLeren could hear only the sound of his
own quietened breathing and the pitter patter of water, dripping
from the ceiling onto the ground with faint echoing plops.
Dampened footsteps drew closer and closer to his hiding
spot; the person was approaching with caution and lingering
delay. The dim lighting brought her some difficulty, he
concluded when he heard the tell-tale sound of her tripping on
a rock, and she likely had no real way of seeing in the dark.
If that was the case… QiLeren reconsidered his options and
came up with a better course of action. Dagger gripped in one
hand, he placed a hand on the switch of the lantern. As soon
as the footsteps reached him, he turned the lantern on and
tossed it into the corner towards her–
In the blinding light, his shadow let out a low cry as QiLeren
pinned her to the ground, icy blade of the dagger resting
against her throat and just shy of drawing blood. It was only
then that he finally opened his eyes fully, identifying the girl
beneath him with astonishment, ―Anna?!‖
It was Anna, the NPC on the carriage with him.
Now recovered from the makeshift flash bomb QiLeren had
thrown at her, Anna started sobbing in horror. ―Are you going
to kill me too?‖ she asked tearfully. ―I don‘t want to die… I just
want to go home! Please, please, I‘m begging you, please
don‘t kill me!‖
―Why were you tailing me?‖ QiLeren asked, frowning.
―I…I‘m scared…someone wants to kill me, I‘m scared you
want to kill me too, but I don‘t want to die…‖ Frightened tears
welled up in her emerald eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
―I don‘t know where to run…‖
―Where‘s Elle?‖
―I don‘t know… We got separated while we were running
away.‖ Anna tried to curl into herself, eyeing the dagger
against her neck with panic.

Finally at ease, QiLeren withdrew his dagger. ―You should go

outside, it‘s not safe in here. The forest is very big and it‘s easy
to hide from people there.‖

―Okay, I‘ll go right away,‖ Anna said, still quivering as she

walked towards the entrance.
 Watching her retreating figure, QiLeren suddenly felt as if
something was not quite right, and that something was going to
happen if he let the girl go off alone like this. ―Wait,‖ he called,
picking up his lantern and jogging to catch up with her, ―I‘ll walk
with you. It‘s too dark in here.‖
Anna‘s pallid face gave way to a grateful smile. ―That‘s very
kind of you, thank you…‖

The two walked through the winding tunnels of the cave side
by side, returning once again to the graveyard of bones. To
combat the oppressive silence around them, QiLeren grasped
for a topic of conversation. ―How did you get chosen for the
ritual?‖ he asked.
Tears started welling up in Anna‘s eyes again. ―I don‘t
know…‖ she mumbled. ―The emblem just appeared on my
hand one day, then I got taken away and locked up. Some girls
ran away, but I was too scared and…and got taken here…‖
Elle did mention that six girls had run away. Two of them
must have been where the emblems on his and his goddess‘
hands came from. ―One ritual every three years… Are there
that many young girls in the few villages around here?‖
Anna blinked. ―Some girls get kidnapped from other places.
Aren‘t you one of them?‖
If he were to consider the setting of the quest, then the six
players were probably the sacrifices who got kidnapped from
other places indeed. He hummed vaguely in lieu of answering,
and asked–
[Rain-Day Laundry] Remaining uses: 1/3.
Shit!
QiLeren reacted on instinct, dropping the lantern and diving to
the side in a flash, uncaring of the broken bones they had been
wading through. A sharp wind glanced past his body but failed
to cleave him in two.
Blood flowed freely from a cut on his forehead as QiLeren
struggled to push himself up, sharp pains wracking his body
and vision dyed a bloody crimson. ―Damn,‖ Anna sighed
delicately, tone frosty as the sabre-staff in her hand, ―you‘re a
lot more on guard than I thought.‖
Taking in the sabre-staff that had appeared out of thin air,
QiLeren finally knew why something had always seemed off
about Anna. This person was never an NPC – from the very
beginning, she was just a player pretending to be one!
 Chapter 41: Witchcraft Sacrifice (X)

The discarded lantern illuminated QiLeren‘s surroundings with

bleak lighting, twisting Anna‘s soft features into a sickening
echo of what it was. Even the demure lilt of her voice carried
cold malice in its newly animated cadence. ―You‘re pretty quick
on your feet. I‘ve killed so many idiots with that trick.‖
―You‘re a player too?‖ QiLeren responded absentmindedly,
mind racing to find a course of action. This was not a hopeless
situation. It was a good thing he had waited out the cooldown
before entering the cave or he‘d really be in trouble. It was not
impossible to fight back if he timed his skills carefully.
―Uh-huh, what else would I be? What did you think of my
acting?‖ Anna stepped towards QiLeren with a cheery smile,
brittle bone shattering beneath her feet. ―I suppose it‘s fine that
you‘ve evaded me this once, since now you can bear witness
to my magnificent performance. Go on, thank me for allowing
you to witness this incredible show before you die.‖
Pausing, Anna placed a light touch onto the card slots on her
belt. Almost immediately QiLeren could feel the temperature
around them plummet, and a flash of pain made him retract his
hand from his sprawl on the ground; a mere second of contact
with the ground had evoked a pain akin frostbite.
There was a rustling noise in his ear. In the restless chaos, the
white bones previously on the ground have risen to form a sea
of skeletons.
―Come with me, my departed ones, to dance our tango of the
afterlife,‖ Anna sang with a theatrical flourish, daintily gathering
her skirt to curtsy into the void. With the sabre in her hand, the
skeletons rose like marionettes under her lined fingers into an
undead army.
―But first,‖ the smiling girl pointed the tip of her sabre at
QiLeren, ―a seat for our audience.‖ The bones under his feet
formed an ashen throne with extraordinary speed at her
command, twisting into shackles around his ankles. QiLeren‘s
heart sank; he had gotten too distracted by the startling sight,
but at this point he was curious enough to watch this
performance play out.
Perhaps he had died enough times to become numb to the
thought, enough to calculate for the best time for his own death
with indifference. That…was a worrying thought.
―Please allow me to introduce our many esteemed guests for
today. First, this long-extinct sabre-toothed tiger.‖ Brandishing
her blade with a smile, the skeleton of a colossal beast strode
towards QiLeren. The glowing blue flame of its soul piloted its
limbs with the ease of a living creature as it rested its front
paws on the throne, deadly fangs centimetres away from his
throat as if it was going to bit down at any second.
QiLeren quashed down the panic in his chest and levelled
Anna with a calm look. Rather than fearlessness, his bravo
mostly stemmed from the fact that he had an ace up his
sleeve; if worst came to worst, he could do what he did with the
giant and take them down with him.
Anna arched a delicate eyebrow. ―It seems our audience is
unsatisfied with your performance. Then let‘s invite out our
next guest, the also long-extinct Titanoboa!‖
More sounds of bones clacking against each other joined the
echo of her cold yet inexplicably exited voice. Beyond the glow
of his lantern, a blue flame flickered to life and with it a huge
creature of some sort awakened from its death. It swam,
slowly, towards QiLeren on the ground of stone and bones.
―But the one that I love the most is him, after all,‖ Anna sighed.
She runs a loving finger lightly along the skeletoned wing of a
slumbering dragon. ―It‘s truly a pity it takes a sacrifice to rouse
him from his sleep… Poor, pitiful little girl, would you help me?‖
QiLeren did not reply.
―You should be thanking me,‖ Anna continued quietly, as she
commanded the Titanoboa skeleton to constrict its bony body
painfully around QiLeren. ―Maybe you‘ll get to go home after
you die. But not me. I don‘t want to go home at all. How could I
give up all the wonderful possibilities this world has yet to offer
me?‖
She smiled, dipping into another curtsy. ―Goodbye, little girl. I
wish you a safe journey.‖
A glint of light deeper into the cave made QiLeren hesitate as
he prepared to save. The head of a silver arrow pierced
through Anna‘s chest a second later, freezing the smile on her
face as she slowly crumpled to the ground with wide eyes.
When she touched her hands to her chest, they came back
stained a sticky crimson. ―No…‖ she wheezed, ―this…can‘t…‖
Lacking the strength to look back at her murderer, she could
only fix QiLeren with a venomous glare. A bloody hand weakly
rested upon the belt at her waist. ―Come…with me…‖ she
gurgled weakly, retching up a mouthful of blood before
slumping over, lifeless.
In the resulting cacophony of bone on bone, the flames of the
undead army flicked and died as skeletons fell apart and back
to the ground. QiLeren hit the ground with a yelp on his tongue
– the throne he sat on had, similarly, been reduced to pieces.
A series of footsteps from the depths of the cave drew
QiLeren‘s attention as a tall silhouette emerged from the
depths over the bone-covered surface.
It was her!
―My Goddess!‖ QiLeren scrambled up from the ground and
excitedly jogged over to greet her. ―Thank you for saving me!‖
His goddess‘ footsteps halted as an uneasy expression
overcame her lantern-lit features. Before QiLeren could take
advantage of this opportune time to strike up a conversation,
the black bird on her shoulder screeched a sharp ―Enemy,
enemy!‖ in warning.
QiLeren stared at it in disbelief. It was a wonder how his
goddess hasn‘t roasted it yet considering it lied even to her.
At the bird‘s warning, his goddess unsheathed the knives from
their scabbards at her thighs without wasting a single second.
Almost at the same time came a system notification:
[Rain-Day Laundry]: Remaining uses: 0/3. Cooldown
remaining 23:59:59.
The bird was right?!
A faint light glowing from underground filled the dark cave; it
was not the green of the ghost lights from before, but a cool
blue like the flame of an undead soul. Flames and beams of
light erupted from the ground beneath their feet, forming a
dizzyingly complex magic circle that encircled the two with
alarming speed. Within the rumbling commotion, falling debris
sealed the entrance of the cave.
Something – his goddess‘ hand – clamped around QiLeren‘s
wrist and without warning pulled him firmly deeper into the
cave. QiLeren stumbled at the sudden motion, nearly falling as
they fled from the roar that shook the cave behind them.
The skeleton of a dragon had awakened from its deep slumber
of death, QiLeren realised as he glanced back while running.
The blue flame of its soul burned brightly in its skull as it
emerged from the grave of its peers, back in the world of the
living once again as its ruler like it once was. With its
resurrection the legions of the dead raised itself, having been
granted another life, and advanced on the two fleeing humans.
Dragged by the wrist, QiLeren ducked into the shelter of a
stoned passageway. He soon realised that it wouldn‘t be quite
enough when the dragon flapped its wings of white bone and
charged at the opening – their surroundings trembled with the
resulting bang as the two narrowly dodged a rocky avalanche.
The dragon landed at the passageway before the dust could
even settle, raising its head as the flame licked up its spine to
gather at its mouth until it was blasted into the stone walls.
The walls crumbled into sand.
Instead of death, what awaited QiLeren was, surprisingly, an
underground canyon. With her hand still clenched tightly
around his wrist his goddess tugged both of them over the
ledge, falling into the water amidst the raining debris. The two
sank deeper into the canyon as they drew further away from
the sluggishly sinking chunks whose impact had been softened
by the water.
In the chilling darkness, his goddess‘ hand was a soft warmth
against his. He could make out her faint mermaid-like figure
pulling him smoothly through the water when he opened his
eyes, her hair drifting behind her like a halo among the gentle
neon glow of algae.
Suspended in the dizzying dream of light and shadow, all
QiLeren could hear was the gentle cadence of her coaxing as
she gently pulled him from hell back to the living.
 Chapter 42: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XI)

Qi Leren jumped into the water in a hurry. He didn‘t even hold

his breath. Although he didn‘t stay underwater for a long time,
he felt a strong sense of suffocation in the water pressure
around him. A string of bubbles overflowed from his mouth,
and his brain began to become chaotic. He looked at the
fluorescent water grass in a daze. Everything was dreamy and
empty, as if he was in a blurred dream.
Someone took him by the hand and led him upward, but he
even lost his strength to swim in suffocation..
What a pain..
Qi Leren struggled in the agony of suffocation and drowning.
The arm pulled convulsed several times. The person in front of
him finally realized that something was wrong, but Qi Leren
was almost unconscious.
His eyes could still see what was happening, but his brain was
no longer able to analyze. He stared at her turning around, her
black hair spreading in the water, half covering her face. It was
very close and beautiful
Hearing began to slow down, he felt as if he was floating in a
sea of stars. The cold light of stars came into his eyes through
the silent universe. Every light he saw was the remnant of stars
hundreds of millions of years ago. In this silent and great time
and space, everything was quiet and slow, making people calm
down or even forget the fear of death.
She took him by the waist, held his back head with one hand,
and kissed him on the lips.
Fresh oxygen poured into his mouth. He couldn‘t help
breathing in the air greedily, even bit her lips when the
temperature left.
The water surface was getting closer and closer. Finally, they
rushed out of the water and swam to the shore. Goldess had
amazing physical strength. After such a toss, she easily
supported the ground with hands and landed on the bank. Qi
Leren lay on the bank and gasped. He looked at goldess with
more admiration
Goldess glanced down at him. Her eyes paused for a second
on his chest, and held out her hands.
Qi Leren took a long breath as he clambered onto the bank,
clutching goddess‘s hand.
Wait, did he just kiss with goddess? Qi Leren suddenly recalled
what happened under the water, which was unbelievable for a
while. Or was it just an illusion of suffocation?
Qi Leren glanced at goldess‘s lips secretly. The light around
was too dark. The brightness brought by the fluorescent moss
was not enough for him to see clearly. He was so anxious that
he wanted to thank her several times, but didn‘t know how to
start.
If it weren‘t for goldess, he would be in a real dangerous
situation. Even if he succeeded in killing Anna with S/L Skill,
Anna‘s terrifying call of skeleton dragon before death was
powerful enough to kill him tens of times. This kind of creature
couldn‘t be fooled with rations. If being crushed under a stone,
he would be in a dead situation that couldn‘t be saved no
matter how many times he reloaded.
Fortunately, goddess rushed into the cave and jumped down
into the underground lake without hesitation. She came in an
hour earlier than him. She should have found out the terrain
inside. But this kind of resolute death-will was not seen in
ordinary people.
It seemed that the goddess was a lady with many stories, Qi
Leren thought.
The temperature under the ground was lower than that on the
ground. In addition, it‘s already late at night. Qi Leren, who just
came out of the water, was shivering because of a cold wind.
He didn‘t know where his coat had been gone in the water
before. He tried to warm himself by shaking his arms, and was
immediately wrapped in a coat by goddess.
——How much do you like this kind of men‘s coat? It‘s the
same style!
Qi Leren cried in her heart… but put it on immediately.
It‘s really much warmer.
But goddess was really shy. She hadn‘t looked at his face
since just now. She was a person that would be shy even
when looking at a girl…So lovely.
Qi Leren happily planned how to take this opportunity to get
along with goldess and cultivate feelings. Many hero and
heroine in novels and TV series had love sparks exactly in
such dangerous environments. Definitely, he could do it with
his goddess!
A strange cry came from the top. A big black bird flew down
and stopped on goldess‘s outstretched arm. It rubbed the
goddess‘s face intimately.
——Go away, you funny stupid bird! Goddess is mine!
Qi Leren glared at the big black bird, but it ignored him at all. It
whispered to goddess, ―A large group coming, bones, cracking
and clicking.‖
Goldess frowned. She nodded and signaled Qi Leren to follow
up. They went deeper into the cave.
The cave had labyrinth and maze like passages. Though Qi
Leren was good at memorizing maps, he was also confused.
Finally they came to a place where the fluorescent moss was
bright. He hurried forward to look at goddess‘s lips – it was
really bitten.
His heart beat faster. It was not his illusion. He did kiss
goddess underwater?!
No, no more thinking. It was just artificial respiration.
But he really cared much about it..
Qi Leren was almost suffocated. He tried to talk with goddess
for several times, but goddess always looked serious. She was
too cold to get close. Even so, that gorgeous side face was
attractive enough for him.
I have to find a way to talk to goddess. Qi Leren cheered
himself up in his heart. Just as he was about to open his
mouth, goddess stopped and made a silent gesture to him.
Qi Leren held his breath and listened to the movement around
him.
Click, click, click… There was a low and odd sound of
footsteps, accompanied by the hitting sound of components. Qi
Leren quickly pictured a walking skeleton in his brain, walking
towards them.
Sure enough, a blue light lit up in the front passage. Soon, a
skeleton soldier with a rusty weapon appeared at the corner. It
found the existence of the two people and walked toward them
quickly!
Five meters, four meters, three meters… The terrifying
skeleton soldier was getting closer and closer. Qi Leren was so
nervous that her heart was almost convulsed. Swish! The two
swords of goddess came out of the scabbard, the black bird
flew away from her shoulder, and she rushed up like an arrow.
How fast! Almost in the blink of time, she rushed to the front of
the skeleton soldier and brushed two knives. She cut off the
bone of his hand holding the weapon with one knife and
chopped off his head cleanly with another. The skull with the
fire of the soul fell to the ground, then it was crushed by her
foot. The flame went out in the passage, bringing darkness
back. The whole process only lasted for three or four seconds
and was incredibly fast.
Qi Leren swallowed his saliva, and couldn‘t help applauding
goddess. Goddess looked back at him. The black bird fell back
on her shoulder, and said with menace, ―Keep it down! Are you
looking for death? ―
Qi Leren quickly stopped and gave a resentful look at the black
bird. He had fallen to depend on a lady and be taught how to
behave by a big black bird… Miserable, it‘s really miserable.
Qi Leren swallowed all the prepared words back after such an
interruption, so he had to be a junior attendant of goddess
silently, trying to wait for the opportunity.
Now his foreboding skill had entered a 24-hour cooldown,
which couldn‘t be used for the time being. Qi Leren could only
follow goddess.
Deep in the cave, the terrain was very complex. Unfortunately,
there were more and more skeleton soldiers and many
skeleton beasts. They two failed to avoid them even they
detoured several times. But fortunately, goddess was a
powerful fighter. When she saw the skeletons galloping up, she
would crack the skeletons and them down.
Qi Leren quietly praised the spirit of ―don’t be frightened, just
do it‖. It was simple and rude, and he liked it.
―It’s not scientific… Is there no call time for skeleton dragon?
There are more and more skeletons if it doesn’t die.‖ Qi Leren
muttered.
As he spoke, another group of skeletons appeared in front.
Goldess took a meaningful look at him, raised her knives and
went up. She cleared up the skeletons like cutting melons and
vegetables, and then came back.
Because of the inconvenience of frequent takeoff and landing,
the big black bird simply chose Qi Leren‘s shoulder as the
landing place. It pecked at his head and said, ―Shut up. No
talk! You crow beak! ―
He was mocked by a black bird! Qi Leren was about to refute
this kind of stigma when, suddenly, the front was enlightened—
—
In the huge underground cavity, a towering and terrifying
skeleton dragon was falling from the top. Seeing the two
people, it raised the head with the soul flame and sent out a
terrifying dragon cry.
At this moment, Qi Leren sincerely regretted for the first time: I
will never speak randomly any more…
 Chapter 43: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XII)

This time, the escape was more dangerous than the last one.
Because the passage was spacious enough, the skeleton
dragon chased into the cave passage with amazing speed. Its
body composed of white bones was as huge as a mountain,
and every step brought the tremor of the ground. Fortunately,
the intensity of the sound flame seemed to have not recovered.
It had not spewed out the horrible death dragon breath
temporarily. Otherwise, they two would die here immediately.
Qi Leren ran while being pulled by the goddess. Several times,
he felt that he was running so fast that his legs had already
been lifted out of the air. Before he remembered to land, he
had been dragged out several meters away. But even they
were running at this kind of non-human speed, the skeleton
dragon was still chasing closer and closer.
“Let’s run separately!” Cried Qi Leren, panting.
Goddess didn‘t respond. She took his hand and ran across a
fork in the road. They two had already escaped into the most
complex passages in the cave maze. Several criss-cross
shaped passages were overlapped and zigzagged. If they went
straight to the exit, they would be seen at a glance. Therefore,
they two simply circled in the maze passage and briefly shook
off the skeleton dragon to get a little breathing.
“I mean it, I know how to revive…” Qi Leren said as he
lowered his voice and coughed. He had ran so fast that his
lungs were dry and his breath was painful. Dare not cough
loudly, he was so suffocated that his eyes were red. He
said, “Cough… Later, I’ll run to the Underground Lake to
lead him away. You can go out later and jump into the lake
and flee with the undercurrent, or you can just go another
way and hide deeper. This summoning magic can’t be
permanent. You can go back to untie the seal of Cave
Tower when you are safe. Anna’s body is still on it. This
was the best way to make both of us live. If we escape like
this, we will be caught up sooner or later. Then there will
be only a dead end! ”
The cold blue eyes fixed on him, and then she shook her head
firmly.
“No, listen to me!” Qi Leren took her arms and said
confidently, “When you saved me outside the cave, you
should have seen my skill. Now the skill has finished its
cooltime, so I can use it to escape.” You have saved me
several times. This time it‘s my turn to help you… ‖
The heavy footsteps of skeleton dragon had come from the
side passage. Qi Leren didn‘t know how but had summoned up
the courage. He tried to show a bright smile to goddess and
said, “Anyway, thank you. After this, tell me your name!”
With these words, he rushed to the direction where the
skeleton dragon was about to appear, and ran to the coming
death without turning back.
The skeleton dragon was attracted by him the little bug that
appeared suddenly. It roared and chased after him. Qi Leren
kept running to the direction of Underground Lake and rushed
out of the passage.
Nothing else was In front of him. The Underground Lake was
just tens of meters away. As long as he had another ten
seconds, he could jump into the lake. But the blue light behind
him suddenly became dazzling, and the rolling blue flame
poured down from the top of his head like blue magma.
Archive, archive now! Right away!
Almost at the last minute of the archive, he was engulfed in a
sea of soul flame and his fragile body was instantly destroyed.
This time, the death was too long. Until the loading time, Qi
Leren was still in the blue sea of fire. The cold soul flame was
like a frozen hell. Before he realized anything, he had died
again.
It wasn‘t until the second loading that the flame went out, but
there was scorched earth all around. Qi Leren had lost his
mind for a second before he rushed straight to Underground
Lake.
Obviously, skeleton dragon didn‘t understand why the little bug
survived the dragon breath. It hesitated for a moment, then
rushed to him. The hesitation gave Qi Leren a chance to
escape, and he plunged into the water.
The icy water passed over his head. Finally the skeleton
dragon did not catch up with him, but wandered on the shore.
Qi Leren held his breath and sank. Until now, the pain of being
burned to death caused by the dragon breath slowly returned
to his consciousness. The sequelae of continuous loading also
emerged. He felt limb weakness and mental fatigue. He even
dare not recall the pain of death. The huge pain from skin to
internal organs while being swallowed by dragon breath was
more terrible than any death. At that moment, he almost
doubted that his soul was destroyed by the cold but burning
fire.
It was terrible. He was not sure whether he could summon up
the courage to fight again.
Goddess should be all right. Qi Leren thought in the bottom of
the water. The oxygen in his lungs was almost exhausted. He
floated up slowly and wanted to take a breath.
The world overhead seemed strange in the dim light. Just as
he crept to the surface of the water and took a deep breath to
continue to sink down, his eyes were fixed on the rock wall in
the distance, staring at the goddess who appeared there when
he didn‘t notice.
In a cave above the cliff, goddess was aiming her long bow
and arrow at the skeleton dragon lying beside the Underground
Lake. Behind her, the phantom of a huge six winged angel
emerged. The golden halo covered her figure, making her
whole body flow with holy light.
The sound came from the broken air, and the arrow with dark
golden streamer drew a bright arc in the darkness. The
skeleton dragon seemed to notice it and raised its head
slightly, but the arrow had already hit the burning soul flame in
its abdomen.
The blue flame was instantly frozen away. A layer of frost gas
wrapped it with visible speed. Taking the skeleton dragon as
the center, the frost spread rapidly on the ground. Even the
Underground Lake also experienced a sudden temperature
drop, floating a thin layer of cold ice.
The frost flowers in the sky burst, turning the huge skeleton
dragon into countless white bones covered with ice and
breaking the ground.
It was so dark and far away, but Qi Leren‘s vision collided with
the person on the cliff. He was too cold to speak, but he tried to
show a stiff smile. second, goddess and the phantom of
blazing angel disappeared together in a cave on the cliff. Qi
Leren couldn‘t help but feel lost.
It was probably too cold in the Underground Lake, which
floated up the broken ice. He tried several times but failed to
climb up the bank. His body was frozen stiff. His hand
scratched a blood trail on the ground, which was covered with
ice and gravel, but he didn‘t feel any pain because of the cold.
But if he stayed like this, he would freeze to death sooner or
later. He must go ashore.
So Qi Leren breathed out on his hand, rubbed the bruised
palm, propped up his weak body and went ashore. But when
he lifted his foot, he lost balance. He failed to stand on the
ground and e fell back into the water.
After the arrow that killed the skeleton dragon, the temperature
around suddenly dropped. Even the water temperature of
Underground Lake was close to zero. Qi Leren was so cold
that he was unconscious. He drifted in the water in a trance.
His frozen brain was unable to think about where he was.
Could he go home if he died?
Once again, the long suppressed question came to his mind,
making him want to escape from all the terrible things here and
return to the real world.
Maybe if he died, he could go back…
There came a dull sound into the water. Qi Leren tried to open
his tired eyes. In the dim light, he saw someone swimming
towards him. It was still that beautiful face, but with obvious
worry and anxiety on the once cold face. Qi Leren smiled at
her and wanted to tell her that he was OK.
He was very happy to have helped her, if only a little. Even if
he knew that she was much more powerful than himself, but he
still wanted to protect her. The mood would never change due
to their physical strength.
If you liked a person, you would become brave.
Back on the shore, Qi Leren slumped on the ground, coughing
and shivering. Unconsciously, he had drunk a lot of ice water
which full-illed his stomach and made him cold all over.
Goddess, who saved him, still pulled his wrist and his hand to
check his wound, which had been soaked into white in the
water. The wound, scratched by the sand on the ground when
he struggled to land, spread from the fingertip to the palm.
“It doesn’t hurt, really… Cough… ” Qi Leren said with a
shudder. As a cold wind poured into his lungs, he coughed
heavily,which in turn injected energy into his tired body after
repeatedly loading the archives. He felt as if he had really
come back from the cold bottom of the water.
He wanted to applaud the brilliant shot of the goddess, but was
suddenly hugged.
Goddess‘s clothes were also cold and wet, but her skin was
warm. She knelt on the ground and hugged him tightly.
This hug was so powerful that Qi Leren, who had few physical
contact with people, had realized for the first time that it felt so
good to be hugged by people he liked.
Suddenly, he felt like he had the whole world.
 Chapter 44: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XIII)

Hugged by the goddess, Qi Leren was too excited to say

anything. He shivered for a long time before he got up the
courage to clap the goddess‘s back.
Goddess let him go and looked at him anxiously.
Qi Leren was so fascinated by the beautiful blue eyes of
goddess that he stared at the glass like eyes. Then he found
himself reflected in her eyes, pale and wet, shivering like a
hapless quail who was at a loss after falling into the water.
Maybe he looked too miserable, goldess carefully wrapped a
coat for him, picked him up and strode to the deep cave.
Qi Leren in the arms of the mature lady: …
It‘s a shame. He‘d better cover my face.
The seemed-endless passage when he was chased by
skeleton dragon was much shorter when they went back.
Soon, goddess stopped. Qi Leren, who was so humiliated that
covered his eyes with one hand and pretended to sleep,
peeped through his fingers, and just hit the sight of goddess.
He paused and closed his fingers in silence.
He felt more shameful. How could he face such a shameful
scene after changing back?
When they arrived at the grottoes deep in the cave, Qi Leren
was put down, shivering in his thick coat, and unable to stand
up in the cold. Goldess skillfully took out the dry firewood from
the package and lit the fire. Finally, the surrounding area
became warm. Qi Leren took a breath of relief and moved to
the fireside. He reached out above the fire and warmed
himself.
Goldess sat down beside him, took his hands and drugged
him.
The hands, bruised from his struggle to reach the shore, were
still icy. But goldess‘s hand was warm. She frowned and
carefully cleaned the wound with alcohol. As soon as the
alcohol touched the wound, Qi Leren screamed loudly and
tried to draw back his hand like an electric shock. However,
goldess held his wrist very hard and picked out the broken
sand and stone firmly, which made Qi Leren tearful. Even so,
he tried to hold back the tears because he didn‘t want to lose
face before his favorite goddess.
Maybe he looked so pitiful, goldess hesitated for a moment
and touched his head stiffly to encourage him. Qi Leren looked
at her inexplicably, then she quickly took back her hand and
continued to clean the wound for him.
The wounds on both hands were cleared, drugged and
wrapped in gauze. Even the forehead hurt by Anna‘s sneak
attack was carefully treated. Qi Leren touched the gauze on his
head, and praised, “Goddess, how well you did!”
Goldess‘s face was a little red in the fire. But she still didn‘t say
a word.
Qi Leren couldn‘t help but think more. Goldess was so skilled
at cleaning the wound. She must have been injured frequently
and suffered a lot. The more he thought about it, the more
distressed he felt. He looked at goddess with a tender care.
The black bird of Goddess also came back. It seemed that it
had the ability to find its own master, flying through such a
complex passage and coming back to the goddess. Seeing
poor Qi Leren wrapped in gauze, it didn‘t mock him but looked
at him, stopped on his shoulder and rubbed his face.
Qi Leren was flattered, but also frightened. The bird rubbing his
face was more frightening than the goddess hugging him!
Fortunately, the bird soon went back to goddess. Qi Leren was
relieved. He felt more natural to be mocked by the bird than to
be intimate with it. Did he really get used to be an M?
The campfire was burning. Qi Leren felt warmer. He took a sip
of hot water handed over by goddess. The cold air in his
stomach was dispelled. He sighed contentedly. Goddess took
out a towel, sat behind him and wiped his wet hair. Qi Leren
held the water and sat quietly. He couldn‘t help but feel that
goldess was a girl who was cold in appearance but gentle in
heart. It was so nice.
When goddess wiped his hair, Qi Leren had all kinds of
strange ideas in mind. How old was goddess. Why goldess
didn‘t say anything… By the way, he didn‘t even know the
name of goddess yet.
“You promised me you will tell me your name!” Qi Leren
suddenly said.
The person behind him stopped to wipe his hair. She kept
silent, and then continued to gently wipe the water in his hair.
Qi Leren could not help but feel uneasy and sat there
apprehensively. He didn‘t know how to make it, so he
pretended that he didn‘t say that.
The hair was carefully dried and combed from the top to the
end. It was still a little damp, neatly arranged and spreading on
the shoulders. Goldess put away the towel and the comb, sat
down beside him, grabbed his bandaged hand, and wrote her
name on his wrist – Ning Zhou,.
What a beautiful name! Just like the beautiful goddess! Qi
Leren had already become a huge fan of goddess. With the
thought that “my goddess is perfect” in mind, even if
goddess was called “donkey egg”, he would feel the name
cute.
“Ning Zhou…” Qi Leren murmured. He showed a bright smile
and said, “My name is Qi Leren, as I said before.”
Ning Zhou nodded. A faint smile appeared on her bright but
serious face.
Goddess, goddess is smiling at me! It‘s worth my life! Qi Leren
was so excited that he blinked to goddess to express his
admiration. It seemed that goddess received his signal and
blushed her ears, not daring to look into his eyes.
Goddess was so cute! The cold mature lady with long legs and
a beautiful face was actually a shy girl inside. No one could
refuse this kind of setting!
Qi Leren felt that he was full of strength. He was not afraid to
fight a skeleton dragon again!
Seeing that goldess‘s hair and clothes were still wet, Qi Leren
asked apologetically, “Let me help you wipe your hair?”
Ning Zhou shook her head. She took up his hand, and wrote
on his wrist: [sleep for a while].
Qi Leren, wrapped in a thick coat, nodded. It was true that he
had exhausted his energy after continuous loadings. Not to
mention that he had had one more such continuous loading
just an hour ago. It was a spent force to have supported
himself to now. When he lay on the ground, endless fatigue
began to toll up. He couldn‘t open his eyes but simply rolled up
the blanket that had been taken out from the package and lay
down.
It was clear that he was still in dangerous conditions, but he fell
asleep peacefully. This time, there was no chaotic and tense
dream to disturb him. He fell into a silent world.
Half asleep and half awake, he felt cold and curled up.
Someone helped him to tuck in the blanket on his body, and
covered him with another piece of clothing.
When he woke up, Qi Leren sat up from the ground and looked
around in a daze.
The blanket and clothing on his body slipped down. Qi Leren
grabbed his hair, and finally remembered where he was.
Ning Zhou‘s black bird fluttered to his side and stared at him
with the black eyes.
“Where is the goddess?” Qi Leren looked left and right, but
couldn‘t find her. He got nervous. But the bird watching him still
stayed here, which should mean she didn‘t leave.
“Clean up, collect the body.” Black bird actually understood
his words. Although with a strange voice, it answered his
question.
“You can understand human language?!” Qi Leren was
thrilled. He always thought that the bird could just repeat what
it heard.
The black bird pecked his leg angrily to express its
dissatisfaction. It seemed that it could really understood.
Worthy of being a bird of goddess! A bird that understands
human language!
When the person and the bird were staring at each other, Ning
Zhou came back and brought Anna‘s body with her. Qi Leren
looked at Anna‘s waist in the spirit of research – sure enough,
the belt disappeared with the player‘s death. Su He had told
him in Eventide that if a player died, all the system items would
disappear, even the belt. So it was very difficult to rob the skill
card by killing other players. Unless he forced the other party
to hand it over before death. But in this way, what he got was
illegal goods, which would be very difficult to trade out, but
easy to be tracked down by the trial.
Seeing Qi Leren awake, she nodded her head expressionless,
and then beckoned him to follow.
Qi Leren hurriedly got up, gave his coat back to Goddess and
followed her closely.
The cave was deeper than Qi Leren thought. They went inside
for a long time before coming to the Sealed Tower.
Similar to Swamp Tower, the high tower stood in the huge
underground cave, surrounded by white bones, just like the
white bone cemetery at the entrance of the cave. Qi Leren
stood under the tower and touched it, and there was a same
hint as that in the Swamp Tower.
Ning Zhou took a look at him, threw Anna‘s body on the
ground, and motioned Qi Leren to remove the seal.
“Me? No, no, no, you go. ” Qi Leren shook his head and
refused to take advantage of goddess. Ning Zhou didn‘t speak.
She looked at him quietly for a long time but didn‘t move.
Being stared at directly by goldess, Qi Leren had to look down
at his toes and explained, “After all, you have saved me so
many times. I owe you.”
Ning Zhou grabbed his hand and wrote on his wrist: [Be
good].
Goddess asked him to be good! Qi Leren half opened his
mouth, reflecting on his words. Wasn‘t it humility?!
Well, be good…
Qi Leren was actually itching to unseal the tower. Now he had
enough reasons. He was so excited to drag the body to the
Sealed Tower that he almost fell down. Anna… was heavy…
The young girl‘s body was too weak. Qi Leren had known it
well. He rubbed his hands and prepared to try again, but
goddess couldn‘t stand it anymore. She easily put up the body
and threw it in front of the Sealed Tower. She urged him to
hurry up with eyes.
Qi Leren immediately put his bandaged hand on the tower.
Under the bandage, the totem flickered with slight light.
Countless particles flew from the totem to the sealed tower,
surrounding the cave tower like a halo. A moment later, a
beam of dark blue light condensed on the top of the tower,
passed through the stone wall on the top, and rushed to the
sky.
He removed the seal. It‘s time to open the box. Qi Leren put
his finger on the lock of the suspended treasure box and
opened it.
[Primary Combat Skill] (Unbound Skill Card): As the title, you
can use primary combat skill after equipment.
Qi Leren looked at the skill card on his hand and was a little
speechless. This introduction was so perfunctory! Besides, he
didn‘t have enough card slots. He had to figure out which card
should be picked up.
Once again, he touched the treasure box and found another
map. Like the map in Swamp Tower, it was a part of a map. Qi
Leren even forgot the existence of goldess for a short time and
looked at the map wholeheartedly for a while. He took out his
notebook and pen and drew the map of Lu Youxin according to
his memory.
“Goddess, look! I saw another map in Swamp Tower
before. The two maps can be put together. It should be the
next place we are going to. ” Qi Leren said and gave then
notebook to Ning Zhou.
Ning Zhou took a look and nodded to him.
Goddess is looking with appreciation. She must think I am very
capable! Qi Leren was inspired by the sights of goddess. He
patted his chest confidently and said, “I know the way very
well. Don’t worry, goddess. When it’s time to open the
sacrificial underground palace, I’ll you lead the way!”
The black bird suddenly said a dog-leg line with a strange
tone, “Taikun, me menial lead you the way.”
Ning Zhou looked at her bird, then at Qi Leren who was
ashamed and angry, feeling puzzled.
Qi Leren was so awkward and thought in mind: It‘s cold. Cook
the bird.
 Chapter 45: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XIV)

When he left the cave, it was already dawn. Qi Leren reflected

on how long he had slept, then he looked at the goddess. Her
complexion looked good; she probably did rest herself too.
At daybreak, three blue beams connected the sky one after
another. When Qi Leren looked back, the nearest one to them
should be the beam of the tower that had just risen. This light
actually passed through the stratum, and he didn‘t know what
power it was.
―It seems that three towers have been unsealed. The tower in
the east has not been. Let‘s go there and have a look. Maybe
we can unlock the last tower.‖ Qi Leren said to Ning Zhou.
Just as the words fell, far away in the east of the forest, the
fourth beam shot up into the sky.
Blackbird: ―LOLOL.‖
Qi Leren: ―…‖
His face hurt.
But this time, he can finally team up with the goddess, which
was no small progress.
The system prompt will appear soon: [The first step for the
sacrifice of the witch: unseal the seals on the four-sided tower.
4/4 of the currently unlocked four-sided tower. Unlock the
second step: sacrifice the underground palace.]
[Task background: There are countless undead wandering in
the underground palace of the demon, among which seven are
dead witch candidates, who are about to awaken from the
abyss of death under the power of the demon … After the
sacrifice is completed, all surviving players are deemed to
have completed the task.]
[Teleportation countdown. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one, teleportation completed.]
Qi Leren only saw a light beam rising under his feet. He looked
at Ning Zhou in consternation and found that she was wrapped
in a beam of light, too. The picture in front of him changed
rapidly, making him dizzy. When everything came to a
standstill, Qi Leren found himself standing in a dark room, and
the candlestick on the wall was burning, bringing some faint
light to the room.
He was alone.
With quiet all around, Qi Leren didn‘t rush out to find someone,
but changed his skills in the card slot first.
The skill of Rain-Day Laundry was put back into the package
since it was cooling down. Although this skill has saved him
several times, now he has no time to wait for it to cool down.
Let‘s give priority to fighting skills and S/L skills. After
equipping his skills, Qi Leren thought about the present
situation.
The system gave him a hint, but it was ambiguous. According
to his understanding, this task was needed to complete the
final sacrifice, but the hint of the system was vague. Instead, it
takes seven dead witch candidates as an important hint, that is
to say, they need to deal with these witch candidates first. But
they‘ll have to further figure out whether it is logical puzzle
solving or a violent unsealing.
Now it seems that after the opening of the four sealed towers,
all the surviving players have been sent and scattered in the
sacrificial underground palace. The system said that there are
dead souls wandering in the underground palace, but it also
said that the dead witch candidates are ―about to‖ awaken, that
is to say, these should be small BOSS characters, but they‘ve
not awakened yet.
To complete the final sacrifice, you need to wake them before
they can be dealt with. Do you need the flesh and blood of the
living just like the seal tower? No, it was impossible. The
number of people was too small. Four people have been
sacrificed in the four seal towers. Together with the players
who were killed by giant attacks, at least five people have died.
The remaining witch candidates are at most eight, probably
even less than seven. Then this method was probably not
used, otherwise it would be practically a complete annihilation.
So why should the system specifically state that ―all the
surviving players are regarded as completing the task‖?
So some condition must be triggered to wake up the dead
witch candidates? What are the specific conditions then…
Qi Leren thinks more and more, and his thoughts become
more disordered, so he could only to shelve this problem first.
He plans to explore it, and then leaves the room to find others.
Fortunately, the prompt given by the system didn‘t appear
immediately, which made them face to face with each other. At
the very least, before dealing with the dead witch candidate,
they should still be able to cooperate. Otherwise, now he not
only has to worry about wandering spirits, but he also has to
worry about threats from the players and NPCs.
The room Qi Leren is in looks like a bedroom, but the ground
and bed have accumulated a thick layer of dust, with even the
cobwebs covered with dust, which seems to have been
deserted for a long time. He checked the wardrobe, cabinet
and other places, and there was nothing. It was like an
abandoned sleeping hall, no one had set foot in it.
It seems that sending him here has no special significance, just
pure coincidence.
After thinking, Qi Leren settled his mind and opened the door
of the room with a dagger in one hand.
Outside is a corridor, every few meters there is a burning
candlestick made from an unknown material. It could
unexpectedly burn up to now. The ground is paved with
marble. From a distance, it reflects candlesticks one after
another, like an underwater road.
The surroundings were quiet, but it was cold. Qi Leren
wrapped his coat tightly, studied only half of the map, and
found that his location should not be within the range of the
map, so he continued to walk forward with light steps.
In the emptiness and silence, Qi Leren suddenly felt
something. This kind of invisible feeling is very subtle and
indescribable, but he just felt that someone was approaching.
At the corner up ahead, Qi Leren stopped and held his breath
against the dusty wall, clutching a dagger in his hand.
The candlesticks on both sides of the corridor glowed with
yellow light, and he listened quietly to his heartbeat, waiting for
a certain feeling.
They‘re coming.
A slight footstep came from the corner, and a figure flashed
out. Qi Leren pressed the person against the wall without
thinking, and the dagger touched their throat. The person
screamed and trembled for mercy: ―Don‘t, don‘t kill me …‖
Qi Leren narrowed his eyes slightly, and the girl he pressed
against the wall had flaxen hair and deep facial features, so
she should be an NPC. However, having had experience with
Anna, he touched the waist of the person and confirmed that
she didn‘t have the player‘s belt before whispering: ―Who are
you?‖
―I … my name is Aisha.‖ The girl answered in horror.
―Aisha? Do you have a sister? ‖ Qi Leren immediately thought
of the task they received from Ellie when they were in the
carriage.
―Right, right, her name is Ellie. Have you seen her?‖ Aisha was
so happy and afraid that she coughed and turned pale
because of emotional excitement.
Qi Leren remembered that Ellie said that her sister wasn‘t in
good health. He felt that Aisha should be harmless, so he let
go of her hand: ―I will take you to her, she asked me before.‖
―Thank you!‖ Aisha said excitedly.
With a temporary companion, Qi Leren‘s tense mood relaxed a
little. They talked in a low voice and walked on: ―So, you didn‘t
know about the sacrifice before?‖
Aisha nodded: ―Mom and Dad didn‘t tell me, and people in the
village didn‘t talk about it, but every three years, several girls
would always disappear … Isabel, who was sent with me this
time, should know something. Her sister was sent as a
sacrifice three years ago, and then… never came back.‖
This topic is too heavy for Aisha. Her eyes turned red and she
murmured: ―I don‘t know what happened to Ellie, I‘m so worried
about her …‖
―Don‘t worry, a beautiful girl like her will be safe.‖ A voice came
from behind the two, and Qi Leren jumped up and watched in
horror as Lu Youxin appeared behind them.
Lu Youxin smiled at him: ―Hey, bogus girl, we meet again.‖
―…‖ He didn‘t want to see her at all.
―Have you seen Ellie?‖ Aisha got excited at once.
―Oh, I‘ve seen her outside before. Your sister isn‘t bad.‖ Liu
Youxin licked her lips, a face of appreciation as she spoke.
Qi Leren feels that this ―not bad‖ seems to hold a deeper
meaning. Let‘s light a candle for the loli who is zeroed in by a
pervert.
―How long have you been with us?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Not long, probably when you came out of the room? I
happened to be nearby. ‖ Lu Youxin was calm, with no guilt
about stalking them.
―Have you caught up with Ye Xia?‖ Qi Leren asked again. He
was really curious about it.
Lu Youxin curled her lips: ―The revolution has not been
successful, and this comrade still needs to work hard.‖
It seems that Ye Xia escaped, Qi Leren thought with relief.
―Hey, something is coming.‖ Lu Youxin suddenly raised her
head and looked behind the Qi Leren.
Qi Leren was suddenly surprised. At the end of the dark
corridor in the distance, where the candle lit up, an invisible
white shadow stood there, quietly watching them. The next
second, it suddenly crossed the distance of tens of meters and
appeared beside Qi Leren. Qi Leren leaned back with unusual
agility, and his arm held out in front of him passed through the
body of the dead, which was bitterly cold.
Equipped with primary fighting skills, he responded flexibly,
and the dagger swung across at where the ghost was, but it
didn‘t have any effect. Qi Leren made a quick decision and cut
his arm. The dagger dipped in blood finally touched the ghost,
and the dead let out a sharp howl, making his eardrums ache.
It threw itself at Qi Leren!
A light sound, a blue and white flame rises from the feet of Qi
Leren and the undead are burned in the flames. The flame
seems to contain holy power, and the burnt undead send out
shrieks and finally turn into ashes in the flame.
Lu Youxin, who was guarding Aisha behind him, shook her
head and looked at Qi Leren like he was an idiot: ―You‘re wild,
attacking this ghost using physical attacks.‖
Qi Leren held his bleeding arm as he rolled his eyes. Would he
go as far as to hurt himself if there are other ways to attack?
Truly oblivious to others‘ plight!
The Qi Leren who was treating his wounds saw that Aisha,
who was shivering, was well protected by Lu Youxin and
complained: ―I‘m sure now that you only have girls in your
eyes.‖
―That‘s true.‖ Lu Youxin proudly said, ―In my eyes, there are
three kinds of girls. The cool girl on the preparatory stage, the
cool girl in the active stage, and the cool girl in the retired
stage. All need to be well protected.‖
Qi Leren ridiculed her: ―What if she doesn‘t look good, what if
the chest isn‘t big enough?‖
Lu Youxin‘s face sank, staring at Qi Leren‘s chest coldly.
―That‘s not a girl, it‘s a female primate. Oh, you‘re not even this
kind, you‘re the kind at the bottom of the food chain. ‖
―…‖ Qi Leren: What a bitch, I really want to slap her
 Chapter 46: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XV)

After meeting Lu Youxin, Qi Leren‘s luck seemed to be a little

better. At least they didn‘t meet the dead again the whole way.
Although Aisha was very bothered about Lu Youxin‘s
enthusiasm, she also knew that she couldn‘t offend her and
had to endure this harassment from the same sex.
This underground palace was very large. After walking for a
long time, Qi Leren finally felt that the terrain was a bit familiar.
Recalling the map, he turned to Lu Youxin and said: ―There
should be a big palace in the center of the underground
palace. Want to see it?‖
Lu Youxin was busy courting Aisha and bragging about her
adventures of fighting ghouls in the sewers of abandoned
cities. When she heard Qi Leren‘s words, she casually said,
―OK, then let‘s go and have a look.‖
After that, she suddenly remembered something and gave him
a suspicious look: ―There seems to be no place in the map I
showed you? You later unsealed a sealed tower?‖
It turned out that she was quite perceptive, and Qi Leren
explained: ―Well, I was lucky and later found another one.‖
―Heh, you really knew the location of the sealed tower. You
dare to lie to me. It seems you ‗re tired of living.‖ Liu Youxin
gave a fake smile, tone eerie.
―……‖
―But it doesn‘t matter, the main highlight is still here. Ah, I feel a
little excited when I think of being in the same room as so
many girls.‖ Lu Youxin laughed, as if she hadn‘t just been
threatening him.
Lu Youxin‘s excitement turned into horror after entering the
palace. The huge underground house was surrounded by
underground rivers, with grotesque humanoid statues and
coffins, and several people had arrived above the layers of
stone steps.
Qi Leren saw a familiar figure from a distance and excitedly
went forward: ―Godd … Ning Zhou!‖
His goddess was leaning against a giant statue with crossed
arms. She nodded at Qi Leren, but when she saw Lu Youxin,
she frowned involuntarily.
Lu Youxin suddenly ran all the way to Ning Zhou and looked at
her for a while. She asked like a ghost: ―Ning Zhou?‖
Qi Leren suddenly swore internally, it‘s here, it‘s here. This
crazy girl won‘t have a crush on his goddess, will she?! His
goddess‘s chastity is in danger! No, no, no, he will defend his
goddess‘s chastity to the death! Keep his goddess away from
abnormal harassment!
Before Qi Leren could make a sound, Lu Youxin suddenly
burst into laughter: ―Hahahahaha Ning Zhou, you…‖
―Get out.‖ Cold-faced, Ning Zhou suddenly opened her mouth,
the deep but gentle and lovely feminine voice full of murderous
intent.
Qi Leren was dumbfounded: the goddess spoke, but the
goddess could speak! Goddess, you have a beautiful voice!
Eh, why did Lu Youxin really scram?!
Liu Youxin, who rolled down the stairs with all her heart,
stabilized her body in a terrible posture and climbed up from
the ground while holding her waist, teeth gritted: ―Okay, I‘ll shut
up. Can we not use that trick? Otherwise, if you shout to get
naked, won‘t I walk around naked? Hey, this is a good move.
Can you sell me this card?‖
Lu Youxin suddenly thought of a wonderful usage and
cheerfully asked.
Ning Zhou coldly swept her one eye over her and didn‘t speak
again.
Qi Leren was still shocked that the goddess could speak, until
the little girl Ellie excitedly ran down the steps and threw
herself into the arms of her sister Aisha: "Sister! It‘s great that
you are all right! ‖
The two sisters met again in this dangerous place, and both
shed tears.
[Players Qi Leren has completed the side task: find Aisha.]
[Reward: increase the survival days by 10 days, and draw a
random lottery once.]
Qi Leren draws the lottery decisively. In this dangerous place,
everything that can be drawn is good.
[This tooth is poisonous] This is a magical false tooth. If you
bite it casually with it equipped, you can kill yourself
immediately. You say it doesn‘t have any fucking use? You can
equip it into the enemy‘s mouth! You said you couldn‘t do it?
Ha ha, you still blame me for not being able to do it yourself?
Remaining use: 1/1.
―…‖ Qi Leren only felt that his throat was sweet, and now he
finally knows why Dr. Lu can pick up cards anywhere. Some
cards are truly useless! Taking great pains to think about it, at
least this false tooth was still useful to him, as it could allow
him to commit suicide when his body is bound. He can‘t think
about what kind of breakdown others would have when they
obtained this item…
Anyway, it doesn‘t occupy a card slot. Qi Leren simply stepped
aside and put this thing on, and the denture stuck to his gums
quite firmly. After loading, he couldn‘t help licking the denture
deep in the alveolus with his tongue. He had the urge to take a
bite… No, he had to hold back. If he didn‘t hold back, he would
have to ascend to heaven.
When Qi Leren secretly installed the false tooth, he looked
back and saw the goddess watching him silently.
This….. This scene is so embarrassing! Did the goddess see
it?! Just now, he pushed his false tooth into his mouth. Does
the goddess think he was picking his teeth secretly? Qi Leren
was too shy to return to the goddess as if nothing had
happened, so he went quietly to Ye Xia, who stood in front of
the rock wall between the two statues and meditated quietly.
―When did you get here?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Ye Xia studied the totem on the stone wall. After hearing the
question from Qi Leren, she said faintly: ―One step ahead of
you. Ning Zhou and Ellie had already arrived when I came.‖
―Do you also know Ning Zhou?‖ Qi Leren asked curiously.
Ye Xia shook her head. Qi Leren was disappointed. He thought
he could inquire about the deeds of the goddess from her.
The topic couldn‘t go any further. Qi Leren quietly observed for
a while. Now there were six people who had arrived at this
stone hall, including the Ellie-Aisha sisters, Lu Youxin, Ye Xia,
Ning Zhou, and him. He doesn‘t know if anyone else will arrive
here alive.
Just thinking that, a figure appeared outside the stone hall, with
light steps and an enchanting figure. There was a rare beauty
in her blood-stained sacrificial clothing. At the moment when
she appeared, Ye Xia entered the ready-to-go state from her
original careless pose of standing with a hand behind her, and
looked coldly at the person who was getting closer and closer.
The new person smiled charmingly: ―I‘m late.‖
There is a delicate girl behind her, who seems to be an NPC,
who has been standing far away and seems to be very afraid
of them.
Ye Xia looked cold and called out her name: ―Xie Wanwan,
you‘ve gotten a lot braver.‖
Xie Wanwan smiled: ―Why? If you want to die with me now, it‘s
not the time.‖
Qi Leren looked at the two girls who were at odds, and didn‘t
know if he should interrupt. Instead, Lu Youxin made a bold
mistake: ―I said you don‘t have to be so aggressive now, do
you? Hey, the new task conditions have come out, let‘s solve
the immediate problems first. ‖
Qi Leren looked down the direction of Lu Youxin‘s finger, and
the bloody words appeared on the stone walls filled with
totems.
[The living witches gather together, and the dead witches are
ready to go. ]
This string of bloody words appears at the top and center of
the stone wall, and under the eyes of all, another bloody word
slowly emerges on the left side of the stone wall: [Sleeping in
rusty iron, burning my body with fire, nourishing the vegetation
of hell with my blood; people who wake me up will be executed
by hanging.]
It‘s coming. Qi Leren‘s heart is still in the air, thinking about the
meaning of these two hints.
The first sentence probably appeared after all of them arrived.
There are eight of them now. Which means at the tower where
the seal was unlocked in the previous step, only five people
died there, four were sacrificed, and the other one should be a
NPC eaten by giants. Everyone else survived, which is slightly
different from what Qi Leren expected, because as far as his
experience is concerned, the difficulty of the previous step is
already very great.
It seems that there is something wrong with his luck value, Qi
Leren thought sullenly.
Now that all eight survivors have arrived, according to the
stone wall‘s tip, the dead witch candidate can be triggered, and
the second tip right now should be the location of one of the
witches.
Sleeping in rusty iron? Is it an iron coffin? The flame burns her
body, which may mean her death. The vegetation in hell
should say that she can manipulate plants to kill the players
who went to hunt her, or simply hang them with vegetation.
This should be a tough one.
―How about we go and find it together?‖ Qi Leren suggested.
Lu Youxin curled her lips and turned her eyes at him. Xie
Wanwan sneered and asked: ―Then, because of who sent
themselves to death and the uneven distribution of stolen
goods, we‘ll immediately have a fallout?‖ You can‘t trust even
your teammates completely, let alone a group of malicious
opponents. Those who are confident will go by themselves. At
least they won‘t turn hostile for rewards afterwards.‖
Then, she shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the stone
hall along the stairs.
―So hot, I like it!‖ Lu Youxin touched her chin and looked at Xie
Wanwan‘s back sternly.
Being interrupted by Lu Youxin, Qi Leren didn‘t feel
embarrassed. He coughed and whispered to Ning Zhou: ―What
are your plans?‖
Ning Zhou looked at him quietly, then took his hand and led
him to the gate of the temple.
Qi Leren, who was caught off guard by the goddess‘ initiative,
only felt a burst of burning heat on his face, and was shocked
for a while, and didn‘t wake up until he was pulled a few steps.
Does the goddess mean to take him to fight the monsters
together? Okay, okay, make a date!
But what about the rest? Qi Leren looked back, Ye Xia smiled
and nodded to him, and Lu Youxin‘s expression was like
seeing a ghost in broad daylight. She looked straight at the two
people who left hand in hand for a while, looking like the sky
was about to collapse and the end of the world was coming.
Why is she so surprised? Qi Leren just thought about it, and
the sense of crisis suddenly surged up – Lu Youxin doesn‘t
have a crush on his goddess, does she!
No, he won‘t give Goddess Ning Zhou to a lesbian when he
dies! Especially a fickle and crazy lesbian!
The Goddess must be his!
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: However, Lu Juju has seen through everything…
Terrified Lu Youxin: Oh my god. There are two gays acting like
lesbians here! (What a great amount of information)
 Chapter 47: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XVI)

There was a dead silence in the underground palace. Qi

Leren didn‘t know who had the remaining half of the map, and
he didn‘t think that these people would take it out and share it.
They simply proposed to search the part that they had the map
for first and see if they could find the location of the first witch.
It remained a dead silence all around, the old corridor had
towering white statues all over. Half-human, half-beast strange
creatures, ferocious monsters in the dim candlelight, as if they
will come back to life at any time.
Qi Leren recalled the map of the underground palace and said
to Ning Zhou: ―I remember there is a courtyard on the
southeast side of the underground palace. There may be
plants there, which may match the vegetation of hell. Why
don‘t we go there and have a look?‖
Ning Zhou nodded quietly. Even the big bird on her shoulder
didn‘t beg for food. She cocked her head and looked at Qi
Leren.
On the way to the courtyard the two people ran into several
ghosts, but before Qi Leren made himself bleed to fight, Ning
Zhou rushed up, and the drawn double knives gave off faint
fluorescence, which easily tore up the formless undead, and
the torn ghost screamed silently, vibrating in the air and
dissipating.
Qi Leren looked numbly at Ning Zhou‘s seemingly enchanted
weapon, and felt that the game was too unfriendly to
newcomers. But then again, will he be that powerful in the
future? He will, and he will be the saint warrior of the goddess!
In the complicated underground palace, some places are old
enough to collapse, so they can only walk around. It took two
people half an hour to find the courtyard on the map by
detouring. Standing at the entrance, the ceiling was no longer
closed, but open. They can even see the sun hanging
overhead.
―Want to go in?‖ Even in the sun, the courtyard in front of them
seemed strange. Qi Leren hesitated for a moment and asked
Ning Zhou.
Ning Zhou nodded, and her bird was humming a strange tune
actively. Listening carefully seemed to be saying nothing
ventured ,nothing gained.
True. If you cringe backwards if you are afraid of danger, you
will die sooner or later. In this Nightmare World, you are really
seeking riches and honour through risks.
Seeing that Ning Zhou had entered the courtyard, Qi Leren
quickly followed.
Under the warm sunlight, the courtyard covered with grass was
deep and quiet. It was built underground like the underground
palace, and the whole courtyard was sunken like a basin. The
beautiful courtyard decorated with flowers and fences was full
of iron statues, all of which were human-shaped, sitting or
standing, and some even lying on the ground, but their
expressions were cold but serene.
Qi Leren felt very uncomfortable. These iron sculptures gave
him a strange feeling. He even suspected that the first witch
was hiding in these statues.
―I kept feeling as though something is wrong.‖ Qi Leren
murmured.
Ning Zhou frowned and patted the blackbird on the head. The
blackbird pecked her finger gently and flew away to explore the
road.
―What‘s the matter?‖ Qi Leren asked softly.
Ning Zhou closed her eyes and seemed to be listening to
something. She shook her head for a long time and mouthed,
Let‘s go.
Qi Leren also got suspicious and always felt as if he heard
some strange sounds, but when he listened carefully, he found
that the surroundings were quiet, with only the footsteps of the
two of them.
―Why hasn‘t your bird come back yet?‖ The two people circled
around the courtyard and found nothing abnormal, although
everything around looks very strange, but there was no sudden
danger, even the dead all see none.
Ning Zhou whistled and waited in place for a while, but the big
blackbird still didn‘t come back.
This time, Qi Leren was also in a hurry. This courtyard was full
of strange dangers. In the event that the goddess‘s bird never
returns…
―Let me go up the tree and have a look. I can always see
clearly when I stand high.‖ Qi Leren pointed to a tall tree next
to him and said.
Ning Zhou shook her head, climbed the branch and went up.
The trees were verdant. When she went up, she was blocked
by leaves. After waiting for a while, Qi Leren suddenly felt
something was wrong and shouted under the tree: ―Ning
Zhou? Ning Zhou! ‖
He didn‘t know where the wind was blowing. Although he was
clearly under the sun, there was a stinging coldness.
Qi Leren climbed up the tree without saying anything, and the
leafy canopy blocked the sunlight, making his vision dark. The
branches stuck in him painfully. Qi Leren climbed to the top of
the tree regardless, and it was dark in front of him!
No, it‘s not pure darkness. After passing through the top of the
tree, above there was no longer a day with warm sunshine, but
an endless cold moonlit night-under the vast starry sky, with a
crescent moon hanging overhead, sending out bright
moonlight. Looking at it, a thick fog enveloped the earth and
wrapped the whole courtyard in the fog of the sea of clouds.
This….. This is too weird.
Qi Leren‘s hands and feet had become cold, and he scrambled
to climb down the tree. Clear moonlight illuminated the
courtyard, surrounded by a faint fog, which made the courtyard
seem ominous in the sunlight, and became more and more
deep and strange in the moonlight.
Qi Leren held a dagger, confirmed that the S/L skill card and
primary fighting skill were equipped in the belt, and took a deep
breath.
It seemed that the main scene was coming.
He took a few steps forward, and the courtyard illuminated by
moonlight was still full of plants and statues. These iron statues
reflected the cold light of metal in the moonlight. Qi Leren
suddenly felt something was wrong and looked at the nearest
statue. The humanoid statue that had been sitting still- he
didn‘t know when it changed!
It was a statue with the abdominal cavity cut open, the ribs
lifted like the wings of a butterfly, revealing a belly full of
viscera. She looked miserable and ferocious, and struggled
with her neck lifted high, as if she were screaming bitterly.
The pain of torture, just to imagine it makes people feel sick.
Qi Leren unconsciously touched his stomach and looked at
other statues. Sure enough, the humanoid sculpture that
looked normal in the sun showed a different appearance in the
moonlight. Countless prisoners were fixed on the pedestals in
various distorted postures under the torture of strange
instruments of torture, exposing the pain and cruelty of torture
clearly to the visitors.
It was getting colder all around. Qi Leren wrapped his coat
tightly and moved some stiff limbs. At this time, he has realized
that he was no longer in the ―courtyard‖, but instead that this
was the real courtyard, a world under the control of demons
and witches.
Just now, Ning Zhou went up the tree first, then disappeared.
She should have come to the present courtyard, but he doesn‘t
know if they are still in the same space. If he wanted to leave
here and return to the normal courtyard …
Qi Leren pondered over the tree. After a long time, he decided
to give it a try and climbed to the top again. There was still
endless night in front of him. He returned to the ground with a
sense of loss. It seemed that the same way couldn‘t get him
out of here, and he had to solve the puzzle of this courtyard.
The breeze blew, the chill fog changed its shape in the
moonlight, and Qi Leren walked in the courtyard. On several
occasions, he clearly heard the sound of rustling, which
seemed to be the movement caused by the wind blowing
branches, but when he stopped to listen to the sounds his
ears only found silence, and even the sound of insects did not
exist here.
Was it auditory hallucinations? Qi Leren pondered and denied
his own judgment. In this unusual place, any subtle clues may
be dangerous hints. The sound should be…
Some kind of ―vegetation from hell‖? Qi Leren watched the
sculptures around them carefully, looking for the one that was
―burned by flames‖.
Qi Leren walked deeper and deeper in the courtyard, and the
sculptures around him were all strange and twisted, but the
ones that were not burned by flames died of an interrogation
chair full of nails, and died of being sawed from between her
legs after being hung upside down. She died of being scraped
off by a washboard and being squeezed by a punishment cap
…
No, the order is wrong!
Qi Leren suddenly realized something was wrong. He had
been wandering in this courtyard for half an hour, but the order
of statues around him changed! At present, the neck was
tightened by the chain, and the statue of a heavy iron ball was
still hanging at the foot, which was not in this position!
This sudden discovery of abnormality made Qi Leren‘s hair
stand on end. In the cold air, he was the only one whose
breathing and pounding heartbeat became more and more
urgent.
Calm down, calm down. The position has changed. It should
not be dangerous, but a hint.
He had been circling here for half an hour, but in the courtyard
with an originally simple path shrouded in moonlight and fog,
he could no longer find a way out, and he could only wander
here repeatedly. The position of the statues changing, was this
the key to crack the puzzle?
Qi Leren took a deep breath, ready to save at any time, and
then walked slowly to the sculpture.
The cold wind blew away the floating clouds, and the moonlight
fell quietly. Qi Leren finally saw the statue blocked by the fog,
and the painful twisted face was his own!
 Chapter 48: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XVII)

In an instant, a chill ran through his heart.

Qi Leren took a step back in shock and instinctively wanted to
escape, but he instantly realized that he was in this strange
courtyard. If he fled in a hurry, he would easily fall into the
hunter‘s trap.
Right now, there was nothing to attack him. It‘s just constantly
threatening him, trying to unnerve his mind.
Although he understood that this was just a psychological
attack, it seemed that there was something strange hiding
everywhere in the courtyard, so it was beyond human instinct
to calmly regard all anomalies as nothing. This kind of fear
caused by a threat to one‘s life is engraved in people‘s genes,
prompting people to avoid danger, but now he had to confront
this instinct …
It‘s just, it‘s just …
The sound came again, as if something was rubbing against
the earth‘s surface and wandering among the grass. Qi Leren
suddenly turned around and illuminated the lamp in the
direction of the sound. In the dark filled with fog, only the
flowers and trees in the courtyard surrounded the statues
suffering from torture.
No one was there.
However, the feeling of being stared at by the malicious line of
sight haunted him like gangrene in his bones. No matter which
direction Qi Leren turned, there was always such a line of sight
watching from behind him.
But it was just watching.
Qi Leren took a deep breath and went to the statue with his
face, even reaching out and touching it. The metal was cold
from the fingertips to the soles of the feet, but there was no
abnormality. But he thought the statue was a breakthrough, so
he crossed the wooden railing and walked into the lawn where
the statue was placed. When he came behind the statue, his
eyes suddenly became clear.
Originally covered by trees and shrubs on the lawn, there is a
path covered with moonlight and shadows.
Finally. Qi Leren couldn‘t say if it was fear or relief, but the
weight in his heart finally fell to the ground. Instead, he didn‘t
panic like just now. After reviving his spirit, he went to the
moonlit path.
The breeze was blowing, the trees were swaying, and his feet
made a slight noise when stepping on the grass, just like the
rustle that sometimes didn‘t exist at that time. On several
occasions, Qi Leren felt that he had seen something hidden
behind the bush that made it shake gently, but when he shone
the light there, the place was very normal, as if the shaking just
now was just his imagination.
But he knew it wasn‘t.
Going deeper and deeper in the courtyard, the surrounding
light was getting darker and darker. When you looked up, the
moonlight was no longer seen above your head, the sky
instead covered by dark clouds. It was dark and dead all
around, but fortunately the lamp in his hand was still working
diligently, lighting up the world around him.
At the end of the path, the front was a rock wall, which
suddenly blocked the way forward. Qi Leren stopped in
astonishment, looked around, and there were many trees
everywhere, but there was nothing unusual. He suspected that
the rock was strange, but he couldn‘t see anything strange at
the moment.
This rock wall covered with vines should be the outermost part
of the courtyard in this basin. Looking up, this straight rock wall
was tens of meters high, and it was impossible to climb it.
There was nothing obviously abnormal around, let alone the
―rusty iron‖ and ―flame‖ in the prompt.
The shuffling sound came again. The Qi Leren immediately
turned around, and the lights in his hands shone in the
direction of the sound. There seemed to be something
swimming in the slightly shaking grass ahead. Was it a snake?
Qi Leren‘s hand holding the dagger was tight, and he hesitated
to go forward and check it out carefully. Suddenly, a weak cry
for help came from behind him: ―Help me…‖
?!
Qi Leren looked in the direction of the voice, but it was in the
rock wall!
This cognition made people feel cold, but Qi Leren took a step
back and looked at the rock wall with fear that something
would suddenly jump out of it.
―It‘s so painful, so hot, I‘m going to die… Save me… Why don‘t
you save me?‖
The whispering voice became sharp and despairing in the cold
air that was steeped with malice.
In all directions, the sound of the rustling became clearer and
closer, and this strange sound came from the wall. Qi Leren
didn‘t even know where to hide, but at this moment, the lantern
in his hand suddenly let out a crisp click, and the light flickered.
At such a time… Damn it! Qi Leren simply took a gamble, and
the dagger in his hand swung to the place where the cry for
help came, trying to plunge into the rock wall. The touch of the
blade touching the mass of rock was real, not like illusion, but
at the same time, the lantern in his hand was completely
broken, and a restless darkness came.
It‘s coming!
The sound of rustling was close to the ear, from below his feet,
from above his head, from behind, from all directions,
everywhere. The crawling sound was pervasive, eroding
people‘s will and letting fear spread to the greatest extent in
the dark.
Pain shot through his ankle the Qi Leren shouted. There was
something wrapped up under his feet, turning his body upside
down! At that moment, he finished saving, and the primary
fighting skills made him sensitive. He folded his body by the
strength of his waist and cut the something wrapped around
his feet with the knife.
The rope-like thing broke immediately, but when his body fell,
more ―ropes‖ wrapped up him. On the waist, hands, and feet,
these cold and stinging things pestered him, and he struggled
in a hurry, but they became tighter and tighter, almost
suffocating.
I can only load the save file. Qi Leren tried to lift the hand
holding the dagger, but these things were wrapped too tightly,
and they couldn‘t escape at all… The sound of the rock wall
opening came from beside his ear. Qi Leren opened his eyes
wide and looked at the direction of the sound in the dark, and
suddenly there was light in front of him.
The open rock wall revealed an iron coffin embedded in the
rock wall, and the heavy iron lid opened to both sides like a
window, revealing the hot liquid of molten iron. In a rush, it
poured out from the iron coffin, spreading like magma on the
grass, illuminating the darkness around them, but adding a hot
terror to it!
Qi Leren‘s eyes widened. At this time, he finally saw that the
things wrapped around his neck were not ropes, but countless
green vines! Vines clinging to his body, as if to wring his neck
and suffocate him.
A human figure emerged from the flowing molten iron, emitting
orange-red heat. It was faintly visible as a young girl. She
groaned, sang and cursed: ―I didn‘t hurt her… She lied to
you… I hate you… You killed me… It was so hot and painful…
Why did you lock me up here and fill it with molten iron… It
was so painful. I‘ll kill you all, I‘ll kill you all!‖
The witch who melted the molten iron murmured, her blistered
red hands clenched into fists, and the vines strangled Qi
Leren‘s limbs and hanged him slowly. In a daze, Qi Leren felt
that the time of 30 seconds was coming to an end, it was
almost too late! He must load the file!
Qi Leren bit down on the poisoned-filled false tooth hard, and
the toxicity suddenly occurred. He only felt black for a moment
before he fell headlong into the place where he had just been
grabbed by vines. He had thought a lot in this short moment of
falling. What to do? Was this monster really something he
could compete with? He could deal with giants and beasts, but
could he really deal with monsters whose bodies had even
been destroyed?
He had to try. If he failed… Qi Leren dared not think about it
any more, struggling to get up from the ground, rushing to the
human form made of molten iron, and resolutely detonated a
miniature bomb.
There was a loud bang, and a violent explosion occurred in a
radius of three meters. Qi Leren returned to the save point
again, his head spinning. The earth was already scorched, and
the witch created from molten iron was torn apart by the
impact. There were hot molten iron traces everywhere, like
orange spots in the darkness. The vines have been destroyed
by the explosion, and they could no longer be seen.
Did it succeed? Qi Leren dragged his body to stand up, and
the molten iron around him suddenly moved, converging
together at an amazing speed!
Qi Leren took a step back in horror. His body has been drained
by continuous loading and he couldn‘t even escape, but it was
a dead end to stay any longer!
Think again, think again, there must be some way…
The fear of the dire straits he was in made Qi Leren fall into
despair, and time seemed to be infinitely long at this moment.
Was it really hopeless? No, go over it again from the
beginning. According to the hint of the system, the witch in
front of me should be the victim of the last sacrificed witch. She
was locked in an iron coffin, and her body was completely
vaporized by pouring molten iron into the coffin, so there was
no form.
No, wait a minute. If it‘s molten iron, why wouldn‘t the iron
coffin melt? Could it be that…
The molten iron gathered together at a rapid speed, and a half-
human figure appeared. Qi Leren, with no way back, decided
to gamble on it. He flew into the rock wall, plunged into the iron
coffin, and pulled closed the iron lid that had been opened by
the witch.
It was dark. Soon, he found the iron coffin wrapped in molten
iron didn‘t have the scalding heat he‘d imagined. On the
contrary, it was heavy and cold, sending out the peculiar smell
of corroded metal.
As time went by, the beat of the drum roll gradually subsided,
and the building tension made him anxious, but Qi Leren did
not dare to open the iron coffin rashly. He was still waiting.
Waiting for the hot metal to lose its horrible high temperature,
solidify into a dead thing, and destroy the tortured soul trapped
in the blazing heat in this time period.
 Chapter 49: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XVIII)

A deafening crash sounded outside the iron coffin, screaming

to high heaven, and gradually died.
Qi Leren felt relaxed for the first time in the darkness, and the
narrow space gave him an indescribable sense of security.
Compared with the endless dangers outside, this darkness felt
peaceful.
Only when there was a lack of oxygen, Qi Leren carefully
pushed open the door of the iron coffin with a dagger in hand.
When the first ray of sunshine passed through the closed iron
coffin gap and came to Qi Leren‘s eyes, the feeling of seeing
the light again made him unable to calm down for a long time.
In the sunlight, the originally horrible and desperate courtyard
had returned to normal, and only the pools of solidified molten
iron on the ground and the glittering treasure chest floating in
midair made him realize that he had experienced a narrow
escape test.
With his current fighting capacity, it was impossible to defeat
the witch head-on, but only by this opportunistic way could he
win. However, it seemed that this game does not refuse to give
ordinary players a way to live. So long as you can find the
chance, surviving is not hopeless.
He had fought his ass off. He hoped this treasure chest could
produce something good.
Qi Leren stepped forward and opened the treasure chest.
[card slot +1]
Qi Leren was stunned, unable to say whether he should be
surprised or disappointed. However, at present, his card slots
were really not enough, so he could add a card slot, and finally
put the skill of Rain-Day Laundry into the card slot so that it
could continue to resume cooling time.
After the resurrected witch died again, the courtyard had been
restored to calmness, and Qi Leren could finally see this
previously shrouded place clearly. It should be a corner on the
edge of the courtyard, full of vegetation, and the molten iron
that solidified after the witch died was like a twisted and
ridiculous statue standing there lifeless.
Hmm? It seemed that something was shining.
Seen from a certain angle, there seemed to be something on
the solidified molten iron that reflected the rays of the sun,
which looked particularly bright.
Qi Leren stepped forward and touched the crystal with his
fingers. It rolled out of the solidified molten iron, fell to the
ground and was picked up by Qi Leren.
The crystal was only as big as the fingernail. It was strange
that there were two holes in this glass-like crystal. It seemed
that someone once used it as a pendant after threading it.
Can this crystal not melt even at high temperature? Qi Leren
looked at the crystal curiously for a while, but he couldn‘t figure
out what substance it was. He simply put it in his pack, since it
might come in handy in the future.
It was time to leave this place, and he didn‘t know what
happened to Ning Zhou…
Worried about the goddess, Qi Leren walked in the direction he
had come from.
Through the path between the trees, he returned to the place
full of sculptures from before. These sculptures had already
returned to normal under the sun, and there was no ferocious
and horrible appearance in the moonlit night. Qi Leren even
stood in front of the sculpture with the same face as him for a
while. At this time, it was no longer his appearance, but a male
sculpture quietly reading books with a cold face.
There was a familiar strange cry from overhead. Qi Leren
looked up immediately. Ning Zhou‘s big blackbird found him
and immediately landed on the sculpture, skipping to his arm.
―What about your master? Is she all right? ‖ Qi Leren asked in
a hurry.
Just asking, Ning Zhou was already walking towards him from
far away, and there seemed to be a trace of worry in her cold
expression.
Qi Leren quickly reported his safety: ―I‘m fine, the witch is
dead. Like the tip, she was probably locked in an iron coffin,
filled with molten iron and vaporized, and can control the
surrounding vines to attack, but I‘m lucky …‖
Said, Qi Leren smiled brightly at Ning Zhou, and wanted to
show his confidence in front of his favorite goddess.
Unfortunately, the scrapes and bruises all over his body
seemed unconvincing.
Ning Zhou frowned slightly, blue eyes flashing some kind of
emotion that Qi Leren couldn‘t understand, and as Qi Leren
was talking with her cheerfully, and he was caught off guard
when she patted his head. He stopped talking, stunned. The
goddess seems to particularly like touching his head? Is this
her way of comforting him?
There seems to be a different air between them. Qi Leren
opened his mouth and wondered if he should continue
boasting, so he simply asked about Ning Zhou‘s situation:
―What about you? After climbing the tree, I found you‘d
disappeared. What happened to you later? Did you encounter
any danger?‖
Ning Zhou line of sight slipped to one side, her mouth pursed
in silence.
Qi Leren was in a hurry. Before he asked, the big blackbird
coolly spat out a few words: ―She got lost.‖
―……..‖ Qi Leren stared at Ning Zhou dumbfounded. What?
The Goddess was actually bad with directions? The Goddess
also blushed, she turned away, the goddess must be shy! My
goddess can‘t be this cute!
Qi Leren, who was hit so hard by the cuteness, watched Ning
Zhou go out more than ten meters away, only to catch up. As
he walked along, he seemed to inadvertently complain about
the complicated terrain here, and how it made him dizzy and
couldn‘t find the right way at all, trying to excuse the lost
goddess. However, the goddess didn‘t seem to appreciate it,
and looked down at the road all the way until they were outside
the courtyard and had returned to the underground palace.
"What‘s the matter?‖ Qi Leren asked curiously.
Ning Zhou took out a box of ointment from her pack and
handed it to him. Qi Leren quickly declined: ―You gave it to me
last time. It‘s okay. I don‘t hurt now.‖
Seeing Ning Zhou still looked at him with a face of disapproval,
Qi Leren had to take out ointment to apply a little to his scrapes
and bruises. When he took off his coat to show his arms and
collarbone, Ning Zhou simply turned away, but her bird bobbed
at him and watched him with great care.
Qi Leren had become accustomed to the shyness of the
goddess. It was so lovely to wonder what kind of environment
the goddess used to live in while applying medicine to herself.
When the medicine was fully coating him, the two walked to
the hall in the center of the underground palace, which was
more silent than when they came. Qi Leren secretly looked at
Ning Zhou‘s face from the side, and somehow felt that she
seemed to be in a bad mood. His intuition was that it had
something to do with him, but he didn‘t know what was going
on.
Is the goddess unhappy because she got lost all the way and
didn‘t meet the BOSS?
Strangely enough, after entering the courtyard in the moonlight
from the courtyard in the sun, he hadn‘t seen Ning Zhou
around the courtyard for a long time. Were they separated in
different dimensions at that time? Was it that until one of them
had found the witch and destroyed her, both of them couldn‘t
return to the courtyard under the sun?
Just like that time in the goldfish bowl in the hospital, when he
was separated from Dr. Lu, and finally even separated from Su
He. This kind of power that unconsciously divided people into
different parallel worlds was really horrible.
There was a light footstep in front. Ning Zhou stopped and
stopped Qi Leren. A figure flashed out at the corner in front.
When they saw the two, stunned, they asked in a panic: ―Have
you met that witch?‖
It was the NPC who came in with Xie Wanwan. She kept quiet
in the temple, only had some contact with Ellie-Aisha sisters,
and seemed to be on full alert to others. Qi Leren didn‘t even
know her name. However, he heard Aisha talk about a girl from
the same village named Isabel, who was also sent to
participate in the sacrifice this time. She also had a sister, who
was sent to participate in the sacrifice three years ago and has
never returned since then. He doesn‘t know if she is the NPC
in front of him.
―Hmm.‖ Qi Leren nodded. If this NPC is the Isabel Aisha
mentioned, he should be able to guess her purpose.
She seemed more nervous and asked with a little anxiety, ―Did
you see what she looked like? Does she look a bit like me? ‖
Sure enough …
Qi Leren sighed, ―You are Isabel, right? I heard Aisha talk
about you. I couldn‘t see how the witch I met looked anymore,
so I don‘t know if she is the one you are looking for. ‖
―She … what has she become?‖ the girl asked, looking at him
with a pleading expression.
Qi Leren hesitated. He hesitated whether to tell her everything
he saw. If the witch was really her sister, the truth was too
cruel. Oh yes, there is that crystal.
Qi Leren found the crystal from the pack and put it in the palm
of his hand: ―I found this, is it your sister‘s?‖
Isabel grabbed the crystal and shivered and shed tears: ―It‘s
really her… really… no… it can‘t be…‖
She burst into tears in an emotional breakdown.
Qi Leren looked at Ning Zhou at a loss, only to find that she
was more upset than he was, and she was stiff in both her
posture to her expression, with a face at a loss. It seems that
the introverted goddess can‘t be expected to comfort a girl who
lost her loved one. Qi Leren could only do it himself and
comforted her for a while. While comforting, he was still a little
flustered. After all, he killed somebody else‘s sister again…
Although she was not actually alive after the resurrection.
―I knew… I had a dream three years ago that she was locked
up in a dark place, and then burned to death… When I woke
up, I found that I had lost some of my memory…‖ After crying,
Isabel‘s mood seemed to stabilize a little, but she still looked
dull and talked to Qi Leren about three years ago.
―Lost memory?‖ Qi Leren keenly felt as if he had triggered
some special plot, so he quickly repeated the question.
―Yes, because I have the habit of keeping a diary, but when I
woke up that day, I found that I couldn‘t remember the things in
my diary.‖ Isabel gawked at the crystal pendant in her hand
and said, ―The diary said that on the day my sister was sent
away, I was worried about her and determined to secretly
follow her, but when I woke up, I only remembered that I had
that nightmare .. Did I secretly follow her that day or did I see
her one last time… I don‘t remember anything…‖
With Isabel‘s statement, the system suddenly jumped out:
[Player, Qi Leren triggered the hidden quest: Dusty Past. Help
Isabel recover her lost memory before the Witchcraft Sacrifice
mission is completed. If the mission is successful, the rewards
will be given after the completion of the Witchcraft Sacrifice
mission. There will be no penalty for failure.]
Qi Leren immediately looked at Ning Zhou just as she looked
at him. Qi Leren immediately understood that both of them had
received this task.
A hidden task that was not the main quest.
 Chapter 50: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XIX)

Isabel‘s task was obviously more difficult than Ellie‘s task of

finding her sister. According to the hint of the system, this is
probably a hidden story related to the main story of the
Witchcraft Sacrifice. He even suspected that this was probably
a necessary condition for playing the true ending. Isabel‘s lost
memory must have key elements related to this task, and they
must find ways to let her uncover that memory.
Qi Leren wondered how to start, so he simply discussed with
Ning Zhou to take Isabel back to the temple first. Ning Zhou
had no opinion, so the three people quickly returned to the
temple.
As soon as they entered the hall, Qi Leren saw Ellie and Aisha
looking at the rock wall in panic. Lu Youxin, Xie Wanwan, and
Ye Xia were not there.
―What‘s the matter?‖ Qi Leren came forward and asked.
Aisha pointed to the stone wall and said, ―Just now, new words
suddenly appeared on the stone wall…‖
When Qi Leren looked intently, there were only two lines on
the wall, one at the top and in the middle, telling them that the
living witches had gathered and the dead witches were about
to wake up. Then at the bottom of this line, near the left side, is
the tip of the first witch, that is, the witch candidate whom Qi
Leren just went to great lengths to kill. At this time, there is a
new line on the right and bottom of this line.
The sentence on the right is like a clue to solve the puzzle: [Kill
us all and the altar will appear.]
However, the following sentence is similar to the prompt of the
last witch candidate: [I have been awakened, wandering
around, and those who kill me will get my wealth.]
After a little thinking, Qi Leren felt that he understood the
routine of this task.
Every time a witch is killed, the tip about the new witch will
appear below the tip in the previous sentence, and at the same
time, a clue related to completing the task will appear. When
they kill all the seven witches, there will be seven clues in total,
which may be the final altar location or sacrifice method.
―The second witch is not the same as the last one. She should
be a random BOSS.‖ Qi Leren said.
Ning Zhou nodded.
Because of the cooling of skills, Qi Leren didn‘t want to take
risks now, so he inquired about Ning Zhou, who looked at his
injuries and shook her head.
―Wait for my skills to cool down and then go. It will take another
half an hour.‖ Qi Leren whispered close to Ning Zhou‘s ear,
and his warm breath touched her ear. Ning Zhou quickly
jumped two meters away.
Qi Leren looked at the goddess whose face was reddish but
still pretending to be cold, and felt that he was attacked by
cuteness. It was so fun to flirt with the goddess!
Do it again next time! He secretly said to himself.
―There are two more words!‖ Isabel‘s yell made Qi Leren wake
up and hurry up to check.
Behind the second witch‘s tip, there appeared a corresponding
clue sentence, which said that someone had killed the second
witch, and Qi Leren looked at it carefully.
[We used to serve the Old Devil, but now we serve the devil
who is in charge of deception.]
Qi Leren suddenly remembered that there seemed to be two
players who had signed a demon contract with the Devil of
Fraud on the airship heading for the Village of Twilight, which
could plunder other people‘s survival days. Power, Killing, and
Fraud; in the background of the Nightmare Game, these three
demons replaced the Old Devil and ruled the underworld. So,
did the witch who won this mission serve the Lord of Fraud?
Maybe the player who finished the final sacrifice in this task will
turn into the devil‘s servant?
Because at that time he couldn‘t understand it, Qi Leren quietly
read out the hint of the third witch.
[Are you willing to sacrifice, have you ever been betrayed, and
have you seen the distortion and beauty of love when it‘s
sprouted into despair? The fire of love, which I wanted but
could never have, burned to the end of my life.]
Bloody words are engraved in the stone, flowing with dark red
luster, and the twisted love seemed to penetrate into people‘s
hearts through the words. Qi Leren suddenly remembered the
resentful words of the witch who was killed with molten iron in
the courtyard. She said: ―I didn‘t hurt her… she lied to you…‖
She… deceived?
At that time, the situation had been too tense, and Qi Leren
hadn‘t taken the witch‘s crazy words to heart. But now, looking
back, why was she locked in a coffin and burned alive with hot
metal? Who carried out this cruel torture and what was the
reason? When Qi Leren was in this task, it was difficult for him
to regard these details as ordinary coincidences, and he
believed there must be a reason.
What happened in this underground palace when the witch
was sacrificed last time? What does this have to do with
Isabel‘s lost memory? Amid all the confusion, Qi Leren couldn‘t
find a clue.
Footsteps came from outside the temple, and all the people on
the stone steps looked at the gate. Lu Youxin walked towards
them with a straight face. The original neat sacrificial clothes
were covered in blood and looked shocking.
Lu Youxin, who had not been killed, seems to have another
kind of coldness, like her right hand soaked in blood, and at
that time he couldn‘t tell if it was her own.
―Don‘t worry.‖ Lu Youxin was glad to see several NPCs retreat
again and again, looking frightened. She laughed brightly. ―It‘s
not my blood, it‘s dead meat that has been rotten for three
years. In fact, it looks good. I didn‘t even get a hot shot. It must
be because I accidentally broke it too much.‖
As she spoke, she walked slowly to the front of the stone wall,
gently crossed the second witch‘s prompt with her hand
covered with half-dry blood, and read aloud: ―Are you willing to
sacrifice, have you ever been betrayed, and have you seen the
distortion and beauty of love when it‘s sprouted into despair?
The fire of love, which I wanted but could never have, burned
to the end of my life… This feeling of despair is really
beautiful.‖
Lu Youxin seemed possessed and looked at the words on the
wall and smiled until… She was pecked by a big blackbird.
―Oh, your bird is quite fierce!‖ Lu Youxin said angrily as she
clutched at the pecked back of her head.
Ning Zhou whistled and called the bird back. With such an
interruption, the atmosphere was much better, and the
oppressive feeling of being pinched at the heart also
dissipated. After a little thought, Qi Leren asked, ―Are you
alright?‖
―I‘m fine, I‘m fine. I saw two beauties fighting on the road, and I
went up to do a good deed. Gee, I‘m really kind-hearted.‖ Lu
Youxin boasted shamelessly and looked up and down at Qi
Leren and Ning Zhou. Her expression was a bit subtle. ―Mind if
I ask, how do you know each other?‖
Shit, Lu Youxin knew he was a man! If this kind of thing was
exposed by others instead of admitting it himself, it would be
easy for the goddess to think that he had ulterior motives! He
also wanted to make friends with the goddess with the
convenience of being a girl first, and then give the goddess a
surprise when they‘re out of the instance world! With the
foundation of experiencing tribulations together, the goddess
should accept him better then! Even if he couldn‘t be a couple,
he can be a good spare tire. He will strive to be a spare tire
that trains by himself!
Qi Leren, who was nervous, naturally didn‘t find any unusual
behaviour with Ning Zhou. He was busy trying to wink at Lu
Youxin, and couldn‘t wait to send his inner cry to Lu Youxin‘s
mind: My lord, please, don‘t expose me!
―Well, we met in the woods, and Ning Zhou saved me several
times…‖ Although Qi Leren actually heard Chen Baiqi mention
Ning Zhou when he was in the Village of Dusk, Chen Baiqi
didn‘t tell him the name of Ning Zhou at that time, but only said
that it was a cold beauty. This description is really accurate. It
really was a cold and beautiful goddess!
Lu Youxin‘s eyes crazily jumped, and she didn‘t have to look to
know that Ning Zhou was staring at her with murderous eyes –
telling her to shut up and roll away. Thinking about it, Ning
Zhou didn‘t want to expose his gender at this time and be
regarded as a guy with bad intentions by his favorite cute girl.
And now, the quest environment was so dangerous, it would
be bad if Qi Leren had ill feelings for him. Moreover, he is still
equipped with the skill card ―Silent Mediation‖. Once he opens
his mouth, he has to start from scratch. He‘ll try to explain it
slowly after the quest is over.
However, Lu Youxin, who has already seen through
everything, can only respond with a smile to two people who
believe that they are straight men, but in others‘ eyes, they‘re
lesbians, but in reality, they‘re actually being gay: You told me
to shut up, so don‘t blame me.
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: ―You are bringing about your own destruction.‖ BY Lu
Youxin Juju.
PPS: Witch‘s tips and clues have confused even me. Here‘s
the following:
[ The living witches gather together, and the dead witches are
ready to go. ]
1. Those who sleep in rusty iron, burn my body with fire,
nourish the vegetation of hell with blood, and whoever wakes
me up will be executed by hanging.
——Tips after killing witches: Kill us all and the altar will
appear.
2. I‘ve been awakened and wandering around, and those who
kill me will get my wealth.
——We used to serve the Old Devil, but now we serve the
devil who is in charge of deception.
3. Are you willing to sacrifice, have you ever been betrayed,
and have you seen the distortion and beauty of love when it‘s
sprouted into despair? The fire of love, which I wanted but
could never have, burned to the end of my life.
——？ ? ?
 Chapter 51: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XX)

Lu Youxin soon left, saying that she was going to find love
before leaving. Qi Leren silently mourned for Ye Xia, whose
location was unknown. When his skills cooled down, they were
ready to leave the temple to continue searching for witches.
Isabel, who had learned of her sister‘s death, did not want to
go, but Qi Leren persuaded her that she might find her lost
memory. She hesitated for a while and reluctantly agreed.
Ellie-Aisha sisters were afraid of the dead outside, and they
didn‘t want to leave the stone hall. Qi Leren didn‘t force them
either. He advised Isabel to follow them, mainly for the purpose
of protection. If this important clue of an NPC died here, this
hidden quest couldn‘t continue.
After leaving the temple, there was still a dead silence in the
underground palace, and sometimes there were undead
wandering in the corridors. Qi Leren quietly thought about
Isabel and the witch before, and suddenly a sharp voice came
in his ears: ―Grab her, she ran there!‖
Qi Leren suddenly stopped, and there was silence around him:
―Did you hear that sound?‖
Ning Zhou shook her head, and so did the big black bird on her
shoulder. Isabel said strangely, ―Is there any noise? I only
heard our footsteps.‖
Qi Leren frowned. He didn‘t think it was an auditory
hallucination, but was he the only one who heard it?
―There are ghosts!‖ Isabel saw the dead flying in the distance
and shouted a warning.
Ning Zhou unsheathed her knife and ran forward to tear up the
dead soul. Qi Leren stood in the corridor, and the voice
sounded again in his ear, with a little anger: ―Where did she
hide?‖
The sound came from the wall? Qi Leren looked at the old wall
and frowned doubtfully: ―There it is again, did you hear it?‖
Isabel shook her head blankly and suddenly screamed in
horror: ―Ahhh!‖
Qi Leren, who turned his back to the wall, was stunned, and
his arm was caught by an incredible force. He only had time to
lower his head and see a blue skinny arm, before he was
grabbed tightly. He couldn‘t struggle and was dragged into the
wall—
In the darkness and chaos, Qi Leren‘s consciousness blurred.
He vaguely heard a familiar voice asking in a pious and
humble tone: ―Is that her… I know now.‖
The voice was very low, passing like a dream. When Qi Leren
woke up, he found himself standing in a strange corridor, and
dusty air hit his face. He was still in the underground palace.
―Grab her, she ran there!‖ A sharp and vicious voice came from
the corner of the corridor, and a few hurried footsteps
appeared there in an instant. Qi Leren was stunned and
subconsciously wanted to open his bag and take out weapons,
but as soon as he moved, the bag in his mind disappeared…
Qi Leren were frightened terribly and hurriedly touched his
belts. No belt, no skill cards!
―There she is!‖ Three strange girls appeared at the corner and
ran towards him with weapons at the ready. Qi Leren started to
run, running while his brain was turning fast– who are these
people?!
Strange sounds, strange women, missing bags and belts, all
these are too strange and bizarre. What‘s going on?!
By the way, the third witch candidate…
Could it be that he had entered the witch‘s dreamland, just like
in the courtyard?
The repeating corridors in front of him have become familiar.
Qi Leren was convinced that he should have been here
already, and the map emerged in his mind. He plunged into a
remote bedroom and finally shook off the three women in hot
pursuit.
Once the footsteps outside the door faded away, Qi Leren was
relieved and sat down against the wall.
He didn‘‘t know what happened to Ning Zhou and Isabel. He
remembered that he was dragged into the wall by a bony blue
arm. If they were more careful, they would be fine.
From being dragged into the wall to waking up to finding that
he lost his belt and became an ordinary person, he seemed to
hear a voice saying something, but what was it? It seemed to
be, that‘s her?
It‘s strange, why did they say this? The voice sounded a little
familiar, but he couldn‘t remember who was talking and to
whom.
Qi Leren covered his forehead with one hand, and he jumped
up from the ground.
Where‘s the wound? Where‘s the bandage? Are they all gone?
Qi Leren gawked at his hand without scars. In the underground
lake of the cave tower, his hands were full of injuries because
he struggled ashore. Ning Zhou bandaged his wounds and
bandaged his hands. But now, the bandages were gone from
both his hands and his forehead!
Taking a closer look, these hands weren‘t his hands at all.
Suddenly, he found that his soul possessed another person.
This absurd and frightening feeling made him feel confused. Qi
Leren searched the room for things that one could see
themselves in clearly, but thought the room was full of broken
porcelain and decorations that were swept to the ground, there
was no mirror at all. Forget it, let‘s leave here first. Just when
Qi Leren thought so, the sharp voice came again from the
corridor outside the door: ―Where did she hide?‖
In a panic, Qi Leren plunged under bed.
The door of the room was rudely pushed open. Qi Leren saw
six legs crowded at the door. One of them walked into the
room: ―I probably lost her near here. I‘ll have a search here.
You should go to the next room.‖
With this, she opened the cloth covering the tea table with the
knife in her hand, and large dust drifted in the air, which made
her cough again and again. The tablecloth fell under the bed
where Qi Leren was hiding, and the dust drifted into his nasal
cavity. Qi Leren had an itch in his nose, and the desire to
cough shot up into the sky. The itching made him tremble all
over, and the internal organs tightened into a ball. He held his
mouth desperately.
What to do? Now he had no weapons and no skills. What
could he do to escape from here? There was one person in the
room and two others outside, if he was found …
Qi Leren was too nervous to breathe. He was lying under the
bed, watching as the owner of these legs strode to the cabinet
next to him, violently opened the cupboard door, and then
moved on to the next one.
He must act. She will search under the bed sooner or later.
Qi Leren crawled slowly in the opposite direction, trying not to
make a sound.
―Clang-‖ He met something at his feet, which happened to be
covered up by the sound of opening the cupboard door, but it
rolled out! Qi Leren turned away stiffly. In the faint light, he saw
a cylindrical ceramic sugar jar slowly rolling in the direction of
that someone!
It was over! He was about to be discovered!
At this critical juncture, Qi Leren climbed out before the
porcelain jar rolled from under the bed, and his palm pressed
against the porcelain fragments on the ground, which made
him shiver in pain. But at this time, he had already neglected
the bleeding and pain. He finally glanced at the unknown
woman who was rummaging through the boxes to find him,
and decided to take a gamble.
Out of the corner of his eye, the woman who turned her back
on him had caught a glimpse of the porcelain jar that rolled to
her feet, and then she bent over and picked it up.
It was too late to rush to the door now. Qi Leren, who was lying
at the end of the bed, didn‘t get up. He clung to the ground and
crept softly towards the bedside table, ready to curl up around
the bedside table. Sure enough, she had doubts about under
the bed, and the sugar jar was put on the cabinet beside her,
making a sound, then the sound of cloth friction, and the sound
of the weapon in her hand colliding with the ground.
Qi Leren unconsciously held his breath, and he almost
imagined what kind of posture the person had lying beside the
bed and looking at the bottom of the bed with suspicion. There
was no figure there, and he was blocked by the bedside table
that had fallenl to the ground, just avoiding her perspective.
After a few seconds, the long knife was picked up, and Qi
Leren knew that she was going to stand up. He climbed out
from the bedside table and rolled under the bed again -
otherwise, she could definitely see him hiding behind the
bedside table at the height of her standing up.
The time difference and perspective were just right, even if it is
only one second short, his figure would be exposed.
Fortunately, the floor near him was covered with carpet, which
makes his moving sounds very slight. Or maybe the long-lost
goddess of fortune finally visited him once, and his actions
were not discovered.
Qi Leren, who was lying under the bed, even breathed very
low. From his perspective, only the calf of that person could be
seen. She seemed to be sure that no one was hiding here, and
was walking towards the door. When she stood by the door,
she asked loudly if the companions in the next rooms had
found anyone, and they all got a negative answer.
She tutted impatiently, looked back carelessly, and then a faint
hum of doubt came out of her throat.
Qi Leren who was praying for her to get out of here quickly
couldn‘t help but feel caught. Had he been exposed? How was
that possible? She shouldn‘t see him from her present point of
view!
She quickly walked to the bed and stopped at the place where
Qi Leren rushed out of the bed before. At this moment, Qi
Leren understood the reason like a sobering ceremony - there
was bright red blood left by him on the white porcelain piece
that cut his palm.
 Chapter 52: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXI)

It was over. He couldn‘t escape this time. Right now he had

nothing, and he couldn‘t compete with three armed people… If
he died…
―Ah, ah, ah-!‖ There was a terrible scream outside the door,
and the woman beside the bed shouted the name of her
companion and ran out, then another scream after the blade
entered flesh.
Qi Leren under the bed only saw her legs shaking violently,
then with a thud, a ferocious-looking head fell by the door, and
her unsatisfied eyes were facing Qi Leren under the bed.
The rest of the people cried out, ―Don‘t kill her,‖ but the sound
of begging for mercy only lasted for a few seconds, and then it
was silent.
Qi Leren was too scared to go out. Suddenly, the mysterious
person had killed three NPCs after him. She didn‘t leave. Qi
Leren saw her legs enter the room and step on the head.
The person‘s head let out a strange scream: ―Do you think you
can leave here like this? Stop dreaming! I‘m not going to die
like this! You also don‘t want to escape! Stay here forever, stay
here with us!‖ Just as the words had fallen, the head and body
dissipated into a spot of light in the air.
Go quickly! Qi Leren‘s heart cried and prayed for the
mysterious visitor to leave quickly, but it backfired. After the
body on the ground dissipated, instead of leaving, she came to
the bedside.
What was she going to do? Had she found him? Qi Leren
could only see her feet, he couldn‘t see her movements, but
the more he couldn‘t see them, the more horrible his
imagination was.
With a sharp sound, a long knife went straight through the bed
board and was inserted in front of Qi Leren. The blade shining
with cold light was less than a finger‘s distance from his nose
tip!
Qi Leren‘s cold sweat flowed down, and his heart stopped
suddenly at that moment, and his brain commanded his soft
limbs to press further to the floor. At this time, he has forgotten
to think, even dared not to think about whether he had been
discovered by this mysterious murderer, but to instinctively
escape this deadly terror, just like a worm falling in a spider‘s
web struggles uselessly.
―Still not coming out yet?‖ The long knife was slowly pulled out,
and the strange and cold female voice asked, ―Next time your
head won‘t be so lucky. If I cut it, it‘ll burst like a watermelon.‖
She knew he was hiding here!
No, it was wrong.
Qi Leren‘s eyes lit up, and he rolled out from under the bed. He
squatted on the ground and raised his hands: ―Wait a minute,
I‘m Qi Leren.‖
The woman with the knife looked strange, but Qi Leren had
guessed her identity vaguely. She must be a player.
Because the fruits in the Nightmare World were completely
different from the real world, even if there are similar shapes
and tastes, the name was definitely not the name on Earth. In
those days in the Village of Dusk, Qi Leren had seen many
strange fruits and vegetables. You can‘t be an NPC if you say
something like watermelon.
Sure enough, the woman opposite was dazed and murmured,
―Qi Leren? You also…‖
Qi Leren gave a wry smile: ―I don‘t know what happened. I was
dragged into the wall suddenly, and then I found myself in a
different body. Are you… Ye Xia?‖
After running through all the players in his mind, Qi Leren said
the most likely one. He remembered that Ye Xia had used a
knife and her technique was extremely neat.
―It‘s me.‖ Ye Xia smiled at him and stretched out her hand to
pull him up. ―Sorry, I didn‘t know it was you, but I thought you
were one of the witch candidates from three years ago.‖
―Witch candidate from three years ago? Have we come to a
dream world of three years ago?‖ Qi Leren suddenly said.
―I‘m afraid so. After arriving here, all my items and skill cards
disappeared. It should be that our consciousness is attached to
others. They‘ll disappear when they kill other NPCs. After a
while, they‘ll appear again and can‘t be completely killed.‖ Ye
Xia frowned and told her story.
Qi Leren suddenly realized: ―No wonder, I still think I‘ve never
seen these people at all.‖
Ye Xia frowned and said, ―Now I don‘t know what to do. Do you
have any ideas?‖
―Don‘t worry, I have a clue. Every time a witch is killed, there
will be a clue to solve the puzzle and a hint of the next witch on
the stone wall of the temple where we first gathered.‖ Qi Leren
estimated that Ye Xia had never returned since she left the
temple, so she knew nothing about it.
―I knew I should‘ve gone back… If it hadn‘t been for that
time…‖ Ye Xia subconsciously touched her arm and sighed
again. ―I forgot that I‘m not using my own body now. My
original body was hurt a little, but it won‘t hurt now.‖
Qi Leren suddenly remembered what Lu Youxin said: ―Did you
fight Xie Wanwan?‖
Ye Xia nodded coldly. ―Let‘s not talk about this. Let‘s continue
to talk about the tips on the wall. I‘m not very good at solving
puzzles. Is there any hint in that tip?‖
Qi Leren was actually not good at it either. He was a little
worried about the location here: ―Shall we talk about it
somewhere else?‖
―It‘s okay, they‘ll disappear for at least half an hour.‖ Ye Xia
said.
Qi Leren finally calmed his heart, dusted off his clothes, sat
down by the bed, and vaguely described his previous killing of
a witch, focusing on the clues and tips on the wall: ―Now the
witch‘s prompt is ‗Are you willing to sacrifice, have you ever
been betrayed, have you ever seen the distortion and beauty
of love when it has sprouted into despair? The fire of love,
which I can‘t get, burns until the end of my life.‘ She is a little
different from the first two witches. The first two tips emphasize
the places where witches may appear and even the means of
attack, but there‘s no special explanation on how to destroy
those witches. But this witch is a bit different.‖
Ye Xia seemed to be a little distracted, mumbling: ―The fire of
love that I can‘t get… is really full of feelings of despair and
helplessness.‖
Qi Leren was speechless for a moment. Wait, sister Ye Xia,
shouldn‘t we seriously think about how to fix this witch now?
Why did you suddenly switch to the channel for literary young
women? I really didn‘t see that you had such a style before!
Didn‘t you kill very well just now?!
―Have you ever liked anyone?‖ Ye Xia suddenly asked with a
serious face.
―Er… yes.‖ Qi Leren was a little ashamed, but he answered
honestly. Although they had only known each other for a short
time, he had already liked her very much. Although he still
couldn‘t show this feeling to Ning Zhou, the more he
suppressed it, the more intense this yearning love was. Before
meeting Ning Zhou, he never thought that love at first sight
would really happen to him.
―Great, does she like you?‖ Ye Xia asked again.
Qi Leren couldn‘t help scratching his hot cheek: ―It should be…
the friendship kind of like. But it doesn‘t matter, it‘s enough if
she treats me as a friend now. I hope she can like the real me.‖
Qi Leren himself felt embarrassed to say such a thing to an
unfamiliar person, but Ye Xia had an air that let people want to
talk, and he said it before he knew it.
Ye Xia smiled and whispered, ―Whether you are really loved or
falsely loved, you‘re happy as long as you‘re loved. Sometimes
love can‘t help, and occurs in spite of yourself. Even if you
know it‘s impossible, you will not give up easily. ‖
Looking at Qi Leren‘s stunned eyes, Ye Xia smiled suddenly:
―Sorry, I accidentally said a lot of inexplicable words. I hope
that the person you love will make you better. ‖
―Well, let‘s not talk about this and continue to get down to
business. The witch‘s prompt doesn‘t explain where or how
she‘ll appear. I guess it may be because we meet certain
conditions, so we‘ll be pulled into this dreamland…‖ Qi Leren
said, and suddenly stopped.
Was it because he strongly liked Ning Zhou that he was
chosen? That Ning Zhou… Will she show up?
He didn‘t think so. She probably just takes care of him as a
friend now. Qi Leren suddenly thought a little narcissistically.
Now it‘s really scary to see Ning Zhou. Doesn‘t that mean Ning
Zhou likes girls, like Lu Youxin? But when you think about it,
the goddess, a high-cold cool girl, liking a girl doesn‘t seem…
to look strange at all!
No, no, goddess, don‘t let me see you here! I‘ll see you when
I‘m out of this dreamland.
―Then what?‖ After waiting for a while, she found that Qi Leren
had been silent, and Ye Xia, whose expression was ever-
changing, could not help but ask.
―Oh, yes, and then the specific conditions of being selected, I
think probably have something to do with the three keywords of
‗sacrifice‘, ‗betrayal‘, and ‗love‘. No matter how we got here, we
must destroy the witch who controls this dreamworld if we want
to leave. But as you said just now, you can‘t completely
destroy her by ordinary means.‖ Qi Leren interrupted his own
thoughts and talked about his ideas intently.
Ye Xia nodded and listened very carefully.
―In fact, there‘s a sentence in the prompt that I‘m very
concerned about…‖ Qi Leren rubbed his hand cut by broken
porcelain pieces and said, ―It‘s the phrase ‗burning until the
end of my life.‘‖
―Burning? Is it necessary to use fire?‖ Ye Xia suddenly
understood.
―I‘m not sure, but this is a clue. I suspect that the witch was
finally burned to death, so there‘s such a hint. To completely
destroy her, you need to kill her again in the same way she
died before.‖ Qi Leren said.
―It makes sense, just give it a try.‖ Ye Xia picked up the knife at
hand and pointed to the door. ―Let‘s go. I‘ve been to the
warehouse before. There‘s a lot of oil stored in it, which may
come in handy.‖
This one is also very straight to the point. The same type as his
goddess, ―just do it, don‘t be timid‖ type? Although it is similarly
simple and crude, the goddess is cuter after all, Qi Leren
thought.
The two people walked side by side in the empty corridor. Qi
Leren had no weapon to protect himself. Ye Xia snatched her
weapon from an NPC. There was no second one for Qi Leren,
so he had to be on tenterhooks for fear that a monster would
suddenly rush out.
―There‘s someone in front.‖ Ye Xia suddenly stopped.
Not far ahead, a strange girl looked at them coldly with a long
metal rod in one hand. The sharp and lonely eyes were like
beasts cruising in the jungle, giving a cold warning to
unexpected visitors.
It clearly was a very different appearance, but at the moment
he saw her, Qi Leren recognized her for some reason. Maybe
it was her expression, maybe it was her posture, maybe it was
just instinct, but he was convinced that it was Ning Zhou.
―Ning Zhou! I‘m Qi Leren!‖ Qi Leren waved at her, and Ning
Zhou in the distance stood still and strode towards him.
Looking at Ning Zhou coming towards him, Qi Leren suddenly
swore inwardly. The goddess really came! And so on, if the
selected condition is really what he guessed, is it true that the
goddess really likes girls?!
A bolt from the blue!
 Chapter 53: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXII)

Looking at Ning Zhou walking briskly, Qi Leren felt that the

world was dark. Goddess, his goddess really liked him, but she
was a lesbian! Lesbian! It‘s worse than the goddess having a
boyfriend!
No, don‘t think too much, maybe the conditions of being
selected are not what he thinks, and even if it is related to love,
maybe the goddess loves her boyfriend, bah, I don‘t know,
don‘t think blindly, how can the goddess have a boyfriend!
Goddess is still waiting for him to pursue her! Let‘s concentrate
on this dream world first. As for the goddess … Make a good
relationship with the goddess first. As for the pursuit of
something, let‘s wait for him to get out of the instance world to
change his body back and then slowly figure it out.
Ning Zhou‘s consciousness was also attached to a strange
NPC. Although it was a completely different face, when she
looked at him, the silence in her eyes was exactly the same.
Qi Leren was convinced that even if the goddess changed her
body, he would still be attracted to her. This attraction came
not from her appearance, but from her own irresistible
attraction.
―Ning Zhou, are you all right?‖ Qi Leren asked with concern.
―Nothing.‖ Ning Zhou shook her head and looked at Ye Xia.
Suddenly hearing Ning Zhou‘s voice, Qi Leren still became
somewhat speechless. Thinking that now that they‘re not in
their own bodies, without any skill cards or whatnot, Ning Zhou
could naturally speak.
―She‘s Ye Xia, we met just now.‖ Qi Leren didn‘t admit that he
had just been scared half to death by Ye Xia. He probably felt
a little embarrassed in his heart, so he simply changed the
subject and talked about this dreamworld‘s witch.
Ning Zhou listened to him quietly. This time, there was no big
black bird making noises around her, and Qi Leren wasn‘t used
to it.
―So Ye Xia and I are going to find some oil and find a way to
burn this witch. Ye Xia said that she‘d seen the warehouse
where oil is stored before. Let‘s go together.‖ Qi Leren said.
So the three acted together.
The ubiquitous ghosts in the underground palace had
disappeared. From another angle, it showed that the world
they were in wasn‘t a real underground palace, but a
dreamworld constructed by a dead witch. As long as the witch
was completely killed, they could get out of the dreamworld.
The next thing was simple, Qi Leren didn‘t find the opportunity
to step in. Ye Xia took the two people to the warehouse where
the oil was stored, and three people found flint again. Ye Xia
and Ning Zhou discussed how to attract witches. Even without
the limitation of skill cards, Ning Zhou still cherished words like
gold. Qi Leren gawked at the tacit understanding between
them, feeling that he was excluded.
―Can I help you?‖ Qi Leren interposed.
―Ning Zhou and I can do it.‖ Ye Xia smiled politely, and then
continued to use a stone to draw a simple map on the ground
to explain the route to lead the witches.
―Want me to lure the monster? I‘m still very experienced in this
respect.‖ As someone with E-ranked luck who was chased by
a killer to run all over the hospital in the Novice Village, Qi
Leren has accumulated sufficient experience in this respect.
―You can‘t use skill cards and props now. I‘d rather be on the
safe side.― Ye Xia declined Qi Leren‘s proposal.
Qi Leren wanted to say more. Ning Zhou‘s blue eyes had
already looked up. Although she was still silent, the eyes
clearly told Qi Leren that she didn‘t need his help.
Qi Leren gave up somewhat sullenly, and sat on the oil drum to
watch them continue to discuss. Finally, the plan was finalized
and implemented.
Ye Xia set up the trap, and Ning Zhou went to attract the
witches. While waiting, Qi Leren couldn‘t help thinking deeply
about Ning Zhou‘s attitude towards him. He also discovered
that although Ning Zhou was a girl, she was very protective of
him. She always watched over and took care of him completely
as a weak person. When encountering dangerous things, she
would rather discuss with the strange Ye Xia than put him in
danger.
It‘s a bit bad, Qi Leren thought, is it better for him to confess to
Ning Zhou earlier? It feels strange to be taken care of as a girl.
But if he says it now, what will Ning Zhou think?
Qi Leren was a little unsure of Ning Zhou‘s character. He only
knew that she was a cold-looking but shy person. Will she
become angry from embarrassment if she suddenly learned
the truth? If she got angry and misunderstood, how would it
end then? Most importantly, Ning Zhou‘s sexual orientation…
Oh, forget it. I‘d better explain it to Ning Zhou slowly after
leaving the instance world and returning to the Village of Dusk.
"Are you thinking about Ning Zhou?‖ Ye Xia‘s voice suddenly
sounded in his ear, and Qi Leren discovered that he was
distracted in such a dangerous place.
―I, I guess…‖ Qi Leren answered honestly.
Ye Xia wiped the ordinary long knife in her hand with the
corner of her clothes, and her smile was a bit inscrutable: ―I
can understand it a bit.‖
―Ah? Understand what?‖ Now it‘s Qi Leren‘s turn to fail to
understand.
―Nothing, I just want to say that when people look at the person
they like, that look is different. No matter how hesitant,
concealed or embarrassed, your eyes are bright when you see
her.‖ Ye Xia stopped the wiping action, spoke softly and slowly,
and smiled quite deeply. ―She is the same.‖
Qi Leren, who was still embarrassed, was scared silly when he
heard Ye Xia‘s last half sentence: ―Are you … are you sure?‖
―Be careful, someone‘s coming!‖ Ye Xia who was originally
going to continue suddenly turned serious.
Qi Leren also immediately kept his thoughts, and watched Ning
Zhou running towards this area. Three strange girls chased
after her, and ran all the way into the room with the pre-set
trap. The fire rose, and Qi Leren hiding outside the room was
carrying a heart for Ning Zhou. Although he knew she wouldn‘t
have a problem, he couldn‘t help worrying when she was in
danger.
The witches‘ piercing shrieks came from the firelight, and
finally gradually disappeared in the fire.
The surrounding scene has become blurred and distorted, and
Qi Leren‘s vision blurred, and there is an ethereal voice in their
ears.
―I love you so much, I tried so hard to protect you… Why…
Why…‖
―Because, it‘s very interesting. It‘s so interesting to watch you
deceive and kill each other because of despair, fear, and
jealousy. ‖
The voice disappeared, and the scene before him was restored
again. Qi Leren found himself standing in a strange corridor,
surrounded by silence.
Whose were those voices? One was very similar to the witch
who chased him in the dream world just now, while the other
was a completely strange female voice, with full pleasure
flowing in her beautiful voice. It seemed that playing and
torturing others like this was her greatest pleasure.
It‘s terrible. It‘s terrible for people to treat such terrible things as
fun.
Qi Leren couldn‘t help becoming cold. He didn‘t know who was
the owner of this voice. No matter how he recalled it, he
couldn‘t remember where he had heard this voice, but it was
subtle and he felt that the tone was a little familiar.
Who exactly was it?
No matter how hard he ransacked his mind, he couldn‘t
remember it. Qi Leren had to put this problem aside and check
his own body. With all the skill cards in the card slot, he finally
reassured and felt that his life was guaranteed.
He didn‘t know where Ning Zhou was, and Ye Xia too.
Qi Leren searched around, but they were not found.
Fortunately, the terrain became familiar, and he successfully
found his way back to the temple.
Back at the temple, Ellie and Aisha were still inside, but Isabel
hadn‘t come back, and Ning Zhou hadn‘t either. Qi Leren was
a little worried, and asked the two sisters if they had seen
them. After getting a negative answer, he became more and
more uneasy.
After killing the witch, new information appeared again, which
was still a clue and a hint.
[The Lord of Fraud likes to see human betrayal, depravity, and
despair.]
Qi Leren‘s mind suddenly flashed a flash of light. The voice he
heard when he was leaving the dreamworld seemed to be like
this. What was the connection between the owner of the voice
and the Devil of Fraud? That‘s right, this group of witches
serve the Devil of Fraud.
He looked at the clue to the next witch.
[I tore open my companion‘s chest and ate her heart, but I was
still unbearably hungry. Is your heart just as delicious?]
Before Qi Leren thought deeply, footsteps came from outside
the temple. He turned around excitedly and looked forward to
Ning Zhou‘s return, but saw Lu Youxin come in with an
indifferent face as she saw Qi Leren standing in front of the
stone wall. She frowned and said, ―Did you pass the corridor
on the right when you came?‖
―No, I came from the left. Why?‖ Qi Leren asked doubtfully.
Lu Youxin looked at him deeply and seemed to confirm
whether he was telling the truth. After a long time, she said,
―Ye Xia is dead.‖
―Ah?‖ Qi Leren gawked at her, thinking he had heard wrong.
Lu Youxin snorted and repeated impatiently: ―Ye Xia is dead.‖
 Chapter 54: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXIII)

Ye Xia was dead? How could that be?

―Just now, I met Ye Xia in the dreamworld. She, Ning Zhou and
I were pulled into the witch‘s dreamworld together, and
possessed the witches from three years ago. All items and
skills couldn‘t be used…‖ Qi Leren said, interrupted by Lu
Youxin.
―Possessed? So what you saw was just someone who called
herself Ye Xia? As for whether she was telling the truth or not,
how can you be sure? ― Lu Youxin cocked her head a little and
looked at him with some sarcasm.
Qi Leren swallowed saliva, and a chill rose on his back.
Yes, how did he know that the person he met was really Ye
Xia? What he saw and talked to was just a person who claimed
to be Ye Xia possessing an NPC from beginning to end. With
his shallow understanding of Ye Xia, he couldn‘t distinguish
clearly.
‖…Why do you have such doubts?― Qi Leren felt something
was wrong. Why did Lu Youxin suspect that the "Ye Xia‖ he
met was not herself?
―Of course, because Ye Xia‘s body doesn‘t look like it just
died.‖ Lu Youxin says, before with a confused and irritated
look, she frowned and looked at the new tips on the wall.
―I‘ll go and have a look,‖ Qi Leren said.
―What‘s there to see on a corpse,‖ Lu Youxin said coldly as she
concentrated on studying the words on the wall. You couldn‘t
tell that she was still pursuing Ye Xia not long ago.
―At least to know who killed her!‖
Lu Youxin turned and looked at him with a smile: ―Oh, maybe
it‘s me?‖
Qi Leren groaned: ―No, it wouldn‘t be you. If it was you, why
did you tell me about her death?‖
Lu Youxin clicked her tongue: ―Then go and see it, and you‘ll
understand. However, I advise you not to take it too seriously.
It‘s common for people to die in quests. There‘s no foolproof
quest, and there‘s no player who can only win or only lose.
One day I will die, you will die, Ning Zhou will die, and
everyone will die. This is the doomed ending for us. ‖
Although Lu Youxin spoke in a relaxed tone, Qi Leren‘s mood
was extremely heavy. He entered the world not long ago, but
he had already vaguely felt the despair and fear of being
precarious: ―Is there really no way to leave this game?‖
―Who knows, maybe when you die, you‘ll find that you‘ve
opened your eyes in your bed. Everything here is just a
nightmare.‖ Lu Youxin shrugged her shoulders. ―Maybe, after
you jump out of the player‘s identity and enter another level,
you can become a chess player, which must be wonderful.‖
―Jump out of the player‘s identity?‖ Qi Leren asked curiously.
―Uh-huh, so after completing this task, I‘ll probably try the task
of opening the Village of Dawn, hoping that everything will be
different after arriving there.‖ Lu Youxin finished that and finally
glanced at the rock and left the hall.
Qi Leren hesitated for a moment, but still couldn‘t help
worrying. He decided to go there first. Before leaving, he
explained to Ellie‘s sister that if she saw Isabel and Ning Zhou
coming back, to ask them to wait for him here.
Outside the hall, the corridor was still cold, and Qi Leren took a
deep breath of cool dirty air and headed for the corridor on the
right.
He couldn‘t judge whether the Ye Xia met in the dreamland
was true or not now, but he remembered that Ye Xia said that
her original body was slightly injured. At that time, he asked
her if she had met Xie Wanwan, and she nodded her head.
If it was really Ye Xia, then she should‘ve met Xie Wanwan
again after leaving the dreamworld, and then she was killed. If
it was a fake Ye Xia, then who impersonated Ye Xia and why
did she do it? Was it Xie Wanwan? But there was no
evidence…
His thinking was becoming increasingly disordered. Qi Leren
had to put aside his questions first, and continue to the right
corridor.
There is a faint smell of mud and blood intertwined in the air.
Qi Leren touched his nose and walked softly around a corner
with a dagger in hand. Deep in the front corridor, countless
plants emerged from the cracks in the wall, hanging around
like a green spider web. In the middle of this verdant place, Ye
Xia, who was covered in blood, was covered with branches
through the abdominal cavity, and countless vines and
branches hung her in mid-air, like a hanged body!
With a buzz in Qi Leren‘s brain, he stood transfixed and saw
the dead body of a person he knew, which was far more
shocking than seeing a dead stranger. Especially as, not long
ago, they had chatted and talked about the private topic of
love. Now, seeing her dead beyond recognition, the incredible
shock lingered in his heart.
It turned out that she was really dead.
When listening to Lu Youxin, he still didn‘t associate this fact
with Ye Xia. It wasn‘t until he really saw Ye Xia‘s body that he
realized that Ye Xia, who was in the same carriage with him at
the beginning of the mission, was dead.
Unconsciously, his hands and feet became cold, and Qi Leren
took a deep breath several times to calm his mood slightly.
Only then did he climb the branches growing out of the cracks,
cut the vines and branches, and put down Ye Xia‘s body.
Her body was cold and stiff, lying on the ground lifelessly,
staring ahead wide eyed in empty horror, and her incredible
expression was frozen by death at this moment.
Qi Leren glanced at her waist, her belt and other items had
disappeared with her death. Like an ordinary person, she bid
farewell to the world in this dangerous underground palace,
even knowing who the murderer was.
He couldn‘t say he didn‘t know who it was either. Although iu
Youxin didn‘t say who killed Ye Xia, as long as she saw Ye
Xia‘s body, Qi Leren knew it.
It was Xie Wanwan, the player who could control bugs and
plants.
Qi Leren sat beside Ye Xia and thought about it. Ye Xia‘s body
really didn‘t look like she‘d just died. The blood had dried and
the body was stiff. Even if he doesn‘t know anything about
autopsies, he also knew that this was by no means the
appearance of a newly dead person. However, from leaving
the dreamworld just now to discovering Ye Xia‘s body, it had
taken only half an hour at most. That is to say, the person he
met in the instance world was probably not Ye Xia herself. So,
who could it be?
It is neither Ye Xia nor Lu Youxin. It is even more impossible
for the several NPCs. The only option is Xie Wanwan.
Although she had a feud with Ye Xia, she should know
something about Ye Xia. It wasn‘t a problem to pretend to be
Ye Xia for a short time.
What was her motive for doing this? At that time, she could
have killed him with one slash of her knife.
Oh, no, at that time, she was also trapped in the dreamworld,
and urgently needed to find a way to leave, and he quickly said
that he knew the clue, and it was possible that he saved his
life. After that, although he had no value, they soon met Ning
Zhou…
A feeling of escaping death entered Qi Leren‘s heart. If Ning
Zhou hadn‘t appeared at that time, would he have died?
Recalling how when Ning Zhou went to lure witches, Ye Xia,
who wiped the long knife, spoke to him softly and slowly, Qi
Leren shuddered. At that time, did ―Ye Xia‖ hold a murderous
intent for him who was unarmed and defenseless? If Ning
Zhou hadn‘t just led the witch back to end the dreamworld,
would he have become a cold corpse like Ye Xia?
When he chewed every frame of memory carefully, he whose
mind was full of Ning Zhou finally realized this belated fear. Her
clasping the handle of the knife, the action of wiping the knife,
her strange smile, inexplicable questions, and the murderer
that almost pierced his skull under the bed. Everything became
eerie and chilling.
It turned out that without realizing it, he had already brushed
shoulders with death.
 Chapter 55: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXIV)

Qi Leren once again returned to the temple and walked up the

stone steps. Suddenly, he discovered that the Ellie sisters who
had been in the temple had disappeared.
―Ellie, Aisha? Are you there? ‖ Qi Leren gave a strange call,
and his reply echoed in the empty hall, but no one responded.
The air was filled with a faint coldness, and the chill and
uneasiness were intertwined, catalyzing fear.
Qi Leren walked forward and came to the front of the stone
wall, where there were two more tips, which meant that
another witch had been killed.
[We were just like you, and you will be just like us.]
[They chased me and killed me here. Now I‘m going to chase
them and kill them here.]
Qi Leren read out the tips after the death of the last witch and
chewed them carefully.
Is this a simple curse? It should be more than that.
Rapid footsteps came from outside the temple. Qi Leren turned
nervously to look at the door. A big black bird flew in first and
landed on his shoulder. Ning Zhou and Isabel appeared at the
door. When she saw Qi Leren, Ning Zhou‘s cold eyes softened
slightly, and she seemed relieved.
―Are you all right?‖ Qi Leren hurriedly walked forward, and
when he got close, he found that Ning Zhou‘s arm was
wrapped in bandages, and dark red blood was faintly visible on
it. ―Are you injured?‖
Isabel said nervously, ―It was that woman… The woman who
brought me to the temple at that time.‖
―Xie Wanwan?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Isabel nodded her head, with fear on her face. ―Ning Zhou
fought with her. She was so strong and fast that she almost
killed me. Then Ning Zhou shouted to get down. I… I got down.
I was almost cut by her knife. It was terrible! Fortunately, we
had just met a witch, and the witch chased her, and we finally
escaped.‖
As she spoke, she covered her forehead and whispered in
pain: ―My head hurts. I seem to remember something, but I
don‘t know,‖
―Don‘t think about it, don‘t worry.‖ Qi Leren calmed down and
looked at Ning Zhou again.
Ning Zhou shook her head gently, as if to say don‘t worry.
Even the goddess suffered a loss. Is this Xie Wanwan so
powerful? Qi Leren recalled Xie Wanwan, whom he saw when
he was in the swamp tower. She could control insects and
plants, but it seemed that she is far inferior to Ye Xia in close
combat, let alone Ning Zhou, who was very skillful. Isabel said
that she was also strong and fast?
―Where are Ellie and Aisha?‖ Isabel asked softly.
Qi Leren shook his head. ―I went out just now, and when I
came back, I found that they were gone. Besides that, Ye Xia
is dead. The murderer is probably Xie Wanwan.‖
Qi Leren shared what he‘d seen and heard after leaving the
dreamworld, and whispered, ―It seems that we need to tell Lu
Youxin to be careful. There are also Ellie and Aisha, I don‘t
know if they‘re alright. ‖
―Bloody words! The bloody words appeared again!‖ Isabel
pointed to the rock wall and exclaimed.
Looking back, Qi Leren found another clue and a hint.
[Kill each other in anger and fear, and you will gain strength.]
―I see…‖ When he saw the prompt, Qi Leren suddenly realized.
If killing other witches could grant strength, this could explain
why Xie Wanwan suddenly increased her strength and why
she attacked Isabel and Ning Zhou. She should have
discovered this after killing Ye Xia, but if so…
―Oh, Ellie, Aisha, and Lu Youxin are in danger!‖ Qi Leren was
urgent.
―Are you going to find them?‖ Isabel asked anxiously.
―Wait first, don‘t be impulsive, let me think.‖ Qi Leren paced
around on his hand on his forehead, sorting out all the clues,
and finally stood in front of the rock wall without knowing it.
[They guard the underground palace, meticulous, I will give
them life, let them walk freely.]
Is this the next witch‘s clue? Now there were only two witches
left. If they could solve the witch as soon as possible and
complete the task directly then return to the Village of Dusk,
maybe they wouldn‘t have to confront Xie Wanwan head-on?
―What we have to do now is two things. One is to find the
remaining people who are still alive, otherwise Xie Wanwan will
continue to kill, so that her strength will also increase. If so, I‘m
afraid we can‘t cope with her; Second, take the time to solve
the remaining two witches, complete the sacrifice according to
the clues given on the wall, and finish the quest directly. These
two things do not conflict and can be carried out together. In
short, we have to be faster than Xie Wanwan, and there‘s not
much time left for us,‖ Qi Leren said, and out of the corner of
his eye, he saw two hints appear on the wall.
So fast, the witches were being destroyed faster and faster.
Was this one by Xie Wanwan or Lu Youxin?
[One of you has betrayed.]
Qi Leren smiled silently. This hint came too late.
Suddenly there was only the last witch left. He looked at the
clue of the last witch: [Crawl like a gecko with a broken tail,
crawl, smell the living, eat the dead, crawl, crawl.]
The clue of bloody words was filled with sticky nausea. Qi
Leren frowned and looked at all the hints and clues again,
suggesting that all the seven clues of the witch have appeared,
and the task clue for destroying the witch was still one short,
which couldn‘t be known until this witch was destroyed.
According to common sense, this last tip was likely the key.
The big blackbird grumbled and cleared its throat, and returned
to Ning Zhou, who touched its head and nodded.
―Your injury…‖ Qi Leren still couldn‘t help worrying about Ning
Zhou‘s injury. Ning Zhou climbed the steps he stood atop and
looked down at him.
The distance was too close, and the gleaming eyes reflected
himself. In the middle of the confusion, Ning Zhou pulled up his
hand and wrote, ―It doesn‘t matter. She wasn‘t trying to kill me.‖
Qi Leren looked at her in astonishment. Xie Wanwan wasn‘t
trying to kill Ning Zhou? So what exactly does she want to do?
"Then let‘s go.‖ Qi Leren hesitated, and equipped the S/L skill,
primary combat and the skill of Rain-Day Laundry which had
finished cooling, so he would have to use an ordinary dagger.
Isabel covered her forehead with pain: ―My head still hurts.‖
―Do you remember anything?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Isabel shook her head. ―I still can‘t remember.‖
Qi Leren didn‘t know what conditions she needed to meet to
restore her memory, so they had to shelve this problem first.
Three people once again left the empty hall. The air was still
filled with a stale taste. Far away from the hall, the statues of
half man and half beast that were originally displayed on both
sides of the corridor had been destroyed and fellan to the
ground. It seemed that a fierce battle happened. When Qi
Leren thought back, the last witch‘s tip was ―They are guarding
the underground palace and being meticulous without an error,
I will give them life and let them walk freely,‖ which should
mean that she could revive these statues.
Was Lu Youxin or Xie Wanwan the one who killed the witch?
Qi Leren stopped and looked around, and soon found that
there were burnt marks on the surrounding walls and ground. It
seemed that Lu Youxin did it?
―It should be Lu Youxin, I hope she‘s alright,‖ Qi Leren said to
Ning Zhou, relieved.
Ning Zhou looked at the broken statues all over the ground,
even picking up a piece of debris in her hand, and then shook
her head at Qi Leren.
―Not Lu Youxin? Was that Xie Wanwan then? But there are no
plants here,‖ Qi Leren murmured.
After Ning Zhou‘s words, Qi Leren also noticed that many
incisions of these scattered statues were very neat, not like
being broken, but like being cut off by sharp instruments. He
really hadn‘t seen Lu Youxin use weapons, but he had seen
her come back unarmed but covered in blood in the temple.
She didn‘t seem like a person who was used to using
weapons.
But Xie Wanwan, it seemed, was not used to using cold steel.
He had seen Xie Wanwan fight with Ye Xia. At that time, she
didn‘t use weapons all the way. Later, he saw with his own
eyes that Ye Xia‘s body had no wounds caused by weapons,
and that the fatal injury was caused by branches running
through the abdominal cavity.
However, this is not necessarily true. If the person pretending
to be Ye Xia in the dreamworld was really her, then she should
also be a master of using a knife.
―Maybe it really is Xie Wanwan, be careful, she might not have
gone far,‖ Qi Leren solemnly said.
―Ga-‖ Ning Zhou‘s black bird suddenly gave a strange cry and
pecked Ning Zhou‘s ear with its beak. ―There, the smell of
blood.‖
Three people immediately headed for the front. After a corner,
the dark corridor in front was lit by candlelight. The long black
hair was soaked in the blood like winding aquatic plants, and
the lifeless body lay quietly on the ground. She was no longer
a living person, but a dead thing, a puzzle that came to an
abrupt end.
Qi Leren gawked at the distant corpse, and his mind went
blank.
It wasn‘t until Ning Zhou had passed by that he came to his
senses, and his wandering soul murmured, ―Xie Wanwan? Is
she dead?‖
 Chapter 56: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXV)

Xie Wanwan‘s body was lying on the cold ground in the

underground, blood pooling out from the big hole in her chest,
and there were splashes of blood on the surrounding walls.
Her face was frozen in fright, the panic and disbelief at the
moment before she died fixed on her face.
Isabel stepped back a few steps in fear, clinging to Qi Leren‘s
arm, so strong that she pinched a row of fingerprints on his
arm. Qi Leren patted her arm placidly, took out his arm
reluctantly, and went forward to check.
The body was still warm, and it didn‘t seem to have died for too
long. This fatal wound was what had caused it. The area was
very large, even the internal organs were exposed, a mass of
sticky collapsed flesh in the blood, which looked particularly
disgusting.
Qi Leren hadn‘t recovered from the shock of seeing Xie
Wanwan‘s body. How was it possible? How could she just die?
This question echoed in his mind over and over again, making
him feel like he was dreaming.
―Who killed her? Lu Youxin?‖ Qi Leren asked in a daze.
Ning Zhou squatted down to check her wound, and nodded her
head in a dignified manner.
Was it that Xie Wanwan tried to kill Lu Youxin and was killed
herself? Was Lu Youxin so powerful? Qi Leren‘s mind was a
mess.
What about Lu Youxin?
Isabel sounded like she was choking behind him. She held her
head against the wall, slowly sat down on the ground, curled
up into a ball, and Qi Leren ran back and asked her what was
wrong.
Isabel seemed to be frightened, holding her head in her hands,
her body shaking violently all over, and making a gurgling
sound in her throat, as if she wanted to speak but her words
were caught in her throat.
―Are you ok? What‘s the matter?‖ Qi Leren was confused by
her abnormal reaction.
Ning Zhou also came over and lifted her up from the ground.
Isabel turned pale, and her eyes rolled as she passed out. Qi
Leren quickly shook her, but unfortunately there was no
response. She seemed to be in a deep coma.
―Probably seeing the dead stirred her memory,‖ Qi Leren said
with uncertainty and asked awkwardly, ―What should we do
now?‖
Ning Zhou‘s big blackbird suddenly said calmly: ―Find an empty
room to settle down, let‘s find the last witch.‖
Although he knew that Ning Zhou‘s bird could speak, what the
bird said was always not only mocking but also quick witted.
Hearing it suddenly say a long sentence clearly, Qi Leren
turned stupid: ―You, you, you, you…‖
―I let it speak. Once I speak, the accumulated strength in my
skill will be wasted,‖ the big blackbird added, pecking Ning
Zhou‘s ear with its beak, and Ning Zhou nodded slightly at Qi
Leren.
Qi Leren listened, stunned, and watched in a daze as Ning
Zhou picked up the passed out Isabel and moved forward. He
quickly followed after her, looking at his wrist that the goddess
wrote on and thinking sullenly, since the pet can speak for her,
why didn‘t she speak before? Did she think it was unnecessary
to explain to him?
The Goddess‘ heart was as deep as the sea, poor Qi Leren
who had never had experience of being in love before mentally
scratched his head. Although he knew intellectually that he
shouldn‘t be quibbling over such a thing in this dangerous
situation, he couldn‘t control himself emotionally!
In an instant, Ning Zhou had taken Isabel to an empty room,
put her on the bed, and put a crystal stone-like thing in her
hand. A faint halo emanated from her hand and enveloped her
inside. Ning Zhou nodded at Qi Leren, and they left the room
and continued to look for the last witch.
The underground palace was too big. Looking for a witch
aimlessly was tantamount to looking for a needle in a haystack.
Qi Leren had nothing to talk to Ning Zhou about, pretending
that he was seriously analyzing: ―We still have to start from the
tips on the stone wall. The tips say that this witch is like a
gecko with a broken tail, but people don‘t have a tail. This
‗broken tail‘ may mean that a part of her body is missing.‖
Ning Zhou listened attentively to his speech and nodded from
time to time, but this had greatly inspired Qi Leren. He spoke
like a junior high school student who couldn‘t wait to show off
his solution ideas to his favorite deskmate, and chattered on
like beans spilling: ―But it‘s also possible that the 'broken tail‘ is
not a physical description, but a description of her being as fast
as a gecko who survived at a critical juncture. She should have
a keen sense of smell, because the tip says that she 'smells
the living‘ and 'eats the dead body‘. We‘d better go to Ye Xia or
Xie Wanwan‘s body.‖
Ning Zhou blinked, and there was a trace of emotion that could
be called appreciation in her beautiful blue eyes. Qi Leren was
greatly encouraged, and although he was obviously too proud,
he pretended to be modest and said, ―Well, in fact, I might
possibly have also talked nonsense, I may not necessarily be
right.‖
Ning Zhou‘s big blackbird looked at him contemptuously, and
Qi Leren stared back at it. One person and one bird suggested
to each other with their eyes that ―you are a fucking moron,‖
while Ning Zhou had already started to leave, and Qi Leren,
who felt a little regret about failing to win the fight with his gaze,
quickly followed.
The corridor of the underground palace was like a maze. Ning
Zhou suddenly stopped for a while and looked thoughtfully. Qi
Leren thought that she had found something, and immediately
became alert. Unexpectedly, Ning Zhou‘s bird said faintly:
―Why didn‘t you show the way like a gentleman like you
promised?‖
Qi Leren immediately realized that the goddess was lost! So he
rushed forward to express himself, but before he could show
his ability to know the way, Ning Zhou‘s face suddenly
changed and she ran in the direction they‘d come from.
Huh? What kind of trouble was going on? Qi Leren was at a
loss and quickly gave chase.
The speed of going back was much faster than when they
came. When Qi Leren ran to the door of the room where Isabel
had been left, a shadow came out of the door as fast as a
lightning and went straight for Qi Leren‘s face. He stood on the
spot in astonishment, and when he saw that his blood was
about to splash three feet, a hoarse and gentle voice sounded
in the room: ―Get out of the way!‖
Although the inexplicable strength was not strong, Qi Leren‘s
body was still tilted uncontrollably to the side, and a strong
breeze passed over his head. He subconsciously looks up— a
figure with only half of their body was covered with blood that
splashed on his face. When he looked back, it climbed on the
wall of the corridor like a gecko, and its eyes under its hair
were flashing with greed. Its mouth seemed to have been torn
open, reaching from ear to ear, revealing a mouth filled with
bloody fangs.
Ning Zhou had rushed out of the room, and the gecko witch let
out a scream hoarsely, leaving her body with only two arms
hanging upside down on the wall above her head and fleeing
like a bird.
It was so fast that it just disappeared in front of the two people
in the blink of an eye. Ning Zhou gave up chasing and inserted
the two knives back into their scabbards.
Qi Leren stood up holding the wall and hurried in to see
Isabel‘s situation. She was still in a coma, and the barrier that
enveloped her was still there, but the halo seemed to have
dimmed greatly. It was probably that the gecko witch had
touched the barrier while attacking her, which was why Ning
Zhou had come back in such a hurry.
Fortunately, Isabel was fine. If she died, it would be
troublesome to complete this hidden quest.
Ning Zhou came over from the door, and Qi Leren asked with
concern: ―Are you hurt?‖
Ning Zhou shook her head, frowning when she saw his face.
He wiped the blood on his face with his sleeves. Qi Leren
hadn‘t noticed that he‘d been smeared with blood by the gecko
witch, and immediately felt sick and turned aside to wipe his
face. This wasn‘t clean blood. If it was poisonous, wouldn‘t his
face be disfigured?
The blackbird perched on Isabel‘s bed cleared its throat and
said seriously, ―It has a knife wound.‖
Suddenly, he heard the blackbird say something serious in its
natural mocking voice, but Qi Leren still couldn‘t accept it. He
stole a glance at Ning Zhou and then slowly made a sound.
Wait, what the goddess means is that it was injured, and she
wasn‘t the one to cut it?
―Did it get hurt?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Ning Zhou nodded his head.
―Is it Lu Youxin?‖ Qi Leren asked again.
―You‘re stupid, it‘s a knife wound,‖ the big blackbird said
contemptuously.
Well, this sentence was definitely not Ning Zhou‘s words. It
was really easy to distinguish.
But if not Lu Youxin, who could it be? Judging from the time
when the last witch appeared, Ye Xia was already dead, and
they couldn‘t be sure about Xie Wanwan. Judging from the
interval between the tips on the wall, the last three witches
appeared very close to one another, but the next witch
appeared only after one was destroyed. Judging from the
battle traces, both Lu Youxin and Xie Wanwan were suspected
to have fought with the statue witch, and then Xie Wanwan
died, and the murderer was most likely Lu Youxin. From the
point of view that Xie Wanwan‘s place of death was very close
to the statue, it was very likely that the two of them had fallen
out immediately after jointly dealing with the statue witch. If Xie
Wanwan had cut the gecko witch, it had to have been in a very
narrow span of time. Besides, he wasn‘t sure if Xie Wanwan
wielded a knife or not.
Was it the Ellie-Aisha sisters? Was it true that the two missing
sisters weren‘t so simple? Or was it Lu Youxin who cut it? In
fact, could she also wield a knife? But looking at Xie Wanwan‘s
body, the wounds may have been pierced by Liu Youxin with
her bare hands. He remembered that he had seen Lu Youxin
return to the palace with blood on her hands before. She
probably was used to fighting with her bare hands.
Things became more and more complicated, and Qi Leren
rubbed his temples and felt upset.
Ning Zhou picked up Isabel and walked to the door. Qi Leren
asked curiously, ―Where are you taking her?‖
The big blackbird gave him a side look and said in a strange
tone, ―Go wandering at the ends of the earth.‖
Qi Leren looked at it silently, simply ignored it and said to Ning
Zhou, ―It‘s not convenient if you meet the gecko witch later
while holding her. I‘ll do it.‖
Ning Zhou looked at him with a deep face, looking at him from
head to toe. When Qi Leren was starting to be flustered, she
handed Isabel over and motioned for him to take her. Qi Leren
hurriedly stretched out his arms and tried to hold her in his
arms. As a result, he regretted the weight as soon as he got
started, and his arms and knees turned jelly and she fell to the
ground – so heavy! He couldn‘t hold her at all!
A soft girl‘s body really couldn‘t hold another soft girl. Qi Leren
accepted his fate. He was ashamed to see Ning Zhou carry
people on her shoulders like sacks, and no matter whether
Isabel woke up with a stomachache or not, by contrast, the him
who was princess-carried by the goddess probably received
VIP treatment, right?
They moved on with Isabel, who was still unconscious, and
soon came to the temple. Qi Leren proposed to go back and
see if Ellie and Aisha had come back, but Ning Zhou was
noncommittal.
After stepping into the temple, Qi Leren saw a line of words on
the far wall. He immediately came forward to see that the last
clue after killing the witch had already appeared.
[One of us went and came back.]
 Chapter 57: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXVI)

[One of us went and came back.]

The last bloody word that appeared on the wall stunned Qi
Leren.
What had gone and come back? Did it mean that a dead witch
had been resurrected again? No, one of them going and
coming back… Did that mean coming back here? Maybe, three
years ago, there was a surviving witch candidate in the
witchcraft sacrifice mission. Three years later, she came here
again and mingled among them.
Was she a player or an NPC? Why would she do that?
The creepy feeling slowly climbed to the soles of Qi Leren‘s
feet from the darkness in all directions, and then slowly
climbed up his body along the nerves, stirring his imagination,
making the already strange situation more complicated and
confusing.
If someone survived last time and came to this underground
palace again, who would it be? He, Ning Zhou, Lu Youxin, and
Isabel were the only people who are alive now. The Ellie-Aisha
sisters were unknown. Which one was most likely?
No, it was impossible to make effective inferences. From
another angle, if that person received this task again, she
would be familiar with the task flow and terrain. If you were
familiar with the terrain…
Between crackles, Qi Leren suddenly recalled the situation
when he was in the swamp tower. At that time, Lu Youxin
asked Ye Xia if she needed to copy a map of the underground
palace for her. Ye Xia told the truth under Lu Youxin‘s skill: she
refused.
At that time, he and Lu Youxin thought it was because Ye Xia
didn‘t trust them, but now that he thought about it, could it be
because she was very familiar with the terrain of the
underground palace, so she didn‘t need this quarter map at
all?
But Ye Xia was dead. He saw and touched her body with his
own eyes, and Xie Wanwan who killed her had died…
Was the body fake? The idea flashed by, and Qi Leren himself
felt funny. This was not a detective novel, to be capable of
putting the body in a false pretence. He had seen the bodies of
these two people with his own eyes.
Isabel let out a whimper, struggling as if she had been
strangled, looking very pained. Qi Leren checked her condition,
and suddenly there was a flash of light. Could it be Isabel who
went and came back? She also said that she‘s lost her
memory. Maybe in this lost memory, she followed her sister to
the underground palace. For some reason, she escaped and
lost these memories. Then three years later, she came here
again.
Could it be what he thinks?
Oh, and the altar.
―Now all the seven witches are dead. According to the clue
given by the wall, shouldn‘t the altar have appeared?‖ Qi Leren
said to Ning Zhou in wonder, ―But now it seems that the altar
hasn‘t appeared here. Could there be some conditions that
need to be reached?‖
Ning Zhou silently shook her head, saying she didn‘t know.
―She seems to be about to wake up.‖ Qi Leren caught a
glimpse of Isabel‘s eyelids trembling a few times and
immediately squatted down beside her.
Isabel mumbled, as if shouting for her sister, and finally woke
up from a coma. When she woke up, she just lay on the
ground and looked at the dark ceiling as if she had lost her
soul.
―Isabel?‖ Qi Leren called to her.
Isabel suddenly got up from the ground as if possessed, took
Qi Leren‘s arm and screamed, ―It‘s her! She‘s back! It can‘t be
wrong, it must be her!‖
―Calm down and speak slowly, who is it?‖ Qi Leren pressed her
shoulder and asked carefully.
Isabel, who calmed down from her excitement, stared at him
with empty eyes. Her eyes were out of focus. She pursed her
lips and whispered, ―…The woman with the knife.‖
―Ye Xia? Have you seen her? ‖ Qi Leren asked again.
Isabel‘s body was shaking and her voice was shaking: ―Yes,
three years ago, she was in the same carriage with my
sister…‖
Isabel, who was still in chaos, intermittently told what she‘d
recalled. From her messy and disordered statement, the
memory she lost three years ago was slowly presented to the
two people.
Her sister was taken away after being selected as a witch
candidate. Isabel secretly inquired about the place where her
sister was locked up. When the day of sacrifice came, she
quietly followed the carriage to the forest and saw the witch
candidates who had been driven out of the carriage. One of the
ones with her sister was Ye Xia.
They were driven into the jungle by domestic dogs, and Isabel
was worried about her sister, so she ventured into the
forbidden forest after everyone left. At that time it was getting
dark, and in the deep twilight, she frantically searched for her
sister, trying to take her out of the forest, but she was quickly
lost there.
Then, she met a woman.
It was a woman so beautiful she could not be described in
words. In the sunset, she stood quietly under a withered giant
tree, with a bloodied corpse sprawled at her feet. She looked at
her, and her eyes couldn‘t tell whether it was coldness or
gentleness, but only by looking at her like this, she had
forgotten everything, even forgetting that there was a corpse
lying at her feet.
―You are not the chosen one, why did you come here?‖ The
woman asked her, her voice graceful and elegant as a lark
singing in the morning light.
―I came to see my sister,‖ Isabel answered.
When she heard her answer, the woman showed an
expression like a smile, and the slightly curled corners of her
mouth turned her from a perfect sculpture into a living person.
She said briskly, ―It‘s not the time for you to come, come back
three years later.‖
When she heard her words, Isabel seemed to be possessed,
and she couldn‘t help agreeing. When her consciousness
began to blur, she struggled to ask the last question: ―Who are
you?‖
The woman still smiled calmly at her, but gave a shocking
answer: ―I am the one you will serve.‖
After that, she gently touched her finger on her lips and smiled
mysteriously and charmingly: ―Brave little girl, you have to keep
this secret for me.‖
Memories came to an abrupt end here, and Isabel woke up in
her own bed and lost that memory until she saw Xie Wanwan‘s
bloody body in the underground palace and finally
remembered the scene in the forest three years ago.
Qi Leren was shocked speechless. After a long time, he
murmured: ―Is the person you saw the Devil of Fraud?‖
Isabel covered her face and said trembling, ―I don‘t know… I
don‘t know who she is.‖
Frowning slightly, Qi Leren looked at Ning Zhou and found her
deep in thought.
―If the Devil of Fraud really came to the sacrifice three years
ago, it would explain why the last witch died so tragically.‖ Qi
Leren recalled the bloody tips on the cliff and the witches he
had met, and his mind had vaguely connected things together.
For some purpose, three years ago, the Devil of Fraud joined
the mission disguised as an ordinary person. She was happy
to see human strife, deception and despair. She played with
the group of poor witches and provoked them to kill each other.
He still remembered that Isabel‘s sister was locked in an iron
coffin and was burned alive by pouring in molten iron. She
said, ―I didn‘t hurt her… She lied to you‖, and this ―she‖
probably referred to the Devil of Fraud. And the witch who
created the dreamworld. She twisted in the love that she
wanted, and constantly destroyed other witches. I‘m afraid it
was just a game for the Devil of Fraud.
But what happened to Ye Xia? She also took part in the
sacrifice for three years, and then she survived? On one hand,
she may have been the final winner of the last sacrifice, or on
the other, she may have just survived. However, she survived,
and came back here again three years later, and then died in
the hands of Xie Wanwan.
It was too strange, it didn‘t make sense at all. For a woman
who had survived the task under the control of the Lord of
Fraud, it didn‘t make sense for her to have simply died here!
Qi Leren thought more and more, and looked forward with
empty eyes. Ning Zhou stood there, quietly looking at the
words on the wall, just a figure which easily attracted his
attention.
Qi Leren suddenly remembered his situation of talking with Ye
Xia in the dreamworld. At that time, Ye Xia had said to him…
-Whether you are truly loved or falsely loved, you are happy as
long as you are loved. Sometimes love can‘t help but help
itself. Even if you know it‘s impossible, you won‘t give up
easily.
Was that ―Ye Xia‖ herself? Who was the impossible love she
said she was dedicated to?
In the silence, a familiar voice came.
―Oh, I finally found you.‖
Qi Leren almost jumped up from the ground as this voice came
from the door of the temple. A translucent virtual shadow stood
there, like the wandering souls everywhere in the underground
palace.
Lu Youxin‘s phantom stood there with her arms crossed and
looked at them calmly. Her voice mechanically said,
―Congratulations on winning the lucky prize. I am a kind-
hearted person and this is the final time I‘ll do a good deed of
the day. I‘ll tell you three crucial things, whether you can live
and leave here depends on this. ‖
―Lu Youxin?‖ Qi Leren‘s voice was lost. No matter how you
looked at it, the person in front of them was not like a living
person, but a spirit.
Lu Youxin seemed to be unable to hear his voice, and her
voice continued stiffly: ―First, I am dead. Second, the woman
who killed me seems to be Xie Wanwan. Third, she can
transfer her soul. She took my body. To sum up, the murderer
is Ye Xia.‖
 Chapter 58: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXVII)

Ning Zhou quickly went to Lu Youxin‘s phantom and looked at

her in shock.
Lu Youxin‘s phantom was like a written program that ran
smoothly: ―Ning Zhou, or Qi Leren, or you two, the phantom
you see now is an ability I got from the swamp tower. It will
convey my will to the designated person after I die for a period
of time. You are really lucky. In addition, there are several
points to remind you that she has been completely
strengthened now, and both strength and speed reaction ability
are far beyond the scope of normal people. When she
suddenly challenged me, I couldn‘t resist at all, but it was
strange that she spared me. After I took the opportunity to
make a sneak attack on her successfully, she and I suddenly
exchanged bodies, and then I died because of the injury
caused by my own sneak attack. Therefore, I suspect that her
soul transfer skills should be greatly limited. To complete the
soul transfer, she may have needed to beat me once, and then
let me sneak up on her, causing her serious injuries. If you
meet her, be careful. ‖
―Time‘s running out…‖ Liu Youxin‘s phantom gradually
dimmed, like a television with a bad signal, and even the voice
became intermittent. ―There‘s one thing I want to tell you, but
forget it, don‘t worry, it won‘t affect your completion of the task,
and you‘ll know it naturally. Although it‘s a pity to die with
regret, looking back, life is always like this. Without knowing
what page you‘re looking at, the book will suddenly close.
Therefore, we must live happily at any time.‖
Lu Youxin‘s phantom smiled in the direction where the two
were standing, just like an ordinary pretty girl. The cold voice
said mechanically: ―Now I am going home, goodbye… I wish
you good luck.‖
The image became blurred, and finally in the cold air, the door
of the hall was empty, as if no one had ever appeared.
In the silence, Qi Leren watched Ning Zhou standing at the
door, slowly clenching her hand at her side, and exerting
herself until the veins stood out.
―Ning Zhou…‖ Qi Leren‘s heart was heavy. He didn‘t know how
to comfort Ning Zhou, who had just lost a friend, but if he just
watched her fall into grief and blame herself…
He came to Ning Zhou‘s side, stretched out his hand and took
Ning Zhou‘s clenched hand. In the moment they first touched,
Ning Zhou‘s clenched fist relaxed to hold his hand tightly
instead, as if to confirm his presence.
The warmth from the palm of his hand ran all the way to his
core along the nerves and blood vessels, brewing into a sweet
affection in his beating heart.
For a moment, Qi Leren felt that Ning Zhou also liked him, just
as he loved her quietly. Perhaps, as the ―Ye Xia‖ in the
dreamland said, liking a person always showed in one‘s eyes.
Maybe after leaving this instance world, Ning Zhou, who liked
girls, would be disappointed to find that he is not a girl. And
then, he‘ll become a stranger to him. He was uneasy about it.
But at least for now, he could hold Ning Zhou‘s hand.
He never wanted to let go, he wanted to share this burden with
her.
―Here she comes.‖ Stopped on the stone, the blackbird
suddenly said.
Accompanied by its words, a figure came up the long corridor
outside the temple where candlelight flickered in the distance.
She didn‘t walk fast, she didn‘t hurry, and her footsteps
approached in a leisurely and undisguised way.
Ning Zhou‘s hand was pressed on the handle of the short
knife, and the cold light in her blue eyes was like a killing
weapon about to be drawn.
She stopped, more than ten meters away from the door.
―It seems that you already know.‖ Ye Xia, who occupied Lu
Youxin‘s body, looked at Ning Zhou and smiled arrogantly.
―Then you should also know that now I have far exceeded the
limits of the human body. No matter the speed, strength or
agility, ordinary people can no longer resist it. Confronting me
is just like a grasshopper in front of a car.‖
Ning Zhou didn‘t speak, the two blades out of the scabbards
were her answer.
Something was wrong. Why did she say so much nonsense?
Why not just kill them? Qi Leren looked at the explosive
atmosphere of the two people, and his doubts lingered.
―Don‘t worry, there is still a game of cat and mouse to be
finished. After killing you, I‘ll continue to serve the Lord, and
you will stay in this cold underground palace forever.‖ Ye Xia‘s
smile was slightly mocking, while walking towards them.
When she stepped into the temple gate, the system prompt
appeared again.
[ Witchcraft Sacrifice Step 2: Sacrifice in the underground
palace, 7/7 witches have been killed so far, and the remaining
witch candidates are 4. Unlock the third step: bloody sacrifice. ]
[ Task background: You have found that every time a witch
candidate is killed, all attributes can be greatly improved (it will
become invalid after leaving the underground palace), and the
survivor of the last sacrifice and the witch who served the Lord
of Fraud once again came to this underground palace. Kill her,
the altar will appear, and after the sacrifice is completed, all the
surviving players will be regarded as completing the task. ]
[ All surviving witch candidates will be randomly teleported.
Teleportation countdown: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one. Teleportation complete. ]
Qi Leren once again appeared in a strange corridor, and the
candlelight around him was weak, swaying in the wind passing
through the corridor, together with his shadow.
There were too many thoughts to be sorted out, and it was too
easy to be found just standing in the corridor. He simply
ducked into the nearest room and closed the door.
It seems that the task had reached the last part, which was
also the most difficult part.
Have to say, this time the quest difficulty was not something a
new person can deal with. He practically spent eight lifetimes‘
of his unluckiness to trigger this abnormal quest. The biggest
BOSS turned out to be a witch who survived the sacrifice in the
task three years ago. As someone who knew everything inside
out, she simply struck first, she killed four people in the
underground palace, and her ability increased to a level that
was difficult to compete with. This increase would not
disappear because she changed her body, and it was
completely bound to her soul. They now had only three people
in total. Even if one of them killed the other two, they couldn‘t
beat her either.
The system prompt said that there are only four witch
candidates left, that is to say, the Ellie sisters were dead …
Qi Leren‘s mood was even heavier.
Now they had solved Isabel‘s memory and learned that Ye Xia
was a witch who survived three years ago, which should be a
necessary condition for clearance. If they didn‘t know Ye Xia‘s
true identity, they may not have been as vigilant. Finally, they‘d
die. But it was probably too late to know now. Ye Xia had
already killed four people earlier… Because she was a player
and not an NPC controlled by the system, wasn‘t she? So as
someone who knew the process of the quest, she wouldn‘t
give them a chance to turn the situation around.
Could he only wait to die? There must be some way…
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times
are 2/3.]
Qi Leren‘s heart pounding, he suddenly took a step back,
afraid to cling to the door.
There was silence all around, and he looked at the closed door
as if there was a monster standing outside, a wandering soul
wandering in the underground palace, or…
But nothing happened outside.
Was the sensing wrong? This skill did have the probability of
inducing errors. And the underground was so big, he just
finished teleporting, so he shouldn‘t be so unlucky as to meet
Ye Xia already? Even if Ye Xia was really around here, how
did she know he was hiding in this room? He didn‘t hear the
sound of opening the door to check the surrounding rooms. It
didn‘t make sense. She just stared at the room where he was
hiding.
Holding the last miniature bomb in his palm, a layer of sweat
broke out, and Qi Leren stared at the door motionless, until his
crazy heartbeat calmed again. He took a deep breath and took
the first step stiffly, ready to open the door.
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times
are 1/3.]
With a crunch, Qi Leren, who suddenly took a step back at the
sensing prompt, and watched the sharp blade stab through the
fragile wood board, spraying out fine sawdust, and went
straight to his throat with overwhelming murder intent.
Just a moment slower and it would have pierced his throat.
Just like in the dreamworld, when she almost pierced his head
under the bed.
It turned out it was no coincidence that she could sense where
he was.
 Chapter 59: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXVIII)

Time seemed to come to an abrupt stop in this murder-filled

room, and the person standing outside the door slowly
withdrew her knife. The sharp blade grazed the wooden door
that was stabbed through, making a shrill screeching sound,
like countless iron combs scraping on one‘s heart.
At that moment, Qi Leren hesitated.
Did he want to fight to the death? If the sneak attack failed
when the S/L skill was used now, he would be faced with 100%
death. The person outside the door has gained strength far
beyond the limit of human beings. Could ordinary methods
deal with her?
Wait a little longer, when the door opens…
―Come out, you can‘t escape if you hide again.‖ Lu Youxin‘s
voice sounded outside the door, but it was in a very different
tone, soft and cold, without a trace of malice.
Qi Leren still did not move.
―If you‘re waiting for me to open the door and then kill both of
us with that ridiculous little skill, you‘d better give up early,‖ the
person outside said coldly, with a mocking smile.
?!!
How did she know? How could she know?!
Qi Leren was in chaos, countless thoughts came one after
another, and his heart beat like it was about to burst.
How did Ye Xia know his skills? Had she ever seen it? Where?
What time?
Just as he panicked, the door opened with a click.
The first light came in through the crack of the door, and her
shadow swaying in the candlelight slightly shook with the
signal of death. Her back to the candlelight on the wall of the
corridor, her face blurred, she was like a silhouette, a symbol,
but she really symbolised the coming of death.
At this moment, Qi Leren lacked the courage to fight to win or
die..
He‘d realized that he couldn‘t win.
This was not a desperate escape under the killer‘s pursuit, nor
was it a desperate fight with the dead witch in the moonlight
courtyard. No matter which time, he had known he had the
possibility of survival because he still has a card, but this time,
facing an opponent who was prepared for his tricks, he finally
found his own weakness.
Save it now, then detonate the bomb? Would she give him this
chance? Would she be unable to escape?
She would stand here and push the door open, telling him what
a success was within her grasp!
The door was completely opened, and Ye Xia stood motionless
outside the door. The projection of her arm and long knife was
just like a sickle of death, which hooked at her feet. Qi Leren
forgot to breathe, stared at her with a mouthful of anger, and
his limbs seemed paralyzed.
―There is one thing I‘m very curious about,‖ Ye Xia asked
lightly.
―…What is it?‖ Qi Leren‘s voice had a subtle tremor, so he tried
to talk to Ye Xia calmly.
―How did you find out that I am not Lu Youxin? I personally
think I didn‘t reveal any flaws.‖ Ye Xia looked into his eyes and
raised her own questions slowly.
―Because Isabel saw you three years ago, but she lost that
memory until she remembered it just now. So we judged that
you couldn‘t have died a death as simple as that.‖ Qi Leren
subconsciously concealed Lu Youxin‘s last words.
―Saw me? Oh, you mean that you saw the body three years
ago. She was really good, sensitive, strong and malleable. I
was very satisfied with her at one time. My only dissatisfaction
is that it was too ugly.‖ Ye Xia‘s mouth rolled up a subtle arc.
―Xie Wanwan‘s body is also good, Lu Youxin‘s is better, but
what makes me most excited is Ning Zhou‘s body.‖
Qi Leren suddenly opened his eyes wide.
―Strength, agility, speed, reflex nerves are impeccable, I can‘t
even pick the slightest flaw in her appearance. That‘s the body
I want! Perfect! With such a body, she will definitely like me
more, definitely!‖ Ye Xia‘s mood suddenly became excited, and
her expression was full of awe-inspiring fanaticism.
―If I become as beautiful as her, she will definitely notice me. I
don‘t want to be a worm crawling at her feet, so I begged her to
look at me again, but she turned a blind eye. For three years,
she never came. Even if I follow her will and return to this
underground palace, she will never appear again. Even so, I
won‘t let anyone take my place! Only I can serve her, only I
can! ‖
Ye Xia slowly raised the knife in his hand and showed a cold
smile to Qi Leren: ―Goodbye…‖
The blade refracted the flickering candlelight, and Qi Leren,
who was holding a miniature bomb, finally relented, even
though he knew it was impossible to win, he wasn‘t resigned to
just let her kill him like this!
In the moment of life and death, a silver flashing arrow shot
from a distance, hitting the blade with a sonorous sound. The
next second, the arrow exploded, and the shock wave made Qi
Leren stumble and fall to the ground, surrounded by smoke.
He struggled to climb outside the door, and the cold feeling
spread from the ground. Qi Leren was startled to think that Ye
Xia had the ability to freeze, and the terrible cold had already
formed a thin layer of frost on his hand.
The frozen limbs were dull and stiff, and he couldn‘t stand up
at all. In the thick smoke, two figures could be faintly seen
intertwining at an alarming rate, touching each other once
again, and their weapons collided with each other and made a
shrill sound, accompanied by dazzling light.
There came the sound of a blade piercing flesh. Ning Zhou
snorted with frustration, and retreated to Qi Leren‘s side in a
flash, and the wound on her arm seeped out blood that spilled
all over the floor. Her blackbird also flew out of the thick fog,
flapping its wings and stopping at Qi Leren‘s feet.
―The Vatican‘s dog? The Holy City has fallen into the hands of
demons, and you‘re not dead yet? It‘s really annoying.‖ Ye Xia
stepped out from the smoke and looked at Ning Zhou calmly.
―Is it necessary to struggle? I admit that you‘re very good, but
now you can‘t be my opponent unless you find four witches to
kill one by one. ‖
Ning Zhou‘s eyes were cold, and she rushed up without
hesitation, heedless of her injury. The two short knives were
emitting dazzling silver light, just like two flying rainbows. Ye
Xia stepped back half a step, holding the long knife, her short
knife violently colliding, and the force of the meeting of
weapons lifted Ning Zhou up. She turned her body in the air
strangely and squatted on the ground. The impact even took
her to slide out a few meters before stopping, dragging a long
bloody mark on the ground.
Terrible, this kind of power, human beings were incapable of
contending against it.
―Can‘t you just obediently throw in the towel? I don‘t want to
ruin your body. Forget it, I‘ll get rid of this little one first.‖ Ye Xia
seemed to sigh helplessly, and the cold line of sight turned to
Qi Leren.
Qi Leren struggled to stand up with his hands and knees
frostbitten, but he still stood. Even if he died, he would die
while standing.
Ye Xia smiled and raised a knife to kill him. From the corner of
his eye, Qi Leren saw Ning Zhou pull out a chain from her
chest and she flung it at his feet. A crisp sound came into Qi
Leren‘s ears at this moment, and everything around him was
blurred. The killer Ye Xia, the blackbird at his feet, and Ning
Zhou standing in the distance. Everything seemed to be
distorted in the time tunnel.
The holy light rose from his feet, and engulfed everything in
holy white.
The sound of pious singing descended from the sky, and Qi
Leren was bathed in pure white. He was in a magnificent
temple, and countless pilgrims in white sacrificial clothing
prayed piously with songs to the huge cross in front of him.
Every one of them was vague and unreal, so he could see at a
glance that they weren‘t living creatures.
Where was this?
He looked in all directions in a panic and saw Ning Zhou
nearby, so he was relieved.
Under the giant cross, a blonde woman wearing a white
sacrificial dress prayed to God, as if she felt their arrival. She
opened her eyes, and her blue eyes were almost identical to
Ning Zhou‘s.
She smiled at them and closed her eyes again to continue
praying. The prayer from her mouth seemed to bring a holy
magic, which bathed the temple in incredible power and healed
people‘s souls.
―Where is this place?‖ Qi Leren asked blankly.
The blackbird resting on Ning Zhou‘s shoulder said: ―…The
Barrier of the Holy Spirit can maintain absolute defense for five
minutes, remove all negative influences, and heal all wounds.‖
Qi Leren was shocked to see Ning Zhou‘s arm. The arm cut by
Ye Xia was healing at the speed visible to the naked eye, and
even his own wounds disappeared quickly.
It was… It was amazing. But it only lasted five minutes?
In Five minutes, they still would have to face death.
Ning Zhou stood in front of him, looked at him quietly for a
while, and then lowered her eyes. The black bird on her
shoulder said, ―When the barrier is broken, you should run as
far away as possible.‖
―What about you?‖ Qi Leren asked in a hurry.
―Stay.‖
―No, she can‘t be defeated now, and you‘ll die if you stay!‖ Qi
Leren guaranteed.
―……‖
The arduous situation was drenched in the ethereal holy light,
and Ning Zhou‘s originally excessively bright facial features
were stained with a layer of shadow. Her beautiful blue eyes
looked into Qi Leren‘s and didn‘t speak.
Qi Leren took a deep breath, covered his forehead and
thought: ―There must be a way. I don‘t believe this is a
deadlock situation. There must be a way. Ning Zhou, listen,
don‘t fight with her stupidly. I can‘t live if you die. I would rather
die than let you die!‖
The current situation was that Ye Xia had killed four witch
candidates, and even if Ning Zhou killed him and Isabel now, it
was impossible to surpass her strength, which was an absolute
difference in quantity. The system also said that ―every time a
witch candidate is killed, all attributes can be greatly improved‖
…Every time?
Qi Leren‘s eyes lit up. It said every time, not every one?
At this moment, he was like a hungry and tired traveler walking
alone in infinite darkness. Suddenly, he saw the lights swaying
in the night ahead, which was the light of life, the flame of
hope, and the vitality in despair.
―Ning Zhou, I have a way, maybe we can all live.‖ Qi Leren
excitedly looked at Ning Zhou.
The singing in the Barrier of the Holy Spirit became more and
more ethereal, and countless gold and silver spots were flying
in the void, entwining the two people.
Qi Leren couldn‘t help but smile: ―It‘s very simple: kill me.‖
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: I didn‘t write this skill card of Ye Xia very rigorously. [Soul
Transfer] (Unbound Skill Card): You can exchange your body
with another player‘s by meeting the following conditions in one
minute: 1. Defeat each other on one-on-one combat to lose
their resistance; 2. After defeating the other party, let go of the
other party and restore their mobility; 3. Be fatally attacked by
the other party and die. Meet the above three conditions, you
can use this skill to exchange both sides‘ bodies, and all the
skill items provided by the system will be exchanged at the
same time. For half an hour after the exchange, all capacities
will be reduced by 50%.
 Chapter 60: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXIX)

―It‘s very simple: kill me.‖ With excitement, Qi Leren told Ning
Zhou their only chance to live.
In the holy barrier, time seemed to fall into the abyss slowly.
When Qi Leren saw Ning Zhou standing in front of him, she
suddenly opened her eyes wide as if she had heard something
unbelievable.
―Listen to me.‖ Excited Qi Leren took Ning Zhou‘s hand and
said, ―The system said, ‗every time a witch candidate is killed,
all attributes can be greatly improved.‘ See clearly, it‘s every
time, not every one. This may be the chance it leaves us. My
S/L skill can be loaded three times in a row. If you kill me, you
can get three strength increases, which is very close to Ye
Xia‘s!‖
The hand was suddenly flung away by Ning Zhou, and Qi
Leren looked at her in astonishment. Her beautiful blue eyes
filled with anger, and the complicated look stung Qi Leren hard
and woke him up.
He had become accustomed to using the pain of death in
exchange for the possibility of living. He had repeatedly loaded
the file again and again, wearing away the dignity of death
itself, and he had even become numb to the pain. He used it
as a means to achieve an end, used it rashly, relied on it, and
forgot the possible risks intentionally or unintentionally. So
what if you died a thousand times or ten thousand times as
long as you lived in the end?
He had been regarding it as an ordinary skill for saving and
loading points, but for Ning Zhou, it was most definitely murder
to stab her dagger into her companion‘s chest, and to let
herself live with her companion‘s death again and again. That
kind of mental torture was far more terrible than physical pain.
What kind of feelings did Ning Zhou have? Qi Leren, who was
cold all over, did not dare to think about it.
If someone must bear this responsibility, let him be that
person, and he must protect her! Qi Leren said to himself.
―Ning Zhou, you listen, I‘ll let you kill me, not to let you live, but
to let us all live. When I use S/L skills, I basically don‘t feel
pain, ‖ Qi Leren lied without hesitation. ―If we don‘t do this, we
will both die here. Looking at it from another angle, if you had
such skills now, you would definitely let me do it, right? I want
to live and I want you to live.
"Come on, I‘ve saved the file, only half a minute.‖ Qi Leren
saved the file, stood tall and waited for the first time in his life,
perhaps the only time, when he looked forward to death.
Ning Zhou looked at him quietly, just like countless times
before when had she looked at him, so quiet and beautiful, but
this time, her calm was full of sadness and struggle, and the
knife in her hand was shaking. Even when her arm was
injured, her hand holding the knife was as steady as a rock, but
this time, her hand was shaking.
She stepped forward, her warm left hand covered Qi Leren‘s
eyes.
At present, it was dark, and Qi Leren blinked. Eyelashes swept
over Ning Zhou‘s palm, which brought strange warmth. He felt
that Ning Zhou was very close to him, so close that there was
no distance.
He suddenly got a little scared. In the dark, he waited for the
arrival of the knife. He hoped that the knife would be faster, at
least faster than the healing speed in the Barrier of the Holy
Spirit. The countdown had reached ten… nine… eight… He
silently read the numbers until there was a warm and soft
touch on his lips, a gentle and sudden kiss just landing on his
lips.
Qi Leren was so shocked and surprised that he tried back up,
but his body was firmly held. The next moment, a chill pierced
his heart from behind.
The knife was so fast and accurate that he woke up again
before he could feel the pain.
He was still standing here, and Ning Zhou was still standing
there. She looked calm and didn‘t explain the kiss. She just
said to him with her mouth: Close your eyes.
Qi Leren closed his eyes.
There seemed to be a warmth on his lips that didn‘t belong to
him. His heart beat fast, but his soul was calm. If when he first
saw Ning Zhou, his love for her was a longing for the distant
goddess, then at this moment, he could finally stand side by
side with her. He wanted to protect her, even if his strength
was so small, but he still wanted to protect her at all costs.
Even if he really had to pay with his life.
He was willing.
This time, he was prepared. When the blade passed through
his chest and brought cold death, he flashed countless pictures
in his mind and finally settled in front of the jungle bonfire. Ning
Zhou jumped down from the tree and raised her face to look at
him…
At that moment, the word that had flashed in Qi Leren‘s was
fate.
This mysterious premonition, which transcended all rationality
and abandoned all logic, told him that this was the person he
had been waiting for.
After loading the file for the second time, the Qi Leren was limp
and staggered for half a step, forgetting to close his eyes –
Ning Zhou stood in front of him and looked at him without any
unnecessary expression. Cold, just like when they first met.
However, her quiet blue eyes shed tears quietly and silently.
Tears slipped down her cheeks and splashed on her hand
holding the knife. She lowered her eyes and watched the water
slip from the back of her hand. Her eyes flashed a trace of
astonishment. She hadn‘t noticed she was crying.
Ning Zhou, bathed in hymns and soaked in dreamy fuzzy light
and shadow, never feared and never retreated. Ning Zhou who
was always moving forward, Ning Zhou who was crying silent
tears for him, was so beautiful that it hurt.
His heart seemed to have been cut with a hole that could not
be filled. Qi Leren fought against his weak body to walk to Ning
Zhou, and summoned the courage to kiss her face. The salty
tears seemed to burn his soul, and fermented his adoration
and admiration into love.
He was so sure, so sure, that they were in love at this moment.
There was no need for words to express it, just looking at each
other was perfect.
The ethereal hymn became more and more distant and
blurred, the white holy light began to fade, the sky darkened,
the earth shook, the colorful church dome, the complicated
holy frescoes, and the exquisite sculptures began to peel off
one by one, as if it was all a letter lit by flames, and sparks of
fire rolled up the black edge, eating away the white paper bit by
bit.
The barrier‘s time was running out.
―Do it.‖ Qi Leren said weakly but firmly, fearless.
Ning Zhou seemed to turn suddenly crazy, throwing her short
knife to the ground. In the crisp sound of metal falling to the
ground, she covered her face, and the suppressed cries flowed
out of her fingers. This torture made her rationally falter far
more terribly than death did. She couldn‘t do it anymore. She
couldn‘t do it again.
―One more time, one last time.‖ Qi Leren struggled to pick up
the knife on the ground, stuffed it into Ning Zhou‘s hand, and
pointed it at his chest. He already had no fear in saying this
sentence, even if with this moment again and again, death left
him in so much pain that he was about to collapse, he still tried
to smile at her, he always wanted to show her the best of
himself.
The barrier was collapsing, stripping away the appearance of
holiness, revealing the dark reality – countless ferocious and
horrible demons and monsters were eyeing them up, breaking
through the enchantment and entering the church at any time,
causing a cruel massacre. This was not a peaceful and serene
world, but a nightmare world dominated by demons and
shrouded in fog and death.
―Ning Zhou…..‖ Qi Leren called out her name in a low voice,
facing Ning Zhou‘s quiet teary eyes, ―I‘m sorry to make you so
miserable. I know I‘m useless, but… I also want to protect
you…‖
The short knife pierced his heart again. This time, Qi Leren
stood up hard, and the blade against his chest pierced the skin
and went straight through his beating heart. He didn‘t feel any
more pain or cold. When he looked at Ning Zhou, he was
willing to give wholeheartedly, even if it was his life, even if he
really died here, he wouldn‘t regret it.
He had never met such a person, but he was willing to do his
best for her despite the short time they‘d known each other.
She deserved it. She deserved everything.
The file loaded three consecutive times successfully. Qi Leren
stood still, the last of his strength drained. He didn‘t dare to
move an inch, because he would fall if he moved even a little.
The barrier collapsed completely.
At the last moment, Qi Leren saw the blonde woman standing
under the cross praying. Her blue eyes were exactly the same
as Ning Zhou‘s, and Ning Zhou looked at them from a distance
and was silent. She smiled at them, which was mixed with
sadness, thoughts, pity and helplessness, and looked
extremely complicated.
Like a broken mirror, the holy church and the overwhelming
demons formed a strange picture, which was broken and
peeling off layer by layer, and finally became numerous black
and white light spots dispersing.
In this collapsed barrier, everything was disintegrating in vain.
Only Ning Zhou standing in front of him was alive. They were
staring at each other quietly, as if it was their only hope and
salvation.
He had many, many words to tell Ning Zhou. When it was over,
he had to say it. He wanted to tell her loudly in front of
everyone in the warm sunshine…
The enchantment dissipated completely, and they were still in
the underground palace. Ye Xia stood in the empty corridor,
waiting for them calmly.
―As long as I kill you, it‘s all over. Are you ready?‖ She asked.
With a clear and crisp sound, Ning Zhou‘s pendant fell to the
ground. She didn‘t go to pick it up, neither did she look back.
She just held her knife, stepping towards Ye Xia.
This was her back: never afraid, never retreating, and always
walking forward.
 Chapter 61: Witchcraft Sacrifice (XXX)

There was a loud roar, and the whole underground palace

shook. Originally, because Qi Leren collapsed from the
continuous loading, he sat down on the ground with soft legs.
The pendant that Ning Zhou dropped was by his hand. He
struggled to command his arm to pick up the pendant and
climbed to the corner and sat down.
Not far away the situation had heated up, and the frost had
spread to his feet at a terrifying speed, covering the
surrounding walls and ground with a layer of frost and snow,
while the light on Ning Zhou‘s short knife was waving into a
silvery satin at an extremely fast speed, and the wall where it
passed was cracked and destroyed. Among the dust and
ashes, Qi Leren suddenly saw the illusion of a huge blazing
angel, holy and majestic, just like when they were in the
underground lake…
This time, it was a close battle. As for whether they could win…
Qi Leren suddenly felt relief.
If they lose, just bury him here quietly, and let him slumber with
Ning Zhou in this quiet underground palace.
The metal pendant held in his hand exuded coolness, and Qi
Leren brought it before his eyes. He remembered that it was
this pendant that released the Barrier of the Holy Spirit and
gave the two of them time to breathe.
The round pendant had been broken, and it was opened with a
slight movement of his finger, revealing a small photo of the
woman with dazzling blonde hair and blue eyes almost
identical to Ning Zhou.
Was it her? The blonde woman praying under the cross in the
Barrier of the Holy Spirit, who was she?
Judging from their looks, she was definitely related to Ning
Zhou. Was it her sister? But this looked like an NPC, didn‘t it …
His body was getting colder and colder, and tired. He had
never loaded the file three times in a row. Qi Leren still
underestimated the overdraft of using this skill continuously.
His head was getting heavier and more painful, and he could
no longer think, slipping in and out of consciousness.
The battle in the distance became more and more fierce, and
the whole underground palace seemed to be destroyed. There
was constantly fine dust and gravel falling from overhead. Qi
Leren barely raised his head and opened his eyes. The stone
dome overhead had cracked, and more fragments fell down,
the dust floating all around.
Qi Leren knew he should avoid it, but he couldn‘t move at all.
The head of the flagstone was crumbling, with a ferocious
shattering, shocking crack running more and more deeply,
soon to hit him.
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing
frequency is 0/3, and the cooling countdown is 23:59:59.]
Move quickly! Move!
Qi Leren wanted to scramble away a little, even if it was just a
little, just to avoid the life-threatening one…
But don‘t even talk about moving his limbs, even blinking
seemed to burn away his last strength.
His line of sight became blurred, and the voices became
distant. He stared at the slate above his head that was like a
slow sinking ship, falling a little into the abyss of death. There
was another loud noise in the distance, and the overburdened
joint finally broke completely. The slate flipped and fell from
over his head, about to hit the immobilized Qi Leren.
Sometimes, sudden death is so unreasonable… Qi Leren
smiled bitterly in his heart and closed his eyes.
One second, two seconds, three seconds… The expected pain
did not come. Qi Leren opened his eyes slightly, and his sight
was blurred. He could only faintly see two white figures,
holding hands and standing in front of him.
The slate that almost took his life was lifted into the air by
incredible power, and was driven to float slowly to the nearby
place, and then fell to the ground with a crash.
What was this… What was going on?
Qi Leren blinked hard, trying to see more clearly. The white
figures holding hands turned their heads and their faces were
blurred like a fog. But Qi Leren just felt that they smiled at him.
Then, hand in hand, they disappeared in front of his eyes.
―Ellie, Aisha…‖ Qi Leren silently read out their names. In fact,
he hadn‘t done anything for these sad sisters, but they still
remembered his insignificant help after their deaths.
Thank you, thank you.
Darkness and tiredness hung over him, and Qi Leren held the
pendant, with the farther and farther sound of struggle in his
ears, and his consciousness sank into the barren abyss.
In his lethargy, Qi Leren felt as if he was lying on a small boat,
and the surroundings were calm. Only slight waves brought
about the shaking of the hull, and the regular rocking made his
consciousness more lazy, and he wandered in the dream
freely without scruple. He felt as if he had forgotten something
important.
What was it…
It seemed that… it was an important person.
Ning Zhou!
Qi Leren woke up from a trance, and for a moment he thought
he had been lying in the grave for hundreds of years, so tired
and cold.
Ning Zhou was cradling him, her long hair messy, and a few
strands of hair even grazing gently on his cheek, causing slight
itching. She looked down at him with gentle eyes.
―Ning Zhou?‖ Qi Leren called out her name, and his voice was
hoarse as if he had not spoken for several years.
―Are you awake? How are you?‖ Isabel‘s voice sounded from
the other side, and Qi Leren turned to look at her with difficulty.
She looked at him with some trepidation and finally breathed a
sigh of relief when he woke up. ―You don‘t know how scary
Ning Zhou‘s expression was when she saw that the corridor
had collapsed just now. Fortunately, after digging through the
stones, she found you safe and sound, which is really great.‖
Qi Leren blinked his dry eyes and looked at Ning Zhou. Some
of her embarrassment appeared on her face, and her earlobes
were slightly red.
His tired body was suddenly injected with an incredible force,
Qi Leren couldn‘t help laughing, and his smile was a bit silly.
―We won?‖ He asked confidently.
―Hmm,‖ Ning Zhou hummed gently. After the end of the battle,
she could finally stop worrying about the influence of skills and
start talking.
The happiness of the surviving swept through Qi Leren‘s whole
body. He came down from Ning Zhou‘s arms. His legs were
still a little weak, he didn‘t even have the strength to walk. With
the help of Ning Zhou, he walked forward step by step.
The front was a mess, full of collapsed stone and destroyed
sculptures. At the end of the corridor in the distance, it was
supposed to be a closed dead end, but now it had become a
huge altar. It stood tall there, and there were two rows of stone
carvings lined up on the way to it. Each one was a young girl,
and their appearance was fixed in their last moment before
death.
The relaxed mood suddenly disappeared, especially when he
saw the stone carving of the Ellie sisters – he didn‘t even know
where the sisters had died in the underground palace.
―If we finish the sacrifice, we can finish the quest right? Who
will do it?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Ning Zhou shook er head, and her deep and sweet voice was
like a graceful cello: ―I will not give in to the devil.‖
Qi Leren recalled the ethereal and holy sanctuary in the Barrier
of the Holy Spirit, and vaguely felt that Ning Zhou should be a
person of great adventure and should belong to the Vatican.
―Then why don‘t I try…‖ Qi Leren decided to try whether S/L
skills could fool the system.
―I‘ll do it.‖ Isabel stood up. She looked sad but determined.
―Now I can‘t go back to the village. None of the girls who were
sent as sacrifices have ever returned. If I go back, they‘ll
definitely send me back. After all, I‘m already a demon‘s witch
in their eyes.
"And… if I serve the devil and get strength, maybe I can see
my sister again… I want to see her again.
"Thank you, if it weren‘t for you, I‘m afraid I‘d be dead now, not
to mention if I would have found my memories from that year,
thank you.‖ Isabel smiled and calmly said goodbye to them.
―Have you considered it clearly?‖ Qi Leren asked her.
Isabel nodded: ―Serving the devil may not be as bad as I
thought. If I become stronger, I can protect the people I want to
protect, my parents, my relatives and my friends. I don‘t want
to see anyone die again… I want to give it a try anyway.‖
Isabel‘s mind has been made up, and Qi Leren has not said
anything. If he were Isabel now, he would probably make the
same decision. In this Nightmare World, ordinary human
beings were too weak. If there was a chance to change their
destiny, even if they became demons, there would be
countless people willing to try.
―Good luck to you,‖ Qi Leren blessed her.
The silent Ning Zhou also said: ―Remember your heart.‖
Isabel‘s expression froze slightly, and then she smiled: ―My
heart has never changed.‖
As Isabel stepped onto the altar step by step, a light beam rose
from the top of the altar, and an illusory figure could be faintly
seen in the light. Ning Zhou‘s expression suddenly became
solemn and her hand pressed on the handle of her knife.
Who was that? The Devil of Fraud?
Isabel had come to the front of the light beam, and though the
figure shrouded in light and looked illusory, she easily
associated her with the beautiful woman from three years ago.
The figure gave an inaudible chuckle, and the words were full
of bewitching power: ―Good girl, come to me.‖
Isabel‘s face showed a trace of fanaticism. She looked at the
beautiful image with longing, and murmured like one
bewitched: ―I can finally come to you… Although I‘m not the
most beautiful and powerful one, I still won.‖
She walked into the beam and never looked back.
Almost at the same time, the system prompt appeared.
[ Player Qi Leren has completed the Witchcraft Sacrifice task.
Mission completion is 50%. ]
[ A reward of 30 survival days has been given, and the
coefficient of task completion is 1.5 times. Completed hidden
task: Dusty Past. Reward for survival days is 10 days. Total
reward for survival days is 55 days. ]
[ Data synchronization countdown, ten, nine…]
―Ning Zhou, when we‘re back in the Village of Dusk, let‘s
meet!‖ Time was short, and Qi Leren spoke quickly.
Ning Zhou‘s figure has been wrapped in the transmition beam,
together with the blackbird on her shoulder: ―Mm.‖
Qi Leren laughed happily: ―The steel bridge on Sunset Island.‖
―OK.‖
[ … Three, two, one, synchronization completion. ]
The teleportation was completed, which was different from the
first time he came to the Village of Dusk. This time, Qi Leren
was directly sent back to his home on Sunset Island.
During the mission in the main world, although his survival
days would be frozen, other people‘s time was moving.
Including the time he took to go to Makah Village, he had
actually left the Village of Dusk for more than a week, and a
thin layer of dust had formed in his home.
Qi Leren immediately rushed to the bathroom, reflecting his
familiar face in the mirror. Not the girl in the quest, but himself.
He suddenly became uneasy. Would Ning Zhou be
disappointed when he saw the real him? Could she accept it?
This uncertainty made Qi Leren anxious. After washing his
face, he smoothed his hair nervously, and even fussed over a
small section of cocked hair.
Tidying up his clothes and taking a deep breath, Qi Leren
stood in the entryway and opened the door.
The setting sun suddenly came into view, and the familiar air
with oil and the salty sea breeze entered his nose, bringing a
familiar taste and a strange longing.
He began to walk to the steel bridge.
At the twilit seaside, seagulls hunted in groups along the coast,
making a loud singing sound.
The sea breeze blew his hair tips and his heart.
Qi Leren felt uneasy and happy, thinking about all kinds of
things Ning Zhou had done in the quest. The hidden happiness
made him eager to share it with someone. After meeting Ning
Zhou, he would have to talk to Dr. Lu and tell him that he was
leaving the club!
With every step, the excitement was unbearable. Qi Leren‘s
pace became faster and faster, and more and more urgent.
Every point and every drop of memory was sweet, even if it
was that he was scared and flustered, even wandering on the
edge of life and death, but everything was worth it, because in
the end he got Ning Zhou‘s heart.
Recalling Ning Zhou‘s tears and kisses in the Barrier of the
Holy Spirit, Qi Leren blushed unconsciously.
At that time, he had forgotten to feel it at all, but it didn‘t matter.
There must be a chance in the future…
Without realizing, he had changed from fast walking to trotting,
and finally he simply ran. The Sunset Island shrouded by the
sunset and the shadows stretched by the setting sun retreated
rapidly in his field of vision, and it was difficult for him to control
this excitement as he ran towards his destination.
The steel bridge was just around the corner, and Qi Leren
finally stopped, panting and scrambling to tidy up his clothes
and hair, surrounded by people coming and going, and no one
noticed that he was so nervous that he was about to explode in
this lively place.
Ning Zhou probably hasn‘t come yet, right? Qi Leren said to
himself, looking anxiously in all directions, looking for Ning
Zhou.
Sure enough, she hadn‘t come yet.
Qi Leren couldn‘t be said to be glad or sad. He raised his foot
and walked from this end of the steel bridge to the highest
point of the arch. He wanted to stand there and find Ning Zhou
first.
At the top of the bridge, a tall man in a black trenchcoat stood
there with his arms crossed, his back turned to him, as if he
were looking out at the estuary connected by the river.
Qi Leren stood on the other side. The trenchcoat on the man
looked very similar to the coat lent to him by Ning Zhou, which
made Qi Leren slightly uncomfortable, and he couldn‘t help but
look at the man‘s back.
People came and went from one end of the bridge to the other,
some talking and laughing, and some alone. This ordinary
secular picture finally made Qi Leren feel like he was living in
reality, instead of being bound by the cold and horrible
underground palace like those dead witches.
Ning Zhou would come soon. How would he greet her? As he
waited, Qi Leren had already thought about the scene when
they met, until…
The sound of flapping wings sounded in his ear. Qi Leren
looked up and saw the familiar big blackbird falling from the
sky. It landed on his shoulder and shouted to him cheerfully:
―The delicious food, the delicious food!‖
There it is! The Goddess is here!
Qi Leren ignored the bird and looked nervously in all directions.
At the moment he looked up, the man in the black trenchcoat
turned his body and looked at him in amazement.
Those familiar blue eyes suddenly crashed into Qi Leren‘s.
Sharp outline, handsome face, and blue eyes that he would
never forget until he died…
Qi Leren just looked at him, with the comings and goings of
people laughing and passing between them, together in the
happy mood. In this moment, all kinds of strange things he
ignored in the quest emerged one by one, mocking him
mercilessly.
At this moment, the two people on the verge of collapse asked
the same question in astonishment: ―You‘re a man?‖
 Chapter 62: Seed of Slaughter (I)

―Then what?‖ Dr. Lu sat cross-legged on the bed and asked

excitedly.
Sitting in a chair and looking at the ceiling, Qi Leren said:
―Then the two of us were very awkward. I tried to greet him
with a few words, but my brain had completely gone on strike.
Fortunately, he looked more broken up than me. His gaze as
he looked at the water made me think he was going to jump
several times.‖
―The cold, introverted pure goddess… Oh no, male god,
thought he met his favorite soft girl, who risked her life for him,
and he fell in love, and he felt that he was going to leave the
club. As a result, he found out that he was a man when they
met. It‘s already polite that he didn‘t have a rectal prolapse…
Ahem, didn‘t chop you down* on the spot. After all, you
deceived the heart of a pure boy.‖ Dr. Lu didn‘t hold back from
ridiculing him.
{*E/N: ―chop‖ (砍, kan3) is similar in pronunciation to ―rectal
prolapse‖ (肛, gang1)}
―How was I to know! He also lied to me! Ah, ah, ah, ah, my
goddess! Return my goddess and return my first love! ‖ Qi
Leren suddenly got mad again, grabbed Dr. Lu‘s pillow and
smashed it on the bed. Then he crawled into the bed and
thought about life like a corpse.
―What happened with him after that?‖ Dr. Lu asked, stifling his
laughter.
―After, we said goodbye to each other. Anyway, we definitely
won‘t meet again in the future. It‘s too embarrassing and
shameful. This is a hundred times worse than
misunderstanding each other‘s gender online!‖ Qi Leren
recalled all kinds of events, and the heart-throbbingly sweet
and affectionate memories all turned into the merciless ridicule
of fate. He didn‘t even have the courage to think about it again
from beginning to end, restraining himself from thinking about
Ning Zhou.
Maybe after a long time, he would look at this experience
calmly, and then they could still be friends, but at least for now,
he and Ning Zhou couldn‘t accept it.
―Hey, haven‘t you ever thought about trying it out with Ning
Zhou? After all, you also went through life and death in the
quest. It is a romantic and touching story if you ignore that he‘s
the wrong gender. You‘re also someone educated in the new
century. Can‘t you take a lighter view?‖ Dr Lu asked with a little
regret.
―…I am a straight man, thank you. And Ning Zhou looks
straighter than me. Do you think that people‘s sexual
orientation can be bent as easily as plasticine?‖ Qi Leren shot
him a side glance.
Dr. Lu even thought about it seriously: ―It‘s not impossible. If it
were me, I would seriously consider it.‖
―…Just because you‘re a straight Schrodinger, don‘t compare
us,‖ Qi Leren said coldly.
―But I really think you‘ve had quite a fated encounter, so it‘s a
pity to go your separate ways. Well… if you feel fear towards
male-on-male activities, I can give you a rectal exam, so that
you can experience some special life experience. My skill is
okay. Maybe you‘ll feel very good after trying it, and you‘ll be
able to accept male-on-male activity.‖ Dr. Lu touched his chin
and made a serious proposal.
―……………‖ Doctors sure are terrifying. Qi Leren looked at the
serious Dr. Lu, and felt that his rather short stature had
suddenly become overbearing and sinister.
"Are you sure you don‘t want to try?‖ Dr. Lu asked sincerely.
―Lu, Cang, Shu!‖ Qi Leren called his name word by word.
―Don‘t call me Lu Cangshu, call me Dr. Lu, or call me Director
Lu!‖ Dr. Lu said gravely.
―I didn‘t expect you to be a director at your young age.‖ Qi
Leren was surprised.
Dr. Lu waved his hand: ―No, this is a beautiful expectation for
the future. If you must call me Dean Lu, I have no problem with
that either…‖
―……‖
After such an interjection, Qi Leren‘s tattered mood was finally
a little better. On the way to Dr. Lu‘s house he had almost
walked into walls several times, and only finally felt a little
calmer now after ranting at his friend. He no longer felt that the
sky was falling and the sun and the moon were dark.
―How are you doing these days? You did some quests already
right? ‖ Qi Leren asked about Dr. Lu.
―Well, I‘m a doctor. Healers are popular everywhere. Didn‘t you
see the sign downstairs when you came? By now I‘m a famous
doctor around here. A few days ago, I went to an instance
world with several new teammates. Although half of them
unfortunately died, I was lucky. I managed to get a few survival
days. I am going to try to find a simple novice instance world in
a few days. I don‘t want to be fooled by another group of
people and go to a dangerous instance world,‖ Dr Lu spoke
with lingering fears.
―Where is Xue Yingying?‖ Qi Leren asked again.
―She seems to have found a good team and rarely contacts me
now,‖ Dr. Lu said.
Although they come from the same novice village, they may
not always be together in the Nightmare World. Qi Leren
understands this truth, but he still feels a little sad. Players who
live here are already far away from their relatives and friends.
As one survived for longer, even teammates around them
would die one by one, and they‘d constantly meet new
teammates, constantly lose old ones, and even lose
themselves in the end.
This feeling was really lonely.
Qi Leren couldn‘t help but think of Ning Zhou again. His
character of being quiet and solitary was probably lonelier than
the average person… Recalling his initial coldness to
gentleness later in the quest… Forget it, what else did he want
to do with this? The Nightmare World was so big that they may
not meet again in the future. For some reason, Qi Leren felt his
chest tighten.
A few hours ago, he was immersed in joy and longing to meet
the destined person, but in the end, it was a terrible farce.
He still remembered that after everything was over, they had
said goodbye on the steel bridge in the sunset.
He goes one way, while he goes the other.
Qi Leren thought that he would not look back, but when the
gentle sunset shone on his face and the gentle evening breeze
tousled his hair, memories returned to his mind like the rising
and falling tide, and he couldn‘t help but stop and look back–
He saw his back. He continued on and no longer stopped for
him.
He tried to find the shadow of ―her‖ in that back, but all he
found was foreignness.
Unspeakable melancholy appeared in his heart, and he
lowered his eyes and walked forward alone.
In the middle of the steel bridge, a couple had a marriage
proposal, and the crowds surge up and shout ―marry him‖, Qi
Leren, who had gone away, looked back again, and his eyes
crossed the vast sea of people. He saw Ning Zhou at the other
end of the bridge, who had also been attracted by this voice,
and stopped to look back.
At such a long distance, he couldn‘t see his expression clearly,
and even his figure was blurred. However, when this person
came and went, he seemed to see ―her‖ again, so familiar, but
so far away.
At that moment, his eyes were wet.
The lively crowd was still shouting ―marry him‖, and the sweet
girl put on her ring and threw herself into her boyfriend‘s arms
with a smile. The two kissed in the sunset, arousing cheers
and applause.
Qi Leren looked back with loneliness and left the steel bridge.
On the way back from Dr. Lu‘s home, Qi Leren was still
haunted by this lost mood. Under the setting sun that never fell
all the year round, he was in a melancholy mood and walked
all the way to the coast where, before he knew it, he found
Chen Baiqi.
Seagulls circled on the coast in twos and threes, sometimes
making loud noises. Qi Leren walked all the way against the
sea breeze, and saw Chen Baiqi smoking in the distance. This
time, her sister wasn‘t picking up shells on the beach, but
rather she was alone, with a cigarette between her fingers,
watching the sunset quietly.
―Hey, it‘s you. It seems that you survived, not bad.‖ Chen Baiqi
smiled casually at him.
Qi Leren‘s anger, which finally subsided, suddenly flared up
again. He asked bitterly: ―Why did you say Ning Zhou was a
cold beauty?‖
Chen Baiqi blinked. ―Isn‘t he cold? Isn‘t he beautiful?‖
―But he is a man…‖ Qi Leren complained.
―That can be clearly seen.‖ Chen Baiqi said.
Qi Leren didn‘t know how to complain anymore.
But with Chen Baiqi‘s keenness, she didn‘t miss Qi Leren‘s
oddness. She arched her eyebrows with interest: ―It seems that
you saw him as a woman?‖
―…It wasn‘t my eyes. The male players who participated in the
witch sacrifice mission moved as women during the mission.‖
Qi Leren covered his forehead, and his tone was terrible.
―Wow, this is really exciting,‖ Chen Baiqi said in a perfect tone
for reading out loud, ―Let‘s talk about what happened?‖
―I don‘t want to say it,‖ Qi Leren refused. It‘s one thing to talk to
Dr. Lu, but it‘s another thing to talk to Chen Baiqi about it.
―This is also information gathering for missions, I‘ll pay you,‖
Chen Baiqi arched the slender eyebrow and said.
Qi Leren looked at his survival days of 55 days and 18 hours
and succumbed to the temptation Chen Baiqi offered him:
―Well, I‘ll briefly talk about the quest situation, but I won‘t tell
you any of the other irrelevant events.‖
Half an hour later.
After learning of Lu Youxin‘s death, Chen Baiqi looked at Qi
Leren with a heavy face. Qi Leren squatted on the
embankment: ―I‘ve finished speaking.‖
―He‘s crazy, the Vatican…‖ Chen Baiqi murmured, her back to
the sunset, and her backlit face wore a dignified expression.
Chen Baiqi‘s voice was so low that Qi Leren didn‘t hear her
clearly and asked, ―What did you say?‖
―Nothing.‖ Chen Baiqi said coldly.
The abridged version of the story obviously couldn‘t fool Chen
Baiqi. She hit the nail on the head and put forward the most
crucial question: ―That is to say, in the instance world, you
actually fell in love, right?‖
―It‘s just a slight affection,‖ Qi Leren argued.
Chen Baiqi gave him a disbelieving look: ―Young man, lying in
front of me is not feasible. Are you too underestimating the
abilities of an information broker?‖
Qi Leren began to play dead.
―But the intelligence about the Lord of Fraud is very good. At
present, our understanding of it is very limited. By contrast,
"Power‖ and ―Slaughter‖ are much more publicized. There is
also the news of Lu Youxin‘s death, forget it… I will send the
time contract to you tomorrow, remember to sign for it, I‘m
going to laugh at Ning Zhou now, see you later. ― Chen Baiqi
didn‘t ask any more, and waved her hand as she walked away
coolly.
After watching her leave, Qi Leren continued to stay at the
seaside for a while, and the mainlaid of Village of Dusk, which
was only separated from Sunset Island by the strait, was
shrouded in a misty golden light.
He sighed again and again, finally remembered his first love
that had ended before it started, and started towards home.
 Chapter 63: Seed of Slaughter (II)

When he returned home, Qi Leren was already very tired. He

hadn‘t have a good rest during the mission. The accumulated
fatigue finally broke out after returning home. He simply
washed and plunged into the bed and slept for 12 hours.
When he woke up, it was still fully sunset outside, and Qi Leren
wore messy hair, confused by time and space.
After waking up, Qi Leren finally has the strength to think about
what had happened in the instance world. Apart from Ning
Zhou, there were still many things worth pondering about with
this world, such as Isabel‘s hidden quest, and that their final
completion was only 50%.
The name of this task was ―Dusty Past‖. Qi Leren always
thought it meant Isabel‘s lost memory. However, when the task
was completed, Isabel‘s memory had been recovered, but the
completion degree was still only half, which meant that they
had missed a lot of clues. To put it another way, they did not
achieve the TRUE END.
So what was the problem?
Qi Leren leaned against the bed and thought for a moment. He
felt that the problem was Isabel.
The most doubtful point was that Isabel‘s memory couldn‘t be
proven by anyone, but came from her own description. The
people involved in her memory, Ye Xia (not even the ―Ye Xia‖
who had the ability to transfer souls, but the poor player who
was destined to have her body taken from her, her magpie
nest occupied by cuckoo eggs), the Devil of Fraud, and her
sister, these people were either dead without witnesses or
couldn‘t be contacted, and no one could confirm her memory.
Her story was an isolated testimony.
After finishing this task, Qi Leren could now look at this task
more comprehensively. The Witchcraft Sacrifice task should
have existed since more than 20 years ago, and had continued
till now. The former witches served the Old Devil, but three
years ago, for some unknown reason, the Devil of Fraud
received the sacrifice and participated in it with great
enthusiasm.
This was also the key cause that led to the witch sacrifice
tragedy three years ago.
The Devil of Fraud who liked to see human betrayal, depravity,
and despair played with this group of poor witch candidates
with her bewitching power. Even Ye Xia, who won in the end,
was just a chess piece crazy for her, just like that infatuated
witch. Ye Xia said that she followed the Lord‘s will and returned
to the underground palace, continuing the task of sacrificing
witches… Wait a minute.
Qi Leren caught a flash of thoughts in his mind.
This Devil of Fraud undoubtedly has the power of bewitching,
so will Isabel…
Did she really go to the altar voluntarily because she couldn‘t
go back, because she wanted to see her sister again? This
may be just a lie she used to persuade them.
―My heart has never changed.‖
Recalling Isabel‘s last words before leaving, the original
ordinary answer seems to have been endowed with countless
undercurrents and became meaningful.
At that time, the Devil of Fraud appeared in the altar‘s beam of
light, but because of the distance, Qi Leren didn‘t know if she
had said anything. He only remembered Isabel walking to the
light and never looking back.
Maybe three years ago, she was bewitched like those poor
witches, but she just forgot because she lost her memory.
When the memory came back, the irresistible longing for the
devil came back again, and finally she was tempted to become
a witch of the devil herself.
The clues given on the wall of the underground palace were
actually ambiguous. Now thinking about some of them, for
example, ―One of you has betrayed‖ and ―one of us left and
came back‖. Do both sentences refer to Ye Xia? Then wouldn‘t
these two clues have been a repetition? What was the point of
that? What‘s more, since Ye Xia didn‘t stand with them from
the beginning, could her behavior really be regarded as
―betrayal‖? From the beginning to the end, she was just loyal to
herself, loyal to the Devil of Fraud.
If ―one of you has betrayed‖ didn‘t mean Ye Xia, then… who
was it talking about?
This ―betrayal‖ must have been a factor that could be foreseen
by the ―system‖ or the ―devil‖. It must have been rooted among
them early, just waiting for… the moment of betrayal to come.
Betrayal doesn‘t have to be bloody, it can happen silently. The
betrayer wins with a humble attitude, and the betrayed don‘t
even know that they‘ve been used.
Could it be what he thought? But whether it was or not, it was
meaningless, and everything was over. Qi Leren leaned
against the bed, silently watching the sunset outside the
window, and was lost in thought.
Underground palace… Witch… Devil of Fraud…
Qi Leren‘s thoughts jumped back, until they got stuck in the
witch in the hot metal.
He sat up straight with the quilt rolled up, and a question came
to his mind: according to the prompt given by the system,
every time a witch candidate was killed in the underground
palace, the killer could get an increase in ability. Why didn‘t he
get an increase in ability when he committed suicide with the
witch in the hot metal?
First of all, it could be confirmed that death with the S/L skill
was also counted as killing witch candidates, which Ning Zhou
proved. By killing witch candidates before the system gave a
hint, you could gain an increase in ability, which Ye Xia proved.
The increase in stats was not physical. Ye Xia changed her
body several times, but the stats increase still existed.
That is to say, the power gained by killing witch candidates
was bound to the illusory thing called the ―soul‖.
Then why didn‘t he get an increase in stats when he killed
himself?
Qi Leren buried his face in his hand, and he suddenly thought
of a possibility.
Maybe at the moment of suicide, he did get the ability increase,
but in that short instant, he had already killed the one who got
the ability.
This thought made Qi Leren go cold, and it took him a long
time to calm down.
It was also possible that he was just thinking too much, and he
couldn‘t get the stats increase just because the ―he‖ at the time
of loading overwrote the one who died within 30 seconds and
got the ability increase, while he couldn‘t get the extra strength
bonus.
He originally thought that the S/L skill was just a perfect
restoration plus teleportation, which ensured that he was
resurrected in full and teleported back to the archive point at
the moment of death, without involving the reversal of time or
some other forces that made people afraid to think about, but
now it seemed that it was not as simple as he thought.
This skill probably involved something at the soul level,
otherwise there‘s no explanation for why he couldn‘t get the
ability increase bound in the ―soul‖ by killing himself.
A knock came on the door.
Qi Leren quickly got out of bed, put on his coat and opened the
door. Chen Baiqi‘s sister stood outside the door and smiled
and handed him a piece of paper: ―Come sign it, my sister
gave it to you.‖
Qi Leren glanced at it. The survival days of the contract book
transfer were 8 hours. He sighed: ―When your sister charged
me, it was three whole days. Now I‘m only given eight hours for
providing her with information. It‘s literally Zhou Bapi*.‖
{*E/N: 周扒皮, an nickname for 周春富, a real life figure but
was immortalised through the short story, 半夜鸡叫 (Chicken
screaming in the night), and now this nickname is associated
with an evil landlord.}
―Who is Zhou Bapi?‖ the little girl cocked her head a little and
asked.
―…Well, a black-hearted landlord, don‘t you know?‖ Qi Leren
asked curiously.
The little girl shook her head. ―This is someone from the
outside world. I was born here and I have never been to the
outside world.‖
Qi Leren looked at her in astonishment. Chen Baiqi‘s sister
looked like an easterner, so he never thought she would be an
NPC: ―Didn‘t you come in with Chen Baiqi?‖
―No, my mom and dad are just like you. They gave birth to me
and then died. It‘s said that my mother gave birth to me during
the mandatory monthly task, and it was even a premature birth.
My sister said that she must love me very much to be willing to
give birth to me, but I can‘t remember how she looked.‖ The
little girl stuck out her tongue.
Players could still give birth to children in the game? What was
the child who was born? An NPC in the game?
―Do you have limited days to live?‖ Qi Leren asked again.
The little girl shook her head: ―I don‘t have them, and I don‘t
need to do quests like you, but my sister said that I‗ll be like
you after I turn eighteen.‖
This game also had such a law for protecting minors? Qi Leren
was even more surprised.
―Don‘t just ask me questions. Is that Su He still in the Village of
Dusk? My sister said that he went back to the Town of Dawn,
so I won‘t see him in the future?‖ asked the little girl.
She turned out to be a small fan of Su He. They only met once
on the airship. At such a young age, she already loved people
with good looks. Qi Leren looked at her with emotion and said:
―He has gone back, I don‘t know if he‘ll come back. Probably
not.‖
The little girl kicked the ground unhappily: ―Yes, people in the
Town of Dawn rarely come here, forget it, I‘m going home,
goodbye.‖
Seeing her run away, Qi Leren glanced at his 55 days and 14
hours of survival time and decided to have a good meal.
&&&
Qi Leren, who filled his stomach in the busy commercial
district, also went to the quest centre nearby. The task types in
the Nightmare World were really varied, and the difficulty
ratings ranged from D to S, so the more difficult tasks would
not appear in the quest centre.
Some quests might even deprive players of all skills and props
- just like in the witch‘s dreamworld - but the difficulty of such
quests will be relatively low, which was actually beneficial to
novices. Some quests simply sealed part of the players‘
memories temporarily, so that they forgot their identities and
only retained the memories from before entering the Nightmare
World, and would not recover them until they returned to the
Nightmare World after completing the quests.
Some players could earn enough living days in the Village of
Dusk, such as Chen Baiqi, but they also needed to do quests.
The mandatory monthly quest was a nightmare that no player
could get rid of, and its difficulty would gradually increase. At
about the third year or so, every quest will be a cruel death
adventure.
Therefore, if you wanted to make a living by earning survival
days outside the task and neglecting your own exercise, it was
basically equivalent to gradual suicide.
After leaving the quest centre, Qi Leren looked up at the sky.
Bathed in the setting sun in the Village of Dusk all day long, the
beautiful scenery would become depressing after a long time.
A closer look to the west revealed a pale moon that, though not
as bright as at night, still hung in the sky.
This picture was a little familiar.
Recalling the pictures in the game, Qi Leren suddenly thought
it was time to trigger the pre-plot of the main quest.
On the way to the airship port after leaving the centre, Qi Leren
once again came to the steel bridge.
It was still lively here. Some people came and went in groups,
some were alone, just like him. The setting sun was infected
with unspeakable loneliness for this ordinary scene.
Just more than ten hours ago, he was so warm and longing to
go here, and now once again on the arch bridge full of
mechanical steam, but he couldn‘t help a burst of dismay.
Standing at the top of the arch bridge, Qi Leren looked back,
sensing something. In the boundless huge crowd, Ning Zhou
walked with his back to him. Among so many strangers, Qi
Leren saw him at a glance.
Even if he only met Ning Zhou as a male once, he could easily
find him, just as he could see at a glance the ―she‖ possessing
a strange witch in a dreamworld.
There was always someone who was the most special in his
heart.
Ning Zhou had disappeared into the crowd long ago. Qi Leren
took a deep breath, cast aside everything about Ning Zhou,
and continued to set foot on his own path.
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: Do you understand Leren‘ thinking about the S/L skills? I
wrote it a little confusingly. It‘s probably just because at first Qi
Leren thought that his S/L skill = full blood recovery +
teleportation, and the skill didn‘t affect things at the soul level,
and didn‘t involve reversal of time, and was only about the
flesh. But if he committed suicide in underground palace, he
should get stats increase, because Ye Xia has proved that the
strength increase did not follow the body, but followed the soul
(or something like the game UID of the player). Qi Leren‘s
suicide with the hot metal witch didn‘t give him a stats
increase, which shows that his previous judgment of the S/L
skill was wrong. The S/L skill may be: he saved his current
state when saving, he died within 30 seconds, loaded the
archived one directly, and the dead one was deleted or
covered, just like a piece of computer data. Of course, the
radio waves of memory will still be preserved. So the ―he‖ who
got the increase in strength was dead.
This has created a lot of problems that are extremely scary.
Let‘s think about it ourselves XD
Of course, the biggest possibility: you thought too much about
it. This task just doesn‘t allow suicide to gain stat increases.
In addition: Isabel betrayed after she recovered her memories,
and she also loved the Devil of Fraud, killing Ye Xia, the
biggest rival in love and rival, by using Leren and Ning Zhou.
Although she was the most amateur one, she was the ultimate
winner of this witch sacrifice.
 Chapter 64: Seed of Slaughter (III)

The airship gave a whistle when the ship started, and the
airship that looked like an old ship at sea moved. The Qi Leren
sitting in the cabin moved his body uncomfortably, waiting for
the airship to lift off and fly to the main body of the Village of
Twilight across the sea.
Sunset Island, where players lived in compact communities,
was strange to Qi Leren, because he had never been to
Sunset Island in the game, but had taken on many quests on
the mainland where NPCs lived in compact communities.
Today, he would go there because of one such quest.
A quest that probably involved the main plot of Nightmare
World.
Although attempting the main quest now was basically equal to
dying, the pre-task was mainly running errands and getting
familiar with NPCs, and there was no danger before going to
the Holy City, so he would just start doing it while he‘s free
now.
The airship flying in the air made the roar of mechanical
operation, and Qi Leren looked at the sunset outside the small
round window with his cheeks propped up, which was different
from the mood of when he had sat in an airship the first time.
This time, he had no curiosity and excitement, but was empty
and faint.
He guessed that this was a repercussion left by the last
mission, and his luck in both missions had been bad. After
listening to the task of the Witchcraft Sacrifice, Dr. Lu
expressed sympathy to him, and repeatedly stressed that the
quests for general newcomers were relatively simple. If all the
tasks were calculated according to the same difficulty he
encountered, 90% of players would be killed in the first
mission.
The next task was chosen by Dr. Lu – he insisted that his luck
could crush that of ten Qi Lerens. They could choose some
easy and high-rewarding tasks to finish while they were still in
the preferential period for newcomers. Qi Leren had no
objection to this, as he already knew his own luck very well.
From time to time, there were guests moving around in the
airship. When looking around, they were all young people who
were about his age. Were they players? Bored, Qi Leren tried
hard not to look at this group of people too suddenly, guessing
their age, character and time they entered the game.
A tall and beautiful woman returned to the cabin from the mess
hall, with a cup of boiling water in her hand, and white water
vapor emitting from the transparent glass. She closed the
mess hall door behind her, and then walked towards an empty
seat nearby.
Qi Leren‘s line of sight followed her, his full stomach made him
sleepy, and his thinking was dull. He casually compared this
beautiful girl with the goddess, and then woke with a start and
suddenly remembered that Ning Zhou was a man.
He had repeatedly restrained himself from thinking about Ning
Zhou again and again, and let his dead first love stay in the
underground palace forever, just as if he had had a short and
beautiful dream, but he still couldn‘t help but think of…
This uncontrollable situation made him depressed.
The young woman walked to the vacant seat and hesitated a
little, because in the small area of eight chairs around a table,
a man in a cloak was facing the direction in which she was
walking to. She instinctively didn‘t want to go near this stranger
who disguised himself, but there were people everywhere else,
so she sat down.
Qi Leren looked at the cloaked man from a distance, and he
didn‘t like this kind of cloaked man either, which reminded him
of the last accident on the spaceship. Two outlaws threatened
the passengers to die together and coerced everyone to hand
over ten days of survival.
The woman sat down, took a sip of hot water, put the glass cup
on the table, and the water surface swayed slightly with the
airship. She still didn‘t want to have more contact with this
suspicious cloaked figure, so she moved to the seat inside, sat
on the corner diagonal from the cloaked man as far away as
possible, and the position against the wall gave her a little
sense of security. She leaned against the wall and closed her
eyes for a nap, waiting for the airship to land.
The traveler in a cloak put his hands on the table and folded
them neatly. His hands were thin, and there was a black totem
on the back of his hand near his wrist. Under the magnificent
sunset, the totem looked like it was climbing out of his sleeve,
winding and twisting.
Qi Leren wasn‘t sure if he was dazzled. Just then a few
travelers walked past him and tried to sit down on the table and
chair beside him, blocking his view.
A crisp sound. The sound of broken glass, and Qi Leren‘s
heart shook.
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times
are 2/3.]
Qi Leren suddenly stood up.
A loud noise instantly quieted down the cabin, and everyone
looked at the place where it came from. The cloaked man that
Qi Leren had noticed stood straight like a scarecrow, and
countless black thorns and vines emerged from under the
cloak, and the sword nailed the young woman to the wall.
At the moment before her death, she should have been
extremely shocked. The glass placed in front of her had been
broken by the thorns. Even before she could struggle, she was
stabbed through her body and limbs by the black thorns, and
blood splashed everywhere.
There was an uproar in the cabin, and the frightened crowd
panicked to get away from the murderer‘s side, but the
murderer seemed to have no consciousness of killing. Instead
of moving, he stood in front of his seat frozen, then slowly
turned around, his face covered by the cloak shrouded in
shadow, and his expression could not be seen clearly.
Qi Leren, whose heart beat faster, noticed his hands. His
skinny hands were covered with totems.
What was that thing?
That bunch of hard thorny vines retracted like springs back into
the murderer‘s cloak, and the crucified body lost its support
and fell, making a dull noise.
The sound of it falling to the ground kicked off the feast of
death. In the next moment, the calm cabin turned into a bloody
Asura field, and the shouts collided with the instruments that
were played at random, playing a symphony of death. There
was chaos in the cabin, and several thorns and vines shot out
from under the cloak of the assailant, attacking innocent
travelers unscrupulously, and blood flowed everywhere.
Someone shouted: ―It‘s a seed of slaughter, the seed of
slaughter in him has awakened!‖
The cloak of the assailant was torn by thorns, and the hood on
his head quietly fell, revealing a thin and ferocious face. Like
his hands, those horrible black totems have covered his whole
face, from forehead to chin, everywhere, thickly dotted.
A few skilled travelers began to fight against him, and more
people hid in the corner. In the chaos, Qi Leren was at a loss.
Several fleeing passers-by ran past him and pushed him in
their panic. Qi Leren stumbled and fell ungracefully under the
table.
There was a loud noise on the table, followed by shrieks. The
man who pushed him away just now was nailed to the wall by
several black thorns. The fallen Qi Leren reluctantly climbed
out from another direction. As soon as he looked up, he saw
several thorns again. They nailed a traveler who had just
wrestled with the assailant to the ground, less than half a meter
away from him.
The traveler was not dead as a doornail. He struggled while
twitching, with more and more blood leaking from his mouth.
However, the strength behind his struggles became less and
less, and he finally lost his life slowly.
He was dead.
The chaos in the cabin continued, and Qi Leren was afraid to
stand up. He crawled under the table and chair carefully, and
there was a burst of shrieks and fleeing sounds above his
head. From Qi Leren‘s perspective, he could only see pairs of
fleeing legs and bodies lying on the ground. How long could
hiding like this work? If no one could stop the murderer, it
would be his turn sooner or later, and avoiding blindly couldn‘t
solve the problem. This reality had taught him too many
lessons like this.
A popping explosion sounded, and Qi Leren saw someone
throw something similar to the miniature bomb in his inventory,
but it was blown away by the thorns of the assailant, and
exploded with a roar, which was far less powerful than the
miniature bombs, but killed several innocent players.
Throwing a bomb couldn‘t hurt him at all. It must be closer,
closer!
Another scream sounded closeby, and Qi Leren finally made
up his mind.
Come on, use all your might!
Qi Leren clasped his last miniature bomb in his hand, rolled out
from under the table, and saved!
A thorn grazed his face and plunged into the ground of the
cabin. Qi Leren propped up his body to avoid another thorn
coming towards him. He did not dare to throw the last
miniature bomb at will. He would rather face the pain of dying
himself and make sure that one blow would kill him.
Close, very close!
Several passengers closest to the cloaked man had formed a
protective enchantment, trying to hold on, and the milky barrier
light hanging over them was getting dim under the attack of the
thorns, while the cloaked man is crazy, waving his arms, and
countless thorns drilled out of his clothes, spreading around
like a black wave.
Less than five meters from the cloaked man!
Qi Leren hooked his hands on the table in front of him and
flipped it. Two thorns that flew by him were violently stabbed
into his hand, and a sharp pain spread in his wrist. The
miniature bomb fell from his hands–
Regardless of the danger, Qi Leren let himself tumble to the
ground, picked up the miniature bomb and continued to rush
forward. Several people who were enveloped by the
enchantment looked at him in shock, like he was a madman.
Qi Leren rushed to the cloaked man regardless, and he finally
noticed that this audacious man wore a strange smile on his
non-human face.
More, more thorns came towards him.
Come on!
Qi Leren held the bomb and smiled at him with a certain
victory.
There was a loud bang and the bomb exploded.
Amid the smoke and screams, Qi Leren was loaded back to
the table. He wiped his eyes that were wet with smoke and
dust. A gust of wind poured in from outside the cabin, and Qi
Leren opened his eyes wide.
The place of the explosion had been near the edge of the
cabin, and a big hole with a width of two or three meters was
blown out of the wall. The sea wind poured into the cabin,
blowing away the smoke and dust.
Black thorns covered the explosion like a spider‘s web, and
wrapped the assailant firmly inside.
Those horrible and disgusting thorns squirmed slowly, like
countless black bugs, slowly spreading out, revealing the
bloody body of the murderer.
He slowly raised his head. Having lost his eyelid, his eyeball
hung from the eye socket, making his already strange face
more terrifying.
The eyeball turned and fixed on the place where Qi Leren was.
He smiled grimly.
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: To put it simply, the Nightmare World is like an online
game, players are online at the same time and can‘t go offline.
The main world quest affects the game process and all
players. For example, if a group of players kill one of the Three
Devils, the Vatican in the main world may be happy. Even if
these players die, they are part of the history of the Nightmare
World, because he participated in the history of the main world.
Other tasks that are not in the main world are like making an
instance world, which may be modern, future and
eschatological. The Novice Village hospital is this type, which
does not affect the main world, but only affects the players who
participate in this task.
In addition, NPCs know that players are different from them.
Players are strange foreigners in their eyes. The Vatican
knows more and knows that they come from other worlds. But
they don‘t think it‘s a game, because it‘s their world. And in the
eyes of NPC, players are just strange people.
 Chapter 65: Seed of Slaughter (IV)

He hadn‘t died?
Qi Leren was so frightened that he was at a loss.
The wind poured in from the blasted iron wall, and the fresh
but cold air from the high altitude quickly lowered the
temperature in the cabin.
The cloaked man was everywhere. Those thorns on the
ground slowly shrunk; most returned to his body, the rest were
like a black python, cruising and crawling on the ground.
The cabin was silent, and the survivors looked at Qi Leren
who had come back from the dead in astonishment, which was
even more shocking than the murderer‘s survival in the
explosion.
Thump, thump, thump. His heart beat fast, his body was
cramped with nerves, and he was stiff in the cold air.
He only had 30 seconds, and within these 30 seconds, he
would either die or couldn‘t die again.
The murderer‘s burned face was naked - showing the burned
muscles due to the explosion. He seemed to be laughing,
without the cover of his lips, and white teeth were embedded in
the dark red flesh, looking horrifying. With his smile, the thorns
came crazily toward Qi Leren, and he rolled on the spot without
thinking. Those thorns beat on the ground like waves, and one
even nicked his arm, scraping off a large piece of skin and
instantly pouring blood.
At this moment, Qi Leren unexpectedly calmed down, and the
primary fighting skill equipped in the card slot gave play at this
moment, so he narrowly escaped those crazy thorns and vines
and approached the cloaked man.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flying thorn, watching
the inevitable, and a figure flew out. The long stick in his hand
hit the thorn, which gave Qi Leren a chance. Qi Leren didn‘t
even have time to look back at him, and his feet kept rushing
towards the cloaked man.
There was another inescapable thorn, which stabbed him in
the stomach like a sharp arrow. Qi Leren stared at the cloaked
man who was less than half a meter away from him, and
grabbed his clothes - the thorn passed through his belly, but
failed to shake his strength to hold the cloaked man. He was
not thrown off, and his other hand also held the cloaked man.
The setting sun was like blood, shining into the cabin from
outside the broken wall. Qi Leren wanted to push hard and
drag the murderer down from the blasted bulkhead.
The wound that pierced his abdomen was not judged by the
S/L skill as fatal. Instead of being reloaded, he dragged the
cloaked man and fell from the airship together…
Too high, too fast, and the wind was too fierce, Qi Leren
simply couldn‘t open his eyes, he just felt out of balance and
kept falling.
 The afterglow of the setting sun hung over the sea where the
airship flew. His eyes were closed, but the golden red light still
passed through the thin eyelids and came to his retinas. It was
like a glowing red sea of fire, so vast and magnificent, and
every knife cut on his skin was so sharp that the pain was like
being burned.
For a moment, he thought he was falling into a lake of fire in
hell, and the golden sunset was an eternal industrial fire
burning in hell. The cloaked man who was grabbed by him
struggled hard, and the thorns running through Qi Leren‘s belly
twisted crazily, but they could not stop the two from falling out
of control.
To die together.
Once again, Qi Leren returned to the save point, his legs so
soft that he almost fell down. The people around him gave him
a quick hand. He murmured a thank you in a cold sweat and
sat down on the chair.
Outside the cabin wall that had been blasted by the miniature
bomb, the golden sunset gazed gently at the survivors. They
looked in amazement at Qi Leren who had come back from the
dead twice in a row, but he was too immersed in the
instantaneous death just now.
Although it is not as high as an airplane, it made no difference
whether it was the sea or the ground below when falling from
this height. In an instant, it turned a living person to a mass of
meat sludge. Fortunately, this kind of death was fast enough
and direct enough. It was much simpler than a soft knife to cut
meat. It was just that the feeling of falling briefly before death
made Qi Leren instinctively feel scared, completely out of
control, unable to stop and powerless.
―Amazing, outstanding determination and courage. That we
can survive from the madman who started killing wildly was
thanks to you.‖ The man who gave him a hand just now
clapped his hands, and Qi Leren noticed that he was the one
who had just blocked the thorns with a long stick.
The surviving people in the cabin also clapped their hands
one after another. Surrounded by applause, Qi Leren was a
little embarrassed. He whispered to the man near him about
the killing: ―I just heard someone say that that person‘s seed of
slaughter had awakened. What does that mean?‖
The man arched his eyebrows: ―Are you new?‖
―…Well, I haven‘t been here long.‖ Qi Leren gave a wry smile.
―As a newcomer, you are already very good. Most of the
people in the ship are old players, and they still weren‘t able to
turn the tide. Haha, sometimes luck is more important than
strength here.‖ The man laughed, ―Oh yes, my name is Luo
Yishan, and I‘ve been here for about half a year.‖
―Hello, my name is Qi Leren. Thank you just now. If you
hadn‘t helped me fend off the thorns, I‘m afraid I probably
wouldn‘t be able to chat with you here now.‖ Qi Leren didn‘t
say when he came in, so he thanked Luo Yishan for his help
just now.
 Luo Yishan looks like a well-built young man. He was
powerful and straightforward at first glance.
―Don‘t mention it. It‘s a pity that you couldn‘t help everyone…‖
Luo Yishan sighed and glanced at the mess on the ground.
Qi Leren also looked at the devastated cabin, with tables and
chairs swept by thorns everywhere. More than a dozen bodies
were lying on the ground. Several surviving players were
moving the bodies and putting them together. Several friends
of the dead stood beside the bodies to mourn, and several
women sobbed.
There was no need to say any more about the damage on the
wall. Such a big hole made the temperature in the cabin
plummet. He didn‘t feel it in the critical moment just now. Now
as he calmed down, he began to shake. He rummaged through
the system inventory and finally put on Ning Zhou‘s coat.
The dying sunset lingered near sea level, sending a brilliant
golden light, which shines brightly, but it was still so cold.
―Xiao Qi, are you from the Vatican?‖ Luo Yishan suddenly
asked.
Qi Leren looked at him blankly: ―Huh?‖
―Isn‘t this the symbol of the Vatican?‖ Luo Yishan said,
pointing to the insignia at the collar of his coat.
Qi Leren turned up the collar of his coat, and sure enough,
there was a logo embroidered in gold thread, which looked
quite abstract. At the bottom, it seemed to be a demon with
horns, while at the top, there was a cross with a crown: ―Is this
the symbol of the Vatican? Sorry, I don‘t know, this jacket isn‘t
mine … ‖
―Oh, I thought you were a member of the Vatican. I heard
that the headquarters of the Vatican moved to Neverland at the
north pole after the demons‘ invasion. It‘s cold enough to
freeze penguins to death there.‖ Luo Yishan suddenly told a
cold joke, and he burst out laughing.
―…‖ The man‘s laughing point was so low that Qi Leren just
forced a laugh without words.
Neverland? Vatican? When he played ―Nightmare Game‖, the
Vatican did exist, but he didn‘t know exactly where it was. His
understanding of the Vatican was also very limited. Although
the main task did involve the Vatican, he even needed to go to
the temple cathedral that was captured by the demons more
than 20 years ago …
―About the seed of slaughter…‖ Qi Leren asked about the
word he had just heard.
Luo Yishan gave him a dignified look and warned: ―It‘s not a
good thing. Those who walk on this side of the road will not
end well.‖
The back of Qi Leren‘s neck suddenly stung, and he touched
the stabbing pain. The sharp pain disappeared like an illusion.
Several players sat down beside Qi Leren, and inquired about
his skills in a beat around the bush. Qi Leren frowned
impatiently and didn‘t want to pay attention to this group of
people. Finally, Luo Yishan gave the excuse that he needed a
rest and let him lie in a chair to have a rest. Qi Leren was really
tired. He just wanted to take a nap, but he closed his eyes and
fell asleep.
The airship had already started to land, and the swaying hull
made people feel very uneasy. Passengers also sat down and
held tables and chairs to avoid falling out.
With the whistle of the landing, the passengers walked down
the cabin in twos and threes.
Qi Leren says goodbye to Luo Yishan, holding the handrail
and getting off the airship.
Under the airship, Al, in uniform, stood there with his arms
crossed. Several players were telling him about the accident
on the airship. He nodded carelessly and toyed with the ring on
his index finger. When Qi Leren came down, he immediately
looked up and then came to him.
Qi Leren looked at him for a while, startled: ―What‘s the
matter?‖
Al looked him up and down. ―Did you kill that garbage?‖
―…Mn,‖ Qi Leren answered
Al‘s lazy attitude seems to be slightly corrected. He glanced
at Qi Leren: ―Very good, come with me.‖
―Where?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Court. Congratulations, your movements are restricted from
today on,‖ Al answered coldly.
 Chapter 66: Seed of Slaughter (V)

Once again, Qi Leren sat in an airship.

Fortunately, this time, he was not in the ship with a big hole,
but in a ship belonging to the Court, which was smaller, faster
and more bizarre. Even if he were used to all kinds of
steampunk-style instruments in the Village of Dusk, seeing an
aircraft that looked at first glance like a strange insect hurt Qi
Leren‘s aesthetic feeling as an (interior) designer.
The airship was very small, about as big as the cockpit of a
helicopter. Al sat opposite him, and the distance between two
people was only a small square table less than half a meter.
―Why should my movements be restricted? Is it a crime to be
heroic?‖ Qi Leren, who was forced to be taken aboard the
airship, angrily said.
Al held his arm, squinting and dozing off: ―Please cooperate
with the work of the Court, thank you.‖
―At least you have to tell me the reason. I can‘t accept being
taken to the police station without rhyme or reason!‖ Qi Leren
said.
―It‘s a courtroom. There‘s no police station here,‖ Al said with
his eyes closed.
―So why?‖ Qi Leren persisted in asking questions.
Al was silent for a few seconds, as if he was really asleep. Just
when Qi Leren thought he wouldn‘t answer, Al opened his
eyes. In the afterglow of the sunset, his eyes were no longer
brown, but reflected the flaming sunset, which seemed to be
burning, but even so his eyes were still cold.
―Why?‖ He murmured, putting down his crossed arms on the
table. He leaned forward towards Qi Leren. Although he looked
like a teenager, his presence was amazing. This narrow space
made Qi Leren feel uncomfortable. He leaned back, but did not
avoid his eyes.
―If I don‘t take you away…‖ Al cocked his head and showed a
slightly mocking smile, ―how long do you think you can live?‖
Qi Leren‘s expression froze on his face, and there was a sharp
pain in the back of his neck again, and he almost cried out.
Al leaned back in his seat lazily, watching Qi Leren endure
uneasiness and doubt, and said with a smile: ―Have you felt
it?‖
―What, what?‖ Qi Leren was a little panicked, and he realized
that he was in big trouble now.
―It‘s trying to grow, like a seed, stretching its roots and
absorbing the nutrients in the ‗soil‘ as it grows. It‘s a tenacious
little thing.‖ Al muttered as if dreaming, ―One day it will grow
up, become stronger and more greedy, and drain every trace
of nutrients in the 'soil‘, even if the 'soil‘ dries up, it doesn‘t
matter, it never knows gratitude or feedback, it will only
plunder. Even so, there are always people who covet its
power, drink and quench their thirst and ask for it until they fall
deeper and deeper, until they are irreparable.‖
Qi Leren had vaguely guessed what he was talking about: ―The
seed of slaughter…?‖
But how was that possible? He had already loaded the file,
why was he still infected?
Al laughed. It was hard to tell whether it was sympathy or
coldness. He didn‘t answer.
&&&
The aircraft landed in a remote corner of Sunset Island, and Qi
Leren followed Al off. The buildings bathed in the sunset ahead
seemed to be medieval sanctuaries, with a road lined with
stone pillars as the central axis and symmetrical white
buildings on both sides, full of religious essence, but not purely
religious buildings.
They landed in the central square, with a few people walking
by sporadically, dressed in the same uniform as Al, and in a
hurry.
Al took Qi Leren to a white building in the distance. From a
distance, he could see that the building was higher up than the
surrounding buildings. Along the way, there were statues of
clergy, praying in different positions. Qi Leren stepped up the
steps and looked up. The white building built on the hill was
majestic and seemed like holy sanctuary in the sunset.
A sea breeze blew, and the slightly salty air made Qi Leren
sneeze.
He rubbed his nose and raised his head as he walked.
Two young men came out of the courtroom.
The one who walked in front had long black hair. He was
wearing a uniform similar to Al‘s, which was covered with a
long black trenchcoat. As they neared, the sea breeze blew,
and his long hair floated with the coat, revealing his slender
white neck and beautiful androgynous face.
―Boss,‖ Al stood up straight, bowed his head, and spoke.
The man glanced at the two people carelessly, acknowledged
them coldly, and then walked over without looking at them.
Qi Leren was stunned.
Not because of the man just now, but because of Ning Zhou
walking behind him.
Ning Zhou stopped beside Qi Leren and gave him a deep look.
The setting sun softened his face and his eyes, but Qi Leren
knew that the tenderness at this moment was just an illusion
brought by light. He clearly remembered that Ning Zhou didn‘t
look at him in this way. At that time, ―she‖ looked at ―her‖
quietly, just like looking at the most precious treasure in the
world. Now, the burning love in that same pair of blue eyes had
been ruthlessly doused by reality, and would even be frozen
into ice over time.
The big blackbird perched on Ning Zhou‘s shoulder cawed. As
if unable to bear to see the two strangers, it flapped its wings
and flew to the sea and sunset.
Ning Zhou looked down, walked past Qi Leren, and quickly
caught up with the man ahead of him.
―You seem very interested in him?‖ the long-haired man raised
his eyebrows and asked.
―Why did he come to the Court?‖ Ning Zhou didn‘t answer and
asked instead.
―Hey, you‘re taking the initiative to ask me? What relationship
does that newcomer have with you?‖ he asked with interest.
―It has nothing to do with you.‖ Ning Zhou opened the door of
the airship parked outside the courtroom and sat in it. The
long-haired man clicked his tongue and sat down opposite him.
The airship lifted off and flew toward the border of the Twilight
Township.
The long-haired man opened the drawer in the table, took out
the tea leaves, and made tea. The airship shook slightly, but
his hand pouring water was steady: ―Have a cup of tea to get
rid of the alcohol, I can smell the hangover on you, hehe.‖
Ning Zhou didn‘t move, didn‘t speak, deep and remote cold
eyes staring at him.
The long-haired man took a sip of himself and disliked it. ―What
type of tea is this?‖
The pilot of the airship behind the partition whispered: ―Sorry
Boss, I‘ll change it later.‖
He snorted again and put the cup down: ―OK, don‘t stare at
me, I‘ll say it, he‘s probably parasitized by a seed of slaughter.‖
Ning Zhou frowned faintly: ―I can…‖
The man waved his hand: ―There are ways to deal with this
kind of thing. It‘s just that he has other uses.‖
Seeing that Ning Zhou looked at him with a slightly poor
expression, he laughed instead: ―Ah, don‘t worry. For your
sake, I won‘t kill him.‖
The airship soon reached the Land of Dusk, which was a sea
away, and passed through the barrier of its city wall, and the
world outside was ruled by demons.
The long-haired man sent Ning Zhou to the border.
―I‘m returning to Neverland. Inform me in time if there‘s any
news,‖ Ning Zhou said.
The long-haired man leaned against the airship bonelessly and
waved lazily at him: ―Have a good trip. Say hello to the Pope
for me.‖
Ning Zhou disappeared into the boundary, and the man
yawned lazily and returned to the airship.
―Now return to the Court?‖ The driver asked in a low voice.
The man sitting on the seat looked at the endless sea with his
cheeks propped up. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the
side of his face, and every eyelash was dyed brilliant golden
red: ―Go back and we‘ll visit that unlucky little guy.‖
 Chapter 67: Seed of Slaughter (VI)

Qi Leren was a little anxious.

After entering the court house, he was taken to an
underground room with unidirectional glass on all sides. The
people outside could see the inside clearly, but the people
inside could only see the black glass walls on all sides.
He sat in the interrogation chair, and there was only one chair
opposite to it behind a table, which was so clean that there was
not even a trace of dust.
Al also disappeared, and Qi Leren was the only one sitting in
the interrogation room devoid of privacy, waiting anxiously. In
the interrogation room, there was silence, one could only hear
his own breathing, and the cold from the ground climbed all the
way up from the soles of his feet. It didn‘t take long for Qi
Leren to feel cold and have stiff hands and feet.
Qi Leren felt that someone was constantly looking at him
behind the one-way glass, which was the kind of examining
look that abandoned respect for human beings, and weighed
him with the eyes one used when evaluating goods. He stared
back unhappily. Although he could only see pure darkness
through the glass, he stared back intuitively.
―Oh, this guy‘s intuition is very sharp. Does he have
extrasensory talents?‖ a girl with black-rimmed glasses said as
she pushed them further up her nose.
Al stood by with his arm crossed: ―Miao Li, talk scientifically.‖
Miao Li curled her lips disapprovingly: ―Science can‘t explain
everything. In the Nightmare World, you should have thrown
away such useless things as science. Otherwise, how can you
explain such things as power-ups, skill cards, and survival
days?‖ Oh, and that demon crystal. I still don‘t understand what
supernatural energy it is. The European‘s magnetic stones of
Atlantis sound* more scientific than the demon crystal. But you
can‘t deny that the science and technology of the Nightmare
World is based on devil crystallization, otherwise things could
only be like medieval Europe now. There is also the seed of
slaughter. Is this a plant or an animal? Or is it simply a new
category beyond the existing species classification, such as
the demon species? Anyway, we are far away from science,
right, Boss?―
{*E/N: referring to Plato’s claims that the people of Atlantis had
stones that enabled telepathy}
The long-haired man took his cold eyes back from Qi Leren
and said coldly, "Cancel Plan A and enable Plan B, just let the
long line catch the big fish*.‖
{*E/N: A long-term plan seeking a large reward}
―But Boss………‖ Miao Li wanted to argue about something,
but suppressed it when the man turned his gaze onto her.
―Well, I see. Then the one responsible for training him…‖
―It‘s up to you and Al.‖ The long-haired man turned to leave.
―Boss, one more thing…‖ Al stopped him. He looked back and
arched his eyebrows impatiently to signal him to continue.
Al has obviously felt his impatience. It was better to talk quickly
to a boss with poor patience, so he said simply and neatly:
―Listening to the passengers on the aircraft, Qi Leren should
have some resurrection skills. When he fought with the
parasitized player, he was resurrected twice in a row.‖
―Let Miao Li ask everything clearly.‖ After that, the long-haired
man, lazily looking at the interrogation room, took his long legs
and left the cold basement.
Miao Li spread her hand: ―If the lady said so, then I‘ll go in.‖
Al glanced at her, and there seemed to be some warning in his
eyes.
―Well, I know, that‘s just what I call him behind his back. Who
asked him to have a lady‘s temper.‖ Mao Li laughed and
opened the door of the interrogation room.
Qi Leren raised his head at the sound of the door opening, and
a young woman with black-rimmed glasses came in. She
smiled politely at Qi Leren, put down the notebook and pen in
her arms, and pulled out her chair to sit down.
―Hello Qi Leren, my name is Miao Li, an executive officer of the
court. I know that you have a lot of confusion about why you‘ve
come here. After all, Al who brought you here isn‘t a person
who‘s good at communicating with people, but you have to
believe that we are trying our best to ensure your personal
safety. ‖ Miao Li smiled at him, leaving no room for him to
speak. ―Let‘s get started.‖
Qi Leren thought for a moment and chose to cooperate.
―Name.‖
―Qi Leren.‖
―Age.‖
―Twenty five.‖
―Time since you entered the Nightmare World.‖
―Ten-plus days.‖
Miao Li stopped her pen, looked up at him, and said with great
interest, ―You are the coolest newcomer I‘ve ever seen.‖
Suddenly praised by the opposite sex, Qi Leren was a little
embarrassed, and his anxiety eased for the first time since
court house: ―Thank you.‖
―I‘m serious. I think about my stupid appearance when I first
came in. Haha, as a newcomer, you have performed very well.
You could escape from a person infected by a seed of
slaughter and even use the terrain‘s characteristics to kill him.
Very good, I‘m very optimistic about you.‖ Miao Li‘s sincere
smile made it so that Qi Leren couldn‘t help believing her
words.
She continued to ask, and learned about what happened on
the airship from beginning to end. Qi Leren didn‘t want to
explain his skills, but he also knew that there were so many
people on the airship who saw him using the S/L skill, so it was
impossible to hide this skill card. Fortunately, this was a bound
skill, which relieved him a lot.
What reassured him most was that Miao Li didn‘t show any
special interest in his skills. She seemed to admire his good
luck politely: ―This skill is really good, and it‘s suitable for
catching the enemy by surprise. After all, people will
subconsciously relax their vigilance after they‘re sure they‘ve
killed their opponents.‖
Qi Leren smiled shyly and said nothing.
After learning about the matter, Miao Li closed the notebook,
looked up at Qi Leren and said, ―I think you must have a lot of
questions to ask me now. I‘ll ease your doubts to the degree
that I‘m able to answer.‖
―What is the seed of slaughter?‖ Qi Leren immediately asked.
That parasitic thing in the back of his neck disturbed him
greatly. Seeing that someone was willing to answer the full of
his questions, he asked without thinking.
―Ah, it‘s a complicated problem. I could talk about it for three
days and three nights to explain it in detail, but I can‘t disclose
to you some confidential aspects of the Trials Office. To put it
simply, the seed of slaughter is something the Devil of
Massacre gives to his followers. The parasite, when in the
human body, will enhance the potential of the body in a short
time, which will significantly strengthen various abilities such as
strength, agility and reaction. But this kind of power-up is not
without cost. You should have seen its side effects.‖ Miao Li
twirled her pen and watched Qi Leren‘s reaction silently.
Qi Leren‘s fingers moved as he listened carefully.
―As you have seen on the airship, the kind of killing will
gradually affect people‘s sanity, and while strengthening their
abilities, they will constantly lose their reason as human
beings. The stronger they are, the crazier they will become.
Once they can‘t grasp the boundary between power and
sanity, they can‘t suppress anymore…‖ Miao Li pushed the
black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of the nose and smiled a
little meaningfully. ―Everything is over, and it is irrevocably
over.‖
Qi Leren swallowed saliva and his throat was dry: ―But why…‖
Miao Li understood what he didn‘t say: ―Let me show you
something.‖
She took off a ring from her middle finger and put it in front of
Qi Leren. At this time, he discovered that it was not a plain
ring, but she turned it in her hand so the gem was facing her
and he could only see the band.
The ring was then moved to face Qi Leren, and the silvery
white gem was filled with black mist, which changed in different
shapes like a burning flame.
―I can see when it senses evil forces around it, and the kind of
killing ability in you is no exception.‖ Miao Li took the ring back
and put it back on her finger. ―Where did I stop just now? Oh,
yes, speaking of parasitism. There is a certain probability that
the seed of slaughter after its outbreak will be sown into nearby
people, just like dandelion seeds blown away by the wind take
root in suitable soil, but the probability isn‘t high. Al was waiting
at the landing dock of the airship, and only you were infected
among the confirmed passengers. Generally speaking, the
spread of seeds of slaughter requires a ceremony between the
original host and the new host. The original host introduces
new people to join the Devil of Slaughter‘s camp, just like
mature plants spreading seeds, spreading and spreading…
Believe it or not, for many players, mere survival consumes all
of their willpower. Even if they know that it‘s to sate an
unquenchable thirst, they‘ll choose to take the initiative rather
than be killed. ‖
Miao Li‘s mouth held a mocking smile, and her eyes behind the
lenses were cold: ―There are so many ordinary, cowardly, and
incompetent people.‖
Qi Leren recalled the tragedy on the airship. Before this, he
hadn‘t been able to figure out why he had still been parasitized
after using his S/L skill. Now it seems that he was sown with
the seed of slaughter before he‘d made his save point. Just like
being in the same room with a flu patient, some people will not
be infected, but some people will be infected. Although the
probability was very low, he still got caught. His luck was really
hopeless.
―…How can we get rid of this kind of thing?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Miao Li turned the ring on her hand and said regretfully, ―I‘m
afraid it‘s not easy.‖
―But there is still a way, right?‖ Qi Leren asked with absolute
certainty.
Miao Li looked into his eyes deeply, and the lenses reflected a
bright light under the pale light overhead, which made Qi Leren
unable to see her eyes clearly.
―Yes, but it depends on your determination and sincerity. Are
you prepared?‖ Mao Li asked, smiling.
―What preparation should I make?‖ Qi Leren was nervous, and
he felt subtly that it would not be a pleasant decision.
Miao Li leaned forward slightly, her chin resting in her
overlapping hands, and looked at Qi Leren who tried to hide
his emotions. She seemed to find his reaction interesting, just
like a researcher who observed creatures in a Petri dish. She
showed her own interest without any disguise, and it was
unpleasant.
―Become an undercover spy.‖
 Chapter 68: Seed of Slaughter (VII)

Qi Leren came out of the courthouse intact, alone.

The pendant hanging on his chest was heavy. It was hidden
underneath his clothes and stuck to his skin. It was slightly
chilly. The pendant had the same shape and function as the
gem on Miao Li‘s ring. Once the black fog symbolizing demonic
power overflowed the whole ring face, it also meant that his
death had come.
He had come out with this pendant, which meant that he
agreed to the conditions of the court. ―We someone new, and
the shorter the time since they‘ve entered the Nightmare
World, the better.
―Their interpersonal relationships should be simple, and their
own strength should be passable. The most important thing
was that they have to live up to the task, and will not collapse
or even give up on themselves from time to time like garbage,‖
Miao Li‘s words echoed in his mind. "There aren‘t many things
to do, and it won‘t be too difficult at first. If you‘re lucky, you
can even get rid of this identity and return to the track of an
ordinary player soon. Although the kind of seed on you is a bit
troublesome, we can use a secret method of the Holy See to
help you remove it. If you do a good job, maybe you can enter
the Trials Office and get more resources.
"We won‘t contact you very often, and please don‘t contact the
court, don‘t tell anyone these secrets about the seed and the
court, and keep a low profile; keep to yourself and be an
ordinary person like before we found you. We‘ll send someone
to train you, maybe tonight. Well, you can leave now.‖
So Qi Leren returned home in a little dreamy trance. But in half
a day, he had escaped from the edge of life and death, and
was sent to the mysterious Trials Office, and now he has
become an undercover agent! Although Miao Li didn‘t tell him
what he needed to do, he could guess some things. He was
afraid the judgment hall needed a clean new person to enter
the camp of Devil of Slaughter believers, and then hunt them
down.
The seed of slaughter in the back of his neck still hurt dully. Qi
Leren touched the painful place, where it would sprout soon.
The growing seed of slaughter would gradually eat away at his
reason. Especially in battle, the surge of adrenaline would
stimulate its growth. If it wasn‘t controlled, it would only be a
matter of time before he went completely crazy. The way to
control the growth of the seed of slaughter was to avoid too
many battles as much as possible, and the second was to
restrain its growth by external force. Holy water and other
items of the Holy See could restrain the seed of slaughter to a
certain extent. At the same time, he also needed to be careful
not to be in contact with demon crystals too much, otherwise
the seed of slaughter would accelerate its growth because of
the stimulation from the demon energy.
After washing, Qi Leren lied in bed exhausted, and looked at
the survival days: 54 days and 23 hours.
The gentle colours of sunset shone in from outside the window,
and Qi Leren blocked his eyes with the back of his hand. The
golden red light still stubbornly struggled through the gaps to
his eyes, just like a bright red sea of fire. The feeling of
weightlessness from when he‘d jumped down from the airship
swept through him again, and Qi Leren kicked his leg like he
had a cramp, only to wake up from the illusion of falling.
He let out a breath, took the cold water from his bed and drank
it, dousing the memory of death.
But it was still too clear. Every time he used the S/L skill, he
was accompanied by the pain of death. Those memories were
hidden deep in his mind and firmly suppressed with willpower.
But when he was tired, they would quietly break free and return
to his consciousness, making him afraid.
Qi Leren curled up in a different position. The quilt left by the
last owner of this room smelled old. He covered his face with
the quilt and blocked the sunset. Instead, he felt relieved in the
darkness, holding the pendant warmed by his body
temperature. There was a dark breath in the silvery white gem.
One day it would overflow with darkness. Maybe one day he
would die silently on a mission like Lu Youxin and many other
people who died here.
He suddenly remembered Ning Zhou‘s pendant. In the final
battle underground, he had picked up Ning Zhou‘s pendant
and held it in his hand. Then he fell into a coma. After waking
up, the pendant had disappeared. It should‘ve been picked up
by Ning Zhou.
In the pendant was a woman with a holy aura and blue eyes
like Ning Zhou …
Exhaustion seemed to be flooding in, and Qi Leren sleepily
thought that he should forget about Ning Zhou soon, and fell
into a deep sleep.
&&&
―Are you here?‖
Qi Leren found himself floating in a starry sky. He looked at the
owner of the voice. Miao Li, whom he had seen in the
courthouse not long ago, sat in a chair. She floated in the
starry sky like him, with an open book on her knee.
―Where is this place?‖ Qi Leren did not dare to act rashly, for
fear that he would fall if he moved slightly.
―This is your dream. As I said, we will send someone to train
you tonight, which is the safest way to keep secrets. The best
thing is that such awareness training will not affect the seed of
slaughter, and we can avoid it growing rapidly from you being
too active.‖ Miao Li closed the book and made a ring. A chair
appeared behind Qi Leren, and she motioned him to sit down.
Qi Leren sat down and asked straight away, ―Where do we
start?‖
―You‘re a newcomer with a hasty personality.‖ Miaoli sighed, ―I
still want to talk to you about the situation in the Nightmare
World.‖
This was an area that Qi Leren didn‘t understand at all. He was
silent for a moment and politely said, ―Please go ahead.‖
―Simply put, the Twilight Township is the main settlement for
players now, and it can basically be said to be the only
settlement.‖ Miao Li turned the ring on her finger and said
slowly.
―Isn‘t there a Village of Dawn?‖ Qi Leren couldn‘t help but
interrupt.
―Oh, the Village of Dawn.‖ Miao Li‘s smile was a bit subtle.
―There aren‘t many players there. Those who can go there are,
to some extent, not players.‖
Qi Leren looked at her in astonishment, and he remembered
Su He.
―Basically, players who can complete the task of entering the
Village of Dawn are not normal people, so to speak, they are
half GM. If you want to count the Village of Dawn as a
settlement of players, there are many other places to include,
for example, the base camp of the Holy See - Neverland. After
the Holy City was captured by the Devil, the Holy See moved
to Neverland. Although most of them were NPCs, some
players triggered related tasks in the Nightmare World and
entered the Holy See‘s camp. Some chose to live in
Neverland,‖ Miao Li said.
―…Is Ning Zhou the same?‖ Qi Leren couldn‘t help but ask.
―Eh? Do you know Ning Zhou?‖ Miao Li asked curiously.
Qi Leren nodded his head.
―Yes, he‘s a member of the Holy See. Most of the time, he‘s
never in one town. It‘s said that the Pope attaches great
importance to him. He occasionally serves as the messenger
of the Holy See to convey some instructions. After all, the
Trials Office is also regarded as an extended department of the
Holy See.‖
Qi Leren responded sullenly, not asking about Ning Zhou
again, but listening to Miao Li continue to say, ―You should
know about the three Devil Kings. In fact, they don‘t just exist
in worldbuilding stories, and many tasks in the Nightmare
World are inseparable from them. The Devil of Fraud is
relatively low-key, and there is very little information about it,
while Power and Slaughter are very troublesome, especially
Power. It confuses countless players with the ideal country. In
my opinion, this is a completely evil thing to teach.‖
―What is an ideal country?‖ Qi Leren had never heard of it.
―To put it simply, it creates a place similar to a land of pure
bliss. As long as the player signs a contract with it, he no
longer has to suffer for survival. He will live in an ideal country
forever, will not be born or die, and will enjoy all the bliss he
wants to enjoy. This is an irresistible temptation for many
credulous and weak guys.‖ Miao Li smiled mockingly.
―It‘s really…‖ Qi Leren frowned disapprovingly.
―Stupid, right?‖ Miao Li shrugged her shoulders. ―You have a
closer relationship with another, though. Players who believe in
Devil of Slaughter have a secret association called the
Slaughter Secret Meeting. All members are parasitized players
who worship Slaughter. Some may also be NPCs. They have
another system inside. Currently, they‘re secretly developing
players. In the future, we‘ll arrange that for you. A different
identity will help you join the Slaughter Secret Meeting. If you
don‘t want your identity to be seen through too quickly and
come to a bad end, you have to learn something.‖
―Learn what?‖ Qi Leren‘s spirit was shaken.
Miao Li pushed the black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of the
nose and said with awe: ―Learn to lie first.‖
 Chapter 69: Seed of Slaughter (VIII)

―To lie?‖ Qi Leren was a bit stupid. He‘d thought a lot just now
about what the Court might teach him, but he never imagined
that what Miao Li said was to lie.
Miao Li gave a subtle smile: ―Why? Do you feel conflicted?‖
―No, I‘m just… a little surprised,‖ Qi Leren said.
Miao Li rubbed the ring on her finger and said faintly, ―Believe
me, you‘ll have many places to use it, many, many places…‖
From the depths of the dream‘s universe, a comet flew from
outer space, and its dazzling tail was like a long feather,
dragging a wonderful arc of light across the land of stars, just
like some ancient omen. Or perhaps it was just a sign of the
beginning of a new stage.
&&&
Qi Leren woke up.
The light of the setting sun streaming in through the window
still filled the room. He got out of bed slowly and looked at the
survival time of 54 days and 15 hours. He‘d slept for eight
hours, so he should be in high spirits.
But this was not the case at all. He was like a poor man who
had been tortured by nightmares all night, and his brain was
heavy when he woke up.
It seemed that although the dream-learning method could save
time, it was still very energy-consuming, and there was no way
for Qi Leren to have a good rest, but… it was still valuable.
Qi Leren rubbed his aching temples and got up and washed
his face with cold water.
When a knock came on the door, Qi Leren hurriedly dried his
face to open the door.
Dr. Lu stood outside the door and said excitedly as soon as he
saw him: ―I saw a very good two-person task in the Quests
Centre, only for newcomers who entered the Nightmare World
less than a month ago. The task difficulty rating is D, and the
minimum reward is 20 days of survival time! Do you want to
pick it up?‖
―The minimum reward for the task of difficulty assessment D is
20 days?‖ Qi Leren asked strangely, ―That‘s not reasonable.‖
―Should be a novice discount, it said newcomers only; the last
time I was cheated by a few cheating customers to do a task
with a B-level difficulty, more than half the team died! The task
reward was also 20 days, but it was also because we only
completed the minimum task, and it didn‘t trigger hidden plots
and feeder lines. In short, I don‘t want to pick another B-level
difficulty,‖ Dr Lu said with concern.
After a little thought, Qi Leren nodded and said, ―Well, it‘s also
good to save more survival days while we‘re still new.‖
―That is to say, I still want to save more survival days and then
exchange some easy-to-use skills. If I strengthen myself only
with skill cards it‘ll be too hard to improve my actual abilities,
it‘s not friendly to fragile healers at all.‖ Dr Lu said with dead
eyes.
Qi Leren exhaled: ―What is the task‘s introduction like?‖
―The name of the task is ‗Castle Cry‘, and the introduction isn‘t
very detailed. It‘s probably a task of talking with a group of
NPC night scouts who died in the castle. It‘s a copy task, and it
needs to be sent to the copy. If you agree, we‘ll pick it up now,
and it won‘t be opened for a few days.‖ Dr. Lu was in a hurry,
for fear that the task would be taken off the shelf.
―Well, wait for me to get dressed.‖ Qi Leren went back and put
on a coat and followed Dr. Lu to the Quests Centre.
No matter what time, people came and went from the Quests
Centre. Dr. Lu took Qi Leren to take over the Castle Cry task,
and the task disappeared from the display board after they
signed for it.
Copy tasks in Nightmare World were almost impossible to
repeat, and even if the types were similar, the contents varied
widely. Otherwise, players could find players who have done
the same task according to the existing tips to get intelligence
rewards, but it didn‘t rule out that copy tasks taking place in the
same location wouldn‘t be related to some extent.
However, the tasks in the main world of Nightmare World could
be repeated. For example, the last task Qi Leren did,
―Witchcraft Sacrifice‖, was a typical reincarnation task, which
was started every three years, and the content flow was almost
the same in many cases. In this case, intelligence was very
important.
―The task has to be opened within one week. Let‘s prepare for
it first, and then find a lucky day to open it,‖ Dr. Lu said
seriously.
―…Old-fashioned superstition is unacceptable,‖ Qi Leren was
speechless.
―It‘s just to give me peace of mind.‖ Dr. Lu was very sincere,
and forced him to blink.
―Suit yourself…‖ Qi Leren was helpless. Could such a new
teammate do it… This was the pattern that led to him having to
fight the BOSS one on one.
The two people speaking while walking out of the Quests
Centre were suddenly stopped.
―It‘s you!‖
Qi Leren looked back and a tall, thin man pointed to Qi Leren.
―It‘s really you. I saw you taken away by the Trials Court when I
got off the airship last time. You were released?‖
Dr. Lu poked Qi Leren‘s waist with his elbow and whispered,
―What have you done?‖
―It‘s a long story…‖ Qi Leren hadn‘t had time to mention the
seed to Dr. Lu, although he wouldn‘t tell him that he had been
parasitized personally, let alone disclose the transaction with
the Court, but he could still talk to Dr. Lu about things on the
airship.
Passersby around them heard the two words of the Trials
Court and looked at them intentionally or unintentionally. The
feeling of being stared at made Qi Leren frown uncomfortably
and he said to the man who had once met on the airship yet
couldn‘t remember the name of: ―Just had to make a statement
for fighting.‖
The tall, thin man gave him a dull look, nodded at him and
walked into the Quests Centre.
What a strange person, Qi Leren chanted in his mind, and he
went out of the Centre with Dr. Lu in tandem.
―What happened before?‖ Dr. Lu asked curiously.
―Half a day ago, I took an airship from Sunset Island to the
mainland of the Village of Dusk. On the airship…‖
Qi Leren brought up the things on the airship one by one, from
the person in the cloak who had been parasitized by the seed
to the poor passengers who died innocently. He calmly told the
tragedy that he had been involved in. For the part of the Court,
he learned to use the contents of what Miao Li had taught him,
and appropriately added some secrets about Slaughter. Soon
Dr. Lu was attracted by the secrets, and he listened attentively
and believed in his story.
Although he felt a bit guilty lying to his friend, he would have to
get used to lying constantly, until he believed his own lies.
―Your luck is really bad. It happened to you in the airship twice.
Wow, I won‘t take an airship with you in the future. You‘re like
Conan*.‖ Dr. Lu gave an exaggerated wink that amused the
heavy-hearted Qi Leren.
{*E/N: Referencing the main character of Detective Conan,
who is present when crimes take place during nearly every
episode of the show.}
―OK, you swim and I‘ll take the airship and we‘ll see who gets
to the destination first.‖ Qi Leren said jokingly.
Dr. Lu looked dead: ―I‘ll die anyway, so I‘d better take the
airship.‖
As they spoke, they walked through the busy downtown area
and walked all the way to the secluded alleys. The Village of
Dusk was shrouded in the inescapable sunset.
―The last time I was here I found a murder between NPCs
here, and the task of the Witchcraft Sacrifice was triggered,‖ Qi
Leren said with emotion. He had inspected the NPC‘s body out
of curiosity, and as a result, he triggered the task. Then… he
met Ning Zhou, who had triggered the same task, but they
didn‘t know anything about each other.
There are so many coincidences in life, which eventually
become something called destiny.
―You‘re too unlucky to even go for a walk.‖ Dr. Lu rubbed his
arms, feeling cold, and hurriedly pulled Qi Leren‘s sleeve and
walked briskly away.
―Don‘t shout, I feel a little weird.‖ Qi Leren muttered and
touched his belt subconsciously.
Faintly, he felt as if something disturbing lurked in this evening
…
At Qi Leren‘s words, Dr. Lu also stopped and asked in wonder:
―What‘s the matter?‖
―I need to think about some things, so I won‘t go to your place.
I‘ll come back to you tomorrow,‖ Qi Leren said calmly.
Dr. Lu gave a cry: ―That‘s fine, and the task‘s not urgent. Let‘s
discuss it tomorrow. I‘ll be leaving, then.‖
Qi Leren nodded and watched Dr. Lu disappear from the alley.
He moved a step, sticking his back to the mossy wall of the
alley and saying to the empty alley, ―Come out.‖
The place shrouded from the afterglow of the sunset was
silent, and only the breeze blew the vines that covered the
wall, bringing a soft rustle, as if to tell Qi Leren that everything
was just his illusion.
―You‘ve been following me since I left. Did you really think I
wouldn‘t notice?‖ Qi Leren toyed with his dagger and spoke
with a cool tone; only he probably knew that he wasn‘t sure at
the moment.
There was a loud roar, and the wall behind him suddenly
exploded. The shockwave lifted Qi Leren up and he fell to the
ground. He even rolled on the ground several times before
stopping. There was a sharp pain in his internal organs, which
made Qi Leren almost think that the organs would be broken.
Dizzy, Qi Leren heard a mocking voice: ―Your acting is good,
but the next time you want to cheat people, remember to point
your face towards the place where others are hiding.‖
An arm was pressed on his back, and a cold blade was on the
back of his neck. Even through the thin layer of cloth, he could
feel the blade‘s chill.
―Now, take out all your skill cards, starting with the ones on
your belt,‖ the man said greedily.
 Chapter 70: Seed of Slaughter (IX)

It was him!
This voice wasn‘t familiar, but after all, Qi Leren had heard it
only a few minutes ago, and he clearly remembered that it was
at the Quests Centre, the man who had met him once on the
airship!
Why did he…
The answer is obvious, he came for his skill!
That magical resurrection skill of ―bringing back the dead‖
displayed on the airship, that was why he came!
But he didn‘t know that it wasn‘t a resurrection skill at all, but
instead was still a bound skill, so it was impossible to give it to
others.
At this moment, when a knife was being held to his neck, Qi
Leren‘s brain turned quickly. What should I do? Hand over my
skill card? No, this was definitely a dead end, not to mention
that this skill is a bound skill, even if it was an unbound skill,
who could guarantee that he wouldn‘t kill Qi Leren after taking
the skill card? But if he delayed, would he …
‗In this case, did you still want to use the S/L skill?‘ Qi Leren‘s
heart was cold. ‗Originally, I wanted to use this skill as little as
possible, but it seems that…‘
No, wait a minute. This man knew that he could revive with his
skills. Why was he so confident? Wasn‘t he afraid that he
would kill himself, resurrect again, and then kill him? He should
have seen him move after the resurrection on the airship when
he‘d used it so that he could break free from his bondage.
―Hurry up, hand over all the skill cards!‖ the man said bitterly,
and the knife at the back of his neck pushed forward. The
blade cut the collar and plunged into his skin. A chill came from
the wound, and warm blood wet the clothes and seeped down.
Qi Leren‘s brain, which was still thinking calmly, suddenly
froze.
Blood.
Hatred.
Kill him.
It was as cold as a snake, some unpredictable and
unstoppable force like a cold-blooded reptile, slithering down
from the back of his neck, growing happily and greedily along
his spine and skin.
―Ah, ah, ah-!‖ There was a shrill scream from the man behind
him, as the hand that had been pressing on his back was
suddenly bent by Qi Leren, and his fingers plunged into the
man‘s belly like a blade, and the surging power on his fingers
turned like a whirlpool, which exploded with a roar.
The tall, thin man‘s body flew out and fell heavily on the
ground. The dark red blood flowed out of his blasted abdominal
cavity and slowly soaked the ground along with the internal
organs.
It was still flowing, it felt happy, but it was still not satisfied.
With empty eyes, Qi Leren looked into the iron tower standing
not far away. The mechanical tower was three or four meters
high, and the weather vane rotated in the evening wind,
making a faint click.
Snipers lurking in the shadows at the top of the tower had
already aimed at him.
Qi Leren smiled unconsciously, a cold and strange smile
appearing on his face, which seemed to be an evil appearing in
the embers of the setting sun.
A bang shot, a mercury bullet rubbed Qi Leren‘s arm, and
didn‘t aim to take his life. It just wanted him to lose his ability to
fight back. He evaded the bullet accurately as soon as he
turned sideways. The next second, he moved like a cheetah,
and rushed to the front of the iron tower with amazing speed.
His hands climbed the steel frame and up the iron tower. The
person on the mechanical tower waved a short knife in panic.
Qi Leren grasped a blade with his bare hands without thinking.
Blood burst out instantly, but it made it more excited. It almost
frantically manipulated Qi Leren‘s body, as he wielded a
dagger and cut the sniper‘s neck with one slice.
The blood shooting from the carotid artery was as beautiful as
an oil painting in the setting sun.
Qi Leren, who was splashed with blood on his face, looked at
the corpse under his feet with amusement, and the lifeless
corpse twisted and fell from the top of the tower. With his
death, the odd-shaped sniper gun disappeared with his belt.
Qi Leren stood at the top of the tower, and the roar of airships
flying overhead was like the machinery running in a large
factory. Looking from the tower, the whole of Sunset Island
was shrouded in the heavy setting sun, and the buildings with
high and low levels were built into a steel-cast city. A whole
row of huge chimneys poured out white water vapor, which
reflected a gorgeous rainbow in the sunset.
A gust of wind mingled with the smell of engine oil and poured
into Qi Leren‘s nose, and he suddenly coughed as if he‘d burst
a lung and sat down on the ground with woozy legs, which
affected the cough with the internal organs and made his
mouth full of the smell of rusty iron, not to mention the pungent
scent of blood on his face.
The cold chill had retracted back into his neck, his reason
returned a little bit back from the abyss, the pain of being cut
by a knife followed.
It was terrible. Just now, it was like he had been taken away.
Although his eyes could see, he couldn‘t control his body at all,
or else he didn‘t want to control his own consciousness! They
were all occupied by the desire to kill, and had killed two
gangsters without mercy.
Qi Leren trembled and looked at his blood-stained hands. The
warm blood had lost its temperature in the wind, leaving only
bloody hands. He could still remember how he stabbed his
hand into the other‘s abdominal cavity. The sticky touch made
him feel sick, and then that kind of power exploded from his
body, destroying his internal organs together.
Was this the power of evil?
Qi Leren, brimming with the feeling of nausea, took out a water
bottle from his inventory and washed the blood from his hands,
and wiped his face with a towel. The towel was bloodstained
and shocking, and his palm, which was cut by the blade, was
full of blood, but it strangely had stopped. He threw the towel
on the ground in disgust, as if he could escape the reality of
killing people.
After climbing down the tower, he still felt weak. It felt as if he
had just used his S/L skill.
It seems that the use of seed would still bring a burden to the
body. If possible, he should try to avoid using it, otherwise, he
didn‘t know how long his rationality could last.
The tall, thin man‘s body was lying on the wall, and the wall
around him had been blown down. This sinister greedy robber
had ambushed him with explosives, and he also collaborated
with a sniper. If Qi Leren‘s seed of slaughter hadn‘t been
stimulated by his own blood, he would have died at least twice
now.
Did he want to dispose of the body? Qi Leren stood beside the
corpse and thought, trying not to let himself think about the
bloody scene just now.
―Hello,‖ a familiar voice came from behind.
Qi Leren felt a rush of fear and immediately turned his head.
Al sat on the wall of the alley and looked at him with his arms
crossed.
When did he come?! Qi Leren hadn‘t felt it at all.
―You followed me?‖ Qi Leren‘s first reaction was that he was
watched by the people of the Court.
Al‘s mouth twitched and seemed to want to laugh: ―You think
too much, we‘re too busy to take care of your life or death.‖
He spoke impolitely, but this answer was a little reassuring to
Qi Leren. He didn‘t want to be watched by the people of the
Court all day long. He doubted if they would help him, even if
they were watching. If he died in this simple predicament, it
would only show that he didn‘t have the ability to judge, and Qi
Leren clearly knew to never put their hopes on them.
I still have to rely on myself after all.
―So you were just passing by?‖ Qi Leren still had doubts about
his appearance.
―That‘s not it, someone asked for help from the Trials Office,
and I just came and looked around here. It‘s you; you really do
get into trouble wherever you go.‖ Al looked at Qi Leren with
great interest.
Qi Leren couldn‘t refute this. Just then, his eye caught on Dr.
Lu probing around the mouth of the alley: ―Ah, Qi Leren, are
you all right?‖
He was crouched like a small animal at the mouth of the cave,
watching around with vigilance, and didn‘t dare to run out until
everything was safe. At this moment, he quickly ran over and
said, ―Mr. Al? Long time no see.‖
Dr. Lu was obviously impressed by the young man he had
seen on the airship.
Qi Leren wondered, ―Didn‘t you leave?‖
Dr. Lu gave him an oblique look: ―Hey, are you too
discriminating against my IQ? Just when you had said that the
surrounding atmosphere was wrong, you suddenly had
something to go first. It was clear that something was wrong.
As a law-abiding citizen, I certainly have to choose the police!‖
Saying this, he gave a cute triumphant smile.
However, Al was not very supportive. He said with a cold face:
―I am not a policeman, and the courthouse is not a police
station.‖
Dr. Lu murmured: ―Isn‘t it a different name…‖
Al didn‘t speak again. Sitting on the wall, he leaned back gently
and disappeared behind the wall.
There were only two living people and two dead bodies in the
alley that was gently comforted by sunset.
―Let‘s go to my place, I‘ll help you deal with the wound, and in
the process we can try whether the ‗Doctor‘s Orders‘ is useful
to you.‖ Dr. Lu took Qi Leren‘s right hand, which had gripped
the blade with his bare hand, and checked it. He found that the
wound had stopped bleeding, and it didn‘t seem to have hurt
his nerves. It wasn‘t serious, so he simply treated him with his
skill.
Qi Leren finally looked back at the corpse lying on the ground,
resisting the desire to touch the ―time-bomb‖ on the back of his
neck, and followed Dr. Lu to his home.
The big bell tower in the middle of Sunset Island rang again,
one, two… The thick bells rushed in all directions.
Near the alley where the accident occurred, Miao Li sat on a
towering tree cast from steel, and looked at Qi Leren and Dr.
Lu who left one after another and whispered: ―The seed of
slaughter on his body developed faster than expected. This
speed is not normal.‖
Al, who had appeared beside her at some point, held his arm
and said coldly: ―Have you warned him to stay away from
demon objects that will accelerate the growth?‖
―Of course. Is it because of his physical condition that he‘s
developing so fast? Or did he have any contact with demons
recently? Influenced by the power of evil? This can also
explain why the probability is so low, but he got caught. In the
eyes of Slaughter, he is an out-and-out 'fertile soil‘.‖ Miao Li
rubbed her chin and suddenly remembered something. ―He
said that he knew Ning Zhou, but he‘s a newcomer who
entered the game only ten days ago. How could he know the
Vatican?‖
―He also knows people from the Village of Dawn,‖ Al said.
―Interesting.‖ Miao Li snorted, ―But according to this
development, the seed with mature within a few months. Do
you want to help him suppress it…‖
―Suit yourself. Don‘t kill people, Boss said,‖ Al reminded her.
Miao Li shrugged her shoulders and said carelessly, ―I see.‖
 Chapter 71: Seed of Slaughter (X)

Early the next morning, Qi Leren woke up in the sunset-filled

room. In his recent dream, he repeatedly dreamed of killing
and being killed. Over and over again, sticky and bloody death
tormented him during his dreams and waking hours.
Fortunately, he was awakened by a knock on the door.
The Village of Dusk was shrouded in sunset all the year round,
and people‘s concept of time became weak after a long time;
even if they looked at clocks and watches, they couldn‘t be
sure whether it was ―day‖ or ―night‖, and everyone‘s work and
rest were inevitably confused after a long time.
The knock on the door still sounded rhythmically, and Qi Leren
put on clothes and dragged slippers to open the door.
When the door opened, Chen Baiqi stood outside her arms
crossed and looked him over from head to toe. Qi Leren
pressed down his mussed hair, and his voice was hoarse as if
he had just climbed out of the grave: ―What happened?‖
―Get dressed and come with me,‖ Chen Baiqi said.
―Where to?‖ Qi Leren is baffled.
―Go see Lu Youxin.‖
Qi Leren was shocked: ―Isn‘t she dead?‖
Chen Baiqi leaned against the door and said faintly, ―Yes, so
we are going to sweep her grave, are you coming?‖
―…Wait for me.‖ Qi Leren hurried back to wash, dressed and
followed Chen Baiqi to the coast.
―I thought you and Lu Youxin weren‘t very familiar,‖ Qi Leren
said on the way. Chen Baiqi heard him say that Liu Youxin
died when he was on the Witchcraft Sacrifice mission. At that
time, she was only slightly surprised, but she didn‘t show any
sad feelings. He thought they should just be nodding
acquaintances. He didn‘t expect Chen Baiqi to visit her grave.
Chen Baiqi, with her hands in her coat pockets, walked in a
hurry: ―We‘ve done tasks together before and exchanged some
information, which is not too familiar. Ning Zhou is familiar with
her and should be regarded as her friend. ‖
Qi Leren lowered his eyes and didn‘t ask any more questions,
but his heart vaguely understood why Lu Youxin would kindly
send them tips before she died. After all, she was friends with
Ning Zhou, otherwise why would she bother?
On the coast, a boat the size of a small yacht was docked at
the shore. The two people got on the boat, and Chen Baiqi
took the helm. This old-looking boat made a mechanical roar
as it started, and white steam came out of the chimney
covered with rust, puffing out a long white mist after the fast-
moving boat.
Qi Leren was a little curious about where they were going, but
he didn‘t ask. He would soon know anyway.
―At sea, the air is finally better. I really can‘t stand the smell of
engine oil,‖ Chen Baiqi said with a cigarette in her mouth, the
cigarette butt burning fast in the wind. She blew out a mouthful
of smoke with the cigarette in one hand and grasped the
steering wheel in the other.
―I don‘t like it very much… I don‘t really understand the energy
of the Nightmare World. I heard that it‘s neither coal nor oil, but
devil crystallization?‖ Qi Leren remembered that he‘d heard
NPCs talk about this problem in the game, but it was not very
deep.
―Thank God it‘s not coal, otherwise there‘d be smog
everywhere.‖ Chen Baiqi curled her mouth and continued, ―The
technology development in the Nightmare World is very
strange. It‘s reached its peak in steam, and there‘s no problem
in power application. However, the use of other energy sources
still stays at the stage of coal and firewood burning. Ha, thanks
to the Devil invading the Nightmare World more than 20 years
ago, although it brought great damage, it has also made
human beings discover a new energy - devil crystallization.‖
Qi Leren pricked up his ears and listened to Chen Baiqi tell the
story of devil crystallization.
―Devil crystallization comes from the devils bodies, and can be
obtained from their bodies after they‘ve been hunted. It can be
said that it‘s highly condensed devil energy. If you deal with
devil crystallization for a long time, human beings are even in
danger of demonization and become low irrational demons.
However, it was soon discovered that this crystallization has a
magical power.‖
―What power?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Chen Baiqi threw the cigarette butt away, and the sea breeze
blew her hair back. The goggles made Qi Leren unable to see
her eyes, but he could still see that she smiled: ―The power of
boiling water. Can you guess how long it will take to boil the
water in a 50-meter-long swimming pool by throwing in a devil
crystal as large as a fingernail? ‖
Like putting sodium in water? Qi Leren thought about it and
guessed boldly as much as possible: ―An hour?‖
―Hahaha, what a conservative answer.‖ Chen Baiqi laughed
loudly, and her voice was scattered in the sea breeze. ―For
three days and three nights, the water will boil steadily. Now do
you understand why the steam engine is the king of this world?
"If you throw enough demon crystals into the sea, maybe the
sea will boil, it‘s such an incredible power,‖ Chen Baiqi‘s clear
voice said.
This kind of thing that didn‘t exist in the real world had
completely changed the technological structure of the
Nightmare World and the Village of Dusk. The efficient and
clean demon crystallization made the steam engine destined to
be eliminated firmly occupy the mainstream position. Even
after the discovery of electricity, human beings still used steam
to generate electricity instead of water power and thermal
power.
Unfortunately, in the world outside the Village of Dusk and the
Village of Dawn, human beings still lived in the primitive times
of the Middle Ages and were ruled by demons.
The sea became foggy, and the boat drove all the way into the
fog. Unconsciously, even the sunset withered in the fog, and
thick white fog continuously emerged from the sea in all
directions, covering the boat.
Chen Baiqi jumped off the rudder and hung a lamp at the stern.
The misty yellow light lit up the foggy world, and Qi Leren
looked intently at the sea water. There seemed to be
something moving under the surface, a mass of black things…
With a crash, a blue arm stretched out from the water and hit
the rusted ship. The dead body under the water showed half a
swollen head, which was as bumpy and horrible as over-
fermented steamed bread after highly rotting.
―What is this?!‖ Qi Leren took a step back, and his voice
suddenly lifted.
Chen Baiqi glanced: "Water ghosts, stand far away, they won‘t
come up.‖
With her words, the white mist gradually dispersed in the
yellow light, and Moses divided the sea to reveal a channel full
of moonlight. He didn‘t know when the sunset disappeared and
the horizon was replaced by bright moonlight. The water
ghosts on the sea seemed to be afraid of the pure moonlight,
and fled into the sea and hid in the depths of the fog.
The boat set sail again, along the dreamy sea paved by
moonlight, heading for the faintly visible island ahead.
&&&
There was also a thin layer of fog on the island. Chen Baiqi
threw a flashlight to Qi Leren. This flashlight was heavy, big
and portable, and it had an old and rugged temperament. Qi
Leren studied it a little and was interested in the technology
development of the Nightmare World.
―When the sun goes down, we have now left the scope of the
Village of Dusk. We can find this small island through the Sea
of the Undead. A player discovered it many years ago and
found that the dead players can be found on this island. A
tombstone is generated, and there will be brief personal
information on the tombstone. Since then, players have come
here to mourn their friends, which can be regarded as
sweeping graves.‖ Chen Baiqi took Qi Leren up the stairs and
walked through a large cemetery. ―We are now passing
through the tombstones of those players from more than 20
years ago. Those people should have died. After all, the
monthly compulsory task will become more and more difficult
later. The third year will be a watershed, which will eliminate
those ordinary people who are not working hard. For more than
20 years, that‘s two or three hundred compulsory tasks… Oh,
the difficulty is probably comparable to the beginning of the
world.‖
The sense of despair in Chen Baiqi‘s discourse depressed Qi
Leren for a while. He asked, ―Do you still have to carry out
compulsory tasks even if you go to the Village of Dawn? Is
there no way to get rid of this event?‖
―I don‘t know, no one has proved it. Maybe we‘re all just
waiting for someone to complete the world‘s ultimate task and
end it. All this is just a legend between players. After all, the
Nightmare World‘s not a game, but a real world,‖ Chen Baiqi
said.
Clear moonlight fell all the way, and flowers and trees along
the way were shrouded in faint fog, dreamlike. It was just that
the tombstones, which were arranged layer after layer as if
they were seats in a theater, make all this supposed beautiful
scenery heavy, as countless deaths were superimposed
together, adding a bit of solemnity to this cold night.
The two people walked deeper and deeper until they came to
the depths of the island. The endless spread of tombstones
finally came to an end. Chen Baiqi signaled Qi Leren to
illuminate the words on the tombstones with a flashlight, and
the two walked forward from the end.
Strange names appeared in the light of the flashlight and finally
settled on the tombstone of the person they were looking for.
[Lu Youxin. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 731
days.]
Such a simple three lines summarized Lu Youxin‘s life.
―He really came,‖ Chen Baiqi whispered, looking at a bouquet
of lilies lying in front of the tombstone.
Ning Zhou? Had he been here? Qi Leren gawked at the lilies,
and the picture of Ning Zhou setting foot on this island with
flowers came to his mind. He must have been alone, perhaps
in such misty weather, to see a dead friend alone. At that time,
what kind of mood was he in?
Chen Baiqi sprinkled a bottle of wine over the front of the
grave, and the wine gave off the bitter smell of alcohol, wetting
the lilies in front of the grave. She didn‘t say anything, just
standing in front of the tombstone, as if lost in her own
memories.
The flashlight in Qi Leren‘s hand turned to the grave next to it,
and it was Xie Wanwan, who also died as a sacrificial witch.
Going forward was an unfamiliar name, who died in a task
called Haunted Halloween, next to a player who also died in
Haunted Halloween, and going forward…
Qi Leren‘s footsteps stopped.
The beam of the flashlight was fixed on the tombstone, and
together with the heartbeat, mortal fear poured in from the
depths of his soul, like a cold wave that drowned him.
[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]
 Chapter 72: Seed of Slaughter (XI)

[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]

Like falling into a freezer, Qi Leren was cold and motionless as
he looked at the inscription on the tombstone. Everything
around him was far away, just like being blocked by an
invisible barrier: the sound of the waves, the bright moonlight,
the clear wine… everything was far away. He was like a living
person buried in the ground, watching the soil cover his body a
little bit, and from then on, he would be accompanied by
darkness and insects, and eventually gradually decay in the
unknown.
He was unwilling. He urged the frozen body to move forward,
and more and more of the dead were exposed to him.
[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]
[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]
-If the arrangement of tombstones was according to the time of
the death of all people, then the nearest to Lu Youxin was the
one who survived for 13 days died of trying his luck and killing
himself, and these two died of dragon‘s breath.
[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]
-that one died with a dagger when he was chased by a hungry
wolf.
[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]
-that one died in an explosion that killed the giant.
Qi Leren, who had lost his mind, was still moving forward.
There were all unfamiliar names here. He had to walk a long
way before he could meet the tombstone he left in the Novice
Village.
―Enough, Qi Leren!‖ Chen Baiqi‘s voice sounded behind Qi
Leren.
Qi Leren stood among rows and rows of tombstones arranged
like theater seats, and the moonlight left his shadow on the
ground, overlapping with the shadows of countless
tombstones, as if entangled between life and death, but the
moonlight blurred the boundaries.
Was he still alive? Was he already dead? How could he prove
that he was still alive?
With memory? But memory was just a brain wave. In the face
of all kinds of incredible forces in this Nightmare World, even
fabricating a memory was very simple, let alone transplanting a
memory.
Was he really alive?
Was he still alive?
Chen Baiqi came to his side, took his arm and walked back
into the deeper part of the island.
Along the path full of moonlight, treading weeds and insects,
they walked deeper and deeper. Qi Leren didn‘t know where
Chen Baiqi was going, but didn‘t want to know. His soul
seemed to be left in front of his tombstone, and he was just a
walking corpse.
Through the dense forest, his eyes were suddenly enlightened.
They were standing on a high solitary cliff, and the sea under
the moonlight was just over the edge. So quiet, so vast, silvery
white scales of moonlight beating on the water, together with
the starlight and the sea, constituting a suffocatingly beautiful
night.
Chen Baiqi sat down on a strange rock on the sea cliff,
covered her lighter with her hand, lit herself a cigarette, and lit
another one for Qi Leren.
This time, Qi Leren didn‘t refuse.
The two people sat on the cliff, listening to the crash of the tide
lapping on the cliff, and the sound of Qi Leren coughing while
smoking, and they said nothing to each other.
―Now I know why Ning Zhou specifically told me not to bring
you here before he left.‖ Chen Baiqi finished smoking a
cigarette and crushed the cigarette butt beneath her shoe.
―Unfortunately, when I don‘t collect money, I‘m a really
uncooperative person.‖
―What else did he say?‖ Qi Leren asked hoarsely.
―A lot, I‘ve never heard so many words from him, but it is
probably because he was drunk.‖ Chen Baiqi laughed lowly.
―After all, I brought a whole box of good wine to see him. I‘m
afraid he‘ll be eager to kill me when he wakes up.‖
Qi Leren looked up at Chen Baiqi. She sat on the stone with
her legs crossed and lit a cigarette for herself.
―I don‘t think he believed that he could fall in love with
someone who doesn‘t belong to this world in such a short
time,‖ Chen Baiqi said.
―What do you mean?‖ Qi Leren‘s heart thumped, and a sense
of foreboding, which he had always been unwilling to ponder,
welled up in his mind.
Chen Baiqi raised a slender eyebrow: ―I thought you‘d
discovered it, didn‘t you?‖
Don‘t belong to this world… Qi Leren‘s mind suddenly saw a
face similar to Ning Zhou‘s, the blonde woman praying under
the cross in the Barrier of the Holy Spirit, who has a pair of
eyes identical to Ning Zhou‘s.
―Ning Zhou is like my sister, but should be said to be more
special than her. Her parents are players from the real world,
but Ning Zhou… his mother was an NPC.‖
Chen Baiqi‘s voice seemed to come from outside. He heard
every word she said, but suddenly he couldn‘t understand
them.
―Calculate Ning Zhou‘s age. His father should be the first
player to enter this game, but he died very early. After his
mother died, he was sent to the Vatican and was deeply
influenced by the Holy See. Ning Zhou also told me that when
he was 18 years old, he would perform tasks like ordinary
players. Three years ago, when he was 18 years old, he had
the same number of survival days as us and needed to
perform mandatory tasks every month.‖
The cigarette butt in Qi Leren‘s hand had almost burned out,
but he didn‘t notice it at all.
―This time when he received the Witchcraft Sacrifice task, it
was a complete accident. He had just come back from
Neverland recently. He met a gangster who was chasing
several girls and killed them. Unfortunately, he failed to save
the two girls. Instead, because of the demon mark on their
hands, he triggered the task at this time. Even more
coincidentally, you also received this task from another dead
NPC.
"In fact, he didn‘t care much about you at the beginning. In
terms of personality, Ning Zhou was born not to like being
close to people. It‘s hard to imagine that he took the initiative to
approach someone. At the beginning, he saved you from being
attacked by wolves by a bonfire, which was completely
convenient. Helping those in need is also the precept of the
Holy See.‖ When Chen Baiqi spoke, she suddenly smiled
lightly. ―But after he got drunk even more, he admitted it. He
thought it was cute when you pretended to be calm and tried to
talk to him.‖
-―I… my name is Qi Leren, what‘s your name?‖ Memories
suddenly changed from gray to new, like a roll of black and
white film, suddenly with sound and color. Qi Leren clearly
remembered that by the warm bonfire, he felt uneasy and
stopped talking, and finally built up the courage to ask her
name.
―Later, in the underground cave, you were chased by the bone
dragon, and he took you to escape. At that time, you looked
scared, red eyes, and trembling when you spoke, but
stubbornly wanted to protect him, even not afraid of death. I ‗m
afraid that Ning Zhou has never seen anyone work so hard for
him in so many years. After that, you died from the dragon‘s
breath and were almost frozen to death by the frozen
underground lake. After he rescued you, he looked at you, who
was soaked and shivering. He swore to himself that he would
protect you.‖
-―Thank you in short, tell me your name when the time comes!‖
At that time, he had hurriedly run for his life, and his lungs were
in pain. He kept his voice down and did not dare to cough, so
his eyes were red. He knew that he wouldn‘t die, and he had a
great chance to survive with skilled help, so he was brave.
―In the last underground palace, Ning Zhou used up the relics
left by his mother. Yes, that‘s the pendant. That thing is no
ordinary item, he shouldn‘t have used it, but at that time it was
a close call, and you were in grave danger again, so he didn‘t
hesitate to use it, even if… You found the only chance in the
Barrier of the Holy Spirit, but it was really a monster… "Chen
Baiqi looked out at the calm sea in the moonlight, and her
voice seemed to have died. "Later when he was drunk, Ning
Zhou wouldn‘t continue, but I already know. To personally kill a
lover who was willing to pay her life for him, how much pain
must he have been in at the time… ‖
-―Ning Zhou, I have a way, maybe we can all live.‖ At that time,
the excited Qi Leren even said the most cruel words to Ning
Zhou with a smile, ―It‘s very simple: kill me.‖
Qi Leren dropped to sit on the stone and covered his face with
his hand. This short experience had turned into a prank of fate
in his eyes, but in Ning Zhou‘s eyes? This was totally an
irreparable tragedy.
―Do you know? After the mission, before coming to see you,
Ning Zhou went somewhere, ‖ Chen Baiqi said slowly.
―Where?‖ He clearly knew he should stop asking, but Qi Leren
still felt the words leave his mouth.
Chen Baiqi answered the unneeded question: ―He went to buy
something.‖
Qi Leren‘s finger moved stiffly, and he knew something
vaguely, but it was too unbelievable.
Chen Baiqi didn‘t say any more. She smoked a cigarette. The
smell of tobacco made her relaxed and calm. She stood up,
facing the sea, and murmured, ―This is fate. People who are
obviously impossible come to love each other because of
various coincidences, but unfortunately in the end… It‘s still
impossible.‖
Qi Leren was silent.
―In Ning Zhou‘s world, I‘m afraid he never thought about
homosexuality. After all, he lived in the Vatican since he was
very young, obeyed the precepts, abided by the canon, and
had a firm belief. He was the kind of man whose heart won‘t
exceed the moment. When he fell in love, he would propose
marriage, and his first night would be reserved for his wedding
night. Most importantly, the Vatican in this world is not of the
modern religion in the world where we once lived. It is old-
fashioned and conservative. All love between the same sex is
wrong, immoral and even sinful.
"If one day, he loves you more than everything, maybe he will
leave the Vatican. But he will need to abandon his faith and
give up everything he once regarded as life… Is this love more
painful, or is death more painful?‖
The salty sea breeze blew on his face and stole away the heat
from one‘s body. While listening to all this, Qi Leren had been
very calm. He stood up from the stone and whispered: ―I
understand…‖
Chen Baiqi turned around and handed him a bottle in her hand:
―Take it.‖
―I don‘t have to drown my sorrows in wine,‖ Qi Leren made a
joke stiffly, but it was so difficult to raise the corners of his
mouth.
―It‘s not wine, it‘s holy water from the Holy See. Maybe you can
use it later,‖ Chen Baiqi shrugged her shoulders. ―I‘m going to
see some old friends first. We‘ll meet at the shore in an hour.‖
Qi Leren‘s hand holding the bottle froze. How did Chen Baiqi
know that he needed holy water to suppress the seed?
Seeing that Chen Baiqi had left, he ignored caution and asked
loudly, ―Why did you give me this?‖
Chen Baiqi waved backwards at him: ―It‘s from Ning Zhou. Let
me give it to you. Keep it. Maybe it‘ll come in handy in the
future.‖
Chen Baiqi‘s figure had disappeared under the steps. Qi Leren
shook the bottle, and the crystal clear transparent liquid glowed
faintly in the moonlight. Just looking at it made him feel calm. If
it was Ning Zhou… Could he know? After all, he saw him at the
courthouse.
Qi Leren didn‘t want to think any more, so he put away the holy
water and went down.
This time, he no longer panicked over those tombstones, which
he could not verify or control. Even if he was really dead, this
one was still alive now. He could act, think and be as happy
and sad as before. He didn‘t want to struggle with more
problems.
Down the stairs, there were neat tombstones on both sides of
the steps, which were as neat as a procession.
The order of tombstones should be arranged according to the
time of death, not according to the order of tasks. Qi Leren
stopped at Lu Youxin‘s tombstone, walked backwards one row,
and then went in. He saw Ye Xia, which turned out to be her
real name and she had lived for more than 1,500 days.
One step further, the place illuminated by the flashlight held the
name Qi Leren.
Three tombstones in a row, all of them him.
He had died by Ning Zhou‘s hand.
Qi Leren‘s feet stopped, an emotion that couldn‘t be said to be
sad or relieved seeping out slowly from the depths of his soul.
After Chen Baiqi said Ning Zhou had bought something, he
guessed vaguely, but it was still unbelievable, but now he saw
it with his own eyes, and he finally had to believe it.
He could almost imagine Ning Zhou‘s mood when he found his
tombstone. Perhaps for him, the Qi Leren he loved has stayed
in the underground palace forever, and was killed by his own
hands three times.
They hadn‘t had the time to start, and the love he hadn‘t said
yet stayed there forever. He could only leave proof of his love
at the tombstone and give it to the ―her‖.
Qi Leren stepped forward and squatted down at his grave.
[Qi Leren. Witchcraft Sacrifice. The survival time was 13 days.]
An open box was placed upright in front of the tombstone, and
a ring lay quietly inside.
The ring is inlaid with a blue gem, which shone in the
moonlight.
As beautiful as Ning Zhou‘s eyes.
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: Although love is beautiful when it stops at this moment, the
story should continue.
PPS: After going through such small twists and turns as a
homicidal maniac, captured, undercover, robbed, frightened,
and proposed marriage to (failed), our protagonist had a
relaxed and happy rest time. After eating this sweet (or
poisonous) sugar, we can open a relaxing copy (being a real
mother) after this incredibly sour and refreshing feeling.
 Chapter 73: Neverland (Stranger)

The aircraft descended slowly over a field of ice and snow, and
finally landed in a hidden valley. The steam turbine turned off,
and a large amount of hot water vapor formed a wave-like
white billow in the environment of minus 30 degrees, spreading
around.
Wrapped in fur from head to toe, the guard with only a pair of
eyes showing saluted the aircraft. He couldn‘t see the insignia
in the steam, but he could still recognize that it was an aircraft
of the Holy See, and it should have flown from another
stronghold.
This was one Holy See strongholds closest to Neverland. Most
of the Holy See‘s hierophants would choose to land here, and
then walk through the triple barrier to enter the scope of
Neverland. This was a necessary precaution to prevent hell
from attacking again after the captured Holy City was
evacuated. Nothing could fly through the gravity barrier to enter
the polar Neverland.
When the door opened, the hot air in the cabin burst out,
colliding with the cold in the snow and ice, and forming a fog. A
tall figure walked out of the cabin with a big black bird parked
on his shoulder. He walked steadily down the steps and
returned the guard‘s salute.
It really was boring to stand guard here. Usually, the guard
would talk to hierophants passing by here, but when he saw
the handsome face before him, he gave up the idea of talking.
It was more definitely more difficult to pry even one word out of
the knight Ning Zhou than to make an ice sculpture spit out
human speech. Even under the crown of the Pope who raised
him from the age of thirteen, it was rare to hear him speak a
long passage.
The guard watched him walk into the underground checkpoint
of the stronghold alone. Although he was still expressionless,
today the knight seemed to be colder and more silent than
before. Even his noisy black eagle was silent.
Although it was noon, this city laid within the extreme unending
night of the north. The stars were shrouded in the vast snow,
as if a sea area of fluorescent plankton was floating over their
heads. All you could see was endless white land and
boundless snow, and the universe that was vast and unending.
If a poet walked through this wasteland of ice and snow, the
beautiful scenery in front of him would certainly inspire him.
Unfortunately, for those who lived in Neverland, this long night
was not only a pressure on survival, but also a mental torture,
especially for those who trudged in the snow.
Ning Zhou wore a white fur cloak and walked through the
gravity barrier. The gravity and chaotic magnetic field up here
made all electronic devices useless. Every step was like
carrying a mountain. Although the Vatican‘s traffic order could
slightly reduce the gravity of the barrier, it still made people
sweaty and tired to pass through it.
After passing through the gravity barrier, there was a sacred
barrier set against the power of demons. All demons disguised
as human beings couldn‘t pass through this barrier. Unless it
had suffered a general catastrophe like that of more than 20
years ago, even if the Lord came again, he would not be able
to break the barrier.
It took half a day to walk through the double enchantments. On
the vast ice sheet, compasses no longer worked, and the
direction could only be determined by stars. The last
enchantment was the spiritual enchantment ahead. Walking in
this enchantment, people would see countless pictures of their
memories, all their desires amplified here, and all the
distractions you were looking for and longing for that were
contrary to your beliefs would be presented here one by one.
Either wash away the filth in your heart here, or lose yourself in
your desire.
For the firm hierophant, this barrier was almost non-existent,
and so it was for Ning Zhou.
Every time he passed here, he would only see a thin phantom,
and the trivial desire would be easily washed by faith, leaving
no trace in his mind. But this time, he stood in front of the
enchantment, letting the rustling wind and snow fall on his
face, leaving traces of frost on his eyelashes, but he did not
walk into the enchantment.
The eagle pushed out of the pet bag and pecked Ning Zhou‘s
ear tip, which seemed to urge him. Ning Zhou took a deep
breath and the hot air condensed into a white mist. He stepped
forward and headed for his own soul.
In the vast ice sheet and the boundless sea of stars, the wild
wind roared and asked him to retreat, but the traveler trekking
in the polar wilderness walked forward step by step with the
wind that could tear people‘s skin. The eagle on his shoulder
was already unsuited to the cold, and it hid in its pet bag,
leaving him alone on the ice sheet.
At some point, the roaring wind had become far away, as if it
were the singing of a giant whale in the deep sea, so vigorous
and ethereal… The night sky overhead was lit by the hands of
the gods, and layers of blue-green auroras emerged in this
vast wasteland, dancing in the shape of waves.
―Ning Zhou…‖
A sweet voice called out his name, just behind him.
Ning Zhou didn‘t look back, but he was still moving forward,
and every step used the whole of his body‘s strength to
continue walking step by step.
The voice that was calling went away and died in the wind.
In the barren land under the aurora, a figure suddenly
appeared ahead. Dressed in a thin sacrificial costume, she
came up to him with timidity and curiosity. The corners of her
brown eyes drooped slightly. She looked up at him with
childlike innocence, but when she became serious, she was so
patient and brave.
Close your eyes, don‘t look, don‘t think, just keep walking, Ning
Zhou told himself.
The phantom held out her hand and tried to hold his sleeve,
but her hand went straight through. She looked at her hand in
consternation, as if suddenly aware of something, and fell into
stupefied tears.
―Am I dead?‖ She asked sadly.
It was like a blow to the chest, and the cold air inhaled into the
lungs hurt him. He could no longer turn a blind eye and walk
away, so he stopped, even though he knew he shouldn‘t.
At the moment when his footsteps stopped, the ice and snow
seemed to be covered with a haze. He returned to the Undead
Island in a trance. At that time, he held a bouquet of lilies and
went up the stairs to look for the tomb of his old friend, but
inadvertently found her tombstone.
So many tombstones.
Some had died in the task, and some had died in the Village of
Dusk. The number of days she‘d lived was not even as many
as the number of times she had died.
The heartache and disbelief of that moment could no longer be
described in words.
At the end of the Witchcraft Sacrifice, she left three successive
tombstones, not at the hands of the enemy, but at his hands.
At that time, his soul seemed to be separated from his own
body, floating in the air, looking at his ―self‖.
It was not him, it was just the desire buried in his heart. It finally
broke free from the shackles of the reason it had been
defeated. It seemed like a demon who broke free from the
shackles of seals and came into the world.
He watched himself take out the ring in front of her tombstone,
knelt down on one knee, and asked silently, Will you marry
me?
The tombstone wouldn‘t respond, but he had already seen her.
Walking lightly in the darkness deep in the underground palace
was more irresistible than the temptation of the Devil. She
gently took his hand, shyly lifted her face, closed her eyes, and
slightly opened her lips and tilted her mouth, tempting him to
send a kiss.
―He‖ leaned over…
Deep in his consciousness, a voice suddenly passed through,
and if it was low, it would wake him up with thunder.
On the bridge made of steel, he looked back in a hurry and
saw the young man standing behind him with the same brown
eyes as ―her‖ with the slightly drooping corners. He looked at
him in astonishment: ―You‘re a man?‖
When he realized this, the illusion began to fall apart. The girl
waiting to be kissed opened her eyes and looked at him sadly.
Her figure became weaker and weaker, but her appearance
gradually changed. Her hair was shortened, her stature was
raised, and she gradually recovered to the appearance of a
man. However, she asked directly into his heart: ―If you love
my soul, why do you want to escape?‖
At this moment, his love became a sin.
The aurora came to his eyes through the half-collapsed
dreamland, and when he looked up, he could see the polar
night sky.
But when he lowered his head, he was still in the dreamland,
and he still hadn‘t escaped it.
At the foot of an underground cave, which made the bone
dragon the two people had been fleeing a pile of frosted bones
while they were in the underground lake not far away, she tried
to climb ashore when she fell into the water.
Gravel was everywhere on the shore, which was so sharp that
it cut her hand and dragged several brown blood marks on the
ground. Steam had enveloped her body, and her wet hair was
covered with ice. She fell back to the lake again and again, and
finally lost her strength.
Immersed in ice water, she looked at him on the shore with
empty eyes. Even if his heart was twisted, he didn‘t take
another step, but said silently, ―Go home, go where you are
meant to.‖
The girl who sank in the ice lake showed a reluctant smile to
him, closed her eyes, and sank to the bottom of the lake
silently. With her sinking, her appearance gradually overlapped
with that of a man, and she could no longer be distinguished.
At the moment when he sank to the bottom of the lake, the
lake floating with crushed ice suddenly froze into ice - together
with his heart.
The illusion disintegrated from top to bottom, and he finally
returned to the ice sheet.
The mighty aurora winded out the beautiful shape, illuminating
this dark ice sheet, and the world as far as he could see was
frosty and cold, and all emotions, whether shaken, loved, or
guilty, were buried deep under the ice, quietly dormant.
Ning Zhou recalled their farewell from the steel bridge. He
watched him turn around and walk towards the other end of the
bridge. He kept watching him, watching him go further and
further until he walked out of his life… He didn‘t look back, so
he finally turned around and walked in the direction that would
take him back to his own world. But when the cheers of the
crowd sounded in the middle of the steel bridge, he looked
back, and he looked back, and the two people separated by
the boundless crowd saw each other again. For a moment, he
thought he saw ―her‖, but he knew that there was never that
―her‖, only ―he‖ - a person he could not love.
The happy couple embraced and kissed, surrounded by the
blessings of the world.
And the distance between them is farther than that of the sky…
Ning Zhou walked on. It was only an hour or two away. He
walked for a whole day and a night and finally walked out of
the spiritual barrier. His longing, his yearning, was covered by
the vast ice and snow, and sank into his soul.
He knew that he still hadn‘t defeated it. Although it died down
and went into the darkness, it would come back one day.
Merciful Lord, my father, I crawl at your feet and pray. May you
forgive my sin. He knelt on one knee on the ice and prayed in
the direction of the Holy See.
Under the glacier was a little spark, singing songs and music,
and the magnificent Holy See was just around the corner.
The long night was about to pass, and the light would finally
come.
 Chapter 74: Castle Cry (I)

[Player Qi Leren has started the task: Castle Cry]

[Task background: In the middle of the night, three couples
have come to the mountains in the outskirts of town to watch
the stars during a once-in-a-century meteor shower. In the
mountains, there was a European-style castle built during the
Republic of China. It was said that it was built by a German
couple who came to China to do business, and then it was
abandoned because of a fire. The locals repeatedly tried to
repair the castle, but each time there was an accident, and no
one has set foot inside since. At midnight that night, the clear
night sky suddenly began to rain with dark clouds. Six people
were trapped on the top of the mountain, and the rain gradually
worsened. One of them proposed to seek shelter from the rain
under the castle‘s eaves…]
[Task requirements: Leave the castle before dawn with a task
completion degree above 30% to receive the reward of 20
survival days, with the chance for additional survival day
rewards. If the completion degree is above 90%, you will
receive a lucky draw once.]
[Data synchronization countdown: ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one. Synchronization complete.]
&&&
Qi Leren was awakened by the rain. It was raining all around
him. Two couples were crowded under a tree. One of the girls
with long hair complained coily: ―Why did it suddenly rain?‖ The
weather forecast clearly said it was clear.―
Her boyfriend wrapped an arm around her shoulder to comfort
her, but he couldn‘t smooth her unwillingness. She complained
endlessly: "I wouldn‘t have come for the once-in-a-century
meteor shower if I‘d known! My clothes are all wet. What can I
do if I catch a cold? People who aren‘t in good health can‘t get
wet‖
"Luo Xueyi, you said you were coming. Now it‘s raining and
there‘s no way. Let‘s leave and go home,‖ another girl with
short hair said impatiently, holding her boyfriend‘s arm and
going down the mountain.
The long-haired girl named Luo Xueyi pouted and said, ―You
can‘t blame me for this. I didn‘t know it would rain. Besides,
you and Xiao Hong also promised to come. It‘s so romantic to
watch a meteor shower. Who knew it would rain…‖
―The rain is getting harder and harder, and the mountain road
is slippery and not safe. Let‘s find somewhere nearby and wait
for it to let up.‖ Xiao Hong, the short-haired girl‘s boyfriend,
held her back.
―What if it just gets worse? Besides, there‘s no place to hide
from the rain here. After a while, even this tree won‘t be able
stop the rain!‖ the short-haired girl said testily.
―Oh, Nan Lu is impatient. I think the rain will stop in a moment.
As for the place to shelter from the rain, look, it‘s dry under the
eaves of that old castle.‖ Luo Xueyi pointed to the castle not far
away, which was surrounded by trees.
There was no doubt that the several NPCs in front of them
were going to die. Qi Leren decided to persuade them with the
idea of saving one‘s life. It was inevitable that he and Dr. Lu
would go to the castle, but these NPCs didn‘t have to stick out
their necks: ―I don‘t know if it‘s safe to go there after years of
disrepair. Let me go and have a look.‖
Dr. Lu sighed softly and said in a voice that only he could hear:
―According to the rules of horror films, you can‘t stop an idiot
from dying.‖
Sure enough, Luo Xueyi said with a delicate voice: ―It‘s not
safe, don‘t say that you believe that rumor. It‘s just an old
castle, can‘t a ghost suddenly jump out?‖ She giggled and
seemed amused by her own words.
―Obviously, this Luo Xueyi plays the role of the classic horror
film character with a big chest and no brain. It‘s very vivid,‖ Dr.
Lu spoke up.
Unexpectedly, she also added: ―I know that you and Lu-xuedi
are inseparable, but today we‘ll be the third wheels, hehe.‖
At this moment, Qi Leren and Dr. Lu‘s mood is: WTF?!
―Now I know why there are three couples in the background of
this mission,‖ Dr. Lu said in a cold sweat, ―It turns out that this
copy is still politically correct and there‘s a pair of gays, but I
have to firmly refuse this kind of pretending to be a gay
couple.‖
Qi Leren gave him an oblique look: ―You, Schrodinger‘s
straight man, have nothing to refuse. You‘d only protest when
my pen is straight.‖
―No, I can accept playing gay, but I don‘t want to be gay with
you,‖ Dr. Lu said seriously.
―Why?‖ Qi Leren felt as if he‘d been rejected.
―Because you‘re taller than me, I feel like ‗that‘ with you…‖ Dr.
Lu looked dignified.
―Which one?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―The one who needs to be checked frequently to see the health
status of somewhere.‖
―…You know a lot.‖ Qi Leren was embarrassed.
―Stop whispering and keep up.‖ While the two people talked in
a low voice, Luo Xueyi had called them to rush forward, and
they‘d to keep up with it and come to the nearby eaves of the
castle against the heavy rain.
The castle was very old indeed, and it didn‘t look particularly
tall. It exuded the breath of old history in the night.
The two couples were still whispering to each other, and Qi
Leren looked at these four NPCs quietly.
The task of ―Castle Cry‖ was a copy task. He and Dr. Lu
started the task and came to the copy world after preparation.
Each copy world was almost a parallel world with large and
small areas. Qi Leren suspected that the area of this copy was
as big as this mountain. If he tried to go down the mountain
now, he would likely be forcibly repatriated by the system.
The NPCs came with this copy, and there were different
opinions about NPC players in this copy task. Some people
treated them as real human beings, others completely ignored
this group of NPCs, and there were even players who
maliciously slaughtered the NPCs. Generally speaking, the
NPCs did not affect the player‘s basic ending. Even if he killed
all the four NPCs now, there would be no problem to achieve
the simplest ending. However, there were some clues. If you
wanted to dig out the so-called true ending, you might also
need the help of NPC.
Qi Leren naturally has no abnormal hobby of killing NPCs. He
was observing these four NPCs.
Luo Xueyi and Miao Bo were a couple, and Miao Bo was a
model of the loyal dog boyfriend. Nan Lu, the girl with short
hair, seemed to have no warmth towards Luo Xueyi, and her
boyfriend Xiao Hong seemed to be completely ignorant of the
subtle aura between the girls.
Shouldn‘t be an important role, Qi Leren thought. He glanced
at the time. It was 0:55 in the morning, and it was almost one
o'clock. There was not much time left for them in the task. If it
was bright at six o'clock, they only had five hours.
―This door doesn‘t seem to be locked. Is it locked inside?‖ Luo
Xueyi said, while pushing the strong-looking door.
With a creak, the wooden door was pushed open halfway,
revealing a dark space.
Luo Xueyi‘s scream almost broke the eardrums of several
people. Nan Lu slammed her ears and said angrily: ―What is it?
It‘s scary!‖
Luo Xueyi shrank into Miao Bo‘s arms and cried with tears:
―The door is open, the door is open!‖
―If you open it, we won‘t go in.‖ MiaoBo patted her on the back
to comfort her.
Xiao Hong peeked at Luo Xueyi and echoed: ―Yes, we‘ll leave
when the rain lets up, and we won‘t go in.‖
Dr. Lu pouted and whispered to Qi Leren: ―Believe it or not,
there will be an accident soon.‖
―…To the letter.‖
Sure enough, there was a wolf howling in the dark mountain
forest. The horrible howling pierced the rainy night and pierced
the psychological defenses of the group. Luo Xueyi screamed
again: ―Ah, ah, there are wolves!‖
―Don‘t yell, won‘t you attract the wolves?!‖ Nan Lu also
panicked, holding Xiao Hong‘s trembling arm. Xiao Hong was
frightened by her and tried to pull away, but failed.
"How can there be a wolf here? This is impossible,‖ Miao Bo
questioned in awe as he was held by Luo Xueyi. ―This area
isn‘t too far away from the city, and I‘ve never heard of anyone
seeing wolves.‖
However, the howling sound that was getting closer and closer
made the several young people panic. Compared to the
rumors of being haunted, the wolves that were close at hand
were more dangerous - Qi Leren, who had killed wolves, has
reservations about this - the group chose to enter the castle to
avoid it without struggling for long.
Sure enough, I still have to go in, Qi Leren sighed in his heart
and dragged a reluctant Dr. Lu into the castle.
The stale smell came over him, and the wooden door was
closed. Miao Bo proposed to find something like a table to
block the door so as not to let the wolf in, and the rest didn‘t
object. The range that the flashlight could illuminate was very
limited, and it was still dark all around. There were traces of
smoke on the wall, which really looked like a fire had
happened.
―How did this castle burn down?‖ Qi Leren took advantage of
this time before the dangerous part of the task began, and took
the time to inquire about it.
Nan Lu took Xiao Hong‘s arm and said somberly, ―I heard that
the lady who lived in this castle discovered her husband‘s
infidelity, and in a rage, she killed all the people in the castle
and set it on fire. You see, there are burn marks everywhere
now.‖
Luo Xueyi, who had calmed down, said with a smile: ―It‘s just a
legend. I think it was just a fire at night that burned down the
castle. It‘s been rumored about for a long time.‖
―Yes, Xiao-Lu, don‘t listen to this rumor,‖ Nan Lu‘s boyfriend
Xiao Hong also said.
Nan Lu didn‘t say anything.
Qi Leren‘s flashlight shone around nearby. The hall the the
door entered into had hundreds of square feet, and its height
was far higher than that of a normal building‘s. The overhead
lights hanging above were still gorgeous even after decades,
but unfortunately they could no longer light up. Going further,
he found two curved staircases leading to the second floor. A
picture frame was faintly visible on the wall beside the stairs,
but unfortunately the paintings in it had been burned.
―Qi Leren, where are you going? The floor of the stairs may be
burned out. You‘d better not walk around.‖ Nan Lu saw Qi
Leren walking up the stairs and called him back.
Qi Leren then went back and followed them to the side
corridor, ready to find something like tables and chairs to block
the door.
Suddenly there was a dazzling light in front of him, and Qi
Leren walking at the end of the group suddenly saw the fire
coming head-on from the depths of the corridor, coming
towards them like waves!
What was happening? Why was there a sudden fire?!
The people in front screamed, running in the direction of the
door, and Qi Leren turned and ran after a slow beat.
Fortunately, the fire wasn‘t fast, but it was too bright and
dazzling, which almost made it hard to open their eyes.
―The door is gone!‖ Luo Xueyi‘s cry was full of panic, and
several people were anxiously flapping at the wall that should
have been the door. The fear of unnatural things suddenly
washed away human reason, and the fire was getting closer
and closer, which drove the young people crazy.
―When-‖
A distant bell came from the direction of the curved staircase: it
was one o'clock in the morning.
The flame disappeared with the bell, everything illuminated by
the firelight returned to darkness, and only a few people‘s
flashlights lit up a small piece of darkness.
But even so, the group soon discovered the abnormality.
Nan Lu‘s voice trembled, and she murmured as if in a dream:
―The traces of being burned are gone…‖
With the bell, the whole castle seemed to have returned to the
past.
 Chapter 75: Castle Cry (II)

With a loud bang, the lights turned on, and the whole hall
showed its magnificent side under the light. The magnificent
chandelier hanging from the domed ceiling gave off dazzling
light and dispelled the surrounding darkness.
Just now, the stale smell dissipated with the bell, and the
traces of being eroded by fire disappeared around it, leaving a
colorful castle with a bright marble floor reflecting the lights,
thick carpet on the corners, and delicate decorative patterns on
that carpet. At that moment, the whole hall was brand new and
shining.
―It seems that this isn‘t the old castle that was burned by fire
from just now, at least it has electricity.‖ Qi Leren‘s hand was
still on the switch on the wall as he spoke to Dr. Lu.
Dr. Lu touched his chin. ―Oh, it‘s interesting. When we entered
here just now, the old castle had been burned down. Now,
once the bell tolled, it looks like we entered the old castle
before it was burned down.‖
―What‘s the use of saying this now? Hurry and find a way out!
The door is gone, but there are windows!‖ Luo Xueyi woke up
after a brief state of wonder and realized that they were now in
strange danger.
Dr. Lu gave her a pitying look: ―According to the rules of horror
films, I don‘t think we can get out through the window.‖
The light overhead made the fear dissipate a lot. Luo Xueyi
stamped her foot and took her boyfriend Miao Bo‘s hand. ―I
don‘t believe it. I‘m going to look for it! If you love me, you‘ll
come with me!‖
Dr. Lu took a slap in the mouth and stopped Qi Leren who
wanted to stop Luo Xueyi: ―If she‘s so eager to die, let her go,
maybe you can find something.‖ Of course, it was most likely
that they would find two bodies later.
―Why don‘t we also…‖ Xiao Hong hesitated, wanting to follow
Luo Xueyi and others, but was pulled by Nan Lu. ―Don‘t go!‖
Xiao Hong, who was forcibly held by his girlfriend, reluctantly
glanced at the two people who were leaving, and remained
silent.
―What now?‖ Nan Lu asked with a clouded expression.
Qi Leren glanced at Dr. Lu and saw that he didn‘t answer. He
said, ―I don‘t think we can go out through the window. If we
want to leave this old castle, we have to solve the mystery of
the fire that happened here. If you know anything about the
legend of this old castle, you might as well say it. Maybe it‘s
also a clue.‖
Nan Lu thought for a moment. ―All I‘ve heard is the legend that
the mistress of the castle killed everyone because her husband
was unfaithful, and then set fire to the castle. Xiao Hong, have
you heard anything?‖
Xiao Hong was a little distracted, and only after hearing his
name did he react: ―I… I heard from my parents when I was a
child that a servant stole a lot of money with outsiders. In order
to cover up his crimes, he went mad and killed people in the
castle overnight, then set fire to destroy the evidence and
disguised it as an accident.‖
―What do you think?‖ Qi Leren asked Dr. Lu.
―I‘m not sure…‖ Dr. Lu murmured bitterly. ―Well, if I insist on
saying it, I think the second one is more reliable.‖
―Why?‖ Nan Lu disapprovingly asked.
―It‘s very simple. There are at least a dozen servants in an old
castle. Can an adult woman kill so many people casually?
Killing people is very tiring. Seriously, if you‘re an ordinary
person and I give you a knife to chop down ten people who are
standing still, you‘ll be exhausted. Besides, the person she
wants revenge against is only her husband, so why kill
everyone together? This is revenge on society, which is totally
illogical. So I think the second one is more likely. The owner of
the castle came from Germany to do business. Instead of living
in the city, he built such a castle. He must be very rich. It‘s
logically possible that someone colluded with the servant to kill
for money, but… "Dr. Lu said, spreading his hands.
"But what?‖ Nan Lu asked.
Qi Leren had a little understanding: ―But the theme of killing
people for money is not suitable for solving puzzles.‖
―As a positive solution, in terms of subject matter, the first story
is very suitable. The lady who went crazy because of her love
is like a final boss of a horror game.‖ Dr. Lu rubbed his chin
and looked thoughtful.
―It‘s meaningless to think about it now. Let‘s walk around
carefully and see where the bell came from.‖ Qi Leren said.
The other three people didn‘t disagree, so they took to the
curved staircase and headed in the direction where the bell
had just come from.
At this time, the painting on the wall was intact and hadn‘t been
destroyed by the fire. They finally got to see this portrait.
On the platform where the left and right curved stairs merged
together, facing the door was a huge portrait. The picture
showed a young couple, the man looking handsome and
elegant in a suit. He gently looked at his wife, a woman in a
formal dress with long golden curls winding over her shoulders,
which made her beautiful face more beautiful and refined. She
was holding a big dog and her face was pulled into a happy
smile.
Below the portrait was the floor clock that had just sounded,
and the hour hand and minute hand walked at their own
rhythm.
Was the man in the portrait the owner of this castle? Qi Leren
was lost in thinking about the portrait.
―This should be the master and mistress of the castle? They
look very loving.‖ Nan Lu‘s face showed envy.
Xiao Hong also replied: ―Yes, she looks really beautiful.‖
Nan Lu immediately pinched him and said angrily, ―You only
know how to look at beautiful women!‖
―Don‘t look at it that way, you‘re the most beautiful!‖ Xiao Hong
quickly picked up his girlfriend
The flirting between lovers made Qi Leren feel uncomfortable.
Looking at Dr. Lu, he saw that he was also wearing a long
face. The two exchanged helpless eyes and were about to
continue to go up. Suddenly there was a sound of heavy
objects falling to the ground downstairs, and then Luo Xueyi,
who had taken Miao Bo to look for a window before, screamed:
―Ahhh!‖
The shrill screams plunged into Qi Leren‘s heart like a sharp
sword, and his originally calm heartbeat suddenly became
fierce, and Qi Leren rushed down without thinking.
Outside of the brightly lit hall, the corridor was still dark, and Qi
Leren turned on his flashlight and walked forward step by step.
Illuminated by the flashlight, the corridor was filled with dark
and dead human sculptures and potted plants, and the
shadows moved with Qi Leren‘s footsteps, which made him
wonder what lay in the distorted shadows.
Through the long corridor, the space in front suddenly became.
There was a crescent moon hanging in the sky outside, and a
large patch of moonlight was sprinkled into this room from the
window crucified by iron bars, casting shadows and criss-
crossed light. In the bright moonlight, floating dust could be
faintly seen, looking like plankton floating in the deep sea.
Qi Leren had smelled blood, which had been with him since
the day he entered the game. He was already too familiar with
it.
The flashlight‘s yellowish beam dispelled the deep and remote
darkness, but it could not erase the bloody scene.
A suit of armour the size of an adult male was standing in the
corner, blood dripping from the sword in its hand, with a small
pool of blood on the ground. Twisted into an impressive
posture beside the armor was the body of Luo Xueyi‘s
boyfriend, Miao Bo!
From behind him came Dr. Lu‘s trembling voice: ―Qi Leren, is
everything all right up ahead?‖
Qi Leren took a deep breath: ―Nothing, come and have a look,
can he still be saved?‖
Dr. Lu crept up, saw the body and the strange armor, and
gasped: ―Oh my god, it can move!‖
―I don‘t feel danger.‖ Qi Leren touched the card slot on his
waist. S/L, Rain-Day Laundry, and Primary Fighting Skills were
all inserted in the card slot. In order to prepare for this mission,
he went to Chen Baiqi to buy three miniature bombs, and
specially bought a rune that could be embedded in weapons
which allowed an attack effect on ghosts and other spirits, so
as to avoid frequent bloodletting.
Dr. Lu was a little relieved, and carefully walked to Miao Bo‘s
side. He had fallen to the ground in a strange posture, like he
had knelt on the ground after being stabbed and then flopped
to the side, forming a very twisted position. Dr. Lu checked his
pulse, looked at the wound again, and immediately retired: ―It‘s
hopeless, a sword pierced his heart, even lying in the ICU
couldn‘t save him let alone this terrible place.‖
Nan Lu asked in a panic: ―How could he be stabbed by a
sword? Will that armor still move?‖
―Where‘s Luo Xueyi? Will she be all right? ‖ Xiao Hong also
asked.
Qi Leren glanced at the armor again. It stood firmly in the
corner, like a special ornament. If it wasn‘t for the blood on its
sword… But the blood was only on the sword. If that armor
hadn‘t killed him, could it be Luo Xueyi had killed Miao Bo with
this sword and ran away? There was no problem in terms of
time, but what was her motive?
Knock knock knock.
There was a gentle knock on a door and the four people
jumped in surprise, looking at the direction it had come from.
There was a hidden door deep in the room, which you wouldn‘t
notice if you didn‘t look carefully.
Knock knock knock.
The knock on the door came again, and a soft and strange
voice came from the other side: ―Is there anyone outside? Can
you open the door for me?‖
 Chapter 76: Castle Cry (III)

The dark and abandoned room, the bloody suit of armor, the
dead body on the ground, the gentle female voice behind the
door: these horrible images all fermented by this eerie
atmosphere, constituting fear in people‘s hearts.
There was a knock at the door again, and the strange voice
called softly. Although it was in Chinese, it still had a strong
foreign accent: ―The door is locked from the outside, so I can‘t
get out. Is there anyone who will help me open the door? ‖
In this dark and horrible castle, behind the secret door, what
was the ―person‖ who was talking to them? Or, was it a person
talking, or…
―Don‘t open the door!‖ Nan Lu let out a scream, and her eyes
widened in horror. ―Who knows what the hell is behind the
door!‖
Dr. Lu gave a cry: ―It should be either a ghost or a monster.‖
The Rain-Day Laundry skill was still unresponsive. Qi Leren
couldn‘t rely on it to judge whether the ―person‖ behind the
door was malicious or not. If they turned and walked away
now… Would they miss something?
―Who are you? Why are you behind the door?‖ Qi Leren
hesitated for a moment and decided to ask first.
The voice behind the door was silent for a moment, and said
softly, ―My name is Nina, and I am the maid here…‖
Nina paused for a moment and her voice became sad:
―…While I was still alive.‖
Moonlight flowed quietly and fell into this room through the
window covered by iron bars. Nina sighed softly behind the
door: ―I‘m dead, and everyone else is dead …‖
Dr. Lu gave a cry: ―It sounds like a clue. Let‘s open the door for
her. ‖
―No way! What if she‘s pretending? What if she lied to us?
Once the door opens, who knows if she‘ll kill us! I don‘t believe
a word she said!‖ Nan Lu suddenly seemed to have had a
switch flipped and she cried hysterically. Xiao Hong was
slightly embarrassed by her overreaction, and took her by the
waist to try to calm her down.
―I also think we should open the door.‖ Qi Leren said quietly.
―Be careful if she tries to kill you when you open it,‖ Dr. Lu
reminded him.
Qi Leren smiled bitterly at him and whispered, ―What I‘m more
worried about is if I can kill her.‖
With the S/L skills, it wasn‘t risky for him to open the door and
be killed. Although he was a little uneasy to use this skill
frequently, this hidden worry was not to be feared compared
with the imminent danger.
―You‘re crazy! I don‘t care, if you want to die, just do it! ‖ Nan
Lu said shrilly, dragging Xiao Hong‘s hand and walking back.
―Well, now there are only two of us left, which is a perfect
violation of the horror film rule ‗don‘t act alone‘ or you‘ll embark
on the route of death,‖ Dr. Lu said, throwing up his hands.
Qi Leren looked back at Nan Lu and Xiao Hong who had left,
and frowned: ―… What are NPCs in copy missions?‖
Because of Ning Zhou‘s life story, he now realized that NPCs
in the Nightmare World should actually be treated as human
beings from another world. Each of them has his own life from
birth to death. They were complete and separated from the
existence of players, even more free than players because
they weren‘t bound by the will of the system; But what about
the NPCs in the copy? Did they have independent
personalities? Would theirs be real joys and sorrows? Did they
have their own lives? Or were they just pieces of created data?
―Can you open the door already?‖ Dr. Lu, who had already hid
by the door and was ready to run, interrupted Qi Leren‘s
thinking with a genial smile.
Qi Leren took a deep breath and stood in front of the wooden
door.
Save complete.
The door was unlocked from the outside, the handle was
gently turned, and the wooden door was slowly opened with a
creak. At that time, his eyes were full of clear moonlight that fell
on the carpet with delicate patterns. In the moonlight, a young
woman dressed as a maid put her hands in front of her and
looked at him with a happy face: ―Thank God, the door finally
opened. But who are you? Why are you here?‖
Nina‘s figure was transparent in the moonlight, and she was no
longer alive. Even she knew it.
The Rain-Day Laundry skill didn‘t give any warning, and Qi
Leren himself didn‘t feel any danger. His heart relaxed a little
and he waved to Dr. Lu who was far away.
Dr. Lu slowly moved to the door of the small room, and stood
by the door not daring to come in: ―Please ask her if she knows
about the fire in the castle.‖
Qi Leren then said, ―We came into this castle by mistake. It
was dark when we came in, but the traces of being burned
disappeared after the bell rang. Do you know what happened
here and why everyone died? Why was there a fire?‖
Nina‘s figure in the moonlight was slightly sad: ―This is a long
and unfortunate story…‖
Dr. Lu, who was still standing by the door, closed the door, sat
down silently on the sofa, and took a bottle of water from his
inventory to take a sip: ―Speak slowly, don‘t worry.‖
Look at this posture that was like taking out a bag of melon
seeds*, Qi Leren and Nina were speechless.
{*E/N: like settling in to watch a show}
Nina sighed: ―The mistress of this castle, she went crazy.‖
Dr. Lu nodded frequently, expressing satisfaction with this
high-energy beginning to the story. Both of them didn‘t
interrupt, and listened quietly as Nina continued: ―My lady, like
her mother and grandmother, was a famous beauty when she
was young, but after giving birth, she began to gradually go
crazy. I think her husband knew, but he still married her.
Although they had no children after marriage, they loved each
other very much. It‘s just that the good times don‘t last long…
The Madam, she… gradually showed symptoms like her
mother‘s.
"She began to become suspicious and doubted every woman
around her husband. Even we were forbidden to approach him
by the Madam, and several people were even whipped by her.
The Master spent most of his time doing business outside the
home. Every time he came home, she quarreled with him or
even beat him, which became more and more crazy… Finally,
the Master couldn‘t stand it, and locked her up and sent
someone to take care of her. On several occasions, she
escaped and climbed out from the window to find the master,
who then simply had the windows nailed up.
"We could only watch her get crazier every day until that
day…‖
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining uses are 2/3.]
There was a loud bang, and the closed door was hit by a
heavy object. Dr. Lu, who had listened to the story leisurely
and comfortably, suddenly stood up from the sofa and looked
at the door in a panic: ―What happened?‖
Qi Leren was also nervous, as the number for Rain-Day
Laundry had been reduced once. The ―people‖ outside the
door were by no means good!
―It‘s coming! It must be coming! ‖ Nina‘s expression suddenly
became frightened. She looked at the door in a panic, muttered
and retreated, and finally hugged her head with a scream and
disappeared into the moonlight.
Bang! The door was slammed, so rough and hard, as if
someone had hit the door regardless of pain, and the sound of
each impact was like a hammer hitting Qi Leren‘s heart.
―What should we do? What should I do now?‖ Dr. Lu panicked
and looked left and right to find out if there was a second door,
but there was no other door in this small room and the only
window was sealed by iron bars.
‗I shouldn‘t have used the S/L skill just now.‘ Qi Leren couldn‘t
help but have some regrets, but there was no time for that
now: ―There‘s only one armor and one body outside the door.
The sound of the door being hit sounds like the armor. The
door‘s going to break. When it comes in, I‘ll draw it away and
you will run out quickly.‖
―But what will you do?‖ Dr. Lu looked at him, stupefied.
Qi Leren gave him an oblique look: ―You, who falls on your
face when running, should worry more about yourself. Maybe
I‘ll overtake you in a short time.‖
Dr. Lu, who was poked in a sensitive place, turned his eyes
and leaned against the wall, trying to reduce his noticeability.
Qi Leren grabbed one side of the tea table and took it in his
hands to deal with a living armor. The sharp object of his
dagger was obviously not comparable to the blunt object.
The cracking door was finally overwhelmed, and the door lock
was knocked open with a creaking sound.
The tall armor stood outside the door, covered in silvery white
moonlight. With a thud, it moved its legs and feet made of
metal and walked into the small room.
―Run!‖ Qi Leren yelled. He hit the tea table hard against the
armor, breaking it into two pieces, and Dr. Lu pushed off the
wall and gave it his all, quickly escaping through the door.
Before he had run even a few steps, he gave a painful cry, and
tripped onto the ground. Then he continued to run while
looking chilled.
If it weren‘t for the dangerous situation, Qi Leren would have
laughed. But the reality soon gave him a slap in the face, and
the sword in the armor‘s hand drew a dazzling arc of light in
the cold moonlight.
Danger! Qi Leren‘s nerves stretched to the limit at this
moment, and there was a slight tingling pain in the back of his
neck. The picture in front of him seemed to slow down, and his
body rolled down to the ground agilely, and with several rolls
hid behind the sofa. The sword split into the back of the sofa,
with a slight sloped sound. Fine dust flew out from the incision
and floated in the moonlight.
Come on! Qi Leren rolled out again from another direction, got
up and ran, and rushed out of the room without looking back.
There was a heavy footstep behind him, and every sound was
mixed with the tremolo of colliding metal.
In front of the corridor was the bright hall, which made Qi Leren
who was running in the dark less afraid.
The footsteps were getting farther and farther away, and finally
disappeared.
 Chapter 77: Castle Cry (IV)

He was safe already.

Qi Leren breathed a sigh of relief, leaned against the wall and
rested for a while. This time, he didn‘t start killing, which was
good news. He is afraid that the Seed of Slaughter would get
out of control so frequently that, even if he had holy water that
could suppress the demon‘s power, he wouldn‘t last long.
He didn‘t know where Dr. Lu went. Qi Leren, who had finished
his rest, didn‘t see Dr. Lu after looking around nearby. On the
first floor, there was only the corridor that suddenly caught fire
when they first came in. Qi Leren felt that Dr. Lu‘s caution
wouldn‘t lead him to the dangerous place. He suspected that
he had gone to the second floor, so he also went up. When he
passed the oil painting hanging on the wall, he stopped and
glanced at it again. The lady in the painting smiled sweetly,
unable to see the shadow of her own madness. Qi Leren
sighed in his heart and turned and continued to go up.
At the moment he turned around, he seemed to catch a
glimpse of the portrait splashed with red paint, and the
beautiful face of the mistress was covered with a shadow, even
the happy smile on her lips suddenly distorted. Qi Leren jerked
back and stared straight at the portrait. The light source from
the chandelier in the hall lit up the oil painting, and the lady in
the painting still looked happy, as if the image he saw in that
moment had just been his illusion.
However, Qi Leren wouldn‘t naively think that this was really
just an illusion caused by light. In this dangerous place, any
abnormality was a sign, implying possible danger. It seemed
that the mistress of the castle really wasn‘t a simple person.
On the second floor, the corridor was dark. Qi Leren turned on
the flashlight and looked for the switch. After turning it on, it
was brightly lit.
Where he was now should be the so-called ―inner world‖,
which was very similar to the real world, but it was not the real
world. It was more like the castle before the fire, and
everything was still as it was before it was burned, but this
seemingly normal appearance hid fatal danger, such as the
moving armor, and there were more anomalies that had not
been noticed.
Quiet all around, Qi Leren tried to open the door to the rooms
on the second floor, but every door was locked. He tried to
challenge the firmness of the door panel and door lock, but did
not dare to make too much noise, and finally had to give up. It
was the kind of situation from horror games where a wire
would be needed to fix all the locks. Qi Leren thought
emotionally that the only room he could enter now was the big
room connected to the corridor at the end, with a grand piano
in the middle of the room. Qi Leren looked around and made
sure it didn‘t look like a place where monsters could live.
Where on earth has Dr. Lu gone? If he wasn‘t on the second
floor, did he go to the third floor? But it wasn‘t long after Dr. Lu
ran out of the room that he caught up, so he wouldn‘t have
been far behind. Qi Leren frowned as he thought and turned
back to the first floor.
Maybe Dr. Lu was desperate, forgot about the fire, and ran into
the corridor on the other side.
When he came down the stairs, Qi Leren took another look at
the oil painting. This time, this oil painting didn‘t show any
abnormality and just quietly hung there, accepting his eyes.
―Bong-bong-‖ came two bells, and Qi Leren just stood in front
of the big clock and watched the time reach two in the morning.
The light was dispelled by darkness with the bell, becoming
dim. When the bell stopped, Qi Leren had returned to the
darkness, and there was an old smell in his nasal cavity. He
turned on the flashlight and the light shone on the big clock,
just at two o'clock.
It seems that he will switch between the outer world and the
inner world every hour. Now it was the outer world.
The light of the flashlight moved upwards, and the portrait had
been burnt down, and only the copper frame could be seen
hanging on the wall alone.
So are we going to the second floor or the first floor now? Qi
Leren hesitated and went back to the second floor. He
suspected that the doors that could not be opened might be
opened after returning to the outer world.
Stepping on the creaking wooden boards, Qi Leren was a little
worried, for fear that the wooden floor would break if he was
careless. If there was no cement interlayer under it, he would
fall directly to the first floor. Fortunately, the floor is still giving
face, although the sound was creepy, but the firmness was not
comforting. Standing in front of the wooden door, Qi Leren
twisted the door handle, but the door was still locked. He
kicked the unyielding door, and the wooden door banged with
the impact - it did not move.
Qi Leren didn‘t know whether he should despair for his own
strength or their game settings.
He gave up and returned to the semi-open room with the
piano. Unlike the inner world, everything was covered with
dust, old and decayed. There was no bright moonlight outside
the window of the outer world. Instead, rain was pattering
against the ground, and from time to time a burst of lightning lit
up. Then there was a dull sound of thunder from far and near,
creating a gloomy and foreboding atmosphere. Even a person
like Qi Leren who had a good psychological state felt
unnerved.
The flashlight shone on the piano cover, and there seemed to
be something there.
Qi Leren stepped forward and took a closer look. It was a dog
collar made of metal. He held a dagger in his right hand, so he
had to put down the flashlight in his left to pick up the collar.
There were flower reliefs and a string of words on it. The
system automatically translated it: To my favorite Redmond.
―Redmond?‖ Qi Leren murmured the name in a low voice, and
his mind drew a picture of the big dog held by the lady. He
forgot whether there was a collar around the dog‘s neck, but it
probably belonged to that dog.
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times
are 1/3.]
Qi Leren immediately took a step back and turned to stare at
the door, but the flashlight on the piano was turned toward
himself. He was so shaken that he couldn‘t see what was in
the corridor outside the door.
In the darkness of the corridor ahead, there seemed to be the
sound of a whimper, and it was like a beast snoring and
groaning, which was particularly strange in this horrible castle.
Had the wolf gotten inside? Or…
The hair on Qi Leren‘s neck began to stand up. He realized
that there must be something there… He retreated slowly and
cautiously, because the light source of the flashlight was facing
his eyes, which was too bright and harsh. It was like he was
standing on a stage with a spotlight on him. The audience
hidden in the dark looked at him with various eyes, but they
were not kind eyes.
―Crunch-‖ A wooden board on the floor that had become
loosened after the fire was trampled under Qi Leren‘s feet, and
there was a creak of protest.
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times
are 0/3, and the cooling countdown is 23:59:59.]
Qi Leren‘s pupils shrink with a jerk. Danger, danger ahead!
The primary fighting skills caused Qi Leren to roll forward
without thinking, and at the next moment came the sound of a
beast pouncing behind him. Something landed where he had
stood just now!
Qi Leren crouched on the ground. This time, he avoided the
harsh flashlight light source. He could finally see the place
illuminated by the flashlight - a hound was standing there,
looking as if it had just crawled out of the magma of hell, and
slowly turned to look at him. All of its fur had been burned, and
its blackened and bloody body was particularly horrible in the
light. It growled in a low voice with twisted teeth, and its teeth
dripped with viscous reddish liquid.
Dog collar, Redmond?
Qi Leren immediately remembered the collar he had just found
on the piano and the dog in the portrait. Was this dog…
Even it was burned to death?
The hound‘s throat purred like broken bellows. The back of Qi
Leren‘s neck was aching again. He gritted his teeth and tried to
restrain himself from losing his mind. He would rather ride it
out. Although the S/L skill was still cooling, Dr. Lu is here, so
long as he wasn‘t seriously injured, he could be healed.
But before that… Qi Leren took out ―Lovely Rations‖ as quietly
as possible and threw a piece of it passed the dog.
It moved! The hound lowered itself, ignored the rations, and
swooped down with a jerk. The rations had no appeal to this
creature that was no longer a living thing! Qi Leren jumped
aside quickly, rolling and crawling to avoid the hound‘s attack,
and the wooden board under his feet was overwhelmed and
broke, and one of his feet became stuck in the floor.
Qi Leren looked at the ground carefully while he still could. The
ground of this semi-open room was not solid, and there was no
cement interlayer under the wooden boards, which were fragile
from having been burned in the fire. He moved his left foot in
disbelief, which was stuck in the wooden boards, and there
was no contact with any sort of crawl space under it. There
was only the first floor!
The hound growled and rushed at him excitedly. Qi Leren,
whose left foot was stuck and could not move, was about to
die. With a cry catching in his throat, he used his quick wits to
stamp down with his right foot, and his whole person sand
down - his right foot had stamped through the decaying wood,
and the fragile floor under his feet let out a huge crack. A small
piece of flooring centered on him collapsed, and he fell.
 Chapter 78: Castle Cry (V)

There was a loud bang and Qi Leren fell to the ground, so

overcome with pain that he couldn‘t move. He almost thought
he was going to die, and more planks and debris poured down
and hit him. There were countless dust particles floating in the
air, floating up and down in the lightning and thunder,
sometimes gathering and dispersing.
Qi Leren couldn‘t even take a deep breath from the pain, and
his eyes adapted to the darkness. He gradually saw what was
in front of him clearly. The light of the flashlight in the hole was
not very bright, which made him feel as if he had fallen into a
dark and cold deep well. He could only lift his head to see the
light above his head.
The hound with burned fur was looking at him, and its
ferocious and horrible head leaned into the hple. The foul
saliva dripped between the dog‘s white fangs and landed on
the floor beside Qi Leren‘s ear, smelling foully of meat that had
been rotting for a long time.
Qi Leren did not dare to move, nor could he move. He felt that
his soul seemed to have escaped from this body and flew out.
Don‘t come down, don‘t come down, don‘t.
The horrible hound seemed to hear his prayer. After snooping
around for a long time, it gave up jumping, growled and left
slowly.
He survived…
Qi Leren took a deep breath, and his nasal was immediately
itchy with dust. He wanted to cough, but as soon as he
breathed in, his lungs convulsed with pain. He couldn‘t help but
curl up to cover his cough, and all his internal organs protested
as if they were pinched together. When he calmed down, he
was already sweating all over.
Is this a fucking D-level difficulty? Qi Leren couldn‘t help
cursing in his heart, and collapsed on the ground again to
recover his strength slowly.
He didn‘t know if this fall has caused internal injuries. Although
his hands and feet were still fuzzy, there shouldn‘t have been
any fractures. This was a blessing in misfortune. He really did
have bad luck. Qi Leren thought hard and turned to look at the
window.
This window was also crucified by iron bars, and lightning cast
a criss-crossing shadow on the floor, which also lit up the iron
easel in the center of the room.
This should be a studio, Qi Leren thought, looking at the easel
and the brass frames on the wall. It was a pity that they‘d all
been burned down.
Faintly, he felt that there seemed to be some strange power
hidden in this room, as if…
He raised his arm, which was still aching, and pulled out the
pendant from his neck. There was a black fog floating in the
gem on the pendant, which was much thicker than before. Qi
Leren narrowed his eyes; this black fog represented the
concentration of demons around him, including the seed of
slaughter on him. Right now the seed of slaughter was still
alright, which meant that the demon energy here was very
strong.
It was strange, how could there be devil power in this copy
mission?
Qi Leren sat up from the ground with difficulty. When he got
up, he almost thought that his spine was broken. Fortunately,
he was only a little sore and hadn‘t suffered any fatal damage.
He breathed a long breath and felt alive.
The seed became active under the catalyst of demon energy,
and the coldness spread down his spine. Qi Leren hesitated
and took out the bottle of holy water from his inventory. The
transparent liquid emitted a faint light, just looking at it giving
the sense of holy power, he opened the lid and took a sip of it,
and the power of the devil in his body immediately melted
away. The seed of slaughter was hurt by his unwillingness, and
then curled up in the back of his neck, dormant again.
His whole body‘s pain seemed to be relieved, and Qi Leren
finally stood up. He glanced at the holy water again and
couldn‘t help recalling the story Chen Baiqi had told him in the
pure white moonlight on the sea cliff of Undead Island.
Where would he be now? In Neverland, that was covered with
cold and snow all the year round? Would he come back?
Forget it, even if he came back, even if they meet each other,
he was afraid Ning Zhou couldn‘t let go. Falling in love with
someone so quickly, so strongly and so irresistibly, only to find
that this love was sinful… Ning Zhou, who grew up in that
environment, would only suffer more than him.
Qi Leren sighed disconsolately, and had no choice but to think
of it again. On that day, after listening to Chen Baiqi‘s story of
Ning Zhou, he had had insomnia all night. Although he couldn‘t
be blamed for this incident, he could only say that it was a
tragedy brewed by the mistake of two people hiding from each
other. However, even though Ning Zhou was so pained, he
had still sent this holy water that he had learned Qi Leren
needed. He still felt guilty for a long time and felt indebted.
It could only be said that this was a cruel joke of fate.
At present, the crisis was everywhere, and Qi Leren didn‘t think
much about this. He concentrated on studying the surrounding
situation.
What was unusual about this studio? Why was there such
strong demon energy?
Qi Leren dragged his aching body around the room. When he
walked to the window, he saw that the floor under the easel
was slightly tilted, lit up by the lightning from time to time. He
stepped forward and squatted down carefully. This action
made his face twist with pain. He tried to pull up the floor.
Unexpectedly, this loose floor was easily pulled up by him.
There was a small iron box between the beams under the floor,
and the surface had rusted. It could be vaguely seen that the
relief above was a strange totem, just like… Qi Leren recalled
the seal tower in the Witchcraft Sacrifice mission, where there
were similar totems on the tower. Combined with the strong
demon energy in this room, was this related to devil worship?
Qi Leren didn‘t dare to touch the tin box directly, and wrapped
his hands in cloth and took it out.
The system prompt followed: [Obtained 1/6 of the devil‘s
sacrifice].
Sure enough, it was something related to demons.
Qi Leren opened the box, and what was hidden in the box was
a dark blonde hair, long and curly. Instead of being cut neatly,
it was pulled out rudely. Some hairs had traces of breaking,
while others did not. They were intertwined like a dark golden
grass.
Qi Leren closed the box and put it in his inventory, thinking.
Even if this task was related to demons, it can‘t be the demons
in the Nightmare World, because this copy story took place in a
copy similar to the real world, and this castle was built during
the Republic of China. If this could also be connected with the
three devils of Power, Slaughter, and Fraud, it would be
outrageous.
It was a coincidence that one sixth of the ―devil‘s sacrifice‖ was
discovered, so what was this object trying to tell him?
While Qi Leren was thinking, the easel not far away gave off a
dim light.
Qi Leren raised his head and looked nervously at the easel. A
phantom appeared beside the glowing metal easel, which
seemed to be illusory and ethereal across a layer of fog. The
phantom was a young woman with long curly golden hair. She
sat in front of the easel and painted with a palette and brush.
It was her!
Qi Leren suddenly recalled the lady in the portrait.
She looked quiet and didn‘t seem to have any mental illness
inherited from her family.
A gleam of light appeared in the closed door, and a ghostly
hound came into the studio through the wooden door.
―Redmond, come to me,‖ the woman who was painting called it
softly.
The hound came to her side with gentle footsteps and laid
down at her feet. The woman stroked its fur and whispered,
―He‘s coming back soon. When he comes back, I‘ll give him a
surprise. He‘s going to be a father soon!‖
The hound wagged its tail, looked up at her, and whined in its
throat, as if responding to her words.
The woman stroked her lower abdomen that was still flat and
whispered, ―I will love him (her) and never let him (her) be like
me…‖
The hound seemed to feel her melancholy. It looked up and
gave a cry. The woman smiled, hugged its head and kissed its
ear. ―I love you, too, Redmond. You‘re my patron saint.‖
The dim light of the phantom gradually faded and finally melted
into the thunder and lightning.
 Chapter 79: Castle Cry (VI)

The phantom had disappeared, but Qi Leren was still thinking.

What was this phantom? It looked like it happened in this
castle. At that time, the lady seemed to be in normal spirits.
She and her husband loved each other very much. She also
kept a dog named Redmond, which was the hound that
attacked him just now and had almost killed him.
What about the devil sacrifice hidden under the easel? Why
was there such an object with a mass of golden hair in it…
Was this lady involved with the devil?
More clues were needed… Qi Leren took a deep breath and
went to the door and opened it.
Outside the door was the corridor, that is, the corridor that they
tried to enter at first but were scared off by a fire. Would it be
better to walk deeper into the corridor or go back to the main
hall? Qi Leren didn‘t have a flashlight, the castle in this world
didn‘t have electricity, and there was a thunderstorm outside.
Lightning lit up from time to time, followed by the thundering
sound.
Qi Leren couldn‘t help but miss the inner world full of
moonlight. Compared with this old and dilapidated outer world,
the inner world appeared to be kind.
He had put the flashlight on the piano cover, and now he
couldn‘t get it back for a while. Qi Leren rummaged through his
inventory for a while and found the mobile phone he brought in
from the real world. He was speechless in finding that it still
had 5% battery after it was turned on, which could be regarded
as solving his urgent need.
Qi Leren hesitated in which way to go. The hall and another
corridor had been explored. There were no important clues.
The ghost Nina should not be found in this world, but it was
possible to meet the metal armor again and then have to deal
with being chased. After all, this thing would not be burned in
the fire. He wasn‘t interested in dying. For now, his top priority
was to find Dr. Lu. If he couldn‘t find anyone, at least he could
find something to light the way.
Lighting… There may be candles and the like in the kitchen - if
they didn‘t burn out in the fire - the kitchen must be on the first
floor. At present, only this area on the first floor had not been
explored. After a pause, Qi Leren turned on the flashlight of his
mobile phone and headed for the depths of the corridor.
―Ah, ah, ah, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, don‘t come here-!‖ A
terrible cry came, accompanied by the sound of the door being
knocked down. Dr. Lu ran all the way from the end of the
corridor to Qi Leren, shouting as he ran, ―Hurry up, there‘s
skeletons! They‘re moving, they‘re moving!‖
Of course, he appeared exactly when Dr. Lu needed
protection. Qi Leren didn‘t know what to say.
Seeing that Dr. Lu was running towards him, there were two
gray skeletons behind him. They were dressed as servants,
unarmed, and slow to move. They were incomparable with the
monsters that Qi Leren encountered in the last mission. He
was relieved and pulled out an iron rod from his inventory. It
was obviously unwise to deal with a thin skeleton with a
dagger: ―Get behind me!‖
Dr. Lu listened to his good advice and stayed away, with a
genial smile that he continued to run.
The skeletons were getting closer and closer. Qi Leren, who
had primary fighting abilities equipped, stepped forward in two
steps, knocking over two skeletons with the rod, stepping on
the head of one of them, and then lifting the iron rod to break
the skull of the other skeleton, and the deep and remote blue
soul flame burning in the skull went out instantly. The other
skeleton that he‘d stepped on stretched out its bone claws and
hugged his thigh. Qi Leren looked cold, kicked its bone claws,
poked a stick into its eye socket, and threw the skeleton
against the wall.
Fragile bones were shattered apart on the wall, the flame of
soul went out, two skeletons became a big beach of white
broken bones, and the servants‘ clothes on their bodies also
fell off, and rags were generally scattered on the ground.
―Hey…‖ Dr. Lu applauded desperately in the back and said
with amazement, ―I haven‘t seen you in only a few days and
you‘ve already become this good at fighting. These sultry and
sharp moves of yours are worthy of a goddess in my heart.
The small universe is burning up.‖
Qi Leren gave him a blank look and expressed contempt for
his behavior of opening a pot that shouldn‘t be stirred. Of
course, he still had to put on a proper act: ―These slow
skeletons are nothing to be afraid of. After all, this is D-level
difficulty.‖
Finally, Qi Leren also asked, ―What happened to you? You just
disappeared in a blink of an eye. I‘ve been looking for you for
half an hour.‖
―Ah, don‘t mention it. While I was falling, I suddenly
remembered that I had skills and didn‘t need to be a bastard. I
quickly opened my lucky skills. Sure enough, I didn‘t fall all the
way, so I wandered around here for a while. When I went back
to look for you, I couldn‘t find you. Later, the bell rang and
returned to the castle after the fire. I looked for you
everywhere. As a result, even though I didn‘t find any people, I
found a key.‖ Dr. Lu shook the brass key in his hand. ―I took
advantage of my current skills in order to not die. As a result,
when the door opened, I saw two skeletons, which scared me
to think that my skills had failed. As soon as I went out, I saw
the skeletons coming towards me. It seems that my lucky value
is still average.‖
Qi Leren, who had been chased by a burned hound and almost
broken his bones from falling through the building, didn‘t want
to talk.
―What‘s wrong with your arm? So many bruises? Your clothes
are also dirty,‖ Dr. Lu asked, noticing Qi Leren‘s strangeness.
Qi Leren glanced at his arm. When he‘d fallen from the second
floor just now, he scraped his arm, and his foot was scratched
from trying to pull it out after being stuck in the floorboard.
These kinds of minor injuries didn‘t affect his ability to fight, so
he was too lazy and ignored it.
―Do you want my help to treat it?‖ Dr. Lu asked with concern.
―Forget it, your treatment cooling time is too long, save it for a
more serious injury.‖ After thinking about it, Qi Leren felt that
he could easily become much more injured with his own luck.
Let‘s just bear it, so as not to regret the skill cooling.
By now he was more and more aware that skills were not
reliable, and people who relied too much on skills would be
particularly vulnerable and timid in the face of cooling, not to
mention those tasks that sealed skills.
―There‘s another thing I want to show you,‖ Qi Leren said,
taking out the iron box with the mass of blond hair that had
been wrapped in cloth from his inventory and handing it to Dr.
Lu. ―I found this after we got separated from Nina…‖
Qi Leren stated the following events one by one, and explained
that he found the loose wooden board after falling into the
studio, and then found the iron box under that board. Dr. Lu
looked at him with compassion and forced comfort: ―Hmm…
Anyway, you still found a clue, so this pain wasn‘t for nothing.‖
Qi Leren lost his temper at this blase treatment and said
nothing.
―As for this thing… I agree with you. I‘m afraid this lady isn‘t
simply crazy. Do you remember what Nina said? She said that
the lady‘s mother and grandmother went crazy after giving birth
to a child. The lady‘s vision told us that she was pregnant, but
didn‘t say whether the child was born or not. I think it wasn‘t.‖
Dr. Lu made a bold guess. ―Look at those portraits on the first
floor. There are many self-portraits of the lady, or her husband,
and even many of her dog, but there are none of her children,
and there are no toys or other things children like. It doesn‘t
look like a family with children. Therefore, it‘s very likely that
the lady either miscarried or died soon after the child was born,
which could also have caused her madness.‖
After a moment‘s thought, Qi Leren‘s mind flashed: ―The
sacrifice to the devil must be to get something. Do you think
she was trying to bring this child back to life?‖
―It‘s possible. However, as a medical worker, I am skeptical.‖
Dr. Lu said primly.
There were no more clues after that. Qi Leren simply handed
this devil sacrifice to Dr. Lu for safekeeping. He remembered
being told by the Trails Office that it was best to avoid devil
energy, otherwise the growth rate of the seed of slaughter in
him would accelerate. ―You should take care of it since you‘re
more lucky.‖
Dr. Lu smiled smugly and put the box in his inventory.
―Let‘s go and have a look at the second and third floors of the
outer world,‖ Qi Leren said.
The two men walked in the direction of the hall one after
another. With Dr. Lu‘s flashlight, Qi Leren didn‘t waste the little
power left in his mobile phone. Dr. Lu also laughed at him and
said, ―If you‘re so protective of your mobile phone, find
someone to buy a charger from when you go back to the
Village of Dusk. I heard that there are a large number of talents
in the Village of Dusk, and someone in a tech house tried to
build a computer. The operation isn‘t even fast enough to play
snake on it. It‘s a pity, if only the ordinary items in the copy
world could be brought back, then I would definitely try to
install a few computers back in the Village of Dusk and turn
back into an otaku.‖
Qi Leren thought of his poor laptop, but it didn‘t seem to follow
him into the Nightmare World, because he didn‘t see it when
he woke up in the hospital of Novice Village. It was a pity since
the laptop contained secrets of this world.
The two people‘s footsteps echoed in the corridor, the front hall
dark without any power supply.
There was a whimper in the dark, and Dr. Lu stopped at once,
pulling Qi Leren‘s arm, and nervously asked, ―Did you hear that
sound?‖
Qi Leren gave an ear to listen. Outside the corridor ahead, a
sobbing cry filled with sadness faintly reached his ears.
―I hear it, it‘s crying,‖ Qi Leren was nervous, and his heart
couldn‘t help pounding.
―It‘s not a ghost, is it?‖ Dr. Lu said with a gasp, more
suspicious.
―Give me the flashlight, I‘ll go and have a look,‖ Qi Leren said.
Dr. Lu was reluctant to give up his flashlight, but he would
rather face the darkness than face the strange cry, so he
handed over the flashlight and waved to Qi Leren: ―Take care,
I‘ll wait for you here.‖
Qi Leren backtracked two steps and dragged Dr. Lu: ―No, I‘m
taking you with me!‖
―Stop, I don‘t want to go!‖ Dr. Lu protested.
―Just do it, don‘t be embarrassed!‖ Qi Leren offered the words
once used to describe ―goddess‖.
Dr. Lu clung to a sculpture by the wall and shouted: ―It‘s scary,
don‘t do it!‖
While the two men argued, the sad crying stopped without
them noticing. When Qi Leren noticed that something was
wrong, he let go of Dr. Lu and looked warily into the darkness.
Dr. Lu fell to the ground with a plot, clutching his ass, and
cried, ―Why did you suddenly let go?!‖
"Shh- The crying is gone,‖ Qi Leren lowered his voice and said.
Dr. Lu was suddenly frightened and stood up shaking at once.
Footsteps came from the darkness and approached steadily.
Qi Leren adjusted the direction of the flashlight and shone
straight to the place where the footsteps came from. The
person were stabbed by light, covering their eyes with one
hand, and asked in tears: ―Is it Qi Leren and Lu Cangshu? I, I
heard your voices…‖
―Nan Lu?‖ Qi Leren asked doubtfully, ―Didn‘t you go with Xiao
Hong? What about him?‖
Nan Lu‘s hand in front of her eyes was slowly lowered,
showing her eyes flushed with tears and hatred on her face.
―He‘s gone,‖ Nan Lu said bitterly. ―He left with Luo Xueyi, that
bitch.‖
 Chapter 80: Castle Cry (VI)

Nan Lu once again burst into tears, her eyes red and swollen,
and Qi Leren looked at Dr. Lu for help. In response, he was
scared and waved his hand to imply that he, as a single dog,
had no experience in comforting girls. The two looked at the
girl crying at a loss, and after a long time, they said dryly:
―Don‘t cry…‖
Nan Lu, who cried for ten minutes, wiped her face with her
sleeve and asked faintly, ―Am I really inferior to Luo Xueyi?
Why does everyone like her and not me? What‘s wrong with
me?‖
Dr. Lu gave a dry cough: ―No, Nan Lu, you‘re fine. Xiao Hong
is blind. But what happened?‖
Nan Lu sniffed and looked at her toes in frustration. After a
long time, she opened her mouth: ―…After we separated from
you, Xiao Hong and I went back. Soon after the bell rang, we
went back to this burnt castle. Xiao Hong said that he seemed
to hear Luo Xueyi‘s voice. He wanted to go to the second floor,
but I refused… We had a fight. In fact, after so long, I know
that he‘s interested in Luo Xueyi. In this respect, women‘s
intuition is very keen, not to mention that he‘s shown himself
clearly. I think Luo Xueyi also knows, she‘s always been like
this. She explicitly flirted with other people‘s boyfriends and
seduced these people, hehe…‖
―Well, after your fight? Did you go find Luo Xueyi?‖ Qi Leren
interrupted the direction Nan Lu was going in, and Dr. Lu, who
listened to the emotional gossip of men and women with relish,
gave him a resentful look, regretting that the gossip was
interrupted.
―We fought, and when we compromised… I promised to find
Luo Xueyi. As a result, I saw Luo Xueyi running down the
stairs. There was a… a skeleton… chasing her. She kept
screaming and asked us for help. Xiao Hong ran to save her. I
don‘t know why, but the skeleton chased me. I was scared and
fell down the stairs. When I looked up, I saw him pulling Luo
Xueyi. He left me here and ran away… I saw Luo Xueyi look
back at me, that look… Ha, she did it on purpose, she wasn‘t
scared at all!‖ As she spoke, Nan Lu‘s voice became distorted.
She couldn‘t tell whether she was sad or resentful, or if the
pain was one that would never go away. She hatefully said: ―If I
see that bitch…‖
Dr. Lu comforted Nan Lu by saying, ―Go back and turn your
boyfriend into an ex-boyfriend, and then settle accounts with
them. You don‘t deserve the kind of man who hooks up with
someone when he has a girlfriend, right Qi Leren?‖
Nan Lu wiped her tears and said enviously, ―You have a good
relationship with Qi Leren…‖
Qi Leren and Dr. Lu made a face of stepping in shit.
―What about the skeleton that came after you?‖ Dr. Lu asked
curiously.
Nan Lu held out her hand that was scratched and red and
murmured, ―I broke off the stair railing and killed it.‖
Dr. Lu looked at her in horror and whispered in Qi Leren‘s ear:
―Does losing love make women have incredible fighting power?
Xue Yingying was the same!‖
The corners of Qi Leren‘s mouth twitched. The skeletons here
really had no fighting power, and only Dr. Lu, an amateur,
couldn‘t beat it.
After talking, Nan Lu‘s mood stabilized a lot, and she finally
remembered that she was still in a dangerous place: ―What
should we do now?‖
Qi Leren briefly talked about the matter, and then said: ―It‘s
2:40, and we‘ll be sent back to the world before the fire in 20
minutes. I think this kind of switching between the outside and
the inside has some purpose. There must be some clues that
can only be found in the two different worlds, such as keys.‖
Dr. Lu took out the brass key and shook it. ―I found this key on
the first floor. I would guess that the key on the second floor
can also be found in the outer world, and then taken it to the
inner world to open the door on the second floor of the inner
world. This is probably the logic.‖
Qi Leren nodded: ―There‘s still Nina - the place where we
separated before. We opened the door and saw an N… ghost.‖
Qi Leren almost said the word NPC, and swallowed it when he
caught his slip: ―She should only haunt the inner world. You
see, the monsters we met in the outer world have either rotted
into skeletons, or are dogs burned beyond recognition, while
the monsters in the inner world are walking armor, or simply
ghosts, and there are some differences.‖
Nan Lu waited for a while and nodded: ―Having said so much,
what are we going to do?‖
―Er… The ultimate goal is to leave the castle,‖ Qi Leren said.
Nan Lu has a face of ―You‘re talking nonsense‖.
―If you want to leave the castle, you have to solve the mystery
of the fire. According to the current clues, it should have
something to do with the crazy mistress. Maybe we need to get
rid of this crazy mistress… Speaking of this, Nina said
something about when she was crazy. Where was she locked
up?‖ Qi Leren asked Dr. Lu.
Dr. Lu shook his head: ―She didn‘t say it, just that she had
escaped from the castle, so all the windows were barred.‖
―Let‘s ask Nina when we get back to that world. I also want to
ask her something… I hope that armor isn‘t there, otherwise
we have to deal with it first.‖ Qi Leren had a little headache.
―There are also those doors that can‘t be opened. It‘ll take 20
minutes to enter the world. Let‘s find a way to find the key first.‖
―I‘ve searched almost everywhere on the first floor. Shall we go
to the second floor?‖ Dr. Lu suggested.
Qi Leren hesitated and reminded: ―There is a hound that
burned to death on the second floor. It‘s very powerful. Be
careful.‖
Dr. Lu patted him on the shoulder: ―The European Emperor*
never cares about this problem, take care of yourself.‖
{*E/N: Slang for lucky, full explanation below}
Qi Leren: ―…‖
Nan Lu: ―???‖
After some discussion, the three men went to the second floor
and walked on the decaying curved staircase. Qi Leren
subconsciously looked at the portrait, and the portrait in this
world had already been burned, leaving only the copper frame
hanging on the wall. Qi Leren looked for a while, but he still
insisted that it was not his illusion that he had seen blood on
the portrait in the other world before.
"What are you looking at? It‘s gone,‖ Dr. Lu urged.
Qi Leren looked at the picture frame and asked, ―Do you think
she is really crazy?‖
Dr. Lu touched his chin. ―I can‘t be sure about this, but Nina‘s
statement doesn‘t sound like a big problem at present. Let‘s
consider her crazy. Normal people wouldn‘t do something like
burning the castle and killing a family. ‖
The ghostly image in the studio once again appeared in his
mind. At that time, she looked so happy that Qi Leren
whispered, ―Is it really her who burned the castle?‖
―What? What are you suspecting? ‖ Dr. Lu was confused.
―Nothing, it‘s just that when it comes to things like demon
worship, I get a little nervous.‖ Qi Leren smiled and turned to
keep up with their footsteps.
Nan Lu, standing at the top of the stairs, was immersed in the
dark. She asked faintly, ―Have you ever heard of the opera
Don Giovanni? ‗If I can find the villain and he will not come
back to me, I will make a horrible example of him. I will tear out
his heart!‘ Wouldn‘t it make sense if she was betrayed by her
lover and destroyed everything in despair?‖
Dr. Lu gave a quick laugh and tried to send an alarm to Qi
Leren with his eyes, which made his eyes cramp: No, this girl
is going to get dark!
At this time, how should one comfort a girl who is emotionally
unstable after falling out of love? Qi Leren was very worried.
He really didn‘t have this experience. When he falls out of
love… Er, well, he is also very distraught.
―Forget it, why are we talking about this? Let‘s go.‖ Nan Lu
smiled wryly and continued walking up the stairs.
Qi Leren and Dr. Lu looked at each other, and they both saw
helplessness on each other‘s faces.
The second floor of the outer world was more dilapidated than
the inner world. Qi Leren had been here once, and he was
worried about the elusive hound in the piano room, so he
asked Dr. Lu: ―With your intuition, do you think the dog is still
there?‖
Dr. Lu turned his eyes: ―What intuition does this need?
According to the rules of horror games, this kind of wandering
little boss will basically not stay in the same place. It must be
where it‘s unlucky to go. You follow me now and go forward
with confidence.‖
Qi Leren, who was speechless, felt a peace of mind. It was
probably that under the European Emperor‘s light, even the air
of the Africans was temporarily dispersed.*
{*E/N: ―…under the light of the lucky star, even the ill fortune
was temporarily dispersed.‖ Full explanation below.}
The three people came to the piano room, and Qi Leren took
the lead going in. He had already made psychological
preparations before entering. If he saw this horrible hound
again, he would definitely not hesitate to jump into the hole he
had broken before and go back to the studio, even at the risk
of breaking his leg. Fortunately, this time the hound was really
gone.
There was still heavy rain outside the window, and lightning
flashed and thundered. Dr. Lu and Nan Lu searched in the
piano room. Qi Leren was in charge of watching the door.
Soon Dr. Lu called out in a low voice: ―Look, a bunch of keys!‖
Nan Lu, who was rummaging through the drawer, looked up
and hit her arm on the phonograph in the cupboard. She let out
a cry of pain and covered her hurt arm. Qi Leren walked up to
her and asked, ―Is everything all right?‖
Nan Lu bit her lip and shook his head. Qi Leren suddenly felt
pain like acupuncture coming from the back of his neck, and
the seed of slaughter seemed to stir up. He looked around with
vigilance, but everything was normal.
What‘s happening? Qi Leren glanced at the phonograph on the
cupboard. This ancient device had been broken in the fire, and
only the horn made of metal was still intact. He looked at it for
a while, and some intuition suggested that it was unusual.
―What‘s going on?‖ Lu doctor also walked over, with his
flashlight landing to the phonograph, one hand still swinging
the ring of keys he‘d just found.
―Let me see.‖ Qi Leren picked up the heavy phonograph and
checked it, and soon found a dark box at the bottom. After he
tried to open the dark box, the system prompt appeared again:
―Obtained 2/6 of the devil‘s sacrifice‖.
It was again the same iron box, and the rusted lines were full of
religious meaning, but they gave off an impression of evil.
Dr. Lu put on gloves and opened the box, which contained a
tooth.
―It seems to be the same thing, but I don‘t know what it is,‖ Dr.
Lu murmured. Because Nan Lu was present, and he didn‘t say
much. ―Let me hang on to it?‖
―All right.‖ Qi Leren couldn‘t make more contact with this
demon item, which would affect the seed of slaughter.
Dr. Lu stuffed the things into his inventory and glanced at Nan
Lu. She didn‘t have any special reaction to the sudden
disappearance of the iron box. He didn‘t know whether it was
because of her settings as an NPC or if it was for some other
reason. She just asked with disgust: ―What is this? Why are
you keeping this thing?‖
―I found one before, but I don‘t know what it is,‖ Qi Leren said
casually, not willing to reveal too much.
Suddenly there was a sweet piano sound behind him, and the
three people who were talking froze in order. The fastest
reaction of Qi Leren was a phantom!
Sure enough, there was a faint light around the piano. Just like
in the studio, the lady sitting on the edge of the piano played
expressionlessly. Gradually, the music became faster and
faster, and it became more and more intense. Finally, it
seemed crazy. Her whole hand hit the piano, making a sharp
noise, which overlapped with a thunderclap rolling outside the
window.
She laughed. At first, it was just a strange giggle, then it
became more and more crazy and harsh. The hysterical
laughter accompanied her heartbroken cough and finally
turned into crying. She was lying on the piano, crying bitterly.
Compared with the crazy laughter, her crying was so
melancholic and depressing, like the sound of collapsing after
trying hard to endure, and it gradually faded into the
thunderstorm before finally disappearing with her phantom.
―She‘s crazy…‖ Nan Lu said in a dreamy way.
She really does seem crazy, Qi Leren said in his heart.
There was thunder outside the window, and lightning lit up the
piano room. In the harsh light, Qi Leren saw the collar of the
hound on the piano, and the flashlight he had put down to pick
up the collar with the dagger in his hand. It laid quietly on the
piano, just like an ordinary object, and disappeared in the dark
until it was illuminated by the lightning.
At this time, Qi Leren suddenly remembered…
The flashlight should have been on when he fell into the studio.
 Chapter 81: Castle Cry (VIII)

{cw: discussion of miscarriage}

―Bong-bong-bong-‖
When the distant bell came, fear flooded Qi Leren like the tide,
and he had already returned to the inner world before he was
able to tell his two partners.
It was three o'clock in the morning.
Dr. Lu‘s flashlight was still on, and Qi Leren looked at the piano
that now lacked the dog collar and his flashlight.
Qi Leren took a deep breath, hesitated whether to tell Dr. Lu
about it, and finally decided to say it. That way, Dr. Lu and Nan
Lu would also be wary of any future bizarre actions in the outer
world: ―I saw my flashlight on the piano just now. I remember
that when I fell into the studio on the first floor from here, the
flashlight was on, but just now I suddenly noticed that the
flashlight had been turned off.‖
―What? Huh? You‘re lying!‖ Dr. Lu even used three
interjections. ―Are you sure? Did it run out of power?‖
―I‘m pretty sure. I couldn‘t move after falling into the studio, and
I had to lie on my back and look above me. At that time, the
hound looked down at me at the mouth of the hole, and my
flashlight lit it up. And before I came here, the flashlight was
fully charged, it‘s impossible for it to have lost power so soon,‖
Qi Leren said with absolute certainty.
―But dogs don‘t turn off flashlights,‖ Nan Lu murmured.
―Dogs don‘t, but ‗people‘ do,‖ Qi Leren said.
Nan Lu‘s eyes were sharp: ―You mean Xiao Hong and that
bitch have been here?‖
―…‖ Qi Leren was silent for a few seconds. ―This is a
possibility, but they didn‘t have to turn off the flashlight. This
useful thing would more likely have been taken away directly.‖
His voice sank in the bright moonlight of the world. In the
brand-new piano room, all three people didn‘t speak again.
The shock brought by the phantom just now was erased by the
fear close at hand. The same kind of imagination lingered in
their minds, and the figure created by their fear entered the
piano room from the dark corridor, silently turning off the
flashlight that had illuminated the darkness…
―No matter what it is, we can at least be sure that it is an
intelligent creature. It knows what it is, how to turn it off, and
maybe it hates light…‖ Qi Leren whispered.
―Intelligent creatures… that‘s troublesome. We broke into its
territory. Maybe now even it‘s watching us think about how to
catch it,‖ Dr. Lu said with horror.
Nan Lu shuddered: ―Stop it!‖
―No matter, first find out where the switch is.‖ Dr. Lu took a
photo on the wall at the door with a flashlight, and soon found
the switch. The chandelier in the piano room lit up, and the
light returned immediately. Both Nanlu and Qi Leren were
relieved.
―This world is quite kind,‖ Dr. Lu commended.
Nan Lu said coldly: ―Have you forgotten Miao Bo who died
unsatisfied?‖
Although this world seemed calm and peaceful, there were
hidden dangers everywhere, and the slightest carelessness
could end in violent death.
―Let‘s go, let‘s go to Nina first and then come back to search
the room. I have a lot of things to ask her. I hope we won‘t
meet the walking armor this time.‖ Qi Leren said. This time, he
wasn‘t too afraid. The S/L skill‘s one hour cooling time had
passed. If he met danger again, it wouldn‘t be a big deal. He
just didn‘t know how to explain this to Nan Lu. He didn‘t know
how an NPC would react to their special features…
The three people walked to the first floor, with bright lights
along the way, but in the bright lights, the surroundings were
so quiet that people couldn‘t help observing everything around
them, but they were afraid of finding any ominous omen amidst
the ordinary. This contradictory psychology made everyone
nervous.
―You wait for me here, I‘ll go and have a look first.‖ Reaching
the first floor corridor entrance, Qi Leren said this to the two
people, and then walked into the corridor.
The lights were on, illuminating the sculptures and paintings on
both sides of the corridor. The potted plants seem to have
been carefully taken care of, green and verdant. At the end of
the corridor was a semi-open room similar to the piano room
on the second floor. Miao Bo‘s body was still lying on the
ground, but the armor they suspected of the crime had
disappeared.
Qi Leren found the switch on the wall and turned on the light in
this room. The door of the hidden small room was damaged
after being hit by the armor, but it seemed to be closed. He
didn‘t know if Nina was still there. He stepped forward to the
door and whispered, ―Nina, are you there?‖
There was a soft reply from the door: ―I am… Has it left?‖
―It‘s already gone. I have a few things to ask you. Can I come
in? ‖ Qi Leren said.
―No! Don‘t come in! Don‘t open the door! If it comes back… I…
I‘m very scared.‖ Nina‘s voice suddenly raised in pitch, and
there was a broken sound in her rapid voice.
―But the door‘s lock should be broken,‖ Qi Leren looked at the
loose lock and said. Although this door could also be locked
from the inside, the lock was broken when the armor tried to
break the door, but the lock outside seemed to lock the door
from the outside.
―No, no! Don‘t open the door! Please, please! If the door is
open, it will come in!‖ Nina‘s anxious voice faintly devolved into
tears, and she seemed to be terrified.
―…OK, wait, I‘ll call some friends.‖ Qi Leren compromised and
called Dr. Lu and Nan Lu later.
Once again setting foot in this room, Nan Lu still didn‘t dare to
look at Miao Bo‘s body, and her dead companion was lying
here, which inevitably reminded her of her own safety. She
resisted fear, stood far away from the body, and silently urged
Qi Leren to hurry up with her eyes.
―There are a few things I have to ask you: Let‘s start with the
mistress, was she pregnant? Where are the children?‖ Qi
Leren asked straight away.
Behind the door, Nina was silent for a moment and seemed
unwilling to talk about it. She asked, ―Why do you ask this?‖
―Because it‘s very important, please tell us,‖ Qi Leren said
forcefully.
―Well… The Missus was pregnant, but unfortunately she had a
miscarriage. After that, her spirit was very bad. Probably from
that time on, she gradually showed genetic madness… In
order to avoid stimulating her, the Master ordered us not to talk
about it, but the Missus‘s illness was getting worse and worse.
Sometimes she felt that her child was still alive. She made
dolls and clothes for him (her), but when she was awake, she
put these things away again. She is… very pained.‖ Nina‘s
voice was filled with a kind of humble pity and unspeakable
fear.
This really makes sense, Qi Leren thought.
―Hey, how did she miscarry? Spontaneous miscarriage?
Accidental abortion?‖ Dr. Lu also stood by the door and asked.
―…She fell down the stairs and then had a miscarriage,‖ Nina
said.
At this moment, Nan Lu joined in. She asked sharply, ―Did she
fall down by herself? Or did someone push her down? She
miscarried, killed, and set the fire, is it just because she was
crazy?‖
Dr. Lu and Qi Leren looked at Nan Lu. He wondered if the
lady‘s experience reminded her of herself, making her very
excited and even a little radical. Qi Leren vaguely felt that Nan
Lu should also be a part of the plot, but until she did something
harmful to them, he was still willing to help her… This luck-
based thinking was dangerous, and he and Dr. Lu knew it
tacitly, but they did it anyway.
Behind the door, Nina was somewhat surprised and said, ―If it
wasn‘t for her madness, how could she do such a thing? She
used to be a very gentle and quiet person! Even if she is crazy,
she is… It‘s not her fault!‖
Nan Lu reluctantly bit her lip and didn‘t speak again.
―I have another question. As you said before, the lady‘s illness
was getting worse and worse, and she was locked up. So
where was she locked up?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―…The basement. She was locked in the basement,‖ Nina
replied.
Nan Lu said incredulously, ―You locked her in the basement?!
My God… How could you do this? She‘s already in pain. ‖
Nina mumbled something a few times and whispered weakly,
―It‘s what the Master wanted. Missus‘s madness was getting
more and more serious and needed isolation, so…‖
Dr. Lu snorted gently, with a little doubt, but did not speak.
―Where can I go to open the basement? Do I need a key?‖ Qi
Leren asked again.
―The basement is in the kitchen at the end of the corridor on
the other side of the hall. There is a secret compartment on the
ground in the corner. When you open it, you will see a lock.
The key is in the Master‘s study. I think… Maybe the Missus
has become a resentful spirit, still wandering in the
basement… Please let her rest in peace. May God bless her
not to suffer in the world. May she rest in the arms of the Lord
and let me rest in peace… Let us rest in peace.‖
The task was clear here. As long as you got the key to the
basement and entered the basement to destroy the dead crazy
lady, this task could be finished. This should be the simplest
way to clear the requirements.
But….. There were still many things in his mind about this task,
such as the sacrifice to the Devil.
Did he want to ask? If he asked, would it be self-defeating,
triggering the hidden plot to raise the difficulty?
―That‘s the objective? Go find the basement key? ‖ Dr. Lu
pulled Qi Leren‘s arm and asked.
―About the sacrifice…‖ Qi Leren talked with Dr. Lu in a low
voice.
Dr. Lu stared at him: ―Do you want to die?‖
―Just a little curious,‖ Qi Leren argued.
―Young man, your mind is very dangerous,‖ Dr. Lu said
earnestly. ―It‘s safer to know less. If you ask why, you‘re going
to die. Walk away and find the key.‖
Qi Leren, who was dragged by Dr. Lu, didn‘t struggle again. He
left the room according to his meaning. Before he left, he cast
a glance back. The hidden door was closed, and everything
seemed normal.
 Chapter 82: Castle Cry (IX)

On the way to the study on the second floor, all three people
were very silent. They walked in the corridor that was bright in
this world. They didn‘t have the decadent and lavish
appearance of this world, but they didn‘t have a sense of
speechlessness. Nan Lu couldn‘t help but ask, ―Are we really
going to kill her?‖
―Remember, she‘s already dead. It can‘t be called killing her.
At most, we‘re just sending her to where she should go,‖ Dr. Lu
corrected Nan Lu‘s words.
Nan Lu stared ahead and whispered: ―Poor woman…‖
Dr. Lu didn‘t understand Nan Lu‘s logic: ―How is she pitiful?‖
―She lost her child and went crazy. Her husband might have
betrayed her. Isn‘t she pitiful?‖ Nan Lu asked.
―The first two are easy to say, but where did you find that her
husband betrayed her?‖ Dr. Lu asked blankly.
Nan Lu bit her lip. ―Intuition. Maybe her husband was having
an affair with that Nina. Otherwise, why, out of so many
servants, is she the only one to have become a ghost? She
must be different from the others.‖
Dr. Lu gave up, secretly fell in line with Qi Leren, and mouthed
to him, She is hopeless.
Although Nan Lu‘s words were all based on subjective
speculation, they couldn‘t be said to be unreasonable. It was
also a possibility. Qi Leren thought, ―Let‘s leave the rest aside,
we have to get rid of this crazy lady before we leave here. Just
trust her for now and let‘s go to the study to find the key to the
basement.‖
Nan Lu didn‘t say anything. After all, in such a dangerous
place, the desire to go home was overwhelming.
Before, Dr. Lu found the keys to the second floor in the piano
room of the outer world. When the three returned to the second
floor, they began to try one by one, opening the locked rooms
on the second floor one by one, and finally found the study
when they reached the third one.
Turning on the light of the study, and the dark room
immediately lit up. There were bookshelves of more than ten
square meters on both sides of the study. There was a big
desk on the side, which was old in style, but very textured.
There were many paintings hanging on the wall, and potted
plants and sculptures full of artistic sense in the corner. The
three people appreciated the layout here, immediately
rummaging through the boxes to find the key.
―There‘s a letter here!‖ Dr. Lu found a letter from the drawer of
the desk that had been sealed with wax but had not yet been
sent, and immediately opened it to see it.
The original text of the letter should have been German, but
the system automatically translated it:
To Dr. Flajser:
(omitted) I heard that you just came back from the epidemic
area, and I hope everything is alright with you … (omitted) …
Sarah‘s condition is still not getting better, it‘s getting worse
and worse. She‘s begun to imagine frequently, and she is
suspicious of everything … (omitted) … When I woke up in the
middle of the night, I found that she had escaped and made a
doll in the baby room, and she seemed to firmly believe that
her child was not dead. When I stopped her, she frantically
asked me if I still loved her. The loss of her child was a great
blow to her. I comforted her many times, but she still resented
it. I don‘t need her to have a legitimate heir. You know, I‘ve
been trying to avoid getting her pregnant, but she still became
pregnant, which is not a good thing for her. I‘m tired of this kind
of life, for God‘s sake … (omitted) … I hope you will take the
time to come.
Waiting for your word, Johann Sebastian Wolff.
―This letter… seems to be addressed to a doctor by the male
owner of this castle. The doctor may also be a German by
name.‖ After reading the letter, Dr. Lu touched his chin. ―I feel
that there is a lot of information here…‖
Epidemic area… Baby room… Doll… Child… Doctor… Many
words leapt through Qi Leren‘s mind, which made him think a
lot. It seemed that this letter should be from the man who
asked the doctor to come to see the crazy lady. This doctor
shouldn‘t be unfamiliar with them. Listening to Mr. Wolff‘s tone,
he had great respect for this doctor.
―Let‘s go to the nursery later, there should be something there.‖
According to his own game experience, Qi Leren judged that
there should be a key item there.
―Well… I think there will be an iron box in the nursery,‖ Dr. Lu
said.
―But maybe it‘s the key item to deal with the crazy lady,‖ Qi
Leren said.
―No, no, no, you‘re overthinking it. If you continue to explore,
you‘ll dig too deep. Don‘t forget…‖ Dr. Lu quickly wrote a D on
the table with his finger.
It was, after all, D-level difficulty.
Qi Leren nodded: ―Keep looking for the key.‖
Sitting on the sofa and listening to Dr. Lu, Nan Lu, who had
been silent since the letter was read, suddenly whispered:
―Love is always like this, so warm and joyful when it comes, but
after the passion fades, it becomes so desperate and painful.‖
Huh? Excuse me? Dr. Lu looked at Nan Lu in surprise, and
she sighed faintly in the shadows: ―He was tired of his wife,
even though she was so beautiful and gentle, they were so in
love, but when she went crazy, he quickly got tired. That‘s why
she became so helpless and crazy, to ask him if he still loves
her… Poor woman, she had been abandoned, but she was still
dreaming that her ruthless husband still loved her.‖
Nan Lu, who was sitting on the sofa, stroked the book on her
knee, opened it and handed it to them: ―Look, I just found it on
the bookshelf.‖
Qi Leren took the book she handed him withl doubt, and there
were only a few pages with words.
-A certain year, month, day, cloudy. Today is Adeline‘s death
day. Sarah and I came back from the cemetery to visit her and
met Dr. Flajser. This is the third year since Adeline‘s death.
When I woke up in the middle of the night, I heard Sarah
calling Adeline‘s name. Poor Sarah, my wife, after Adeline‘s
accident, she was even sadder than me. After all, they grew up
together and acted like sisters. I‘m going to China with Sarah in
a month, hoping that an unfamiliar country will make her forget
this sad place and make me forget everything.
-A certain year, month, day, sunny. I arrived in China with
Sarah, and the castle has been built. Although I prefer to live in
the city, Sarah insists on an independent castle. She used to
live in a castle when she was a child, and there are people
serving her everywhere. She likes this and is willing to spend
money on it. Anyway, it is only pennies to her. I ordered
someone to secretly build a garden on the top floor of the
castle. Sarah said a long time ago that she liked painting in the
garden. After I took her to see the garden, she was as happy
as a child. She took Redmond around the garden and happily
said that she would plant roses here. I think I should hire an
extra gardener to take care of the garden.
-A certain year, month, day, cloudy. Sarah is pregnant. She
told me the news with great excitement. I was surprised. The
method provided by Dr. Flajser should effectively prevent her
from getting pregnant. Is it because of the dose problem? I
should call Dr. Flajser to see him, but last time he mentioned
that he was leaving Germany, I‘m afraid he won‘t come back
for several months. To be honest, I don‘t expect the arrival of
the child. On the contrary, I am worried about her family‘s
genetic disease. Although Sarah has no signs of illness at
present, her mother and grandmother became crazy after
giving birth to a child… But I can‘t tell her my worries. She is
really looking forward to having a child. May God bless us.
……
……
……
-A certain day, thunderstorm. She‘s still crazy.
The last line in the diary was very large and untidy. Although it
was short, it had a creepy feeling. It was like the sword
hanging overhead had finally fallen down, the inevitable
tragedy finally happened, and the inescapable fate had finally
come.
Dr. Lu suddenly asked in disbelief: ―Nan Lu, can you
understand it?‖
Qi Leren was shocked. Yes, these diary entries were all written
in German. They both relied on the system‘s translation, but
what about Nan Lu?
Nan Lu looked at them inexplicably: ―Please, we‘ve learned
German for four years. Although my German isn‘t as good as
yours, I can read day-to-day letters, can‘t I?‖
Well, the setting of this copy was quite perfect. It turned out
that the four of them were German language college students.
―What do you think of this diary?‖ Nan Lu asked softly.
―There are a lot of things to dig into, but we don‘t have to worry
about this now. Let‘s get this Mrs. Sarah out of here first.‖ Dr.
Lu stood, continuing to rummage for the key.
Qi Leren put away the diary. Although these items from the
copy world would disappear when he left the copy, he still took
the diary with him, since he possibly could use it later. He felt
that the story of the crazy lady was not so simple, but as Dr. Lu
said, for now they shouldn‘t dig deeper to avoid raising the
difficulty of the task.
Nan Lu stood up from the sofa and looked at the portrait
hanging on the wall behind the sofa. In the portrait, the
handsome male host was holding a book and concentrating on
reading. She whispered, ―He loved her, she loved him.
However, love is like a sand sculpture on the beach, which
slowly collapses and is destroyed in waves of the tides. After
the destruction of time, love is colder than death.‖
 Chapter 83: Castle Cry (X)

As a small expert in finding things, Dr. Lu found a key in a

secret compartment of the desk drawer, which was probably
the one needed to open the basement. So the three people
hurried downstairs and went to the first floor. It was already
3:40 in the morning. They would return to the outer world in 20
minutes, and they had to solve the problem in 20 minutes,
otherwise they would have to wait another hour. Who knew
what would happen in the outer world?
Qi Leren and Dr. Lu talked about the task in low voices, and
they had to be careful not to let Nan Lu hear about skills - he
wasn‘t sure how an NPC would react to this.
―Although Nina‘s words are full of flaws, let‘s listen to her,
otherwise it‘s easy to have an accident.‖ Dr. Lu seriously
warned Qi Leren, who was eager to move. ―Don‘t mess
around, let‘s kill the crazy lady so we can go home.‖
―Oh… My warning skill is cooling, and the cooling time is too
long. I can‘t count on this skill. The S/L skill has cooled down,
so I can fight with it,‖ Qi Leren said.
―My lucky skill was activated at 1:30. After 90 minutes, it‘s
expired by now. The cooling time is three hours. That is to say,
the next time I can use it is after six o'clock, I basically can‘t
count on it … Take care of yourself, as long as you climb out of
the cellar alive, I will treat you and cure you.‖ Dr. Lu‘s tone was
filled with a faint sense of pity, and it seemed that Qi Leren was
going to suffer misfortune.
―…What if you die inside?‖ Qi Leren asked sullenly.
―You little devil, don‘t talk nonsense! Go fight the boss well!
Don‘t set up any Flags!‖ Dr. Lu slapped Qi Leren on the back
of his head, giving full play to the majesty of a doctor.
―…Oh.‖ Qi Leren responded stupidly, remembered something
again, and quietly reminded Dr. Lu, ―Be careful of Nan Lu.‖
Dr. Lu nodded his head.
The deepest part of the corridor was a large kitchen. There
were cabinets everywhere in the area of more than 10 square
meters. The ceiling directly above the generous prep counter
was covered with various nameless kitchen utensils. There
were also many pots and pans and some unpacked
ingredients on the counter.
―Look at the corner, there‘s a dark box on the ground,‖ Dr. Lu
warned.
Qi Leren inspected the kitchen along the wall. The ground was
covered with a layer of ceramic tiles with a white background.
They reflected his own figure vaguely under the light. He
squatted down and knocked on the ground with his fingers. He
didn‘t feel that any tiles were hollow. Where was the hidden
compartment?
―I can‘t find it… I wish I had asked a little more clearly.‖ Dr. Lu
murmured, ―Should we go ask Nina? Time is running out.‖
Qi Leren also stood up from the ground. After squatting for too
long, his brain was short on blood. He was dizzy briefly, and
the image in front of him was covered with a black shadow. He
blinked hard and then suddenly froze.
The cupboard door in front him was made of glass, and the
transparent glass reflected the image behind him - a well-
dressed blonde woman was sitting on a wooden chair not far
from Nan Lu, holding a baby in her arms. She lowered her
head and looked at the baby in her arms gently, as if humming
a gentle lullaby. And at her feet, the ground was covered with
bloody remains, a head wearing a chef‘s hat was cut into two
pieces, and a maid holding kitchen utensils was beyond
recognition… The blood rolled like it was boiling, while the
woman holding the baby turned a blind eye to the bloody
scene, and was strangely serene.
Qi Leren quickly turned his body, and the wooden chair against
the wall behind him was empty.
Was it an illusion? Or…
―What‘s the matter?‖ Dr. Lu looked at Qi Leren striding toward
the chair behind him and asked.
Qi Leren forgot to answer him. He dragged away the wooden
chair and knocked on the tile under the chair with his finger. It
was hollow.
―This is it.‖ Qi Leren stuck his dagger into the gap between the
ceramic tiles and pried it open. Several adjacent ceramic tiles
were loose. After they were removed, there was a square iron
grate below, like a cellar entrance.
―How did you find it?‖ Dr. Lu asked curiously.
―I saw her,‖ Qi Leren whispered, staring at the slightly rusty
iron grate underground, and the heavy iron lock that firmly
locked it, together with all the evil inside.
―What did you see?‖ Nan Lu said sharply.
Qi Leren didn‘t answer. He said coldly, ―Back up and I‘ll open
the basement. If something is wrong later, you should get out
of here…‖ He didn‘t expect Dr. Lu and Nan Lu to help, and the
seed of slaughter in him might accidentally injure his
teammates, so he would rather face the crazy lady alone.
The heavy iron lock was opened with the key, and Qi Leren‘s
heartbeat quickened. The cellar door to the basement was
opened with a dull sound, revealing a vertical iron ladder and
the deep darkness below. There was a stale smell in the
darkness, as if it had been sealed for a long time.
Qi Leren‘s flashlight had already been lost in the outer world,
so he had to use the light of his mobile phone below. The light
spread down the iron ladder, illuminating the concrete floor,
and there was nothing.
There must be danger down there, which Qi Leren could feel,
but he still had to take the risk. After weighing it, he decided to
suspend his use of the S/L skill until he found the danger. With
his mouth biting his mobile phone, he continued to light the
way, holding a dagger inlaid with holy runes in one hand and
climbing the iron ladder in the other hand, ready to climb down
to the basement.
His foot stepped on the rail of the iron ladder, which was very
strong. Qi Leren felt like walking alone into the fog full of
monsters, knowing that there was danger lurking in the
darkness of the basement, but he forced himself to go on.
Most of his body had descended into the cellar, with only his
shoulders above it. Qi Leren nodded to Dr. Lu, beckoning him
to pay more attention to Nan Lu. Unfortunately, the tacit
understanding between them was insufficient. Dr. Lu waved to
him with mirth, and Qi Leren was tired and went to climb the
ladder.
A cold wind blew up from bottom to top in the basement, and
the lighting range of the mobile phone was narrow, only seeing
his own shadow in the beam, surrounded by vast darkness.
Climbing down, Qi Leren suddenly stepped on air, and the
rung of the ladder was missing. He fell down, but fortunately,
his hand gripped the ladder tightly, so he didn‘t fall far. This
little accident made Qi Leren, who was originally in a calm
mood, feel flustered, and there seemed to be a terrible monster
lurking in the deep darkness at his feet.
Before he could calm his heartbeat, the foot that stepped on
empty air in the dark was suddenly entangled in something,
and the something that grabbed his ankle was surprisingly
strong. It pulled him down from the ladder and he fell to the
ground.
Once again, he fell dizzily, but this time it was much better than
falling into the studio from the second floor. At least Qi Leren
still had the strength to roll several times, holding up his
awkward arm and clenching his dagger.
The mobile phone had fallen to the ground, illuminating a small
area. In the dark, it seemed that there was a gentle singing, a
faint candle lit up, then a second, more and more… Two rows
of candlelight, lit up close to the wall, illuminated this dark and
dead basement. At the end of the candlelight, there was a
rocking chair with its back to him. The woman sitting in the
rocking chair had long golden hair, which fell down like a
waterfall.
She gently hummed a lullaby and sang softly in this cold
basement.
Qi Leren‘s line of sight swept around, but he didn‘t see what
had pulled him into the basement just now. It was so weird…
He even thought of running away, but when he looked up, the
open cellar door seemed to be pushed by an invisible hand,
and was closed with a loud bang, and the light over his head
disappeared, which also cut off his retreat.
With the cellar door closed, the rocking chair slowly turned, like
being placed on a turntable, and slowly turned around. The
blonde woman in the rocking chair was humming softly with
her eyes closed and her baby in her arms.
The rocking chair stopped, facing him, and the crazy lady in
the chair slowly opened her eyes - her left eye was exactly the
same as the portrait, but her right eye had been gouged out,
leaving only a bleeding hole, with blood seeping from her eye
to her neck.
This rare and ominous scene made Qi Leren dare not spit out
a sigh of relief. He was still, and his muscles were tight to the
point of stiffness.
―Are you here to get back at me?‖ The lullaby stopped, and the
crazy lady asked softly.
―…‖ Revenge? Who wants revenge? Qi Leren‘s brain was
blank.
―You have taken away my child, what else do you want to take
away? His love?‖ The mad lady‘s voice became cold. She
looked ahead with empty eyes. She said in a self-deprecating
way, ―I hate you… Hate you… Envy you… Go back to the
grave and keep company with dirty maggots. That‘s where you
belong. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…‖
Her crazy laughter grew crazier and crazier, piercing his
eardrums.
She stood up and gently put the baby in her arms on the
rocking chair. In the flickering candlelight, the intact half of her
face was like the Virgin of Vladimir, but when she was walking
towards Qi Leren, the blood and tears flowing from her bloody
right eye made her look like the evil spirit from a horror movie.
Two rows of lit candles shook, casting criss-crossing shadows
on the ground, shaking, trembling…
There was something creepy, climbing slowly from his feet,
stroking his ankles and knees, and climbing inch by inch. Qi
Leren slashed the dagger in his hand at the invisible things,
and the dagger waved a sharp wind in the air, but it didn‘t
touch anything. What were these things? What on earth was
it?
The crazy lady walked towards him with a strange smile on her
face. She walked slowly, but every step was like a stuck video
tape, jumping forward frame by frame. This was definitely not
what human beings should look like! Candlelight in all
directions made her shadow tremble and distort, projecting a
strange chaos on the ground.
At this moment, Qi Leren suddenly realized something.
He lowered his head and looked at the shadows climbing his
trouser legs, which had no form and no quality, yet still
existed…
It was the shadows.
 Chapter 84: Castle Cry (XI)

Fear, endless fear, Qi Leren moved in panic, and the shadows

crawling at his feet moved. They dragged him to the ground
with incredible strength and he could not move. The dagger
inlaid with holy runes had no effect on the shadow. Qi Leren
ruthlessly cut his left arm with the knife, and blood gushed out.
The rune on the dagger gave off milky white light, which made
his blood carry a weak holy power. The shadow crawling all
over the ground paused for a moment, and then came upon
him again.
Damn, how could he deal with this thing without form? As the
power of the shadows wass getting stronger and stronger, Qi
Leren was pulled down and he couldn‘t stand up. Looking up,
the crazy lady was less than five meters away from him!
Save? Or should he use another spell?
No, it wasn‘t the time to save. Try again!
A miniature bomb was thrown out and exploded nearby. On
the ground, Qi Leren felt the impact, and all the candles nearby
went out, leaving only a few candles scattered in the deepest
part of the basement.
Qi Leren looked up. After the smoke dispersed, he saw the
crazy lady lying on the ground in the distance. She was still, as
if she had died in the explosion.
Had she died just like that? Was it over?
Qi Leren was in a state of dreamy unreality, and the shadows
had disappeared. He slowly got up from the ground and
staggered towards her… Either way, he should make sure with
the dagger first.
After the explosion, the miniature bomb had left a pit in the
basement. Qi Leren bypassed it and carefully came to the
crazy lady‘s side. She was lying on the ground, her face
covered with blood, her eyes closed, and her long golden hair
scattered, as if she had lost her vitality.
Qi Leren walked towards her in the dark, and the remaining
candlelight in the distance was ethereal, but it could not reach
his feet. He came to the lifeless crazy lady‘s side, clutching the
dagger in his hand and slowly lifting it…
Kill her and finish this mission.
Qi Leren‘s heart beat so fast that even his eardrums were
shaking, and his wrist holding the dagger trembled gently
because of the fierce struggle just now. He felt as if he was
wrapped in a sticky dark, and countless questions, metaphors
and plots were glued together, which locked him firmly. But as
long as he swung the dagger, everything would be punctured
by a sharp blade, and everything would end rudely.
As long as it was over.
With a dull pain in the back of his neck, the seed reminded him
that this was a place full of demons, and he couldn‘t delay any
longer.
Determined, Qi Leren tightened his hand holding the dagger
and stabbed it hard!
The wrist was firmly held by a thin and pale hand, and a
temperature as cold as ice froze him. When Qi Leren realized
what was holding his hand, he jolted like he‘d been given an
electric shock - his wrist was clasped, and he couldn‘t escape
at all.
He didn‘t know when the dead crazy lady had opened her
eyes. The intact left eye and the right eye that has become a
bloody hole ―looked‖ at him together, and the corners of her
mouth rolled up in a strange angle.
―Ah, you are not Adeline.‖ The crazy lady sighed and said,
―She was a kind, obedient and stupid woman - while she was
still alive. Your skin is so warm, this is the temperature of the
living. You are not Adeline.‖
Her intact left eye was also empty and held no focus.
―Are you my Johann?‖ The crazy lady‘s other hand slowly
touched Qi Leren‘s cheek, and the hand stained with blood and
ashes smeared the smell of death on his face. ―My dear, dear
Johann. Do you still love me when I am no longer kind, gentle,
and beautiful?‖
Blood, blood with a demonic smell, was wiped on his face, and
the seed of slaughter was like a river that burst its banks,
which plunged down from the dam of rationality and instantly
washed away his will.
At this moment, Qi Leren only had time to save. At the moment
when the save was finished, the seed of slaughter living in his
back neck jumped instantly, and spread to his whole body
along the spine. The demon power filled his whole body, and a
bloodthirsty desire for killing invaded Qi Leren‘s mind.
Kill her!
Qi Leren‘s caught wrist filled with strength. He swung his
backhand and grabbed his crazy lady, and threw her away.
The crazy lady screamed and flew a few meters, and her body
collided with the wall beside her, knocking away some candles
that had already been extinguished.
―Monster… You‘re a monster!‖ the crazy lady suddenly
screamed in horror, trembling.
Qi Leren stood up, his eyes empty, and walked to her step by
step.
The crazy lady screamed horribly. In the banshee-like high-
pitched sound, the extinguished candles lit up again, and the
huge basement shone brightly. In this dazzling flickering
candle light, countless shadows recovered again, flocking to Qi
Leren like a tide.
Qi Leren was still moving forward, and those crazy shadows
were shaking and flapping like branches in the wind, but at the
moment when they come into contact with Qi Leren, they
seemed to be blocked by invisible barriers, unable to ensnare
him, and could only struggle and twist around him in vain.
Low magic, ah.
In Qi Leren‘s mind sounded a voice that didn‘t belong to him,
or it wasn‘t a voice at all, but a stream of consciousness that
suddenly appeared in his mind. He knew what it was saying,
even if it didn‘t resort to language.
The seed of slaughter, talking.
Qi Leren was aware of this, but right now the controlled brain
and body couldn‘t make any response to the problems he was
aware of. It is like a letter that had been written but then
forgotten to be sent, and thus it couldn‘t get a response from
the recipient.
He came to the crazy lady, caught her neck with his right hand,
and lifted her up.
The crazy lady with blood on her face opened her mouth wide,
her feet were off the ground, her face was ferocious and
twisted, and her whole body weight remained on her fragile
neck, which could break at any time. Her legs struggled to kick,
but her strength was weak. Those crazy shadows surrounded
her, twisting and changing the shape terrifyingly as she
struggled.
However, all this had lost its effect. Qi Leren threw away the
dagger inlaid with holy runes in disgust. The metal dagger fell
to the ground and bounced twice, then went to sleep quietly.
But his hand clenched around the crazy lady‘s neck became
harder and harder, and it closed like a vice - a crisp crack
sounded, and the struggling crazy lady quivered before going
limp. Demon energy gushed out from her, and was swallowed
up by the seed through Qi Leren‘s hands.
Qi Leren loosened his hand and watched her turn into a pile of
dead meat, which then quickly rotted into a pile of bones
amidst the candlelight.
Wake up quickly.
Wake up!
Trapped in the depths of his consciousness, he shouted, and
Qi Leren‘s fingers twitched. He was trying to compete for
control of his body with the seed of slaughter, but unlike the
last time he awakened the seed of slaughter, this time it had
absorbed new demon power and became stronger and more
greedy.
He only had a few seconds at most, and Qi Leren suddenly
broke out and bumped into the rough wall. The sharp pain
made him wake up instantly, and the seed of slaughter
entrenched in his consciousness unwillingly receded. Reason
and control once again returned to his body.
Qi Leren collapsed and sat on the ground, blood dripping
slowly from his forehead, which smeared half of his face. But at
this time, he couldn‘t take care of it, and fatigue surged up from
the bottom of his heart, making his body dull.
Blood flowed through the corners of the mouth and tasted
salty. The dormant seed of slaughter seemed to be stirring
again. Qi Leren took out the holy water from his inventory and
took a sip of it, suppressing it back.
The holy power in the holy water injected a little vitality into his
body. At least he had the strength to stand up.
The wound on his head wasn‘t serious. Qi Leren directly
covered it with a towel. He was ready to go out later and let Dr.
Lu bandage it simply, to try not to waste his skills. Only, the cut
on his arm was a bit deep. He bandaged it tightly to avoid
massive bleeding. He tentatively opened his palm and
clenched his fist, and found that there was no nerve damage,
so it didn‘t seem to affect him in battle too much.
He picked up the rune dagger that had just been thrown aside
and held it in his hand. Qi Leren walked deeper into the
basement.
Earlier, a little baby had been put on the rocking chair where
the crazy lady was located. When he got close, he found that it
wasn‘t a live baby, but a doll. Its shape was rough and it
seemed to be sewn with cloth. Qi Leren hesitated and picked it
up.
―Ah–!‖ The doll let out a piercing scream, which scared Qi
Leren, who threw it on the ground and stepped on it.
Under his foot the doll struggled to twist up, like a living
creature. Qi Leren both wanted to and didn‘t want to use the
dagger to stab it down, and once stabbed by the dagger, the
doll sent out a sad cry then ceased to move.
A small pool of black liquid seeped out of the doll‘s body, like a
pool of blood.
Qi Leren kicked it, and the doll finally stopped moving and
looked like an ordinary toy.
It should be dead? Qi Leren was concerned. What evil thing
was this, to give off such a strange and ominous feeling?
Qi Leren rummaged through the basement, and soon found a
hidden compartment on the wall behind the rocking chair. After
opening the hidden compartment, there was an embedded
cabinet with two drawers. Qi Leren‘s heart beat faster, and he
had a wonderful premonition,but also an ominous premonition.
Opening the first drawer, there was a tin box, and the system
prompt reappeared: ―Obtained the sacrifice of the devil 3/6‖.
When the tin box was opened, it was a bloody eyeball, which
had already been covered in a layer of gray and looked cloudy
and disgusting. Qi Leren immediately thought of the crazy
lady‘s empty right eye. Why was her eyeball here? Who dug it
out?
Suddenly, there was a glimmer of light behind him, and Qi
Leren turned his head and once again saw the phantom - the
phantom that appeared every time he found the demon
sacrifice.
The crazy lady who couldn‘t see her own face lingered in the
cellar and yelled at the cellar door: ―Open the door! Let me out!
You poor, rebellious slaves! Who allowed you to lock me up
here! ‖
Outside the cellar came the sound of a key unlocking. The
crazy lady looked at the cellar door with delight. The cellar door
above her head opened, and a basket containing food was
lowered down by ropes and fell to the ground.
The crazy lady looked above her with bitter eyes: ―Nina, have
even you betrayed me?‖
A trembling voice came from outside the cellar door: ―Madam, I
didn‘t … It was the Master‘s order to have you stay here.‖
The crazy lady cried furiously, ―I am your master! I am! Let me
out! I order you! Let me out!‖
Nina sobbed in a low voice outside the door, which could not
be heard over the roar of the crazy lady. Soon the crazy lady
was tired and sat down on the ground, staring overhead and
looking at Nina.
After a long time, Nina, who had stopped crying, whispered,
―Madam, I have to go… but I will forget to lock the cellar door.
If you… want… I am willing to help you go back, I am willing…
to do anything for you as long as you get better.‖
The crazy lady looked at her in confusion and didn‘t respond to
her words. When the cellar door closed again, she suddenly
giggled and slowly put her hand on her intact right eye…
―One more, one more, dear, I can… ha ha ha ha ha…‖
The phantom gradually faded, and together with the whispered
mad words, it went silent before Qi Leren‘s eyes.
The eye in a bloody and rancid state in the tin box made Qi
Leren feel sick. He wrapped it in cloth, stuffed the things into
his own inventory, and prepared to hand them over to Dr. Lu
for safekeeping. The demon power on the tin box made him
feel uncomfortable, and the crazy phantom of Mrs. Sarah also
made him feel uncomfortable.
There was another drawer in the dark room…
By dim candlelight, Qi Leren slowly opened the drawer: the
reflection of metal first caught his eye, then a familiar
trademark. With wide eyes, Qi Leren flung open the drawer
and stared at the contents.
For a moment, he felt that he was dreaming. He must be
dreaming, because only in dreams could such absurd things
happen.
Here, he had actually found the origin of this nightmare.
 Chapter 85: Castle Cry (XII)

As if he had suddenly lost his soul, Qi Leren didn‘t move for a

long time. This unspeakable fear that was more terrible than
any mortal danger came not from a threat, but from the fear of
the unknown.
Countless messy pictures flashed in his mind: he downloaded
Nightmare Game, he tried it out absentmindedly, he was
depressed after the computer went black, he took the
computer and sat on the bus to get it fixed… He woke up in the
hospital.
From that day on, his life took a wrong path. He was injured,
died and then came back to life. This ―gift‖ of resurrection did
not make him feel lucky, but only formed in him deeper and
deeper pain.
Every night, he would wake up from nightmares of countless
deaths, sweating and panicking. Those painful deaths
engraved in the soul were like wine. The longer time went on,
the stronger they became. When his human reason rested in
his sleep, it made a comeback with a grimace of a grin. He
didn‘t even know when this life would come to an end. Maybe
he would have a nervous breakdown before he found a way to
leave the game.
But for now, he could hold on a little longer… Hold on a little
longer.
Qi Leren‘s fingers gently touched the laptop in the drawer. It
looked so familiar that even the scratches from him
accidentally bumping it were still there. He took it out as calmly
as possible, together with the balled up power cord.
At the bottom of the drawer, there was a red-brown blood line
of text - keep the secret.
Qi Leren stared at this line of words, which faded slowly and
disappeared into the wooden drawer, leaving a colorful egg.
[Easter Egg: Players who hold colored eggs will be resurrected
and have all skills and items returned after seven days if they
die with their bodies intact. If the player holds other
resurrection props or skills, the order of using an Easter Egg is
last. 1/1 remaining usage times.]
This item… Qi Leren was shocked to hold the Easter Egg. How
could this resurrection prop be so simple? This was
absolutely… Absolutely not normal!
He should seriously think about it again, at least think about
why he suddenly got this resurrection prop, but at this time his
head was filled with this inexplicable laptop, and he could only
cram things into the item bar hastily, without thinking again.
The laptop was in my hand, cold and heavy. Qi Leren turned it
over with trembling hands and pressed the power-on button.
This time it turned on normally as if it had never been broken.
When the Nightmare Game icon appeared on the desktop, Qi
Leren couldn‘t help shivering. He didn‘t even know if he should
click on the game icon again.
What would happen? Would all of this be a dream?
Just when he was at war between instinct and reason, the
prompt of ―battery depleted, shutting down‖ appeared on the
screen, and the laptop just turned off and shut down again.
The screen was completely dark, and Qi Leren just stood on
the ground without moving for a long time.
Who on earth was it? Or something, guiding him? He clearly
had lost the laptop in the outside world, then it unexpectedly
appeared in this ordinary copy, and the line of a blood prompt
in the drawer disappeared, after wanting to tell him what?
He felt that he knew nothing and didn‘t want to know. Can you
run away from everything without knowing anything?
Even knowing that this was a dangerous road, he still had to
keep moving forward…
Determined, Qi Leren put the laptop back in his inventory, and
he would ask Chen Baiqi to find out how to solve the power
supply problem after returning to the Village of Dusk. He
vaguely remembered that someone in the Village of Dusk had
made a transformer to solve the problem that the standard
voltage of the Village of Dusk was different from the real world,
with the purpose of charging his mobile phone that was
brought into the Nightmare World from the real world with the
power of the Village of Dusk. But only objects in the real world
could be brought into the Nightmare World. After that, no
matter which copy world, those objects originating from the
copy world couldn‘t be brought into the Nightmare World, so
even if there was a copy with a future high-tech world, those
coveted weapons and items couldn‘t be brought back to the
Nightmare World. He didn‘t know whether this computer in his
hand would be considered as brought in from the real world or
from the copy world; if it was the latter…
Qi Leren had a faint hope that it was the latter, but he felt that
he couldn‘t find computers and Easter Eggs from the ―people‖
in front of him in this world, as they didn‘t fit with this setting.
This laptop should be able to follow him back to the Nightmare
World.
After calming down, Qi Leren checked the basement again.
After confirming that there were no more clues, he picked up
the mobile phone that had fallen to the ground at the
beginning. It had no power, but when he returned to the Village
of Dusk, he would consider buying a charger made by players.
Before he left, Qi Leren looked back at the crazy lady again.
The boss itself didn‘t bring him any reward, which made him a
little disappointed. However, he shouldn‘t have much
expectation for a copy of a D-level difficulty task - although he
felt that his D-level difficulty was a little different from the
normal concept of a D-level difficulty… Instead, there was a
resurrection prop in the dark! The origin of this prop was
strange, and the laptop… It was chilling.
Climbing up the iron ladder, Qi Leren pushed up the iron grate
of the cellar, but the iron grate didn‘t move. He tried again, and
the cellar door moved slightly, but it seemed to be pinned down
by something and couldn‘t be pushed up at all.
―Hello, is anyone there? Open the door!‖ Qi Leren knocked on
the iron grate and shouted.
Through the iron grate, he heard Dr. Lu‘s voice, vague but full
of life: ―What? Are you still alive?!‖
"Lu Cangshu, whom I rely on, have you locked the iron grate!‖
―Of course, what if you die below and the boss rushes out?‖
―…Your ancestors! Open the door! ‖ Qi Leren instantly forgot
the heavy mood just now, and scolded while banging the grate.
―In order to prevent any monsters who have possessed you
from deceiving me with your voice, I want to ask you three
questions before opening the door. Please answer them
carefully. I will not open the door if you answer them wrong.‖
Dr. Lu said at the door.
―……Your sister!‖
―First, what‘s your name?‖
―Qi Leren.‖
―What‘s the name of your goddess?‖
―…I refuse to answer.‖
―Don‘t evade questions and answer them seriously, or I won‘t
open the door.‖
―Well, he‘s called Ning Zhou, and he‘s a man.‖
―I once summed up your story in one sentence, please repeat it
again.‖
―…Two straight men who will eventually become gay have a
lily* love to free themselves.‖
*{E/N: slang for lesbian}
―The answer is correct!‖
Dr. Lu outside the door opened the lock for him happily. At the
moment when the iron grate opened, Qi Leren popped out like
a rabbit. He pressed Dr. Lu to the ground with his dagger on
his forehead and looked down at him: ―Lu, Cang, Shu, are you
ready to die?‖
Dr. Lu was shocked and said, ― I have something to say! Can
you not do it?‖
Qi Leren patted his cheek with the side of the dagger and
asked combatively, ―What do you think?‖
―You see Nan Lu has been scared away, and I risked my life
waiting for you here. What a noble sentiment and comrade*
friendship! Although it‘s not very kind to lock the door, it‘s also
for safety reasons. I ask you not to kill!‖ Dr. Lu said
unintelligently.
*{E/N: slang for gay}
Qi Leren frowned: ―Nan Lu ran away? When?‖
―Well, after you fell down and closed the cellar door, she let out
a scream and ran away,‖ Dr. Lu said.
Qi Leren put away his dagger and was not in the mood to
continue to scare Dr. Lu. He got up and said, ―The boss has
been solved. It was indeed the crazy lady. I also found a
demon sacrifice. Take it with you…‖
Dr. Lu took over the third devil‘s sacrifice, opened it, and was
suddenly disgusted by the blood gas coming from his face:
―Mom, eyeball!‖
―It should be the crazy lady‘s eyeball, her right eye had only a
bloody hole, which could manipulate the shadows. When I first
went down…‖ Qi Leren simply said what happened in the
basement again. Of course, he skipped over the seed, only
saying that he killed the crazy lady, and he didn‘t mention a
word of the laptop and the Easter Egg, but told of the moving
doll.
―It seems that Mrs. Sarah really was crazy, and that Nina, she
was quite loyal to Mrs. Sarah…‖ Dr. Lu said with emotion. ―Oh,
the injury on your head looks a bit miserable. Do you want me
to treat it for you?‖
Qi Leren touched his head that had stopped bleeding: ―Forget
it, no dizziness or nausea, it‘s nothing serious.‖
―There shouldn‘t be a concussion, then,‖ Dr. Lu said.
―Let‘s go and see where Nan Lu went,‖ Qi Leren said. He
walked out of the kitchen with Dr. Lu and headed for the
direction of the hall.
―Bong-bong-bong-bong-‖ The four bells rang, and the castle
quickly changed decades with the bells, becoming old and
dilapidated, and the wooden board under his feet became
crisp, making a creaking sound when walking on it, and the
beautiful sculptures and ornaments around them were covered
with a thick layer of ash, with traces of burning.
―The boss has been solved now, can we go back? But why is
there no system prompt?‖ Dr. Lu asked.
―The task prompt is for us to leave the castle. We haven‘t left
yet, so we haven‘t completed the task,‖ Qi Leren guessed.
―Oh, that makes sense… look Qi Leren!‖ Just then, Dr. Lu‘s
flashlight shone on the position of the door, and the thick door
that had disappeared unexpectedly appeared again!
―Can we go out?‖ Qi Leren also was surprised.
―It really is a simple task.‖ Dr. Lu said excitedly, and the two
people walked quickly to the wooden door.
Rhythmic footsteps came from far behind, like the sound of
shoes stepping on the floor and the crisp sound of a walking
stick beating rhythmically on the ground.
The two people looked back at the same time: on the curved
stairs, someone holding a delicate candlestick in one hand and
a cane in the other hand came down from the stairs.
In the dim candlelight, dressed in an English-style three-piece
suit, the gentlemen smiled at them: ―Good evening. We meet
again.‖
In the ruined castle, he suddenly appeared like a light,
illuminating this dead danger zone.
―Su He?!‖ Qi Leren and Dr. Lu called out the name of the
person with a single voice.
Su He smiled and nodded to them, and said gently: "Seeing
that the name of the investigation task is ‗Castle Cry‘, I also
specially changed to a costume that matches the name of the
task. I didn‘t expect it to be superfluous.‖
―Is there a bug in this task?‖ Dr. Lu immediately realized why
Su He was here. It must be because this task, like the Novice
Village, was abnormal.
A bug? Qi Leren‘s heart suddenly beat faster. What could be
called a bug here…
It was in his inventory.
Su He nodded with a smile and walked down the stairs with the
cane. Under the light of the candles, the perfectly handsome
him appeared like a vampire who had just woken up in the dark
night, elegant and calm, and powerful. He stood in front of the
two men and looked at Qi Leren without a trace. The cool and
gentle voice sounded in the dark, just like a violin playing on a
moonlit night: ―If it is convenient, I want to talk with the two of
you, alone.‖
 Chapter 86: Castle Cry (XIII)

―Sure, no problem.‖ Qi Leren took the lead in responding to Su

He‘s request, and his expression was calm.
Now he has a little understanding why the first thing the court
trained him in was how to lie, it was really a very practical skill.
Adversely, Dr. Lu was a little puzzled. He looked at Su He and
asked nervously, ―What are you talking about?‖
Su He smiled, moving as if asking another to dance at a ball.
He bent slightly, with one hand behind him and the other hand
outstretched to Dr. Lu. Dr. Lu gave him a suspicious look and
took his hand obediently.
They only stood still in front of Qi Leren for two or three
seconds. Dr. Lu withdrew his hand and said with amazement,
―Wow, the Village of Dawn looks beautiful! It‘s not the same
style as the Village of Dusk at all. I like the Village of Dawn!‖
Su He nodded with a smile: ―It‘s true that the style is very
different, but I really like the Village of Dusk, with how lively it
is. The Village of Dawn is really too quiet.‖
The conversation between the two made Qi Leren a little
puzzled: ―What are you talking about?‖
―You also try, it‘s very interesting!‖ Dr. Lu pushed Qi Leren and
urged him.
Su He also held out his hand to him. He was wearing a pair of
white gloves that made his hands look more slender. Qi Leren
looked into his eyes as if he knew nothing of what had
happened earlier. Su He was looking at him. His eyes were
calm and gentle without any inquiry or malicious intent. When
he looked at a person like this, it was hard for anyone to refuse
him.
Qi Leren held out his hand.
At the moment when their hands touched each other, Qi
Leren‘s eyes were filled with light and shadow. In an instant, he
was standing on a tall tower with several white clouds floating
in the blue sky. Looking around, the earth beneath his feet
turned out to be countless islands floating in the air, just like a
flock of white pigeons in the vast blue sky. In the far east, the
bright morning sun was rising over the horizon in the depths of
the mountains, dispelling the darkness and coldness and
making people feel warm.
―This is the Village of Dawn?‖ Qi Leren stood on the edge of
the white handrail and looked at the fantastic and beautiful
boundary in amazement.
―It is the Village of Dawn, but of course, it‘s just a field
constructed in my memory. I hope to take you there one day.‖
Su He came to him and looked out with him at the quiet and
beautiful land covered by the dawn.
―I hope…‖ Qi Leren, who are still living in the shadow of the
seed, have never thought about things so far away. ―But what
is a field?‖
―Well, to put it simply, a field is a small world built by itself. If
you‘re strong enough, you can even build a field similar to a
copy world. The world in the field and the world outside have
different speeds of time, so resting and training in the field has
good results,‖ Su He said.
Qi Leren never knew there was such a thing, and his
knowledge was still too shallow: ―Does everyone have a field?‖
―Of course not.‖ Su He smiled gently and patiently said, ―There
should be no more than thirty people in the Nightmare World.‖
Qi Leren swallowed saliva, and the psychological pressure in
the face of Su He was even greater.
The air in the Village of Dawn was fresh, unlike the smell of
engine oil everywhere in the Village of Dusk, where there was
always a roaring mechanical sound in the ear. It was so quiet
here that it didn‘t look like there were any other people at all.
However, at this time, Qi Leren had no intention of enjoying the
scenery at all, and nervously thought about how to hide from
Su He.
As long as he refused to admit it, did Su He have any evidence
to prove that the mission error was related to him? Even if he
was a high-level player from the Village of Dusk, or even a half
GM, he couldn‘t know his experiences from before entering the
Nightmare World.
―Qi Leren,‖ Su He‘s voice rang in his ear.
Qi Leren, who was prepared psychologically, raised his head
and was ready to accept Su He‘s interrogation.
Su He was looking at him and the smile on his mouth faded.
He looked more serious than before: ―I noticed just now, what
happened to that thing behind your neck?‖
―?!‖
Qi Leren failed to conceal his shock at that moment and looked
at Su He in astonishment.
He actually found out? And it was at a glance that he noticed
the seed of slaughter?
―I‘ve done some research on the power of demons, and that
kind of energy can‘t hide from me.‖ With a slight sigh, Su He
went to the center of the terrace and pulled the chair beside
the small round table. ―Sit down, let‘s talk.‖
Like a student caught cheating by a teacher, Qi Leren came to
the table in fear, hesitated, and sat down.
There is a beautiful tea set on the small round white table. Su
He took off his gloves, made him a pot of black tea without
saying a word, and put a cup in front of him. With his silence,
Su He put more pressure on Qi Leren, who would rather Su He
question him than be so silent.
Qi Leren, who was on pins and needles, had turned countless
thoughts in his brain. Deny it? Impossible, Su He and have
already discovered it, he absolutely could not hide it. Honest
account? Even more impossible, the requirement of the Court
was that he must never reveal his undercover identity. Pretend
to be infected by accident? It seemed that… that was the only
way.
When Su He and her tea were ready, Qi Leren had already
thought out the countermeasures and calmed down.
―Although I didn‘t leave you for very long, when I saw you
again, I saw that you‘ve grown a lot from how you were at the
beginning.‖ Su He didn‘t ask about seed as soon as he opened
his mouth, but reminisced with him with emotion.
Qi Leren was a little unsure of his rhythm, so he had to talk to
him first: ―… Because a lot of things have happened. When
people are struggling on the edge of life and death, they will
always grow faster.‖
The black tea in the cup was sending out a curl of mist, which
was full of rich and mellow flavor. On the top terrace of the
towering white tower, two people with different thoughts
casually talked about their experiences in these days.
―After sending you to Maka Village, which started the
Witchcraft Sacrifice mission that day, I was worried for a long
time. The mission involved demons, and it was easy for you to
encounter accidents as a newcomer. I asked a friend in the
Twilight Township to pay attention to your situation and learned
that you were still alive. It was really good… Well, it was great.‖
Su He made no secret of his concern, and spoke cheerfully.
Qi Leren felt more and more guilty. Su He had always taken
care of him, but he had to deceive him…
For a moment, he wanted to tell the whole story, and confided
his uneasy, painful, confused and guilty feelings. His heart
contained too many secrets, which overwhelmed him.
―I… I‘m fine. The Witchcraft Sacrifice was really difficult, but I
was lucky,‖ Qi Leren said with a strong smile.
Although luck never took his side, he lived to the end. Maybe
all his luck was spent on meeting Ning Zhou. If it wasn‘t for
Ning Zhou, he would never have survived the Witchcraft
Sacrifice task.
Su He showed an interested expression: ―Oh? I‘m quite
interested in the task involving demons. Can you tell me about
it? ‖
Qi Leren suddenly fell into a dilemma. If he wanted to say it, he
would definitely mention Ning Zhou, but if he refused… He
really couldn‘t bear to disappoint Su He again.
―If you swear not to laugh at me, I will tell you,‖ Qi Leren said
gloomily.
Su He looked at him with some surprise: ―Of course I won‘t
laugh at you. If my request makes you feel embarrassed, I‘m
sorry… In fact, I don‘t have to know.‖
With this said, he nodded a little apologetically to Qi Leren,
apologizing for his embarrassing request.
Qi Leren‘s previous embarrassment also dissipated: ―No, I
don‘t feel embarrassed. I also feel that some areas of this task
were very strange. I want to hear your opinion.‖
Su He blinked and said, ―I will listen carefully to what you say.‖
―The Witchcraft Sacrifice task was a bit special. Just like its
task name, the object of participation is a ‗witch‘. So at the
beginning of the mission, I woke up in the carriage and found
that I had become a… girl.‖
Su He‘s hands, that had been adding black tea to Qi Leren‘s
cup, shook and added two drops of tea stains to the white
tablecloth.
Qi Leren‘s eyes suddenly became resentful. He really wanted
to laugh: ―You promised not to laugh at me.‖
Su He pressed his fist against his mouth and coughed twice: ―I
didn‘t laugh.‖
Having said that, he couldn‘t hide it with his smiling eyes: ―I just
thought, what would you look like if you became a girl…‖
―It was very ordinary,‖ Qi Leren said with a straight face.
―My feeling tells me that you must have been a very lovely girl.‖
Su He smiled and pointed to the corner of his eye. ―Your eyes
are very beautiful, and the outer corner of your eye tilts
downward. If it‘s on a girl, it will be a very obvious drooping eye
and it will look very innocent.
"Then the lips, the lip shape is very good, the cupid‘s bow in
the middle of the upper lip is obvious, and the corners of the
mouth are a little tilted.‖ Su He‘s index finger was placed on his
lips, like a gesture of silence. ―A girl with this lip shape must be
very cute.‖
―Hold on, we are not discussing this kind of problem now, I am
a man, a man, OK?‖ Qi Leren was inexplicably ashamed and
quickly stopped Su He‘s conjecture. He secretly felt that with
Su He‘s appearance, half of the sisters must have fallen under
his suit pants. What was even more frightening was that he is
still very good at talking, so maybe the other half can‘t hold it
back either.
Although it seems a little regrettable, Su He nodded with great
cooperation and listened to him carefully.
When it came to Ning Zhou again, Qi Leren‘s mood had
calmed down, and he could describe him calmly and
objectively, instead of being indignant. Qi Leren didn‘t say too
much about Ning Zhou, and his skills were basically vague in
the past, even his name didn‘t come out. He only said that they
defeated Ye Xia, finished the task, and didn‘t say anything after
returning to the Village of Dusk.
Su He listened quietly. He was really an expert listener, never
giving random opinions or asking questions about things he
didn‘t want to say.
―That‘s probably it. What do you think?‖ Qi Leren said wistfully.
Su He‘s hands were folded and placed beside the teacup. The
index fingers of his left and right hands were constantly
changing positions up and down. He seems to be thinking
about something. In the empty and silent world under the blue
sky and white clouds, he had been silent for a long time, and
then sighed lightly: ―The person you mentioned is a man.‖
Qi Leren took a sip of fragrant black tea from the teacup to
cover up his complicated mood at this moment: ―How did you
find out?‖
―A lot of details. You deliberately avoided mentioning him in
many places, unless you had to mention him. You only said
what you did: you risked your life to distract the bone dragon
for him, and loaded the file for him three times in a row at the
last moment, but you never mentioned his reaction. But I can
guess even if you don‘t say it. Unless you‘re a hard-hearted
person, how can you be indifferent to such a person? You
must have met later, but the result was regrettable. Most
importantly, you didn‘t use any words referring to the opposite
sex to describe him. You only said 'that person‘, and even once
you used the word 'goddess‘ by a slip of the tongue, but you
immediately corrected to 'that person‘. Combined with the fact
that this copy would make men temporarily change into a
woman‘s appearance, you can easily think of the answer
before you start your statement.‖ Su He spoke his analysis
slowly, and every point was concise.
In front of Su He, it was very difficult for Qi Leren to hide
himself.
―Yes, as you guessed, we met once after the mission, and
then… there was no more.‖ Qi Leren gave a wry smile. He
didn‘t say anything about sweeping the grave, let alone telling
Ning Zhou‘s ring. It was like a secret between them, or even a
secret that belonged to just him.
Because Ning Zhou wouldn‘t know - and even he doesn‘t know
why - he took the ring.
 Chapter 87: Castle Cry (XIV)

―I should say ‗I‘m sorry‘ to you, but I don‘t think you want to
hear such boring words of comfort,‖ Su He took a sip of black
tea, put down the beautiful white porcelain teacup and said.
Qi Leren propped up his side face and looked at the boundless
blue sky outside the tower, making a muffled sound.
―Actually… I don‘t quite understand.‖ Su He‘s voice called back
Qi Leren‘s attention. He frowned slightly and showed a puzzled
expression. ―In my opinion, there is no essential difference
between men and women. They are both human beings, and
their spirits are intertwined. All attractive characteristics and all
beautiful characters will not be different because the other
party is male or female.‖
Su He smiled, looked Qi Leren in the eyes, and said seriously:
―If I would fall in love with you as a woman, I would definitely
fall in love with you as a man, because you have the same
soul, which is unchanged by gender differences.‖
The speed of Su He‘s was slow and his voice was gentle, and
his gaze even gave Qi Leren the illusion that he was special to
Su He. This kind of thought made him a little uneasy. He
immediately expressed an objection: ―It‘s still different…
There‘s a natural attraction between men and women. Even if
they don‘t like it, they can‘t help but pay special attention…‖
―Are you trying to talk about sexual attraction?‖ Su He asked
with a smile.
―Ah?‖ Qi Leren is a bit stunned.
Su He put his chin in his hand, looking at him leisurely with an
unfathomable smile: ―It depends on skill. All kinds of… skills. ‖
Qi Leren felt that he seemed to understand something that he
would rather not. He coughed twice: ―We‘re going too far.‖
―Ah, because the speed that time flows in the field is very
different from the outside world, before I knew it I forgot that
we‘re still in the task. It really is a pleasure to chat with you…
Let‘s get down to business.‖ Su He sat up straight, put his
hands on the table, and asked solemnly, ―Do you want to get
rid of that thing behind your neck?‖
Get rid of the seed of slaughter? Qi Leren raised his head in
astonishment and stared at Su He. At that time, he seemed not
to understand.
―You heard me right. As I said before, I‘ve done some research
on the power of demons. I guess the demon mark on you
should be a seed of slaughter. This thing can really enhance
people‘s combat effectiveness in a short time, but it will
gradually erode the person‘s reason. You‘ll find it more and
more difficult to control it until one day… you completely
become its slave.‖
Warm sun fell on the tower. They were on the terrace under a
circular dome supported by four pillars at the top of the tower.
Airy flowed in from all sides, with a fence that was only half the
height of a person surrounding the terrace. The Village of
Dawn in Su He‘s field was sunny and breezy, but Qi Leren‘s
mood was indescribably heavy.
He wanted to say yes without hesitation, so that he could
immediately get rid of this dangerous ticking time bomb, but he
still remembered his contract with the Court. Did he want to
break the contract? Should he do this?
―How do I get rid of it?‖ Qi Leren asked with a hard expression.
―It‘s a bit complicated, and you need to go to a place far away.
If you like, I‘ll take you there after this task is over. I‘m afraid
you won‘t be able to go back to the Village of Dusk for a while.‖
Su He‘s proposal was incredibly tempting. ―There are still many
unknown places in the Nightmare World. There are all kinds of
wonderful things. Naturally, there are ways to remove the
Devil‘s mark… I can‘t be 100% sure, but still 70% to 80%.
Even if you don‘t succeed, I will help you think of other ways. In
short, I won‘t watch you go to a dead end.‖
-I won‘t watch you go to a dead end. Qi Leren‘s heart cramped
painfully, and his eyes were a little wet. He didn‘t tell anyone
about it, and he didn‘t dare to tell others how isolated he had
been, constantly injured, constantly dying, resigned to his fate,
with the road ahead uncertain. No one could share his
pressure, not only about his own life and death, but even about
the fate of this Nightmare Game.
He was afraid that he would suddenly die one day and never
be able to revive again, and then this heavy secret would be
buried with him in this world, together with the hope of
redemption that no one knew.
For a moment, he wanted to tell Su He everything and tell him
the secret of the Nightmare Game. He was much better than
him. Maybe he had a way to solve it easily and could save the
world.
But when his lips moved, the bloody words in the drawer
reappeared in his mind - keep the secret. He choked on the
words that had come to his lips, swallowing them back.
Qi Leren closed his eyes for a long time. He said in a hoarse
voice, ―Thank you. But… I‘m sorry, but I‘m afraid I have to
disappoint your kindness.‖
He had to refuse. If he didn‘t refuse, sooner or later he wouldn‘t
be able to help himself from telling everything.
There was an inaudible sigh from the wind: ―Is that so? I see.‖
―I‘m really sorry,‖ Qi Leren apologized again.
Su He shook his head. ―I know you must have your reasons. If
you need my help one day, you can contact me and I‘ll help
you find a way.‖
Qi Leren nodded silently, and his inner doubts came up again:
―But why…‖
Why help him?
Su He‘s calm expression finally revealed a faint confusion and
melancholy: ―I don‘t know. People are always faced with many
choices in their life. Sometimes, you don‘t even know why you
do something. Just like this time, I understand why I came
here, and the system won‘t make the same mistake twice.
Suppose the last time it was because the killer disturbed the
order of the Novice Village, what about this time? Why is that
this time, the system issued a false alarm?‖
Qi Leren‘s nerves suddenly tightened, and cold sweat flowed
down his back. How could he forget? Su He didn‘t appear here
to catch up with him! Under the gentle appearance, his keen
observation has already seen through him. How many things
had he found?
―I…‖ Qi Leren tried to say something, but Su He gently put his
index finger on his lips and stopped what he had not yet said.
―Don‘t say it.‖ Su He and said.
―But why…‖ Qi Leren really doesn‘t understand Su He.
―Don‘t ask either.‖ Su He added.
―……‖
―When I make a choice at this moment, it is not your own
business. For now it‘s our secret, but if you say it now, I can‘t
help you keep it a secret. Don‘t ask me why, I‘ve said many
times that people will always make choices they don‘t
understand.‖ Su He smiled wryly. ―But now that you have made
a choice, never regret it.‖
Qi Leren‘s heart was stuck in panic, and the impulse to talk
about everything reappeared, but he still couldn‘t say it.
Keep your promises and keep your secrets, even if you have to
lie.
―I… I still have some questions… About this task, there seems
to be something involving devil worship.‖ Qi Leren forced
himself to divert his attention and took the time to ask Su He,
who had done a lot of research on it.
Su He listened carefully to what he said. Even if the two had
just had a regrettable conversation, even if his kindness had
been rejected, his tolerance and self-cultivation made him
show no negative emotions, and he was as calm as ever.
It was not until Qi Leren finished telling the story of his battle
with the crazy lady and how he‘d lost control of the seed of
slaughter to kill her that Su He said: ―Before, Dr. Lu also told
me about the task this time. You‘ve found something very
interesting.‖
―What do you mean?‖
―In the past few years, many players have found that demon
power has appeared in copy worlds outside the main world, but
it‘s not clear why the demons in the main world interfere with
the copy worlds. Even though its existence has become very
common, the system will not report errors on these
contaminated copies, nor will it purify the copies. There will be
some unusual changes in these polluted copy worlds, at least
in terms of difficulty, so many players have encountered copies
that exceed their own strength, causing accidental death,‖ Su
He explained.
―…‖ Well, it seemed that it wasn‘t all his lucky value that made
this D difficulty so difficult. Qi Leren felt a little relieved.
―But you still made a lot of mistakes during the boss fight,
otherwise you could have solved this crazy lady more simply.
Of course, it‘s also possible that I‘m looking at the problem
from your narrative point of view, but I‘m caught in a
misunderstanding.‖ Su He smiled apologetically and seemed a
little embarrassed to point out his mistakes. ―Do you want to
hear it?‖
―Of course!‖ Qi Leren said without thinking.
―The first one is about the haunting shadows. They appeared
for the first time when you were climbing down with your
mobile phone for lighting, and for the second time after the
candles in the basement came on, but after your explosion
caused most of the candles to go out and you were in the dark,
they disappeared. The third time was after the crazy lady
howled when the extinguished candles came on again, but at
this time the shadows couldn‘t hurt you, who was controlled by
the seed of slaughter. Obviously, these shadows appear
because of the appearance of a light source, so the light
source you carry should not face yourself and it is better to
extinguish them, including those candles. Considering that this
is a two-person copy, the two players should cooperate with
each other, but you were alone, which made the situation you
faced in isolation even more dangerous. This was the first
mistake. ‖ Su He calmly said his analysis.
Qi Leren suffered a wake up call. Yes, the shadows that
scared him were not difficult to deal with, but he couldn‘t think
this kind of problem through calmly in such a time of crisis.
―Second, when you were against Mrs Crazy, you completely
adopted the method of confrontation, but do you remember?
You said that at first she held a doll and put it carefully on the
rocking chair. After defeating the crazy lady, you grabbed the
doll. It seemed to be a reactive living thing. I‘m afraid this doll is
not simple, because it‘s linked to the clue of the crazy lady‘s
miscarriage. This doll should be her weakness. If you went
straight to the doll at the beginning and killed it, maybe the
battle would have ended sooner. The other is the devil
sacrifice. I think these things are not just to reveal the truth of
that year to the players, but to have an impact on the boss, but
you didn‘t bring one. All of them were left with Dr. Lu.‖
Qi Leren nodded solemnly.
―The last point is not a mistake with the boss fight,‖ Su He
suddenly laughed, and his beautiful eyebrows were gentle in
the glow. ―You unexpectedly hit the wall and forced yourself to
wake up from the seed‘s control.‖
Qi Leren touched his forehead and smiled bitterly: ―I couldn‘t
help it…‖
―But I think you still had a choice,‖ Su He laughed.
―What?‖ Qi Leren‘s voice just fell, and an idea flashed in his
brain.
―I remember you saved the file before being controlled by the
seed of slaughter. If the save time allowed…‖ Su He‘s voice
dropped and finally turned into a faint sigh. ―I‘m not sure about
the principle of your skills, but it‘s possible that the seed of
slaughter would be 'degraded‘ back to the save state at that
moment because of your loading of the file. For you now, one
less outbreak means that you can live longer. Whether loading
the file or the seed‘s effects are more harmful, you can judge it
yourself.‖
Qi Leren opened his mouth, but couldn‘t say if it was in
surprise or helplessness. He still had to rely on the S/L skill to
survive. Su He‘s guess should be correct. If he deliberately
activated the seed of slaughter after saving, and then
committed suicide to load the file, then with his death the seed
of slaughter should also return to its state at the point of the
save, but the premise was that he had to grasp the short
moment of clarity, otherwise he would fall under the control of
the seed.
Su He stood up, walked slowly behind him, and said gently,
―Look down and let me have a look at it.‖
Qi Leren lowered his head. The back collar of his clothes was
gently pulled open, and cool air poured down his neck, which
made him shiver. Su He‘s finger touched it in the place where it
stung from time to time. It was a little cold and itchy.
―The spread of the seed is usually through specific
ceremonies, but I believe that you wouldn‘t turn into a
worshipper of Slaughter, so was it an accidental infection?‖ Su
He asked, standing behind him.
―Hmm.‖ Qi Leren talked simply about the accident on the
spaceship.
―In such a short period of time, its growth rate has exceeded
the normal level,‖ Su He sighed, adjusted his open collar for
him, and then returned to his seat. ―It‘s almost time to leave,
let‘s go.‖
Qi Leren clutched his neck and nodded silently.
In the field, the world of the Village of Dawn began to darken,
and in the blink of an eye, they had returned to the castle.
 Chapter 88: Castle Cry (XV)

{cw: discussion of miscarriage, gore}

As soon as they returned to the copy world, they saw Dr. Lu
standing with them, staring at their hands that were still in a
handshake and seeing them move. He was also surprised: ―So
fast? Just five or six seconds!‖
―The flow of time in the field is very different from that outside.
We talked inside for nearly an hour,‖ Su He said.
With his mouth open, Dr. Lu said with envy, ―It‘s so good, can‘t
you just rest in the field? Can you be healed in the field if
you‘re injured?‖
Su He smiled and said, ―I haven‘t evolved my field enough to
bring my body inside, and there are still many restrictions
within the field. If it‘s my own task, it should be impossible to
open the field during the task, as the system has restrictions on
this.‖
―Oh…‖ Dr. Lu was a little disappointed, and then cheered up.
―Should we go back? Look, the door has appeared. ‖
Qi Leren also looked back at the castle door, which stood there
as if it had never disappeared.
―Eh? Are you going to finish your task? At present, your
completion is only… 45%.‖ Su He closed his eyes, as if to
confirm some information, and then reported the task
completion to them.
―30% can get 20 survival days!‖ Dr Lu said happily, not greedy
at all.
Su He seemed to be surprised by his unproductive attitude,
and then looked at Qi Leren, who was hesitating and had been
caught red-handed secretly glancing at Su He.
―Do you want to encourage us to fight again?‖ Qi Leren asked
Su He.
Dr. Lu looked him dead in the eyes and said: ―This is the
rhythm of playing the true ending. You nearly bashed in your
head to get the simple ending, and you want to play the true
ending…‖
Su He looked at them with a smile: ―Isn‘t there me?‖
―Huh?‖ Dr. Lu looked at him in surprise. ―But you don‘t have
any skill cards that can be used in this kind of investigation
task, do you?‖
Qi Leren wasn‘t surprised. Just now, he felt that Su He was
helpful.
―I can use this. If you encounter any danger later, I‘ll rely on
you.‖ Su He pointed to his forehead and said calmly. He spoke
naturally, without showing off, but this confident attitude
infected the two, and they couldn‘t help believing him.
―Well said well said, this time we want to get a big prize! Qi
Leren, you have to protect Su He! Every hair on his head!‖ Dr.
Lu didn‘t have a practical concept of Su He‘s strength, and he
couldn‘t use his skill card, so he subconsciously put him on the
same level as himself.
Qi Leren, with a slap in the mouth, felt that Su He meant that if
they were in danger, they had to find a way to protect
themselves. He only provided consultation and help, but did
not provide combat support. Although he suspected that Su He
could beat all the monsters in this copy without skill cards, he
didn‘t think that such senior players would rely on skill cards.
―Where do we start?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Although both of you have told me about this mission, it‘s
inevitable that there are gaps. I have doubts about several
points. The first one is the NPC Nina. Unfortunately, now we‘re
in the world outer, and it will take at least an hour to see her.‖
Su He played with his cane and thought, ―But I think I should
go to the room at the end of the corridor on the first floor. I
have some vague guesses that need to be verified.‖
―Well, we just haven‘t been to Nina‘s room in the outer world.‖
Qi Leren recalled the course of action he and Dr. Lu had taken
before, and he really didn‘t go to that room when he was in the
outer world.
―What‘s wrong with that room?‖ Dr. Lu asked.
―Many questions. The most direct one, why is the door of a
room locked from the outside?‖ Su He asked.
―Uh…‖ Dr. Lu froze.
Then Qi Leren realized what the sense of unease was when he
first heard Nina‘s call. There was also a small room in the big
room at the end of the corridor, and it was a separate room,
but this room has two locks inside and outside - Qi Leren had
noticed before, this door had an internal lock. Now looking
back, the lock outside should have been added later, a very
rough lock, which could be opened only by being snapped, and
there was no standard lock that needed a key to be opened.
―Do you suspect there‘s a problem with Nina?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―I don‘t want to rule out this possibility until I find enough
clues,‖ Su He said calmly.
―I told you before that I saw an illusion after I found the third
devil sacrifice in the basement. In that illusion, Nina released
the crazy lady who was locked in the basement. I think she
may be… a good person,‖ Qi Leren thought.
―But it‘s also possible that she had a different motive.‖ Dr. Lu
touched his chin and said, ―Why did she help the crazy lady
escape? Because she was loyal to the crazy lady? I think she‘s
quite suspicious. When we asked about the crazy lady‘s
miscarriage, her tone… oh, it was guilty.‖
Dr. Lu said: ―And the male owner of this castle is also very
strange. After his wife miscarried and went crazy, he locked
her in the dark basement. They seemed to be very loving
before, so this would be strange if there was no problem.‖
―Adeline,‖ Qi Leren said a name. The crazy lady seemed to
believe that this woman named Adeline was the chief culprit of
her miscarriage. She took away Johann‘s love, but she said
Adeline was a kind and stupid woman, which was very
contradictory. Besides, Adeline was already dead.
―This name is a bit familiar…‖ Dr. Lu scratched his head. ―Oh,
Johann mentioned Adeline in his diary. It seems to be a friend
of the crazy lady, but I think she and Johann seemed to be in a
bit of a situation.‖
―You mentioned this. Are the diaries and letters still there? Let
me see,‖ Su He said.
―I kept them with me.‖ Dr. Lu handed Su He the diary and letter
he had found in his study.
Su He‘s reading speed was very fast, and he only glanced at it
and returned it: ―The situation is more complicated… Let‘s go
and see Nina first.‖
Done talking, the three headed for Nina‘s corridor. There was
no electrical lighting in the world. Su He still hand in his hand
the candlestick that had been found in some unknown place,
and Dr. Lu also held a flashlight. Only Qi Leren, whose mobile
phone had died, had to walk behind them, while planning to go
back to the second floor later and get his flashlight back from
the piano room.
―Hahahahaha … Adeline, Johann, stop!‖ Strange laughter
came from a distance behind him. The three people
immediately turned back. Outside the corridor, a familiar figure
ran to the stairs. She wore a long dress and laughed as she
ran all the way. The strange laughter that was like crying
permeated the dark.
―Nan Lu!‖ Dr. Lu recognized her.
She‘s gotten worse, Qi Leren thought with worry. Dr. Lu said
before that Nan Lu was scared away after he entered the
basement. At that time, he had a bad feeling. Now it had been
fulfilled: ―Let‘s go and see, maybe it‘s the plot.‖
The three people then ran back, and as soon as they entered
the hall, they saw three people confronting each other on the
landing of the curved staircase.
Under the empty copper frame, Nan Lu, dressed in a gown,
held Xiao Hong‘s right hand, while Luo Xueyi, who was also
dressed in a gown, held Xiao Hong‘s left hand. The two women
pulled Xiao Hong, who was the only one sane, from left to
right. He shouted in horror: ―Don‘t pull! It‘s going to break, it‘s
going to break! Let go!‖
―Adeline! You let go!‖ Nan Lu screamed and shouted.
Luo Xueyi took Xiao Hong‘s arm and giggled: ―Who is Adeline?
Adeline is dead, I am not Adeline, I am Sarah, Sarah von
Wolff, I am you!‖
―Let go, please, let go! It hurts, it hurts, ahhh-!‖ The severe pain
made Xiao Hong‘s face redden and shed tears. He cried
bitterly, but the two women who pulled him from left to right
had inhuman power and he couldn‘t escape at all.
―Get out of here, you‘re dead! Go back to hell and keep the
devil company! Never appear again, go away, go away!‖ The
screams of Nan Lu were piercing and bitter, and there was a
faint trace of fear.
Luo Xueyi smiled at her, then at Xiao Hong who was crying for
mercy, giggling, and catching Xiao Hong‘s arm with her other
hand, and then pulling hard-
The harsh light of thunder and lightning lit up outside the
window, accompanied by a rolling clap of thunder. Xiao Hong‘s
screams come to an abrupt end, and a disgusting tearing
sound followed by something wet, like the sound of torn
fabrics, like the sound of soaked sponges being torn apart, and
then the sound of rain falling on the ground…
There was a bloody rain on the landing of the stairs, and
internal organs fell to the ground. Xiao Hong‘s body seemed to
have been split by a mysterious force from head to toe,
perfectly divided into two halves. Luo Xueyi dragged a bloody
half of his body and ran to the higher staircase while laughing
crazily. Her dress, which was exactly the same as the crazy
lady in the portrait, was covered with blood, and two long
bloody marks were dragged out on the ground together with
Xiao Hong‘s half-body.
Nan Lu gawked at the half body in her hands. Only half of his
brain had fallen out of his skull, half hanging on the bloody
bone, leaving only the nerve connecting the brain to keep it
from rolling to the ground, but the internal organs were not
treated so well, and the body split down the middle could no
longer stop the bloody intestines and internal organs from
flowing all over the floor.
She suddenly began to cry, holding only half the body to sob,
and the cry echoed in the dark.
 Chapter 89: Castle Cry (XVI)

This absurd and bloody scene shocked the three people. At

least, Qi Leren had been stunned. He had witnessed death
before, but such a tragic and shocking way of dying still made
him feel scared. It took a good half-day to realize that he
should do something.
He took a step forward, stopped again, and looked back at Su
He.
Su He looked at the tragedy on the far away landing, and his
eyebrows were slightly frowned. When he saw Qi Leren
looking at him, he also stepped forward: ―Go and see.‖
Qi Leren finally steeled himself and walked boldly to the stairs.
In the dark light, Nan Lu, who was kneeling in a pool of blood,
hugged Xiao Hong, who was only half left. The tears mixed
with his blood that soiled her beautiful dress. She muttered:
―You‘re mine… It‘s mine…‖
When Qi Leren stepped on the first set of stairs, a hound
barked on the stairs to the second floor. He suddenly looked
up. The burnt hound slowly came down the stairs and stood
beside Nan Lu, barking at them.
South Lu seemed to wake up with a start. She picked up the
body on the ground and ran for her life towards the stairs
above. The half of Xiao Hong‘s body was like a blood bag, with
blood streaming, dragging out shocking blood on the ground.
The hound crouched beside the blood pool that looked like it
was from a slaughterhouse, showing its dense teeth to them. It
wasn‘t until Nan Lu disappeared from the top of the stairs that
it walked back slowly, ignoring them.
―Is that the dog you met before?‖ Dr. Lu asked from behind the
two people.
―Hmm… but this time it didn‘t attack us?‖ Qi Leren said in
confusion.
―This must be the result of two EX-lucks saving an E-luck,‖ Dr.
Lu spoke out.
Unable to refute, Qi Leren rolled his eyes.
Su He squatted down beside the pool of blood and looked at
the scattered internal organs on the ground for a while. ―Did
you see how the NPC‘s body was divided into two just now? It
stands to reason that two people pulling him at most could
cause his arm to break. It‘s impossible to have such a clean
tear.‖
―I only saw a flash of lightning outside the window, and Xiao
Hong became two halves. I didn‘t see anything else,‖ Qi Leren
said.
―Looks like they didn‘t accomplish cutting their legs, but were
instead struck by lightning. When those girls said they‘d tear it
apart, they meant it, not at all being vague,‖ Dr. Lu told a cold
joke.
―It‘s probably that the Devil‘s power has infected the two NPCs,
so they have abnormal strength and abilities. I‘m afraid the
inside story of this copy isn‘t simple,‖ Su He said, standing up.
―Devil‘s power?‖ Dr. Lu muttered. Qi Leren hadn‘t told him
about being parasitized, so he didn‘t know anything about the
Devil‘s power.
―A kind of energy related to the Devil, I and Qi Leren can
perceive some. At present, this copy should be inseparable
from the Devil,‖ Su He said and looked up at the upper stairs.
―Let‘s go up and have a look. Listen to their footsteps. They
should be on the third floor. Have you been to the third floor
yet?‖
Both of them shook their heads. It was dangerous to go
anywhere in the castle. In addition, the space was too large,
and it wasn‘t easy to collect clues. The two men had circled on
the first and second floors.
―Before, you said that there is a key to the second floor. There
should be no nursery on the second floor?‖ Su He asked.
―No, the nursery is probably on the third floor. We didn‘t plan to
go deep into the story before, so we didn‘t go to the nursery,‖
Qi Leren said.
―If you want to go, you have to find the key. I‘m good at this,‖
Dr. Lu said proudly.
Su He nodded and said to Qi Leren, ―It‘s very likely that you‘ll
meet the dog before you go up. How are you going to deal with
it?‖
Qi Leren looked at Su He‘s concerned eyes and silently
swallowed the words ―just do it or not‖: ―I brought three
miniature bombs, and now there are two left, so I should be
able to kill the dog.‖
―If you‘re not sure, let‘s go to the piano room on the second
floor to get the dog collar. If my guess is correct, picking it up
will attract the dog, and you can set traps to deal with it in
advance.‖ Su He expressed his speculation according to the
previous experience Qi Leren had.
Qi Leren nodded eagerly, completely ignoring the way.
Before he could speak, there was a sharp barking sound over
his head, which mingled with the sound of metal crashing,
rumbling. The three men looked up, just in time to see the
charred hound being hit by something, and fell hard on the
landing of the second floor. The sound of clanging came, and
Qi Leren whispered: ―It‘s that armor!‖
―It‘s not a monster in this world?!‖ Lu doctor cried in a low
voice.
"Armor can‘t be easily burned, so it‘s normal for it to appear in
the outer world after the fire,‖ Su He said.
The hound shot up again, barking and rushing at the armour,
which swung an iron fist without a sword, and beat it to the
ground again. The hound fell to the ground and rolled, making
a whoop of a scream.
―Redmond, come back, Redmond!‖ From the third floor, there
came Nan Lu‘s cry. The hound barely climbed up from the
ground before it ran in the direction of the voice.
The armor stood on the stairs, the heavy metal body was as
tall as a mountain, and the heavy oppressive feeling was even
greater than that in this world.
It moved!
With a deafening sound, the armor ran down the stairs with a
long sword! Every step on the worn wooden stairs brought a
tremor to the ground.
―Oh my god, it‘s coming down!‖ Dr. Lu whined and rushed to
run.
Qi Leren was a little panicked, as he met this armor without
psychological preparation. What can I do now? Use miniature
bombs?
The armor came down very fast, and it was already on the
platform almost in the blink of an eye. When Qi Leren‘s S/L
skill was used to beat the crazy lady in the basement -
although he didn‘t load the file after using it - he still had the
Easter egg in hand, but this rare resurrection prop was meant
to be used as a last resort for when your hand reached the
bottom of the box.
Fight!
Qi Leren was ready to take out the iron rod from his inventory
and fight the resurrected armor, but before he could come
forward, Su He suddenly threw something and said, ―Take it!‖
Qi Leren reached out and grabbed it. It was a rope. He looked
at Su He and suddenly understood what he wanted to do.
The armor running down the stairs was getting closer and
closer. Qi Leren and Su He each took one end of the rope,
quickly distanced themselves from each other, and crouched
down on both sides of the stairs in a posture that was ready for
retreat. Dr. Lu stood blankly at the bottom of the stairs,
suddenly realizing that he should run away, and turned to run
down the stairs.
The armor is very fast, and when it came to the rope, it was too
late for it to brake. The rope that was not as high as its knee
tripped it perfectly. The heavy armor fell down under the
momentum, and its strength was so great that it almost made
the coarse hemp rope in Qi Leren‘s hands slip.
The armor that fell down the stairs made a heavy noise. At the
moment when the body touched the ground, its helmet,
gauntlets, and sword all fell out and turned into separate metal
parts, which were scattered all over the floor. What was
shocking was that with the separation of the armor, broken
bones were revealed inside the armor, which were obviously a
skeleton.
Dr. Lu, who squatted on the ground with his head in his arms,
opened his mouth wide: ―Can you still play like this? This is too
easy.‖
Su He slowly put away the rope: ―It was worth a try.‖
Qi Leren had a bit of recollection: ―What if it reacted quickly
and didn‘t trip? Or tripped and it didn‘t fall apart? What if the
skeleton inside comes alive?‖
Su He smiled mysteriously. After letting it hang in suspense, he
said slowly, ―Then run.‖
Qi Leren: ―…‖
Dr. Lu: ―…‖
―But this task is D-level difficulty. Even with the interference of
demon power and the true ending route, the difficulty will not
exceed B-level at most. Under this difficulty, monsters other
than the boss will not be too difficult to deal with, or there are
opportunistic methods. As long as you respond quickly and
observe keenly.‖ After appreciating their ever-changing
expressions, Su He gave a reasonable explanation.
Qi Leren agreed and nodded. It was even more difficult to
figure out a way to deal with the armor in the heat of the
moment. Su He was rich in experience, so he could solve
monsters with the simplest props and terrain. He was an elder
player from the Village of Dusk. Even if he didn‘t use the skill
card, dealing with this difficult a task was a simple matter.
―This skeleton is a bit interesting…‖ Su He stood on the stairs
and looked at the skeleton that had fallen on the ground and
become shattered, showing an interested look.
―Look what I found!‖ Dr. Lu suddenly cried joyfully, having
found a bunch of keys from the pile of metal parts and skeleton
fragments on the ground, and shook them excitedly.
―It should be the keys to the third floor. Well done,‖ Su He
praised him. The light here was too dark, and he hadn‘t noticed
the ring of keys hidden in the armor.
Dr. Lu ran up with the key and handed them to Su He.
Qi Leren was no stranger to his companion‘s talent in finding
things. Instead, he had doubts about this armor: ―Su He, why
do you think this armor fought with that dog just now?‖
Su He rubbed the keys in his hands, hesitated and said, ―I
have a theory. At present, the NPCs and monsters that have
appeared in this castle are as follows: four drama characters,
the maid Nina, the crazy lady boss, the active armor, the burnt
hound, white bones, and skeletons. Bones and skeletons are
undoubtedly the former servants of this castle, with the
weakest strength and no intelligence. They should be
controlled by the will of the crazy lady, and attack all creatures
that enter their sphere of influence. The burnt hound is also
controlled by the crazy lady - now it should be controlled by
Nan Lu. She called it away just now. But the skeleton in the
armor, it is obviously not controlled by the crazy lady. So there
is the question: who is it?‖
Dr. Lu jokingly said: ―It‘s probably a self-motivated skeleton. It
felt that wearing clothes is too mainstream, so it had to wear
armor. It immediately evolved from white bones to an armor
skeleton, became an elite monster, and then rebelled.‖
Su He: ―…‖
Qi Leren: ―…‖
Qi Leren leaned against the handrail of the stairs and
pondered: ―According to what you said, would the skull and
bones in this armor be the male host Johann?‖
Su He nodded with a smile: ―Your idea coincides with mine.
Imagine that when the crazy lady was killing people
everywhere, the male host John might hide in the armor
because of fear. As a result, the crazy lady couldn‘t find him
and set fire to the castle. He was burned to death before he
could escape, so he became such a monster. Armor, as an
ornament, should represent men in a symbolic sense, and it
also means strength and power, so he preferred this identity.
The armor is the will of the male owner. In this case, it‘s
understandable that it would be at conflict with the hound,
because the hound Redmond guards the crazy lady.‖
Dr. Lu snorted twice: ―It seems that this couple is still turning
against each other.‖
―I‘m afraid this is inevitable,‖ Su He sighed.
―Why?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―In fact, I can see from their names. Johann‘s letter to Dr.
Flajser has his signature. His name is Johann Sebastian Wolff.
Mrs. Sarah‘s full name was given by Luo Xueyi just now. Her
name is Sarah von Wolff. There is a ‗von‘ in Mrs. Sarah‘s last
name, which is a symbol of noble birth in Germany. If Mr.
Johann was a noble, he would never miss this word when
signing his name, so he is probably not of noble birth. This task
has never mentioned what title he had. On the contrary, this
Mrs. Sarah must be a big noble,‖ Su He analyzed. ―Johann‘s
diary mentioned that she didn‘t want to live in the city after she
came here, but built a castle. This castle was paid for by her.
She should be a very rich lady due to inherit a lot of property.‖
―Wow, the silk is soaked in Bai Fumei‘s inspirational story, but
unfortunately Bai Fumei has mental illness.‖ Lu doctor
immediately extrapolated from the conspiracy theory to guess,
―He knew Mrs. Sarah had a family genetic mental illness, but
still married her, this is either true love or for money. When
doing business in China during the war, it was difficult to hide
from people‘s eyes and ears, so did he come here to make a
fortune from her legacy? ‖
―This possibility isn‘t ruled out,‖ Su He said. ―If Mrs. Sarah had
no mental illness inherited from her family, I‘m afraid that her
family would not easily have agreed to this marriage.‖
Qi Leren couldn‘t help recalling the crazy behavior and
shouting of the crazy lady in the basement.
There was still a copper frame on the wall of the landing, which
was illuminated by lightning again and again in this stormy
night. He remembered that in this portrait of the inner world,
she held her dog and snuggled up to her handsome and
elegant husband. Her smile was full of happiness, and her
husband also looked at her gently, loving and tender.
It was a wonderful time that they wished to go back to, to
witness that they once loved each other.
 Chapter 90: Castle Cry (XVII)

With the deepening of the plot, the fire in the old castle didn‘t
look like an ordinary fire accident anymore. Since the
involvement of the devil worship, the situation had become
more and more complicated.
Dr. Lu also suspected Johann, the male owner of the castle,
and guessed whether he sacrificed his wife to the Devil.
However, Su He put forward an objection: ―It should not be
wrong that the person making the sacrifice was Mrs. Sarah.
She has the best motive and the source of the sacrifice is also
her. The current offerings include her hair, teeth, and eyeballs.
The remaining three may also be integral parts of her body, or
they may be related to her. I suggest finding these things
before the final battle, as they‘re related to the completion of
the task.‖
―That she sacrificed to the Devil was for the sake of what? To
pray for yourself to get pregnant, or to pray for your child to
come back from the dead?‖ Dr. Lu asked again.
Qi Leren shook his head: ―I don‘t think so.‖
Judging from the phantoms he has seen so far, the crazy lady
loved her child, but she loved her husband more. The trigger of
the miscarriage made her inherited mental illness break out,
and her mental problems aggravated her love and madness.
As Nina said, she suspected that her husband was unfaithful to
her. And the source of this suspicion… I‘m afraid was that
woman named Adeline.
According to Johann‘s diary, Mrs. Sarah and Adeline should
have been friends or relatives who grew up together since
childhood, they were not blood-related sisters, but Adeline had
died before they came to China.
Judging from the situation with Nan Lu, who seems to be
possessed by the crazy lady, she seemed to be jealous of
Adeline and thought that she was being haunted…
―There are six sacrifices. Why that number?‖ Dr. Lu asked Su
He.
―Well… Probably because in the Nightmare World, 6 is the
number representing the Devils.‖ Su He said quietly, ―Numbers
are very interesting in the Nightmare World. Many numbers
have special meanings. For example, 4 stands for luck and 7
stands for ‗I love you‘. If you want to express your confession
to an NPC, you can send her seven red roses, and 77 will also
do.‖
―It‘s a few roses less expensive than on earth,‖ Dr. Lu spat and
followed Su He up the stairs.
―Still not leaving?‖ The two people who had stepped up the
stairs to look for the nursery on the third floor found that Qi
Leren was still in a daze.
Qi Leren made a noise in answer, recovered from his
meditative state, and continued to go up.
Maybe there would be more clues for him later.
The lay-out of the third floor was similar to that of the second
floor, and the number of rooms was not far behind. Qi Leren
singled Dr. Lu out for the first time: ―It‘s time to play your role.
Feel which room is the baby room.‖
Dr. Lu angrily said, ―Do you think I am a B-ultrasound probe?!
How do I know which one before opening the door!‖
―You‘re not a small expert in finding things,‖ Qi Leren inclined
his gaze.
Dr. Lu snorted and took the keys to try the door. Qi Leren and
Su He studied the blood on the ground. Two blood stains
spread from the stairs to the corridor on the third floor, and
dragged all the way to the depths of the corridor. This terrible
blood was naturally from the torn-in-half Xiao Hong, and it
looked terrible.
―Are we going to follow it?‖ Qi Leren asked Su He.
Su He shook his head slowly. ―Don‘t worry. I think that direction
should be the last boss battle.‖
―Eh?‖ Qi Leren made a voice of doubt. ―It can‘t happen there.‖
Su He smiled and pointed over his head: ―To be precise, it‘s
above.‖
―Above,‖ Qi Leren looked up and looked at the ceiling,
suddenly saying, ―You mean the garden on the roof?‖
―Well, there should be a staircase at the end of the corridor
leading to the garden at the top of the castle. The blood can be
said to show us the way, and maybe we will meet the dog, so
let‘s collect some clues, lest the completion be too low,‖ Su He
said steadily.
Qi Leren nodded hard. The biggest advantage of having Su He
was that he could stop thinking. His IQ could only be said to be
average. It was really painful to rack one‘s brains for the task.
Now he had a plug-in with him, which made him feel a lot
easier. He just needed to go up and work hard when it was
needed… Although it was really ―high-level‖.
Unfortunately, when Dr. Lu opened the door, a skeleton
dressed as a maid was found in one of the rooms, and he was
so scared that he was crying and screaming. Qi Leren had no
choice but to come forward to escort him. As the mascot to
raise his lucky value, Dr. Lu could never afford to lose.
Dr. Lu squatted in the corner sadly and waited for Qi Leren to
deal with the skeleton. Su He looked at him condescendingly,
suddenly sighed and said seriously, ―Although luck is important
sometimes, luck alone is not enough.‖
Dr. Lu mumbled something twice and whispered, ―I know, but I
just can‘t get past that hurdle… No matter what difficult things I
encounter, from small to large, I‘ll always solve them
inexplicably and go smoothly… I…‖
Su He squatted down with him and patted him on the shoulder
kindly: ―I understand that it‘s not easy to change who you‘ve
been for the past twenty years. The choice is whether you
change quickly or die quickly.‖
Dr. Lu glanced at him begrudgingly and felt that he was
covered with dead flags.
―Okay!‖ Three or two hits solved the skeleton. Qi Leren
shouted ahead. They stood up. Dr. Lu continued to open the
doors. This time, he finally found the right room.
The dusty door was opened, and the window facing the door
was also sealed with wooden bars. The window was already
broken a long time ago. The rain and water outside the window
were blown into the room with the wind. Lightning lit up this
small room from time to time, and dolls of all sizes were
everywhere in every corner. They were burnt to pieces, had
soaked in the moisture, and had mildewed and blackened,
ghostly in the pale light.
Qi Leren felt uncomfortable as soon as he stepped into the
room. The demon power here was much stronger than that in
the piano room. He looked around the room and finally stopped
before walking to the baby cradle.
It‘s not that he felt anything, but that the doll held by the crazy
lady in the basement was impressed upon him, and the one in
the cradle was exactly the same as the one in her arms.
―You see…‖ Qi Leren was inviting the two people to see, and
suddenly there was a deafening slam of the door behind him -
slamming on something hard.
Qi Leren looked back, and Su He stood by the door, and the
walking stick in his hand had just gotten stuck in the door,
preventing the door from closing.
Su He smiled helplessly: ―No matter what kind of task, the law
is always the same… Be careful, these dolls are going to be
resurrected.‖
His voice had just fallen when the atmosphere in the nursery
suddenly changed. The giggling of children came from every
corner. A few palm-sized dolls jumped on the ground like mice,
and flashed by in the thunder and lightning outside the window,
hiding in the doll pile.
Qi Leren‘s hand holding the dagger tightened. He stuck to the
wall and looked at the high and low dolls in the room.
They were laughing and moving. These toys made by people
were endowed with evil life by the Devil‘s power, and could
come at them at any time!
―Ah–‖ the doll in the cradle let out a shrill scream, rolled over
and rolled down the cradle, and jumped into the doll pile to
hide.
Just like a call to arms, the dolls who had been moving only
slightly giggled in unison and rushed at them!
 Chapter 91: Castle Cry (XVIII)

{cw: discussion of miscarriage}

Qi Leren‘s heart thumped, and the dagger in his hand swung
hard at the pouncing doll. The holy runes inlaid on the dagger
glowed with a milky light, and the doll flew out with a scream,
but more and more dolls approached him!
―Retreat first!‖ Su He and his cane stuck in the door frame
prevented the door from being closed, and the door was
unwillingly opened with a creak. Dr. Lu, who was hiding beside
Su He and him, quickly ran out of the door.
Qi Leren also stepped back. This horrible scene disturbed his
mind. He didn‘t have time to think about anything. He only
wanted to escape. When he ran to the door, he was pulled by
Su He: ―Don‘t go into the corridor, that place is too open and
easy to be besieged. Just hit it from here!‖
The disturbed Qi Leren came to his senses and realized that
he had to solve this room full of ghost dolls.
These giggling puppets approached him in the harsh light of
lightning, slow and wobbly. They sang a lullaby with a dark
ecstatic tone, and from time to time let out a sharp and high-
pitched strange call, which made people tremble.
They were already a group of evil spirits.
A doll bear, half the height of a person, rushed to the door. Qi
Leren kicked it back with a leg, knocking over several small
dolls along the way, and the noisy screams echoed in the
room. Another one seemed to be hung by an invisible line, and
swayed from the window to the Qi Leren‘s eyes. It was stabbed
severely by his dagger. It fell to the ground with a strange smile
and spilled a big pool of dirty blood.
―The doll screaming in the cradle just now should be the key,
but it‘s now hiding and can only be slowly found.‖ Su He, like
Qi Leren, kept by the door. From time to time, he hit one or two
dolls that Qi Leren couldn‘t cope with with his cane.
―That‘s it, the doll held by the crazy lady in the basement.‖ As
Qi Leren spoke, he stabbed a doll to death. His eyes made of
buttons gave off a strange red light in the dark, and its crooked
body gave off a disgusting smell of moldy food. The dolls he
dealt with had been piled on the ground as high as his knees,
bleeding.
Although this group of dolls looked horrible, it wasn‘t difficult to
deal with them after they calmed down. Fortunately, Su He had
propped the door. Otherwise, when the door was closed, the
dolls running around the room could not have been prevented
at all. The situation would be much more dangerous. He
couldn‘t say for certain that he would have been able to kill the
doll the crazy lady had hugged without using a save.
When the last doll fell to the ground with a scream, Qi Leren
finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was still raining hard outside, the thunder rumbled from far to
near, and the dazzling lightning lit up and went out. Qi Leren
kicked the dolls all over the ground and stepped on the sticky
dirty blood, and once again walked into the room.
The doll that had been lying in the cradle at first and then
escaped into the doll pile screamed and ran around in panic in
the room. Qi Leren circled with it like a cat and mouse, and
finally blocked it in the corner. The ugly black doll croaked and
cried pitifully. Qi Leren frowned and pierced its head with the
dagger. The holy runes gave off a white gleam. The doll
struggled twice, fell to the ground, and stopped moving.
When the dagger was pulled out, the pierced forehead spit out
a pool of dirty blood, which was full of demon energy.
Qi Leren stepped on the doll with his foot, and felt that there
was something obviously hard in its belly, so he squatted down
and cut open its belly with the dagger. At the moment when the
blade cut open the cloth, the doll suddenly came back from the
dead and struggled. It was so horrible that Qi Leren suddenly
stood up and kicked it.
―Mom, this copy is so malicious that it really could scare people
to death,‖ Dr. Lu murmured from where he watched outside the
door.
―I‘m used to playing worse,‖ Su He said quietly.
Dr. Lu snuck a glance at him. When the doll had been cut open
and screamed, Su He‘s eyes didn‘t move. Just now, the room
suddenly tried to close but was blocked by him. Su He and his
anticipation and consciousness in this respect were indeed
much stronger than them.
In the room, Qi Leren took a moment to steady himself before
picking up the doll again. This time, the doll was at its wit‘s
end, and there was no movement. He successfully found an
iron box in its abdominal cavity.
[Obtained the Devil‘s Sacrifice 4/6]
Having been identified as a demon sacrifice, Qi Leren didn‘t
bother to wrap his hand in a piece of cloth, etc., and directly
opened the box. The disgusting smell of blood rushed to his
nose, which made him black out for a moment and become
nauseous.
―What is it?‖ Dr. Lu asked from far away.
―I also want to know… What the hell is this?‖ Qi Leren pinched
his nose and looked at the box again, speaking grumpily.
In the box was a large pool of dried blood, and there seemed
to be a mass of black moldy things, emitting a rotten smell,
which gave off an ominous feeling.
And the phantom appeared again.
This time, the crazy lady in the illusion sat in the corner, her
face blurred. She was humming a ditty softly while making a
doll. From the fuzzy light and shadows, he could vaguely
recognize that it was the one that Qi Leren had just cut open.
She gently stuffed the iron box into the doll‘s belly and sewed it
up with a needle and thread. The crazy lady‘s intermittent
humming pervaded the night, and the strange tone seemed
like it could be suffocated at any moment, giving the listener
goosebumps.
She was obviously abnormal, and anyone who saw this scene
could feel it clearly.
The needle in her hand stuck in the crazy lady‘s finger. She
screamed bitterly, suddenly raised her head, and growled
bitterly at the nothingness: ―Go away! Stop pestering me! You
are already dead! Dead!‖
The empty darkness naturally wouldn‘t give her a response,
but this disregard had aggravated her hysteria. She got up
from her chair, waved her arms into the air, and attacked an
invisible person with her teeth and nails: ―Go back, go back!
Go back to the grave! You‘re already dead! Why did you come
back?!‖
The more angry she was, the more fearful she was. The
invisible enemy exhausted her strength. She sat down on the
ground, sobbed and climbed to the corner. She grabbed the
doll she had sewed and murmured, "You are dead… I watched
you die… You ate the bread with peanut butter, then twitched
and died. Yes, I killed you, I killed you! Johann is mine,
hahahaha, it‘s mine! ‖
The crazy lady held the doll and looked ahead emptily: ―Yes, I
killed you. We grew up together and felt like sisters. I was so
sad, sad enough that no one knew I did it, and no one believed
it. Do you resent me? So you came to me for revenge. You
took my child. What else do you want to take away? Johann‘s
love? Hahahaha, I won‘t let you succeed, hahahaha…‖
Crazy laughter gradually dispersed in the dark, leaving the
littered dolls and a bloody smell.
There was too much information revealed with this phantom.
The ―ghost‖ that the crazy lady feared should be Adeline who
died many years earlier, and she killed Adeline… Qi Leren‘s
mind became a little confused at once.
―Bread with peanut butter? Did Adeline have a severe peanut
allergy? This is quite common in white people.‖ Dr. Lu touched
his chin and said, ―Before, I still felt that Mrs. Mad was really
suffering from madness caused by her miscarriage. Maybe she
was also a spouse with ulterior motives. Now it seems that she
also had a story of immorality. But doesn‘t this prove that the
husband didn‘t love her? In fact, Adeline was Johann‘s true
love, so the crazy lady secretly killed her?‖
―Wouldn‘t there be an autopsy for such an intentional murder?‖
Qi Leren asked.
Dr. Lu hesitated: ―If you really die of allergies, it‘s normal to be
considered as accidental. By the way, what is in that box?‖
Qi Leren handed the box to Dr. Lu. When Dr. Lu opened it, he
was also disgusted: ―What is this thing?‖
Su He looked at the box and asked: ―If you consider the
meaning of the doll… what do you think?‖
Qi Leren and Dr. Lu were immediately disgusted.
―You keep it safe, only two are missing.‖ Qi Leren didn‘t want
to touch this box at all.
―No, no, you take it. I‘ve already taken three!‖ Dr Lu tried to
throw the box back.
―Stop it, don‘t you often come into contact with this kind of thing
as a doctor? Take it!‖
―I‘m not a gynaecologist!‖
The two argued over who should take the box as Su He
watched helplessly. Finally, Dr. Lu lost to Qi Leren and put the
box into his inventory with a sad face.
―Now one thing is certain. The reason why the crazy lady
sacrificed to the Devil should not be to pray for her to conceive
a child, because she began the sacrifice after the child
miscarried.‖ Su He walked around the nursery and his spotless
leather shoes stepped on the floor full of dirty blood, which
made people feel a little distressed. ―But there are still many
problems.
"It can be seen that the crazy lady had been fearful after killing
Adeline. Johann wrote in his diary that she called Adeline‘s
name in her sleep, but at that time Johann only thought that
they were deeply affectionate, and he seemed to have special
feelings for Adeline. First of all, who is Adeline?‖
Dr. Lu smacked his lips: ―Anyway, she‘s definitely not a sister,
otherwise it wouldn‘t be ‗like a sister‘, so she should be a friend
or relative.‖
―Aside from the question of Adeline, there is also a problem
with the crazy lady‘s pregnancy. Johann‘s letter said that he
had always given her contraceptives, but the crazy lady still
became pregnant. Was this just an accident?‖ Su He threw out
another question.
―Hey… But from a medical point of view, even if you take
medicine and use a condom, you can‘t ensure contraception
100%,‖ Dr. Lu said academically.
Su He nodded: ―Speaking of this, I have to ask, what
contraceptives were there in this era?‖
Dr. Lu paused. ―Let me think about it. The earliest
contraceptive in my impression was probably invented in the
1940s. Before that, the contraceptive methods… Well, the
original condoms made from things such as sheep intestines
were a kind, otherwise it could only be calculated by the
physical cycle, and abortion was simpler and more crude such
as with a stick. A specific contraceptive seems to have been
absent.‖
Qi Leren considered the place where the story happened and
put forward a new view: ―If the story happened in China, there
should be some contraceptive methods handed down from
ancient times.‖
Speaking of this, Dr. Lu excitedly gave him popular science: ―If
you‘re talking about the cheats of contraception and abortion in
popular TV series, musk will be contraceptive when you smell
it, and a bowl of safflower will be used for abortions. I can tell
you responsibly that this is basically metaphysics. It only
applies to the logic system that is self-contained in the story of
the show. Just like the thousand-year-old ginseng of Tianshan
Snow Lotus in martial arts novels, you‘ll lose if you believe it.‖
―…You know quite a lot,‖ Qi Leren was dumbfounded.
―I do,‖ Dr. Lu said proudly.
Su He looked at them with a smile and waited until they
finished talking. ―In fact, there is another person whom I have
long felt suspicion towards.‖
 Chapter 92: Castle Cry (XIX)

{cw: discussion of miscarriage, suicide, gore}

Qi Leren hesitated and guessed who Su He was talking about.
He had also doubted this person, but he still regarded him as a
―witness‖ rather than a puppet master behind the scenes: ―The
doctor?‖
Dr. Lu gave a cry: ―You called me?‖
―…I mean Dr. Flajser,‖ Qi Leren said quietly.
Dr. Lu scratched his head: ―Oh, when I was in the hospital, I
was called for as ‗doctor‘ every day. I was more habituated to
hearing this title than to hear my name.‖
Su He smiled to show his understanding, and said: ―The
game‘s copy tasks are very logical - in contrast, the tasks in
the Nightmare World sometime seem out there, probably
because the Nightmare World is relatively real and sometimes
reality is illogical. However, in the copy world, ‗illogical‘
situations rarely happen. The game may give you a useless
clue to confuse you, but there will never be such a thing as the
puppet master being an NPC that has never been mentioned.‖
Dr. Lu hesitated: ―I have a little understanding of your meaning.
You mean that the copy world tasks are like novels, movies, or
games. They‘re logical, just like how a culprit in a mystery
novel must be a figure who has appeared before. It‘s
impossible to reveal that the prisoner is a pair of twins at the
last minute without paving the way for it, because this violates
the logic of a story.‖
―Yes, at present, the copy task should be coming to an end,
and the plot is beginning to finish, so no new characters should
be added. We can analyze the characters who have appeared
at present: four plot NPCs, two players, the crazy lady Sarah,
the male host John, the maid Nina, Doctor Flajser, the late
Adeline, and perhaps the devil‘s will. The plot of the simple
ending should be that the crazy lady lost her mind and killed all
the people in the castle. As long as you killed the crazy lady in
the castle, it could be over, but we are now on the route of the
true ending, so we must solve the ghosts in the outer world.
The crazy lady is also solved, and the truth of the year has
been investigated as much as possible. The plot will be much
more complicated, and many things may not be as we‘ve
seen.‖
Su He said easily, ―Nina‘s problems need to be further
investigated by her later. Let‘s talk about Dr. Flajser first. From
Johann‘s correspondence with him asking him to come to the
castle to treat the crazy lady—and more than once—it can be
seen that he was also in China at that time. Considering that
many foreign doctors did come to provide medical services to
their employers at that time, this fact that he came to China
cannot be used as evidence to question him, but it can be used
as evidence that he has the conditions to commit crimes. The
key point is that the letter also mentioned contraceptives. What
are the ingredients of this medicine? Is the wife‘s miscarriage
related to him?
"We can reverse it. First assume that Dr. Flajser is the
murderer who let the crazy lady miscarry and go crazy, and
whether he had any way to do it. Yes, he is a doctor, and he is
familiar with and trusted by the couple. He has the conditions
and ability to do such things, especially to drive the crazy lady
mad. He should be aware of this genetic psychosis in her
family, and that it‘s only a matter of time before she goes crazy
with a little hallucinogens. For motive, does he have a motive?
I think he does.‖
Qi Leren listened attentively to Su He‘s analysis and kept up
with his thinking: ―Is it because of Adeline?‖
Su He nodded and looked at Qi Leren appreciatively. ―Yes, do
you remember the paragraph in Johann‘s diary about him and
Sarah sweeping Adeline‘s grave? He said they met Dr. Flajser
on the way back from the cemetery visit. This clue was given
for a reason. Dr. Flajser was probably going to sweep
Adeline‘s grave.‖
―Hey, it seems that Dr. Flajser had a good relationship with
Adeline. Did he know that Adeline‘s death was odd? Then why
didn‘t he sue the crazy lady?‖ Dr. Lu asked.
Qi Leren said, ―Don‘t forget Mrs. Sarah‘s identity. Her family
should be powerful aristocrats.‖
―Oh oh, that makes sense. Mrs. Sarah murdered Adeline, and
Dr. Flajser, who was closely with Adeline, saw that it was
wrong but he couldn‘t get Mrs. Sarah to be brought to justice,
so he decided to kill her and make a revenge drama,‖ Dr. Lu
snorted.
―But this is completely speculative, and there is no substantial
evidence. Maybe we will find negative evidence in the future.‖
Su He smiled. ―If we change our thinking, maybe Nina is
behind poisoning the crazy lady, or maybe Johann is the real
murderer. Who knows?‖
There were too many possibilities. From another angle, maybe
the truth is that Johann and Nina had hooked up. Johann was
greedy for his wife‘s wealth, and got all kinds of medicines from
Dr. Flajser, which made Mrs. Sarah crazy and made people
think that her genetic disease had broken out. Then he waited
for an opportunity for her to ―accidentally die‖ in order to get
her inheritance.
What role did Nina play in it? Was it that although she had
hooked up with the male host, she still sympathized with the
crazy lady? Or did she secretly let the crazy lady go just to
further stimulate her and even kill her?
―It‘s 4:43 now. We have to go to Nina quickly, otherwise we‘ll
enter the other world,‖ Su He looked at the time and said.
On the way to the first floor, there was silence all around, and
the creaking of shoes on the floor and the incessant
thunderstorm outside the window made people uneasy. Qi
Leren thought this kind of castle building was too dark, and
people who stayed here for a long time would be prone to
mental problems and become suspicious of everything.
―Just ahead.‖ Once again entering the corridor on the first floor,
Qi Leren pointed to the room in front and spoke.
Miao Bo‘s body wasn‘t present in this world. This old room
smelled unpleasantly musty. The wall near the window and the
ground nearby had rotted to the core. The small door locked
from the outside in the inner world was still in the same
position, and it looked inconspicuous.
―It‘s this lock. After you engage it, you can‘t open the door from
the inside. Obviously, this lock was added later.‖ Inspired by
Su He, Qi Leren pointed to the door lock and spoke.
―But you don‘t need a key,‖ Su He said.
―Then I can open the door?‖ Qi Leren suggested.
Dr. Lu went hide behind Su He and said with great
righteousness: ―You can do it.‖
Qi Leren looked at him contemptuously, took Dr. Lu‘s
flashlight, opened the outer lock, and then turned the door
handle - the dusty wooden door was pushed open, a strange
smell invaded their noses, and the flashlight shone in the dark
room. On the wall facing the door, there was a corpse hanging
under a mounted goat‘s head!
―!!!‖ Qi Leren took a step back and looked at the hanged body
nervously. After a long time, the body had turned into a
skeleton and, dressed in a maid‘s clothes, her identity could be
clearly seen.
Qi Leren immediately understood who she was.
But why was Nina hanging here?
Su He also walked into the room. His eyes stayed at Nina‘s
feet, and his voice said coldly: ―She didn‘t commit suicide, she
was hanged here.‖
―Huh?‖ Dr. Lu also came in and snorted strangely.
Su He pointed to the tea table at the feet of the skeleton with
his cane - Qi Leren remembered that he had picked up this tea
table in the inner world to deal with the armor that broke the
door - and the tea table was placed a few meters away from
the feet of the skeleton. It did not seem to have been kicked
away by the hanged woman at all, but seemed to be neatly
placed away from her feet.
Qi Leren frowned and looked at the skeleton. The room was
also filled with demonic power, and the smell of smoke made
the seed in his body stir.
―There should be another devil sacrifice here,‖ Qi Leren said
with certainty.
―Indeed, look at the wall.‖ Su He pointed to the wall.
Qi Leren looked down in the direction he pointed out, and there
were some traces on the mottled wall… He stepped forward
and scratched the wall with his fingers, and the moldy
wallpaper peeled off like an egg shell. Some strange totems
were faintly visible on several clean walls nearby…
[Obtained the Devil‘s Sacrifice 5/6]
―Is there no iron box this time?‖ Qi Leren looked around and
asked softly.
―I‘m afraid this room is an 'iron box‘, and the sacrifice is
probably Miss Nina.‖ Su He sighed.
―The phantom is coming, switch to theatre mode.‖ Dr. Lu
snorted, waiting for the show to start.
Sure enough, with the discovery of the devil sacrifice, the
phantom appeared again.
―Are you afraid, dear?‖ the crazy lady asked softly.
Her phantom appeared in the middle of the room. Her face was
blurred, but it could be seen clearly that one of her eyes had
been gouged out and was still bleeding.
Nina, standing under the goat‘s head, held a hanging rope in
her hands, stepped on the tea table, then sobbed and shook
her head. She tried her best to suppress her crying, but she
couldn‘t hide her deep fear when she faced death.
―Didn‘t you say you would do anything for me? Why are you
afraid?‖ The crazy lady stood in front of her, looked up at Nina,
who was frightened and helpless, and giggled.
―I, I am willing to help you escape… I… but I…‖ Nina couldn‘t
help crying. ―I don‘t want to die, madam, I don‘t want to die!‖
The crazy lady‘s facial expression changed and she stared at
her fiercely. Nina‘s crying came to an abrupt end, and she
dared not speak out, shaking and holding the rope with her
hands.
―Good child.‖ The crazy lady held out her bloody hand and
stroked her cheek. ―Yes, just put your head in. I just need a
little help, and you‘re willing to help me. You‘re a good child…‖
Nina‘s face was covered with blood. She looked at the crazy
lady in fear, trembling and sobbing, but she stuck her head into
the rope‘s loop under the crazy lady‘s guidance.
A twisted smile appeared on the crazy lady‘s bloody face, and
she suddenly leaned down and took away the tea table under
her feet!
Nina‘s body fell, and the noose around her neck tightened
immediately. She struggled painfully, kicking the wall and
scratching the rope around her neck, but it was useless. The
pain of suffocation made her eyes pop out, and they bulged.
The sounds of crying and choking overflowed from her throat
as if they could expire at any time.
The crazy lady looked at her struggling with the tea table,
looking cold and cruel, without guilt or fear. She watched
quietly until Nina gradually stopped moving and was hanged in
front of her eyes.
The crazy lady took a step back, admiring the goat head in her
head, and let out a sigh of relief. She put the tea table back in
place, singing and pushing her finger into her empty eye
socket. The stirring noises of the sour viscous liquid sounded,
and she dug a pool of fresh blood from the eye socket and
painted on the wall.
Her tone was so strange that the original lyrics became creepy:
―Will you love me? I love you. Even if you change your mind, it
doesn‘t matter. I have prayed to the Devil to let us be together
forever. My love bird, don‘t try to escape me, dear Johann, you
will love me as one.‖
 Chapter 93: Castle Cry (XX)

Until the phantom disappeared, Qi Leren felt a pain in his

lungs. When he saw the scene where the crazy lady induced
Nina to commit suicide as a sacrifice, he held his breath.
Although it was just a phantom, her gloom and coldness
settled in everyone‘s mind like a fog. Her calm madness and
inhuman cruelty were far more horrible than a real madman.
Qi Leren breathed a long sigh and looked back at the two men:
―It turned out that Nina was sacrificed by the crazy lady. It
seems that this scene should have happened after she
released the crazy lady from the cellar.‖
―What a story of a farmer and a snake.‖ Dr. Lu shook his head
and said sympathetically, ―But this system prompt is a bit
strange. It turned out to be ‗discover the devil‘s sacrifice‘
instead of 'get the devil‘s sacrifice.‘‖
―Because we really haven‘t gotten the sacrifice yet,‖ Su He
said, pointing to the skeleton hanging under the mounted goat
head.
―…Do we still have to get the skeleton down?‖ Qi Leren asked
heavily.
―I think so.‖ Su He looked at him with encouragement.
Qi Leren unsheathed his dagger to cut the rose, and the
skeleton fell into a pile of broken bones on the ground. Nina‘s
skull rolled to Qi Leren‘s feet and knocked into his shoes.
Qi Leren stared at the skull solemnly. He really didn‘t want to
pick it up with his hand. He was a good young man who had
lived in the 21st century little more than ten days ago. He‘d
never touched the bones of the dead when he grew up. Only a
little more than ten days in the Nightmare World, and he had
done everything he had never done before.
―Put them on.‖ Su He took off his gloves and handed them to
him. Qi Leren thanked him, put on gloves, and picked up the
skull.
The system prompt immediately appeared: [Obtained the
Devil‘s Sacrifice 5/6]
Sure enough, his sensing of the devil power was accurate, and
the devil power in this room was mainly centered in this skull.
―Take good care of it.‖ Qi Leren picked up the skull and gave it
to Dr. Lu. Dr. Lu gave him an oblique look. He took the skull
and stuffed it into his inventory without any complaining.
Su He tapped the ground with his cane, making a rhythmic
sound. ―Nina should be the last sacrifice in terms of the time
sequence of the sacrifices. She wasn‘t a part of the crazy lady,
but was a living creature that activated the whole ceremony.
Usually, this kind of living sacrifice will be put at the end. I just
don‘t know what the sacrifice that we haven‘t found yet is.‖
Qi Leren counted on his fingers: ―At present, the offerings we
have found include hair, teeth, the eyeball… something
suspected of being the fetus, and Nina. Except for Nina, the
living sacrifice, everything else is dead, and the rest should be
something on the crazy lady.‖
The three people couldn‘t figure out what the rest of the
sacrifices was for the time being, and the time was already
close to five o'clock in the morning. Su He proposed that they
should leave the room for their own safety, so as not to face a
changed Nina after switching between the exterior and the
interior. So the three people stood outside Nina‘s room, waiting
for the bell to chime.
―Bong-bong-bong-bong-bong-‖ Five bells sounded, the world
before them changed again, and they returned to the
glamorous inner world. With the electricity and lighting, the
surroundings suddenly became friendly, and Qi Leren looked
at the lights overhead and suddenly had a flash of realization -
Wasn‘t there a ready-made power supply here? After coming
out of the cellar, he had met Su He, who had come to check for
bugs. He‘d completely put the laptop behind him, and thought
of going back to the Village of Dusk to find someone to make a
transformer, because it was said that the standard voltage in
the Village of Dusk was much higher than that in the real world,
and his mobile phone and computer couldn‘t handle it.
The standard voltage of this replica world should not be much
different from that of the 21st century, right? If it was in the
range of 110V-220V, the transformer of his laptop should be
compatible.
But… Su He and Dr. Lu were still here.
Qi Leren was caught in a web. Su He was talking with Dr. Lu
about Miao Bo‘s body on the floor. He had been killed by the
armor of this world. The posture of the body was very distorted.
The sounds of the two people‘s discussion were not loud, and
Qi Leren, who was full of worries, didn‘t listen.
Did he want to find a way to separate from the two for a while?
He couldn‘t. The time for this task was running out. Why not go
back to the Village of Dusk and think of some way?
Qi Leren opened the item bar, ready to look at the computer
and Easter Egg again.
Laptop… Laptop… Laptop… No? How was that possible?!
Qi Leren froze. He once again checked his items from
beginning to end. He saw the Easter Egg, but didn‘t see the
laptop!
This inexplicable laptop computer… has disappeared
inexplicably.
A chill spread from the soles of his feet, and Qi Leren didn‘t
dare to move and stood stiffly.
When exactly did it disappear? Had it really appeared? Why
did it disappear?
―…The posture of this body when it died is very strange.
Normally, he should not have such a death on his knees and
then fall back,‖ Su He‘s voice sounded like it was far away.
―Oh, it makes sense. At that time, I suspected that he was in
front of her to protect Luo Xueyi, so he was stabbed in front
and died.‖ Dr. Lu‘s voice was far away, as if he‘d heard a
whisper in his dream.
Qi Leren was spaced out.
He thought of a possibility.
Qi Leren secretly looked at Su He who was talking with Dr. Lu.
Su He must have some ability to view and take away his
belongings. As a half GM, it was normal for him to have such
skills, and this kind of behavior was not to help them. He could
use his skills completely.
When was it… When Qi Leren recalled Su He‘s appearance
and his words and deeds, he couldn‘t help feeling unsettled.
If Su He never stood on his side…
Qi Leren‘s heart went cold. He‘d been in and out of Su He‘s
mysterious field. He‘d revealed too many things that shouldn‘t
be revealed to Su He. Su He absolutely knew that he had
secrets. As long as he kept pursuing them… The system may
directly wipe out this unstable factor.
―Qi Leren, what do you think?‖
Dr. Lu‘s voice awakened Qi Leren, who was overwhelmed by
fear. He looked at Dr. Lu absently and asked calmly, ―What did
you say?‖
―Miao Bo‘s body, Su He thinks that he may have been pushed,
and then he would form this posture of rushing forward and
then landing on his knees, and then he would be pierced by a
sword, so his body leans back. This posture is too strange.
Very unnatural,‖ Dr. Lu repeated again.
Qi Leren looked at Miao Bo on the ground, but his mind was
full of disappearing laptops, so he couldn‘t think hard.
―What‘s wrong with you? You look like you‘re in a cold sweat.‖
Su He stepped forward, with his hand to Qi Leren forehead.
―Has some wound become infected and given you a fever? I
can see you‘ve suffered a lot of injuries.‖
Qi Leren suddenly took a step back, avoiding Su He‘s touch.
Under Su He‘s gaze, which was slightly confused and worried,
he woke up again.
Never show it!
―The wound hurts,‖ Qi Leren hissed and took a chill, clutching
his injured left arm. When he was fighting with the crazy lady in
the basement, he‘d slashed his arm with the dagger to bleed.
Although it was simply bandaged later, it still hurt.
―I told you to let me give you a treatment. You have to have it,
whether you want to or not.‖ Dr. Lu rubbed his hands and
prepared to treat him.
―Don‘t, you have two hours to cool down your skills, so you can
save it for the final battle, so that you won‘t be too injured to
return to the Twilight Township,‖ Qi Leren quickly refused.
―Then you‘re in pain,‖ Dr. Lu said and shrugged his shoulders.
―I have a little pain-relieving spray. Give me your hand and I‘ll
help you bandage it again. This item is still allowed to be used.
You can rest assured,‖ Su He said and took out a can of spray.
Qi Leren hesitated for a moment and held out his hand.
Su He skillfully cut off the bandage, sprayed the spray on his
wound, and then wrapped it again. Sure enough, the feeling of
pain became very slight, and he could hardly feel the injury
without deliberately feeling it.
―Do you want to spray a little on your forehead?‖ Su He looked
at his forehead and said, asking with concern.
Qi Leren opened his eyes and shook his head: ―It doesn‘t hurt
too much, so don‘t waste the medicine.‖
Su He smiled gently: ―That‘s good. Protect yourself.‖
Qi Leren‘s soul screamed, and he once again doubted his own
judgment. If Su He really stood on the opposite side of his
position, and he did know his secret and had gotten the laptop,
he didn‘t need to be so good to him at all, as Qi Leren had no
use value…
Was it true that the laptop‘s disappearance had nothing to do
with Su He?
Qi Leren‘s tight heart relaxed slowly. Now thinking back
carefully, the appearance of the laptop was very strange in
itself, and the Nightmare Game he‘d downloaded was even
more strange. This game must have been made by someone
who was very familiar with the Nightmare World, and sent this
game out of the Nightmare World. So what was the purpose?
In order to let newcomers who had played the game quickly
find the main task and complete it after entering the Nightmare
World? But since the person who made the game already
knew so much about the Nightmare World, why find new
people to do it? Unless they couldn‘t finish the task by
themselves, and could only ask for help in this roundabout
way.
But if you needed help, weren‘t there ready-made players in
the Nightmare World? There were so many people, and their
qualifications were far better than those of new people. Why
not find someone to do the main task in the Nightmare World?
Before this castle mission, he had also gone to find out the
NPC for the main task, which had not been triggered yet. That
is to say, it seemed that only he really knew where the main
task started.
Why would they publish Nightmare Game in the real world
instead of finding someone to do it in the Nightmare World?
What was the biggest difference between the real world and
the Nightmare World?
There must be a reason… There must be…
An idea flashed through Qi Leren‘s mind.
It was the system.
It was watching out for the system.
This made sense. The appearance of the laptop touched the
system, so it attracted Su He. When Su He appeared, they
sent the laptop back to avoid being discovered by the system.
As to when it was taken back… When Su He entered this
copy, or when he entered the Su He‘s field?
―What you said is reasonable. At that time, we heard Luo
Xueyi‘s screams, and then came here to find Miao Bo
murdered. Luo Xueyi was missing. Because no witnesses saw
the whole process of the incident, we don‘t know what
happened. It‘s also very likely that Luo Xueyi would push her
boyfriend onto the armor to escape in order to save herself,‖
Dr. Lu said, squatting beside Miao Bo‘s body.
Qi Leren has already slowed down. He glanced at Su He
quietly. For now, he couldn‘t do anything. If Su He wanted to
expose his abnormality to the system, he could only kill him by
triggering his neck, but before that…
He was willing to trust him more.
Anyway, he had no better choice.
He had to keep it a secret.
 Chapter 94: Castle Cry (XXI)

{cw: discussion of miscarriage and infanticide}

Just when Qi Leren was caught in a personal tangle, Dr. Lu
and Su He had already discussed Miao Bo‘s body, and
concluded that he probably hadn‘t died in an accident but was
instead killed by Luo Xueyi, but they couldn‘t be 100% sure
because there were no witnesses.
―It‘s time to meet Miss Nina here,‖ Su He said, looking at the
hidden door.
Qi Leren stepped up and stood outside the door again,
knocking on the door and asking, ―Nina, are you in there?‖
There was a silence behind the door, and a trembling voice
sounded: ―I am… I feel that my mistress‘s strength has begun
to weaken, but there is a more terrible force still hovering here.
Have you killed her?‖
―Yes, I have been to the basement, and she is dead now,‖ Qi
Leren said.
―No! She‘s not dead! She‘s still here! ‖ Nina‘s voice suddenly
became sharp and full of fear. ―I can feel it… Her crazy
resentment is still here… Even more terrible than ever!‖
―What do you know? For example, about her transaction with
the devil,‖ Qi Leren asked again.
Behind the door, Nina replied weakly: ―I don‘t know… I don‘t
know anything…‖
Qi Leren looked back at Su He, unsure what to do. Su He
mouthed ―open the door‖.
―Nina, I want to open the door. Let‘s talk face to face,‖ Qi Leren
said, clutching the dagger with one hand and reaching for the
lock.
―No, no, no! Don‘t open the door! I beg you, don‘t… Don‘t open
the door!‖ Nina cried and cried out, but this time Qi Leren
hardened his heart, undid the lock and pushed the broken door
open.
Moonlight covered the room in this world, and Nina stood
under the mounted goat head, tightly burying her face in hands
and sobbing.
Qi Leren walked into the room step by step: ―We already know
what happened in those days, and we also know that you died
at the hands of the crazy lady. Even so, you still hope that we
can save her. You‘re a very kind girl.‖
Nina‘s crying stopped, and her hands, covering her face,
slowly came down, revealing a bloody death mask. She shook
her head and said hoarsely, ―No, I am sorry for my mistress… I
owe her… If I had obeyed, my mistress wouldn‘t have become
pregnant or gone crazy. It‘s my fault. Everything is my fault.‖
―Then tell us everything, and then we can let her rest in peace
properly,‖ Qi Leren said to her.
―Alright… You must also promise me that you must save her
soul from the Devil‘s hand and let her rest in peace,‖ Nina
sobbed.
―I will try my best.‖ Qi Leren solemnly nodded his head.
Nina smiled. Her dead soul looked so terrifying, but it was very
gentle.
―Things began many years ago… The Mrs.‘s family has a
hereditary mental illness, and almost always have gone crazy
after giving birth. The Master didn‘t want children, so he asked
the doctor for advice, and the doctor gave him a medicine. The
Master asked me to put a certain amount of it into his wife‘s
food every day, and I had always done so. Until one day… I
discovered it was mercury powder.
"I heard that it was a poisonous thing, and I was afraid. I
thought the Master didn‘t know what it was, so I told him, but
he insisted that as long as the dosage was small, it wouldn‘t
harm his wife‘s health. I doubt it, because my mistress often
complained to me that she had a headache, and whenever she
combed her hair some would always fall out. I didn‘t dare to
disobey my Master‘s order, and I was afraid of endangering my
mistress‘s health, so I took the initiative and reduced the
dose… Soon after, my mistress became pregnant.
"I confessed this matter to my Master, who beat me, locked me
in this room, and ordered someone to install a lock. He no
longer trusted me, and instead let another maid continue to put
mercury powder into his wife‘s diet. Soon after, Dr. Flajser
came, and I overheard him talking with the Master. He said
that the Mrs. was pregnant, and taking the mercury powder
would not cause miscarriage, but that the fetus would be
deformed. The Master said it didn‘t matter. The newborn baby
would be so fragile that it would be easy to kill. At that time, I
realized that he was not worried that his wife would go crazy.
He just didn‘t want an heir who would go crazy.
"Later, I learned that the Master has always had an illegitimate
child, but his wife never knew it. It wasn‘t that he didn‘t want
children, he just didn‘t want a defective child,‖ Nina said sadly.
With Nina‘s narrative, the originally scattered clues were
gradually connected in series. Qi Leren heard Dr. Lu say to
himself: ―It turns out that the contraceptive agent is a heavy
metal… No wonder…‖
―At that time, I was at a loss. I don‘t know if I should tell my
mistress all this. She loved her husband so much and looked
forward to the birth of her child. If she gave birth to a deformed
baby and the baby died, she would go crazy. I feel like I must
have been persuaded by the Devil. I even thought that this
child must not be born. He would not become the hope of my
mistress, but he would instead drive her crazy. So… I did
something unforgivable.‖
Qi Leren remembered the last time he came here, Dr. Lu
asked Nina how Mrs. Sarah miscarried. Nina was silent for a
long time and told them that she had fallen down the stairs.
Now he knew how she fell down…
―I moved a little on the stairs. When my mistress was going up
the stairs, she fell. She fell down the stairs and shed a lot of
blood… When she woke up, her child was gone. I cleaned up
the traces, so no one knew that this was not an accident, and
even my mistress did not doubt me… After that, she gradually
became wrong, and she was suspicious of everything. She felt
that she was being haunted by a ghost. She began to go crazy
and became unreasonable.‖
Nina looked at them sadly and murmured, ―I am a murderer. I
have committed a crime. If I didn‘t reduce the dose, my
mistress wouldn‘t have become pregnant. If I didn‘t do that, my
mistress wouldn‘t have gone crazy. Everything is my fault. It‘s
my fault…‖
―That‘s why you volunteered to be her sacrifice,‖ Qi Leren said.
Nina showed a tearful smile: ―I owed her, and I wanted to make
it up to her. I secretly released her from the cellar that day. She
was as happy as a child even without an eye and blood in her
eyes. I hadn‘t seen her smile so happily for a long time, just
like before she was crazy. She happily went to find her
husband, and I wanted to stop her, because once she found
him, she would be sent back to the cellar, and I would be
beaten by him. I advised her to leave here and go back to
Germany, but she wouldn‘t listen. She sneaked over to the
Master‘s study to give him a surprise… Then she saw that the
Master was looking sorrowfully at Adeline‘s picture. I thought
she would rush in and scream bloody murder at her husband,
just like before, but she didn‘t.
"She turned to me and took me to this room. Her expression
was so cold and indifferent, and there was blood in her eye
socket, but she didn‘t seem to feel it. Clearly she was so angry,
but she was so calm, I suddenly felt that she really was crazy
at this time…‖
―Who was Adeline? Did you know her?‖ Qi Leren asked again.
Nina nodded her head and whispered, ―She was the lady‘s
personal maid. She grew up with my mistress since childhood,
but she died many years ago… because she ate the bread that
the kitchen had made for my mistress, which contained peanut
butter. She was allergic to this. When she was found, she had
been dead in her room for more than half a day. I don‘t
sympathize with her at all. I found something wrong with the
Master a long time ago. At that time, my mistress probably
didn‘t know it. When she died, my mistress was very sad and
went to sweep her grave every year… Before she went crazy,
she was really a very gentle and kind person, but her maid
betrayed her.‖
Had she? Qi Leren didn‘t refute her words, but according to the
information revealed by the crazy lady‘s phantom, Adeline died
from the crazy lady‘s deadly trap.
―The questions are almost clear. Do you have anything else to
ask?‖ Qi Leren asked Dr. Lu and Su He.
When Dr. Lu turned his eyes, he remembered something and
asked, ―How much do you know about Dr. Flajser?‖
―Dr. Flajser? He was a family doctor of my mistress‘s family…
Later, he came to China and saved lives everywhere. He was
a very knowledgeable doctor.‖ Nina spoke highly of Dr. Flajser.
Although the tragedy of Mad Lady was related to the medicine
prescribed by Dr. Flajser, she took all her mistakes on herself
and didn‘t think there was anything wrong with the doctor‘s
behavior.
―I‘ve finished asking, too,‖ Dr. Lu said.
After thinking about it, Su He asked, ―How many times did Dr.
Flajser come to the castle after Mrs. Sarah‘s miscarriage?‖
―There should have been several times, but I can‘t remember
exactly…‖ Nina recalled.
―Did Mrs. Sarah take any medicine after that?‖ Su He asked
again.
―I don‘t know. Since I confessed to my Master, he gave it to
another maid…‖
―Lastly, how did the castle burn down?‖ Su He asked.
Nina shook her head and looked ahead with empty eyes: ―I
don‘t know. At that time, I was dead… My soul stayed here,
watching my mistress draw the Devil‘s totems in the room,
watching her walk out of this door… After that, there was a big
fire here, and then it went out, and the traces of burning
disappeared. Everything seemed to go back to the past, but no
one ever opened this door until you arrived…‖
Two lines of bloody tears flowed down from Nina‘s eyes, and
she cried, ―I have committed an unforgivable crime. I would like
to atone in purgatory, but what about my poor lady? Please let
her unfortunate and lost soul rest in the arms of the Lord.‖
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: A little spit: Discussed with our medical consultant how to
abort in the early 20th century. Abortion in the Middle Ages
basically relied on stabbing, and abortion was purely
physical. Was not sure when Mifepristone, a magical medicine
for abortion, was invented. I was thinking about heavy metal
abortion, but it was ruthlessly rejected. I learned that heavy
metal poisoning mainly caused menstrual disorder and embryo
displacement was difficult (ancient contraceptive method). If
heavy metals are used to stop conceptions, it will basically only
lead to deformity. In addition, as has been said before, abortion
methods such as safflower musk are basically wive‘s tales and
metaphysics and are not credible. After the final discussion, we
came to the conclusion that we had to abort by falling down the
stairs. After thousands of years of development of human
civilization, we still had to use physics to abort. It is a tragedy…
 Chapter 95: Castle Cry (XXII)

After leaving the room, the three walked silently through the
corridor until Dr. Lu asked, ―Where are we going now?‖
―To the last sacrifice. What other places haven‘t been explored
yet on the second and third floors?‖ Su He asked.
―There‘s several rooms we haven‘t been in,‖ Dr. Lu answered.
―Let‘s just go there and have a look,‖ Su He said.
Qi Leren is still thinking about Nina. She seems to regard
everyone as a good person and blame herself for this tragedy,
but ironically, perhaps she was the most innocent person in
this story - at least her original intentions were good.
―Do you think that Mrs. Sarah‘s madness was caused by Dr.
Flajser?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Er… This can‘t be judged yet, but it looks quite like that,‖ Dr.
Lu said, touching his chin. ―From the rules of horror stories, Dr.
Flajser being the puppet master behind everything sounds
much more interesting than the story of a simple lady who went
crazy because of love.‖
―Don‘t be too obsessed with exploring who‘s behind the
scenes. Some tasks will have many plausible possibilities.
Different players will have different opinions and will disagree,‖
Su He said.
―That‘s true, hey, how much have we completed now?‖ Dr. Lu
asked.
―75%,‖ Su He told them.
―It seems that the plot has advanced a lot. It should be that
each demon sacrifice found has a fixed completion value, and
some important events and discoveries have a fixed
completion value. Is this how it‘s calculated?‖ Dr. Lu asked
again.
Su He nodded with a smile, but did not speak.
―That…‖ Dr. Lu asked again.
―If it is not convenient to answer, don‘t say it,‖ Qi Leren
interrupted.
Dr. Lu gave a long cry: ―Right, then I‘d better not ask.‖
By this time, the three people had walked out of the corridor
with the magnificent hall ahead of them, the huge crystal
chandelier lit, and bright light on the ground, which set off the
magnificent glory of the castle.
A slender figure stood on the platform above the curved
corridor, with long silky black hair and a gorgeous and elegant
dress. Xiao Hong‘s bloody body at her feet made her calm and
collected appearance become eerie. She stood under the
hanging frame of the family portrait, admiring it with her hands
behind her back. It seemed as if she heard the footsteps
below. She slowly turned around and looked at them on the
ground floor.
Luo Xueyi, wearing the same dress as the crazy lady in the
portrait, said with a sigh: ―Ah, you have come.‖
Under the dazzling crystal chandelier, standing on the platform,
she looks like a nun who was about to sing songs for the gods,
with lowered eyes and dignified expression.
Qi Leren stepped forward and asked, ―Who are you?‖
Luo Xueyi smiled mysteriously: ―I am the ghost who killed
Adeline. I am the countless betrayals that Sarah has noticed
from the details, and the jealousy that will never burn out in her
heart. I am her. Look, she is burning…‖
With her sighing voice, waves of flames welled up under her
feet. In the dazzling light, she smiled at them without pain and
closed her eyes. The flames were like a lotus flower, which
bloomed quietly in the sinful night and devoured Luo Xueyi‘s
body. By the time Qi Leren rushed up the stairs to save her,
she had turned into a mass of ashes, together with the dead
half-body left at her feet.
The burnt floor was blackened, and Qi Leren stood for a while.
Dr. Lu and Su He had already come up.
―What did she really want to do? Why did she suddenly self-
immolate?‖ Qi Leren was completely confused.
Su He stood aside, thought for a moment, and pointed to the
ashes on the ground with his cane: ―These ashes may be of
some use.‖
Qi Leren sighed and bent down to pick them up. Before his
hand touched the ashes, it was lifted by Su He‘s cane: ―Don‘t
use your hands.‖
―Ah?‖
Su He lifted a small amount of ashes with his cane, and the
black and gray powder rose up and crackled in the air. A fire
appeared out of thin air and disappeared into thin air in a few
seconds.
―Don‘t be careless, these are no ordinary ashes. They should
be an item for the boss. Well, has this copy finally remembered
that it‘s D-level difficulty? It‘s quite generous. Miss Luo Xueyi
probably came to give the item in person,‖ Su He said, smiling.
Qi Leren and Dr. Lu couldn‘t help but squint at the ashes on
the ground. In fact, normal people couldn‘t think of the use of
such a thing.
―I was worried that Luo Xueyi and Nan Lu would merge into
one for the final battle. Now it seems that it won‘t be so
difficult,‖ Su He was glad to say.
Qi Leren imagined such a scene and couldn‘t help shivering:
―Thank God, fortunately not.‖
―Luo Xueyi‘s words, just what is the meaning of that sentence?
I always felt that she had no deep meaning until now.‖ Dr. Lu
recalled the words before Luo Xueyi set herself on fire, and felt
that they seemed to have great implications.
―It should be some kind of metaphor and hint. It‘s also because
of her words that I think there‘s something wrong with the
ashes left by her,‖ Su He said. ―When Luo Xueyi and Nan Lu
confronted each other, she said that she was Sarah. I‘m
inclined to think she was telling the truth, but there is a
difference between the two ‗Sarahs‘. Luo Xueyi‘s Sarah is a
calm and pure evil persona, just like the Sarah who murdered
Adeline. She was not crazy, but was calm and knew what she
was doing, just like when she killed Nina. But Mrs. Sarah of
Nan Lu is more like a kind of crazy jealousy over love. It can be
said that Luo Xueyi‘s Sarah is a personality different from Nan
Lu‘s Sarah. She knows of John‘s betrayal. Because of this
jealousy and hatred, Luo Xueyi‘s Sarah appeared.‖
I thought she would rush in and scream bloody murder at her
husband, just like before, but she didn’t. She turned to me…
She was so angry, but she was so calm, I suddenly felt that
she was really crazy at this time…
Nina‘s words once again appeared in Qi Leren‘s mind. At that
time, Sarah was completely controlled by the evil thoughts of
jealousy, so why would she kill Nina for the sacrifice?
―Are you saying that Mrs. Sarah actually has multiple
personalities?‖ Dr. Lu asked cheerfully.
―To some extent, it can be explained this way, but this story is
not a horror story with multiple personalities. I think it is only
because Mrs. Sarah was influenced by the power of the Devil
after that this task was polluted, so she became more and
more crazy and horrible. But where on earth did she learn such
an evil way of offering sacrifices? This is also a problem,‖ Su
He said.
―Ah, the water is so deep,‖ Dr. Lu shook his head.
Qi Leren went to the kitchen to find cleaning tools - before he
went, he was asked by Su He to bring some oil back - and
carefully swept the ashes into the dustpan, and then put them
away with great care. It was possible that he would have to rely
on these things to save his life in the end.
The three men then continued to gather clues. They found
nothing more on the second floor, but something on the third
floor.
―This seems to be a bedroom! But the door isn‘t locked!‖ Dr.
Lu, who was opening the doors from room to room, turned
back and shouted to the two men.
The room faintly carried the Devil‘s energy, but it was not very
strong. It seemed like an illusion. Qi Leren strode in and
rummaged around with Dr. Lu in the bedroom, but found
nothing useful. The wardrobe‘s door was not tightly closed, and
it was full of crazy lady‘s clothes.
―Since this door is unlocked, could it be that someone has
been here before? Were Luo Xueyi‘s and Nan Lu‘s dresses
taken from here?‖ Qi Leren asked, recalling the crazy lady‘s
dress Luo Xueyi wore.
―It‘s possible. The wardrobe door isn‘t closed now, so it‘s a bit
suspicious.‖ Dr. Lu and Qi Leren studied a bunch of the
woman‘s clothes.
Dr. Lu also proposed to find Johann‘s clothes to wear. Maybe
the crazy lady would lose without fighting if she thought she
was despised by Qi Leren: ―What if the boss runs away?‖
―Anyway, if you‘re the one playing him, I‘m not worried,‖ Dr. Lu
said innocently.
Qi Leren said combatively: ―Believe it or not, I‘ll use you as a
shield!‖
―No, you wouldn‘t!‖ Dr. Lu was really scared and refused with a
face of fear.
Su He, who was standing by the door, also came in and
walked around, asking, ―Where‘s the dressing table mirror?‖
―Ah?‖ ―Oh right, where‘s the mirror?‖ Dr. Lu and Qi Leren, who
were playing games, didn‘t notice this detail. Now they finally
felt something was wrong. There was no mirror on the dressing
table, which was totally unreasonable.
Why was there no mirror? Qi Leren looked at the dressing
table and thought.
Was it that since the crazy lady was disfigured, she couldn‘t
look at herself in the mirror, or what would be reflected in the
mirror… Was that why she put away the mirror?
―Let me see.‖ Dr. Lu went to the dressing table, opened the
drawer, and threw things out one by one. He fumbled and
knocked around and finally found that there was a hidden
compartment in the drawer.
At the moment when the secret compartment was opened, Qi
Leren obviously felt that the Devil‘s power had become thick.
Dr. Lu found an iron box inside and said excitedly, ―Sure
enough!‖
[Obtained the Devil‘s Sacrifice 6/6]
The tin box was opened, and inside the box were cut nails.
―Your love bird has flown away from you. Do you want it to stay
on your shoulder forever?‖ In front of the mirror, which emitted
deep and remote cold green light, the crazy lady simply sat.
Her gaunt face was reflected strangely in the dressing mirror,
and that face poured out attractive words in a bewitching voice.
It was an irresistible temptation for her.
 Chapter 96: Castle Cry (XXIII)

{cw: crossdressing joke}

As the phantom in the mirror revealed the fatal temptation,
Mrs. Sarah looked at the mirror with empty eyes. She was
possessed and cut off her nails according to her instructions.
The cut nails fell to the ground. Mrs. Sarah jerked and
suddenly woke up.
With a scream, she threw the mirror to the ground and
shouted, ―The Devil! You‘re the Devil!‖
There is a giggle from the mirror: ―When you look in the mirror,
all you see is the desire in your own heart. Don‘t resist it. There
is already a jealous witch in your heart, and that is the real
you.‖
Mrs. Sarah stamped on the fragments of the mirror, and the
voice stopped abruptly. She fell back trembling and sat down
on the bed.
―Madam, I heard your voice. What happened?‖ The bedroom
door was knocked on and Nina‘s voice came.
―I have nothing to do and accidentally broke the mirror,‖ Mrs
Sarah tried to speak calmly, adjusting her skirt.
Nina opened the door, bowed, and came in to clean up the
debris on the ground. Sarah watched her work and said to
herself, ―Johann will be back soon.‖
―Yes, madam,‖ Nina responded to Sarah‘s words, cleaning the
broken mirror on the ground.
―He will be very happy.‖ Sarah suddenly laughed and stroked
her flat belly. ―Although he‘s never said it, he must like children
as much as I do.‖
Nina let out a soft cry, and her cut finger started bleeding. She
quickly put her finger in her mouth, for fear that the blood might
touch the beautiful carpet. Sarah sighed: ―You‘re too careless.
Forget it. Stop first and let others clean it up later.‖
―It doesn‘t matter, madam. I‘ll fix it.‖ Nina said anxiously, her
head lowered.
Sarah sat on the bed and murmured, ―Will he love me more
when he has a baby?‖
Nina shivered and trilled: ―Your husband loves you deeply.‖
Sarah smiled, looked ahead with empty eyes, and murmured:
―Yes, he loves me, just like I love him…‖
Nina, who was kneeling on the ground to clean, quietly raised
her face and looked at the crazy lady quietly and painfully. She
forgot that her finger was still bleeding, and a bead of blood fell
from her fingertip on the colorful carpet and penetrated into the
complicated patterns…
The phantom faded, and Mrs. Sarah‘s last words lingered in
the room, repeating the lie over and over again into a sad
belief. It seemed that she‘d discovered John‘s infidelity long
ago, but she didn‘t want to admit it. She would rather hypnotize
herself over and over again until she believed it.
―It seems that this phantom is an explanation to how the crazy
lady got the sacrifice method, but at this time she has not yet
miscarried, and her mental state seemed to be fairly stable…
Nina was a little nervous. She was really afraid that the crazy
lady would go crazy,‖ Qi Leren said, not sure how many
emotions - pity, guilt, and even passing jealousy - were
contained in Nina‘s last complicated expression…
Up to now, Qi Leren hadn‘t drawn a conclusion: What kind of
role did Nina play?
―Hey, now that the six sacrifices have been collected, can we
go to the boss fight?‖ Dr. Lu asked after putting away the last
Devil‘s sacrifice.
Su He opened his pocket watch and glanced at it. ―Get ready
to go back to the outer world. It‘s almost time.‖
With the six bells ringing, the three people once again returned
to the outer world - based off the time, this should be the last
hour. After all, the task required them to leave the castle before
dawn, and it was now six o'clock. Although the sun would rise
late in this season, it would be dawn at seven o'clock.
―Everything has been found, and all that‘s left is the hound and
the crazy lady. I can think of three ways to deal with the hound
for the time being, so you leave it to me.‖ Su He closed the
pocket watch, nodding to the two.
―God, I just want to have a bug in every copy. Su He and you
are the real bugs!‖ Dr. Lu was delighted by this feeling of
having everything taken care of by others.
Su He smiled implicitly. ―The first method is dangerous. It
comes from what Nan Lu did before. Why did she and Luo
Xueyi wear the crazy lady‘s clothes? I‘m swayed to think that
this is a symbolic meaning, which means that they have
assimilated with the crazy lady. So when Nan Lu called for the
hound, he followed her obediently because he thought she was
his master. How did it distinguish her? By recognizing her?
That‘s obviously wrong. Nan Lu and Mrs. Sarah have very
different appearances and voices; By Mrs Sarah‘s clothes? It‘s
possible. If it relies on theDevil‘s power…‖ Su He caught Qi
Leren‘s eye and caused his heart and soul to jump, thinking
that Su He would reveal the seed in him. ―Then the sacrifices
we got can be used.‖
Dr. Lu smiled with a sloped voice: ―You mean to let Qi Leren
wear the crazy lady‘s clothes and take the Devil‘s sacrifice, to
pretend to be Mrs. Sarah and lead the dog away?‖
Qi Leren‘s heart was dead: ―…I won‘t do it, I would rather die!‖
―This task isn‘t difficult. Dr. Lu should be competent,‖ Su He
smiled.
Qi Leren was overjoyed: ―You‘re the same size as Mrs. Sarah‘s
clothes, perfect!‖
―…Oh NO!‖ Dr. Lu screamed in horror, ―I refuse!‖
―It seems that there‘s no way to reach an agreement. Let‘s talk
about the second method: I also said before that the dog collar
in the piano room on the second floor could be used. After
picking up the collar, the hound should be attracted. There
should be no problem in ambushing it. To be safe, this would
require quick decision making and a miniature bomb that can
be fed to it,‖ Su He said.
Qi Leren was a little distressed. This was all in exchange for
the number of survival days. Couldn‘t they just not do it and
only go against the crazy lady? ―Is there another way?‖
―Use the armor.‖ Su He said only three words, but lit up the
idea in Qi Leren.
―Yes, before when the armor and hound fought, it was
completely one-sided. Maybe there‘s some magical power.
And the armor‘s material is hard, so you don‘t have to worry
about being bitten by the dog. This is a good idea!‖ Qi Leren
got a little excited.
Dr. Lu whistled at the side: ―You can cheat the system.‖
Qi Leren sneered: ―Then you can do it.‖
Dr. Lu was a coward.
The three men went back to the stairs where the armor had
been scattered. With the help of Dr. Lu and Su He, Qi Leren
put this heavy metal armor on his body: ―It‘s a bit heavy, but I
can still move around. It‘s more flexible than expected.‖
―Of course, this is originally modeled after the armor used by
knights in the Middle Ages in Europe. It would be strange if you
couldn‘t wear it,‖ Dr. Lu said haughtily.
Su He paid more attention to it: ―Do you feel any special power
in this armor?‖
―Well, there‘s no such thing. It seems that it‘s just plain armor,‖
Qi Leren said regretfully.
Wearing the armor, he went up the stairs, and Qi Leren
returned to the third floor and followed the trail of blood spread
to the end of the corridor. To be on the safe side, Dr. Lu and
Su He waited for him at the stairs on the third floor. Although
Qi Leren was a little nervous to face the danger alone, after
being tempered so many times, he was not frightened for such
a battle. At most, he was a little nervous.
Where the hell was the hound?
The clang of metal armor moving sounded in his ear, every
step accompanied by the sound of metal clanking, and the
helmet‘s visual field was limited, so Qi Leren was constantly
worried that he had missed some subtle movement.
Finally, when he was about to walk to the open room at the
end of the corridor, the charred hound appeared from the
shadows like a ghost. The castle in the world was dark and old,
and the lightning outside the window lit the night sky of heavy
rain again and again, which also lit up the explosive battlefield.
The hound leaned down and growled menacingly in the depths
of its throat. Qi Leren wore the metal armor and held the
armor‘s sword in his hand, ready to stab-
Move!
The roar of the hound thundered down, and it sprang up on its
hind legs and pounced towards the armor! Its figure lit by the
lightning suddenly became nothing but an afterimage!
So fast! He couldn‘t see at all!
Qi Leren instinctively wielded the sword, slashing it down. The
hound that had landed jumped up again. A slave to
momentum, Qi Leren was knocked down to the ground with
the heavy armor. He hastily shored up his body but forgot to
take his sword, and directly swung at the hound that jumped
towards him with an iron fist! His fist seemed to be endowed
with incredible power. At the moment the punch met, Qi Leren
felt that even the opposite wall could easily be penetrated!
The fist collided with the hound, and the hound whined as it
crashed into the opposite wall and fell to the ground.
Good opportunity! The fallen Qi Leren wanted to get up and
make up for the blow, but the heavy armor limited his
movement. Struggling, he rose to his feet, picked up the long
sword on the ground, and stabbed it through the hound‘s body.
The burnt body of the hound exploded, and the flames swept
over its body instantly, burning through it and leaving no ashes.
This time it had gone well. Qi Leren got up from the ground
slowly, took off his helmet, and let out a sigh of relief.
Although the hound‘s speed was much faster than during the
last encounter with it, thanks to this armor, he was not bitten.
The battle ended quickly enough, and the degree of fright was
greatly reduced, which made Qi Leren very satisfied.
Su He came over with Dr. Lu, and Dr. Lu was surprised: ―How
fast!‖
―That‘s a given,‖ Qi Leren said, pretending to be calm and
trying to show his superior demeanor.
―Qi Leren is very powerful,‖ Su He praised, his eyes curving
with a gentle smile.
Being praised so sincerely, or being praised by a person who
was far superior to him, Qi Leren was very flustered. What was
even more embarrassing was that Dr. Lu‘s eyes were wrong…
―Well, the crazy lady didn‘t show up after the hound was killed.
It seems that the worst situation you said won‘t happen,‖ Qi
Leren quickly changed the subject.
Before the fight, Su He had put forth various possibilities. The
most troublesome one was that hatred was shared between
the hound and the crazy lady. Once the hound was attacked,
the crazy lady would appear, and it would be a lot of trouble to
deal with it. However, according to the difficulty of the copy, it
was unlikely.
Fortunately, this kind of situation didn‘t happen. Otherwise, Qi
Leren who was wearing heavy armor would be bound to have
a hard time dealing with the crazy lady. Although Su He
promised that he would step in if this happened, Qi Leren still
hoped to solve the task by himself. This relatively safe exercise
opportunity was really too precious.
Take off your armor, bring your weapons, take Luo Xueyi‘s
ashes, and prepare the Devil‘s sacrifice. Qi Leren glanced at
the small staircase at the end of the corridor, which led to the
rooftop garden on the top floor.
There, a grand battle was about to start.
 Chapter 97: Castle Cry (XXIV)

―When we reach the rooftop, since it‘s still raining outside, that
will have an impact on vision and hearing, but you have an
advantage; you can sense the demon‘s energy, so trust in your
perception more. Don‘t immediately rush at her after the crazy
lady appears. Take her attention and observe, remember to
save, and be careful.‖
When the door of the rooftop opened, Qi Leren stepped into
the rain.
It was raining cats and dogs, and the Qi Leren was drenched in
a few seconds. His mind hovered over the tipis Su He had told
him before, and he clenched his dagger in his hand.
The garden in front of him did not have the appearance of
being taken care of. Shrubs and weeds filled the rooftop
garden after decades of overgrowth. Some trees that had
floated here from nowhere grew wantonly in this place, forming
a small dense jungle. If it was left to grow again, sooner or
later, it would exceed the load-bearing limit of the roof and
completely crush the roof of the castle.
She was coming.
Qi Leren felt the strange demon power, which emanated from
the dense jungle.
There was a clap of thunder overhead, and the harsh lightning
kicked off this decisive battle. Under the pale light, the woman
coming from the forest was like a phantom, and neared in an
instant. The rainstorm washed away her makeup and made
her unrecognizable. She murmured in sadness, joy, and
sorrow: ―Ah, you‘ve come.‖
Dr. Lu shuddered behind the Qi Leren, and shrank behind Su
He.
―Let me have a look at your hearts. Have you betrayed your
love?‖ The crazy lady suddenly appeared beside Dr. Lu, and
looked him in the eye. Dr. Lu did not move, as if he had been
stunned, and looked at her with a glassy stare.
It was too fast! He didn‘t react at all! Qi Leren looked at the
crazy lady who had appeared in front of Dr. Lu in awe, and
then looked at Su He, who shook his head and said, ―The
story.‖
Qi Leren felt a little comfortable. It seemed that this was an
inescapable fixed story element, but even if it was a story, the
speed of the crazy lady‘s display was really amazing.
The crazy lady sighed and took a step back. She looked at
them gloomily in the rainstorm. ―You don‘t love your lover, but
you are loyal. I forgive you.‖
She disappeared in a ghostly way, and suddenly appeared in
front of Su He and looked him in the eye.
Su He smiled at her, not surprised, not afraid.
―I cannot see your heart,‖ the crazy lady whispered in
confusion.
Su He politely held her hand and left a soft kiss on the back of
her fingers: ―I hid it in a secret place; even a beautiful and
noble lady like you would not find it easily. I would like to
dedicate it to my beloved.‖
The crazy lady‘s empty eyes softened, and she showed a
smile, but it looked distorted and weird by this point. She said,
―You are a loyal and elegant gentleman, a person worthy of
being loved. May God bless you.‖
Su He let go and smiled at her: ―Bless you too, madam.‖
The crazy lady turned around and looked faintly at Qi Leren.
He could not see any emotion in Nan Lu‘s eyes. Her black
eyes were already filled with another woman‘s resentment and
madness. She opened her mouth and whispered, ―Let me
see… Look at your heart…‖
At the moment when the two people‘s eyes met, Qi Leren‘s
mind couldn‘t control the images of the Witchcraft Sacrifice
task! Every frame was his perspective, every frame was…
Ning Zhou.
Countless times from the past overlapped in this short
moment, whether it was the wet forest, the horrible cave, or
the gloomy underground palace, the time spent with Ning
Zhou was short and miserable, but it was also deep and sweet.
When this strange and warm emotion burned in the soul, the
lonely life was suddenly illuminated… Once tasted, it could
never be forgotten.
The picture stilled on the Barrier of the Holy Spirit, the sky filled
with light and song, and then suddenly jumped to the scene
where he and Dr. Lu chatted with the four NPCs under the tree
when the Castle task started.
The crazy lady opened her mouth, her inaudible voice clear
and horrible in the rainstorm, and the excitement over her prey
was unbearable: ―Ah, you betrayed… Such strong and hot
love, even my decaying body felt the warmth. But you betrayed
your love.‖
Words as cold as the rain seeped into his clothes, the coolness
penetrating into his bone marrow. Qi Leren‘s mind shuddered,
and all words of defence were instantly frozen in this rainy
night.
―Run!‖ With Su He‘s order, Qi Leren, who had been stunned,
started to run out. The cold rain hit his face, making it hard to
keep his eyes open. The light of the flashlight seemed to
stretch out into the night. Qi Leren tried to maintain balance
and stop himself from tripping over the ubiquitous vegetation,
but the crazy lady seemed to have some magical psychic
power. The originally flat ground suddenly bulged where he
ran, and the strong branches suddenly broke and fell in front of
him.
The crazy lady‘s ghost seemed to be everywhere. Sometimes
she suddenly appeared in front of him, and disappeared with a
strange smile after he was scared enough to have a heart
attack. Sometimes she fell far behind him, like a wolf driving
lambs. She played with her prey gracefully and calmly.
A few times, she approached Qi Leren, but when Qi Leren
wielded the dagger and stabbed her, the blade of the dagger
could not pierce her body! Her skin was as hard as stone, and
she was not afraid of his attack.
The stairs of the rooftop garden lit up with fire, and what Su He
said before the fight came to Qi Leren‘s mind: ―The Devil‘s
sacrifices will be destroyed by Dr. Lu, and the oil I asked you to
bring from the kitchen has also been given to him. After you
lead the crazy lady to start running, he is responsible for
igniting and burning the sacrifices — I‘m not sure whether
burning the sacrifices before entering the rooftop would cause
some uncontrollable accidents, so it‘s better to burn them on
the spot for the sake of safety. And you, when you run from the
crazy lady, look for Xiao Hong‘s body along the way, and we
will burn him as well after determining the position.‖
Dr. Lu opened and shook out the iron boxes one by one,
throwing them into the fire. The ignited oil burned in the rain.
As the sacrifices fell into the fire, the crazy lady who had been
chasing Qi Leren suddenly gave a fierce howl: ―No- Stop!
You… Stop!!!‖
An opportunity!
Qi Leren slammed on the brakes, and the Primary Fighting
Skills in the card slot allowed him to twist and throw a miniature
bomb at the crazy lady!
At the moment when the bomb flew out, the crazy lady who
was holding her head as she screamed suddenly opened her
eyes - under the gaze of scarlet eyes, the miniature bomb
flying towards her was controlled by the force of her mind and
bounced back to Qi Leren‘s feet!
There was a loud roar, and the miniature bomb exploded
instantly. The huge impact blew this corner of the rooftop
garden apart, and the roof that had been weakened over the
years was almost overwhelmed. The smoke of the explosion
dispersed in the rainstorm, and Dr. Lu, who was watching the
situation from a distance, was so scared that his face changed,
fearing that Qi Leren would die without a corpse.
On the messy ground, Qi Leren, who was in the center of the
explosion, succeeded in avoiding this fatal explosion by virtue
of saving at the moment before the crisis.
Not far away, the crazy lady‘s shrill cry stopped. She slowly
lowered the arms holding her head and looked at him with a
crooked expression: "Unforgivable ungrateful people… I will kill
you horribly! Tear out your heart and soul!‖
As if it were a banshee‘s howl, her supernatural voice made
the surrounding air shake, and the thunder exploded over her
head. In the dazzling white light, she screamed bitterly, and the
surrounding plants shook like crazy, and the sound of the
leaves almost overshadowed the sound of heavy rain.
This is bad! We must get rid of her as soon as possible!
Qi Leren forgot to find Xiao Hong‘s dead half-body according to
Su He‘s plan. He dug out the ashes from his inventory, and
before the second loading time of S/L skill passed, he bravely
rushed to the crazy lady and sprinkled the ashes onto her
head. The ashes lit, and flames quickly jumped up from the
crazy lady. Even heavy rain could not douse the flames on her!
She laughed like crazy. In the strong wind, the rainstorm was
ignited, and the burning fire and rain spewed out in all
directions under the guidance of incredible power. The
shocked Qi Leren rolled on the spot and escaped the wave of
fire and rain. The S/L skill‘s 30 seconds were running out.
Either commit suicide now or…
One tree after another was ignited by the flames, and was
pulled up by the crazy lady‘s strange power. Countless dirt and
stones mingled with rain poured towards Qi Leren, and
a flamingo tree was about to hit him. At this critical juncture, Qi
Leren put the knife to his neck, and with the stabbing pain in
his throat, the pain of being hit by the flying tree was also
transmitted to his brain.
File loaded successfully.
After loading the file twice in a row, Qi Leren returned to the
crazy lady, not thinking about whether this knife could pierce
her body, and rushed up with all his eggs in one basket -
Wind, rainstorm, lightning, thunder… What happened in this
castle on this rainy night merged into a horrible distorted
afterimage before his eyes, with plants burning, the rainstorm
burning, and the crazy lady standing still burning! Fire seemed
to engulf everything, dragging everything into a burning
purgatory.
The crazy laughter came to an abrupt end as the dagger inlaid
with holy runes was stabbed into the crazy lady‘s chest. She
stared at Qi Leren in front of her, and the appalled expression
was unreservedly revealed, making her more like Nan Lu than
the crazy lady bewitched by the Devil.
Qi Leren‘s heart trembled. Nan Lu, possessed by the crazy
lady - was there any of her consciousness there anymore?
The dagger was pulled out of the crazy lady‘s chest and a
flame flew out after it, which seemed to be burning blood. Qi
Leren stepped back two steps, staring at the crazy lady for a
moment.
The overwhelming raging flames began to droop, and the
horrible fiery rain went out. Just like the end of a movement,
everything that was burning warmly gradually died out in the
rain. There were only a few scattered flames, burning quietly at
the crazy lady‘s feet.
The rain weakened, and the thunder sounded farther and
farther away. The storm clouds that had been circling here all
night finally began to recede, leaving behind a messy world
and a group of people who indulged in stories.
The crazy lady‘s chest was bubbling with ―blood‖, and the
burning blood was as dazzling as molten metal, burning like a
flame and gradually engulfing her.
―I had a long, long dream…‖ the crazy lady‘s hoarse voice
sounded in the rainy night, tired and wavering. ―You shouldn‘t
wake up the dreaming…‖
The crazy lady slowly closed her eyes, and the flames from the
chest wound suddenly became blazing and dazzling, engulfing
her entirely. Black polluted smoke rose from the flames and
dissipated in the air, and the demon power disappeared,
leaving a golden box in its place.
The rain had stopped.
 Chapter 98: Castle Cry (XXV)

The rooftop garden was filled with ruins, and the traces of the
explosion and fire were everywhere. Qi Leren took a deep
breath of the smokey and damp air, then walked to the
treasure chest left by the crazy lady‘s death, hesitated, and
called Dr. Lu back: ―Come and open the box!‖
Dr. Lu came running, panting. He tripped and almost fell on the
bumpy ground along the way. Fortunately, Su He gave him a
hand.
―Do you really want me to open it for you?‖ Dr. Lu asked
earnestly, his eyes shining and his face irrepressible.
―I‘m sure,‖ Qi Leren also said seriously. This was the time to
trust the European emperor, not to be cheap.
―Er… Su He, is there any law or metaphysics in opening the
box?‖ Dr. Lu asked.
―Generally speaking, most treasure chests contain strange
disposable goods, a few have skill cards, and there are also
pure card slots or attributes. Some people even encounter
random tasks. There‘s almost no rules they follow. In fact, skill
cards may not be good, but some props will have magical
effects at critical moments. If you‘re lucky enough, you may
open them and find legendary resurrection items,‖ Su He
smiled and said.
Qi Leren‘s heart hitched. He forced himself not to look at Su
He. He didn‘t know whether Su He suddenly mentioned the
resurrection items intentionally or unintentionally. He could only
pretend to be natural enough…
It should be a coincidence… Su He mentioned a similar
resurrection skill card a long time ago. Now, it was just to
explain the relationship between the box and luck. He was just
feeling guilty!
―Then I‘ll open it. If I open a binding skill card, you won‘t get
your share,‖ Dr. Lu reminded Qi Leren.
Qi Leren tried to calm down: ―Open it.‖
Dr. Lu put his finger on the lock, and the golden box opened.
Dr. Lu glanced at the skill card and said, ―This should be good,
here.‖
[Demon Etiquette (Unbound Skill Card): For each use, one
demon crystal must be used. If the demon crystals in your
inventory are insufficient, the skill cannot be used. During the
equipment of this skill, the player will gain the appearance of a
demon, in accordance with the type of consumed demon
crystal, but no demon talents will be obtained. The skill lasts for
3 hours and the cooling time is 24 hours.]
This is…
Qi Leren looked at the skill card in his hand. His intuition told
him that this skill card was unusual, but he couldn‘t tell what
was unusual. He looked at Su He for help: ―This card… should
be useful?‖
Su He took a look at the skill card and said a little
unexpectedly: ―A very good skill. If there are tasks involving
demons in the future, maybe you can pretend to be one of
them, but you need demon crystals to do it…‖
Su He didn‘t continue, but gave Qi Leren a meaningful look,
and the latter immediately understood what he wanted to say:
Right now he should stay away from the demon crystals,
otherwise the seed of slaughter in him would soon get out of
control.
―It seems I‘m lucky, hey,‖ Dr. Lu said triumphantly.
Su He looked at him with a smile and nodded appreciatively.
―Let‘s go back and get dinner.‖ Qi Leren reached out and tried
to clap Dr. Lu‘s shoulder. When he lifted his arm, however, this
arm that he had rolled on to avoid the crazy lady was in terrible
pain, having been severely bruised.
When Dr. Lu saw it, he quickly sought to treat him: ―Don‘t worry
about the skill cooling time now. I‘ll treat you first. Although it‘s
not perfect, it‘s better than nothing.‖
The ―Doctor‘s Orders‖ skill was quite reliable. Qi Leren‘s
bruises on his forehead, the cuts on his arms, and bruises all
over his body quickly faded and scabbed over, but it could only
reach this level. If he was now suffering from fatal injuries, this
skill would be powerless, and would only serve to make him
die more slowly at most.
The wounds healed and the pain eased. Qi Leren waved his
arm happily and thanked him. Seeing that Su He was still
studying the ashes left by the crazy lady after her death, he
asked curiously, ―Is there anything wrong?‖
―There‘s nothing wrong, just a little strange. After Dr. Lu burned
the Devil‘s sacrifice before, the crazy lady didn‘t weaken, but
became stronger…‖ After thinking, Su He said, ―It probably
caused her madness. At first, her body was hard and it was
difficult to hurt her. After burning the sacrifice, her defense and
speed dropped sharply. Reusing the ashes left by Luo Xueyi
should further stimulate her strength. The attack power and
attack means were stronger. This state couldn‘t last long.‖
Qi Leren scratched his head. Although he‘d tried his best to
avoid it just now, a few strands of hair were burnt by the fiery
rain, giving off an odd smell: "Unfortunately, I didn‘t find Xiao
Hong‘s half-body, otherwise we could have used it… Why did
you pull my arm?‖
Dr. Lu turned his eyes and pulled his arm to the side: ―You
can‘t see well, get more vitamin A to enhance your night
vision.‖
Looking in the direction of Dr. Lu‘s finger, behind the bush
illuminated by a flashlight, Xiao Hong‘s half-body was
impressively hanging on a big tree, which was very eye-
catching.
Qi Leren was silent.
―It‘s too dark, and it was extremely tense. It‘s normal not to
notice it,‖ Su He calmly comforted Qi Leren.
Qi Leren continued to remain silent.
The three people burned the remaining half of Xiao Hong‘s
body, and then left the rooftop garden. The time left was
running out, so they had to leave the castle quickly to finish the
task.
When they went downstairs, Qi Leren asked, ―What‘s the
completion of our task now?‖
―91%,‖ Su He said.
―Wow, we can get the lucky draw opportunity! More than 90%
let‘s us randomly draw once! I like it!‖ Dr. Lu got excited.
―There‘s still 9%. Where‘s the difference?‖ Qi Leren recalled
the plot of the task and felt that they shouldn‘t be missing too
much.
Dr. Lu hesitated: ―Well, now the story has been mostly
explored. A long time ago Sarah fell in love with Johann who
was not of noble birth, and Johann married Sarah for some
purpose — maybe emotion or interest. Sarah found out that
her maid Adeline was having an affair with Johann. She
secretly killed Adeline and pretended that she had eaten food
she was deathly allergic to. No one discovered it was a murder
except Mrs. Sarah‘s family doctor Flajser. The time frame of
the above things is unclear, but they‘re generally true. After
that, Mrs. Sarah and Mr. Johann came to China for business
and built and lived in this castle. In order to avenge Adeline,
Dr. Flajser also came to China from Germany. In order to
prevent Mrs. Sarah‘s genetic disease from being passed on to
the next generation, Mr. Johann had been using the method
provided by Dr. Flajser to prevent contraception. He instructed
his maid Nina to put mercury powder in Mrs. Sarah‘s diet.
Later, when Nina found out about this. Nina was worried that
she was poisoning Mrs. Sarah, so she reduced the dose
without authorization. Later, Mrs. Sarah became pregnant.
Nina heard the conversation between Dr. Flajser and Mr.
Johann, and found that they were going to continue to feed her
mercury powder so that Mrs. Sarah would give birth to a
deformed fetus and allow it to be killed. Nina was afraid of Mrs
Sarah‘s genetic disease and caused an accident. Mrs. Sarah
fell down the stairs and miscarried. After the miscarriage, Mrs.
Sarah‘s mental state deteriorated sharply - this may have been
Dr Flajser‘s doing - and she began to suspect that everything
was caused by the dead Adeline‘s demons, and the
relationship between husband and wife began to break down.
Then the Devil bewitched her in the mirror and taught her how
to perform the sacrifice. Mrs. Sarah, who loved her husband
deeply, sacrificed to the Devil to save his love. However, the
sacrifice made her mental illness more and more serious. Until
finally, she sacrificed Nina and went completely crazy. Mrs.
Sarah, under the control of the Devil, personally killed
everyone and set fire to the castle, and the story ended.‖
―It sounds like we haven‘t missed any important clues.‖ Qi
Leren thought that the clues they had were very complete, yet
there was still 9% missing.
Su He analyzed the two in an orderly way: ―This degree of
completion means that we have completed the main story, and
the conclusion of the puzzle is correct, but some clues and
evidence are missing. If we must study it deeply, there are
three dark lines that we have not excavated. One is about
Nina. Her behavior seems reasonable, but it seems strange
when you look deeper into it. In order to avoid the genetic
disease that would come from Mrs. Sarah giving birth, she
chose to force her to miscarry. Didn‘t this cause Mrs. Sarah to
go crazy? Her original words are also very interesting, ‗I feel
like I must have been persuaded by the Devil‘, so we don‘t
know if she was influenced by the Devil like the crazy lady.
Nina‘s attitude, which was seen in the phantom when she
created the last Devil sacrifice, was also very subtle. She
sympathized with the crazy lady and implied guilt, but vaguely,
she was also jealous, which was not the emotions that a clever
maid should have. At another point, Nina said that since she
confessed to Mr. Johann that she had reduced the dosage of
mercury powder, this matter was handed over to other maids,
and she was also locked up, but after Mrs. Sarah miscarried,
went mad, and was locked up in the basement, Nina was still
responsible for delivering her food… What did she do to make
Johann trust her again?‖
Su He stroked the decoration on his walking stick, slowly
dissecting the plot, and the details that were excavated by him
made others feel uneasy. Qi Leren suddenly thought of a
possibility. Nina had pushed the crazy lady down the stairs and
caused her to miscarry. Was this really for her? Was it true that
this wouldn‘t kill two people? Was Nina‘s original intention
really to help the crazy lady? What exactly did she want to do?
―The second one is Luo Xueyi. She suddenly appeared on the
stairs with the hanging portrait, and died with half of Xiao
Hong‘s body after setting on fire. She‘s even more complicated
than Nan Lu, and her behavior is full of metaphors and
mysteries. During the period from her disappearance to her
self-immolation, we likely missed a lot of her story, which led to
a decline in the degree of completion. Finally, there is Dr.
Flajser. Don‘t forget, there‘s no evidence about Dr. Flajser. It‘s
all based on subjective speculation. We must have missed
some evidence that can testify against Dr. Flajser, such as the
mercury powder or some hallucinogens left by him somewhere
in this castle, and even more letters between him and Mr.
Johann.‖
Qi Leren thought deeply. The clues about the first two would
be hard to find, but there should still be hope of finding Dr.
Flajser‘s things. Where could they find them? It should‘ve been
John‘s study on the second floor, but he, Dr. Lu and Nan Lu
searched the study before. There should be no more clues.
Could they find them now? This was the outer world after the
fire. Even if there were clues, they probably…
―Go away, you still want to make a 100% clearance? Don‘t
waste your time, just finish the task quickly.‖ Dr. Lu grabbed Qi
Leren who was still thinking and walked him down the stairs.
―Wait a minute. The keys, give me the keys for the second
floor!‖ Qi Leren suddenly remembered something and grabbed
Dr. Lu‘s shoulder. ―No, I don‘t need the key. Come with me!‖
―Ah? What are you doing?‖ Dr. Lu, who was at a loss, was
pulled by Qi Leren and ran to the second floor on the broken
floor.
With the memory of the layout of rooms in the castle, Qi Leren
quickly found the room he was looking for. At this moment, all
he could think about was what Nina had said when they went
to see her for the last time: She sneaked over to the Master’s
study to give him a surprise… Then she saw that the Master
was looking sorrowfully at Adeline’s picture. I thought she
would rush in and scream bloody murder at her husband, just
like before, but she didn’t.
The door opened.
In the old and dilapidated study, facing the door was the sofa
where Nan Lu once sat, and a picture hanging on the wall
behind the sofa. The room was not badly burned, and Johann,
the handsome man in the portrait, was still faintly visible.
Qi Leren strode in. This was the only place that could have
been seen by the crazy lady standing at the door.
He carefully took off the picture frame and turned it over. Sure
enough, there was a photo behind the frame.
Qi Leren‘s heartbeat suddenly quickened. He vaguely realized
that he should have found an important clue. He took a deep
breath and took this photo down, turning it over to the front.
There was only one person in the photo, who looked like a
young girl dressed as a maid, smiling at the camera.
―Is that Adeline?‖ Dr. Lu as he looked at the photo.
Qi Leren suddenly understood.
―She has another name.‖ Qi Leren closed his eyes and
recalled that girl who solemnly went to the altar of the Devil of
Fraud in the cold underground palace.
―Her name is Isabel, an… excellent witch.‖
Adeline, the smiling maid in the photo, overlapped with Isabel,
the winner of the Witchcraft Sacrifice.
This was a story about love, deception, jealousy, and
madness. Everyone in the story was lost in their own desires
and sins. Whether it was Johann who was fascinated by her,
Sarah who was jealous of her, Nina who was incited by her, or
Flajser who avenged her, she played with them like
marionettes.
In just the blink of an eye, Isabel, the witch who served the
Devil of Fraud, had become a witch who was good at playing
with people‘s hearts.
 Chapter 99: Slaughter Secret Society (I)

[Player Qi Leren has completed the Castle Cry task. Mission

completion is 95%.]
[A reward of the base 20 survival days and a bonus of 30
survival days have been given. If the task is over 90%
completed, you will be rewarded with a random lottery.]
[Data synchronization countdown, ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one, synchronization complete.]
Qi Leren returned to his home in the Village of Dusk, and the
revelation made at the last moment of the mission still
remained in his mind, making him shudder. He couldn‘t help
thinking a lot. Isabel, an NPC serving the Devil of Fraud, had
appeared in the task. She or other demons must have
interfered with the plot during the time when the task was
generated. Although the time span of the plot was very large, it
should only take a moment to generate the plot, so there was
no conflict in time. But why on earth did they do it?
The more he thought, the more powerless he felt. He was just
an ordinary player who was as fragile as a worm in the face of
this huge conspiracy.
Qi Leren sighed and clicked on this random reward.
[Countercurrent Sand: You can reset the cooling time of a skill
card at will, so that it can be cooled and reused instantly.
Remaining uses: 1/1]
Qi Leren shone at that moment, his originally depressed mood
suddenly happy. This disposable prop could come in handy at
a critical moment. Even if his S/L skills was still cooling down,
as long as he used this hourglass-shaped item, he could
instantly reset and reuse it!
It almost gave him an extra life.
Combined with the Demon Etiquette and resurrecting egg…
His task this time was really rewarding. Could it be that this
wasn‘t a given, but that his luck had changed?
It was a pity that the laptop still hadn‘t followed him to the
Village of Dusk. Qi Leren has made up his mind. In a couple of
days, he would go to Chen Baiqi to inquire about the
transformer. He intended to take it into his future tasks. He had
a feeling that the same thing would happen again sooner or
later, and this time, he would come prepared.
The Castle Cry task has brought great rewards to Qi Leren.
With the 50 survival days plus his remaining 50 days and 3
hours, there now was an amazing total of 100 days and 3
hours. Aside from the necessary food expenses, he had nearly
three months, and Qi Leren was ready to improve himself
rather than hurrying to pick up the next task - his first
compulsory task would start in half a month.
Every player had a mandatory task every month, and the
difficulty of the task would become more and more difficult as
time went by. But for a newcomer, the difficulty of the
mandatory task was simpler than that of the Novice Village. Of
course, this was not the kind of deadly Novice Village Qi Leren
experienced.
Two or three months could not be said to be either long nor
short. If he trained properly, the primary fighting skills card
could be eliminated completely, and a card slot could be
saved. Long ago, Su He gave him a dagger - an item card that
needed to be inserted into the card slot - but it had been
useless because there weren‘t enough available card slots,
which was really a great waste.
Before the task ended, the three had agreed to have dinner
together tomorrow. Qi Leren looked at the time. Although his
mental state wasn‘t bad, he‘d been running around all night in
the castle, so it was better to have a rest first.
After washing up, Qi Leren got into bed. The Village of Dusk‘s
unique sun couldn‘t be called harsh. After the last time he‘d
slept, Qi Leren had washed the blankets in his room and
watched as the wet sheets dred slowly in the sunset. Now,
there was a particularly uncomfortable cold feeling on his body.
Even Qi Leren, who didn‘t pay much attention to food, clothing,
housing, and transportation, felt uncomfortable. With
dissatisfaction about the blankets, Qi Leren turned over and fell
asleep.
In his dream, Qi Leren stood in a sea of stars, and he was as
humble and small as dirt in the vast universe.
Not far away, a chair floated in the vacuum, and Miao Li sat in
this chair and turned over the books on her knees. As if feeling
his arrival, Miao Li looked up and pushed her glasses: ―Good
evening. Although I didn‘t want to let you start the task so
soon, it was a rare opportunity. We decided to act in advance.‖
Qi Leren gave her a calm look, pulled up his own chair, and sat
down. ―Something happened with the Slaughter Secret
Society?‖
―Bingo.‖ Miao Li snapped. ―Let‘s briefly talk about the cause of
the incident. We caught the Slaughter Society‘s branch leader
who ran the Twilight Township. This is really a big fish.‖
―You‘ve caught the key figure, what else do you need me to
do?‖ A foreboding came to Qi Leren‘s mind. He felt that he was
going to have to put up with a great ordeal!
Miao Li sighed: ―Then he died. Died of a seed‘s outbreak.‖
―So?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Let‘s start from the beginning, starting with the secret
organization of the Slaughter Secret Society. The Village of
Dusk is under the control of the Court, so in the Village of
Dusk, the Slaughter Secret Society‘s division is very low-key
and hidden. They have no fixed stronghold, all members
contact and communicate under false names and identities,
secretly develop players, and regularly perform some special
tasks. Their interior is even chaotic and ununited, just like
raising a donkey. Only the best ones will be favored by the
Devil of Slaughter and become its followers, while the rest are
just sad victims,‖ Miao Li said.
"No one‘s betrayed them? Haven‘t you bought some
informants?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Miao Li gave him an appreciative look. ―We want to do this, but
there‘s one big problem. The inheritance of the seeds of
slaughter is similar to that of a blood clan. The person who
holds the seed will spread it to new people through ceremonies
and become their ‗guide‘. At the inheritance ceremony, the
party implanted with the seed of slaughter will swear allegiance
to the Devil of Slaughter, and this loyalty is a kind of contract
that cannot be betrayed. Once the betrayal begins, the seed
will quickly erupt, causing the parasitized person to die.‖
Qi Leren resisted the impulse to touch the seed and said
coldly, ―This is why you chose me? Because I was accidentally
infected, instead of getting the seed through this ritual?‖
―This is a very important reason,‖ Miao Li laughed. ―Though it‘s
not the only one. The believers in each branch will choose a
holder who wears a memento ring, and this ring is attached to
a field given by the Devil of Slaughter… ‖
―A field?!‖ Qi Leren couldn‘t help crying out.
Miao Li raised her eyebrows. "It seems that you know
something about fields.‖
Qi Leren didn‘t speak.
―But it‘s just a semi-finished product, you can understand it as
a portable space, because this field is attached to the pledge
with the Devil of Slaughter rather than the holder themselves.
So it‘s just a semi-finished product, which is worse than the
general half-field, because it has no hope of completion. But
the holder can use it to summon believers belonging to their
branch to execute the Devil of Slaughter‘s orders and become
their leader.‖ Miao Li changed her sitting position and looked at
Qi Leren with her cheeks in her hands. ―You seem to have
something to say?‖
Qi Leren shook his head and calmly said: ―I‘ve heard people
talk about things to do with fields before… Since you‘ve caught
the Slaughter Societ‘s branch leader, shouldn‘t he have a
memento ring for that field?‖
―Unfortunately, with his death, this ring returned to the hands of
the ring-bearer. Now, they‘re ready to elect a new ring-bearer.
Every believer of the Devil of Slaughter is qualified to
participate in the selection. Everyone has a choice.‖ Miao Li‘s
smile was subtle. She looked at Qi Leren deeply, and seemed
to examine which step he would take.
―So you want me to blend in with them and find a way to
become the holder for this branch?‖ Qi Leren suddenly felt a
sense of absurdity. ―Do you think I can?‖
―You can. Because we have an excellent identity for you to
take,‖ Miao Li grinned.
Qi Leren‘s eyes went wide. He had a very bad feeling.
―We will train you in ten days… All kinds of training. Do well, I
wish you good luck.‖
&&&
A heavy rain began to fall in the Village of Dusk, which was
shrouded in sunset all year round.
The bean-sized raindrops hit the hidden alleys paved in
cobblestones, splashing the rushing rain, and the noisy falling
rain enveloped people‘s five senses in the water vapor, making
other sounds dull and distant. Even the roar of machines that
continue day and night were covered by the thick curtain in the
heavy rain.
It was as dark as midnight, and the street lamps at the corner
couldn‘t illuminate past seven or eight meters. In this dark
corner, a burst crash of struggle came, surprising the birds who
were sheltering under the eaves. The smell belonging to
demons invaded this hidden corner, and the raging seed of
slaughter died down with the host‘s exhaustion after an
outbreak.
The battle soon ended, and nothing happened in the rain.
―Report: caught a believer of the Devil of Slaughter,‖ the
executive of the Trails Office reported into a walkie-talkie as he
stepped on the back of the teenager he‘d knocked to the
ground.
From the other end of the intercom came Al‘s lazy voice: ―Bring
them back alive.‖
―Yes!‖ The executive turned off the walkie-talkie and kicked the
teenager who had fainted. The person on the ground didn‘t
move. After the seed‘s outbreak, he had fallen into a weak
state and almost fainted.
The executive slammed his mouth and rudely picked him up by
his neck… Blood flowed down from the teenager‘s abdomen,
and was quickly washed away by the rain. The teenager
showed an expression of pain on his childish face and looked
at the executive imploringly.
―Name?‖ the executive asked him.
―…‖ The boy didn‘t speak. He‘d concluded that he couldn‘t
escape, and despair had defeated his nerves.
―Speak!‖ The executive lifted his foot and hit his wound with his
knee. The teenager let out a scream and began to cry, letting
out sobs.
―Useless thing.‖ The executive spat, tied his hand, and
dragged him toward the Trail Office‘s ship.
In the dark, the rainstorm became more and more rampant,
and the sound of rain made the executive‘s hearing drop badly.
His ears were filled with the cries of the teenager, upsetting
him. He stared at the teenager and shouted, ―Cry, cry, cry, you
fart! Are you a pussy?!‖
The teenager was frightened and muttered, "But I‘m hurt…‖
The executive was about to say something when his lips
suddenly stopped.
His expression was so startled, even at a loss. He turned his
head in disbelief in the heavy rain, but this action accelerated
his death. After a dull crash, he was kicked out like a broken
kite, collapsing in the rain, and blood poured out from his back,
splashing into the puddles with his heartbeat, like a bloody
spring.
The boy collapsed to the ground in shock, even forgetting to
cry. He looked at the man wearing a cloak and hood, a dagger
dripping with blood in his hand. He didn‘t know when this man
had appeared. He was just as powerful as the executive who
he hadn‘t been able to defeat, who was killed silently by the
dagger…
―Useless thing.‖ The man hiding under the cloak mockingly
repeated what the executive had said before he died. Who
could say whether he was laughing at the teenager on the
ground or the dead executive.
It‘s amazing. Although the voice is a bit feminine, it‘s still cool!
The teenagers stared in worship at this mysterious master who
was like a visitor in the night. At this time, he even forgot his
pain.
―Go, more dogs from the Trials Court will come,‖ the
mysterious master said coldly.
―Oh… Oh oh! Thank you, senior! Thank you!‖ The teenager
gained a second wind in front of this person, excited.
Qi Leren pulled down the hood of his cloak and quietly looked
at the teenager in front of him.
Everything was going well, and then…
[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times
are 2/3.]
Shit!
Qi Leren‘s head was about to explose, and he instinctively
completed a save at the critical juncture. Almost at the same
time, a silver arrow shot through Qi Leren‘s back.
The save point was just under his feet. The Qi Leren who
loaded the file and resurrected heard a crisp sound in his ears,
and the arrow that had lost its targets fell to the ground.
Fortunately, he escaped.
Qi Leren turned his body in a hurry, and the rushing rain
whirled and flew out. Under the distant and dim street lamp, a
figure waved at him with a short knife. The figure was as fast
as lightning, and the blade was about to pierce him. At the
moment, the man suddenly realized something, suddenly
pulled back, and forcefully reversed the direction the short
knife swung in. The sharp blade flashed a silver-gray arc in the
rainy night, dazzling like a meteor.
The knife‘s afterimage passed over the tip of Qi Leren‘s nose,
and cut down his cloak vertically. Qi Leren fell back onto the
ground, splashing water. He was like a survivor who jumped off
the tracks at the last second before a train came, looking up at
the threat in shock - and he saw those unforgettable blue eyes.
In the forest, in the underground palace, in the cemetery, in the
castle, in the dream… Qi Leren had recalled these eyes
countless times, but never thought that they would meet by
chance in this way.
The same emotion called consternation appeared in the eyes
of the two people caught off guard.
The buckle of the cloak was split by the knife, and the hood fell
off. The rain-soaked cloak slid down heavily along the curves
of his shoulders, revealing the man Adam‘s apple and clavicle.
The neckline of the shirt under the cloak was opened almost to
the belly, and vast areas of skin were exposed, and the hem
was so short, revealing the navel… Ning Zhou‘s gaze was
quickly pulled away as if he had been burned, falling back to
his face.
It was a young face, obviously so familiar, but the eyeliner, red
eye shadow, and heart-shaped tattoo made the face from his
memory so strange.
Ning Zhou looked at him, stupefied, as the knife in his hands
stayed at his throat. One standing and one sitting, looking at
each other silently. There, they stagnated under the dim street
lamp, becoming an oil painting with light opposing shadow.
The heavy rain didn‘t stop.
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: The gay straight man went out to hook up with a little fresh
meat and was discovered by his ex-boyfriend with a knife and
shot to death(?) with an arrow.
.
 Chapter 100: Slaughter Secret Society (II)

The teenager who fell to the ground was already stunned.

A few meters away from him, the cold man with blue eyes
stood in the rain, and the knife in his hand pointed to the
mysterious master who had just assassinated the executive.
One of them stood in the light of the street lamp, and the other
sat in the shadow, as if they were born against each other.
However, their eyes were filled with similar surprise.
Did they know each other? The questioning teenager even
forgot the dangerous situation he was presently in, and forgot
the pain from his wound. He just stared at the two men.
There was a loud roar, and a mass of black smoke wrapped
the two men. Before the smoke dispersed, the young man only
felt something tighten around waist and was pull up from the
ground. The man who saved him seemed to throw something
like a hook and took him over the wall of the alley. When he
landed, he stumbled because of the weight of the second man.
The mysterious master was familiar with the nearby terrain,
and he could skillfully use the terrain to bypass the pursuer
with an injured person. Before long, the teenager passed out
from blood loss.
Qi Leren was relieved as he carried his unconscious goal in his
arms.
The destination was just around the corner. Qi Leren was
carrying a living person weighing more than 100 kilograms. If
the Court hadn‘t lent him a few skill cards, he wouldn‘t have
been able to move himself let alone another person. It would
be too abnormal for him to pass as a mysterious master.
Entering the house, Qi Leren threw the person on the sofa,
found the medicine cabinet, and sewed him up simply and
crudely. After making sure the person wouldn‘t die, he was
relieved. He sat down on the sofa heedless of being soaked
and began to sort out his course of action.
Kuangshan* (an alias), male, 32 years old, died quickly after
being captured by the Trial‘s Office. He was the holder of the
Slaughter Secret Society‘s Twilight Township branch, and also
the… lover of the character Qi Leren was playing at this time.
*{E/N: ―Crazy Mountain‖}
Yes, Kuangshan was a homosexual, and his private life was
very chaotic. It was normal to have several lovers who weren‘t
known by members of the Slaughter Secret Society.
In order to fit the character type of Kuangshan‘s lover, he was
made into this horror! Low-cut crop top! Leather pants that
were so low as to show the Adonis belt! Ghost-like (waterproof)
eyeliner and eyeshadow! With a glance at his tattoo, one could
tell that this was not a good man! In order to make him look like
a queen, the Court also taught him how to change his voice!
How to walk the catwalk!
Dark lines covered Qi Leren‘s forehead. He wanted to finish
this secret mission immediately and abolish this gay persona,
killing it so that people wouldn‘t discover this dark history of
his, but the timing was bad. Just as he made his debut, Ning
Zhou saw this person who was neither man nor ghost.
At the thought of Ning Zhou‘s shocked expression when he
saw him, Qi Leren only felt that his pores were going to
explode.
What would Ning Zhou think? Would he think he really was a
pervert?
Qi Leren looked at the ceiling above his heads as if he was
dying. When he fled with the smoke-fog-bomb just now, he
obviously felt that Ning Zhou was deliberately letting him slip
away, otherwise it would be impossible for the smoke-fog-
bomb and rain to stop Ning Zhou‘s tracking… At the beginning,
the arrow had almost killed him. At that time, Ning Zhou
thought he was a devil worshipper who attacked the Court
executive. However, when the arrow that shot him fell to the
ground because of his load, Ning Zhou quickly recognized who
he was, so he had cut him some slack…
The assassination of the Court‘s executive officer to save the
teenager was a good show played by Qi Leren and the
executive. Everything had been going well. After the Court‘s
executive officer faked his death, he escaped with his target.
Who knew that he would meet Ning Zhou passing by? It could
only be said that this was an embarrassing coincidence.
Qi Leren stood up and went to the window to look out.
Heavy, pattering rain flowed down from the windowsill
earnestly, a chain of beads hanging onto the window. In the
quiet Twilight Township, the lights were like fishing fires on the
sea. Qi Leren‘s line of site suddenly settled, and he stared
stupefied at the distant street lamp emitting yellow light in the
rain, and the black figure under that street lamp.
Qi Leren suspected that he was wrong, so he blinked hard.
When he looked there again, the figure was gone.
Qi Leren rubbed his eyes again, but no one was there under
the light.
Was it an illusion? Qi Leren thought for a moment and
immediately denied this judgment.
He believes his own eyes.
Maybe that was the person in charge of supervising him, or
maybe…
Qi Leren‘s hand held the windowsill, and a kind of unutterable
melancholy stagnated in his heart. He vaguely felt that the
figure should be Ning Zhou, and he had been following behind
them, but he didn‘t come out to stop his actions in the end.
Maybe the people from the Court had already contacted him.
They should tell him that this was a special operation, and the
misunderstanding would be solved naturally. Thinking this, Qi
Leren had a light feeling of relief. Although he still had to act as
this embarrassing fake identity for a while, he finally didn‘t have
to be regarded as a pervert by Ning Zhou. This was really
great…
Under the street lamp at the corner, Ning Zhou, who had been
hidden in the darkness, leaned against the wall. The rain
poured down, his coat already soaked through, but he seemed
not to notice. The black bird that was stopped on the eaves
cried and, in answer, Ning Zhou looked up and looked at the
corner.
A casually dressed executive, Al, came to him through the rain.
After reaching him, he stopped and looked at the window with
the lights on. His usual loose tone was hard to dignify:
―Fortunately, you didn‘t break it. You almost ruined the big
event.‖
―What happened?‖ Ning Zhou frowned. The scene in the
rainstorm just now had a great impact on him - not only
because of Qi Leren‘s costume. When he remembered that he
had almost accidentally killed Qi Leren again just now, he
became uneasy. If Qi Leren‘s reaction had been slower at that
time… Ning Zhou didn‘t even dare to think about it.
―I can‘t say, you can ask the Boss later,‖ Al said.
Ning Zhou stood up straight, looked back at the window, and
whistled. The big black bird passed under the eaves, stopped
on his shoulder, and disappeared into the night with him.
Inside the house.
There were low sounds of pain from the sofa. Qi Leren took a
deep breath several times, made psychological preparations,
and began to enter the performance state. He lit a cigarette -
one of his newly learned skills from the past ten days - and
slowly walked to the sofa, leaned down, and blew a mouthful of
smoke on the injured boy.
The half-conscious boy suddenly sucked in a mouthful of
smoke and coughed. He woke up in tears from the pain of the
newly sewed wound, groaning while twitching. The pain made
him want to faint again.
The teenager who woke up saw a sleazy young man sitting on
the opposite end of the single-person sofa, smoking a cigarette
carelessly, squinting his eyes. For a man, the voice that was
too feminine sounding, soft was sultry. ―I didn‘t expect that I
had been away from the Village of Dusk long enough for the
Devil of Slaughter‘s believers to have already devolved into
this.‖
The boy turned pale and didn‘t dare to look at him. He
muttered, ―Thanks to your ancestors… Thank you for saving
me…‖
The man sitting on the sofa changed his posture, putting his
feet on the armrest of his sofa and smoking lazily: ―What‘s your
name? Who‘s your guide?‖
The teenager snuck a glance at him, and was caught by the
man‘s smiling eyes. He immediately lowered his eyes and said
obediently, ―My name is Ashley, and I‘m a child of Mrs.
Kathleen.‖
―Hm? Kathleen? An NPC or a player?‖ the mysterious man
asked idly.
―The Mrs. is an NPC.‖ Ashley seems to be in awe of her. His
tone was very respectful, tinged with a hint of fear.
―Who is the acting leader here now?‖ the mysterious man
asked again.
―It‘s… Mr. Lie Yang. Since the death of Mr. Kuangshan, he‘s
been responsible for the branch. In a few days, the succession
selection ceremony will be opened, and Mr. Lie Yang should
be able to obtain the position of the holder,‖ Ashley said
truthfully.
The mysterious man chuckled: ―That may not be true.‖
Ashley looked at him for a while in wait, waiting for him to
explain.
―Because there are always uninvited people who ruin other
people‘s good things, such as… this lady who came late at
night?‖ The mysterious man lifted his face and glanced at the
closed door.
A woman‘s light laughter came from outside the door, and the
door was pushed open. A well-dressed young woman put
away her dripping umbrella and looked at the two people in the
room with a smile: ―I didn‘t expect to meet you in the rain. Such
a beautiful young gentleman, it‘s a pity that we haven‘t met
before. How should I call you?‖
Ashley looked at Mrs. Kathleen and snuck a look at the
mysterious man on the sofa.
He slowly pressed out the cigarette butt, and his slender
fingers touched the red tattoo on the corner of his eye, as if
remembering something. His mouth curled into a seductive
arch: ―My name is Red. Blood Red.‖
 Chapter 101: Slaughter Secret Society (III)

―Red? What a beautiful name.‖ Mrs. Kathleen chuckled and

looked at Red who sprawled lazily. ―I‘m afraid you‘re not a
resident of the Village of Dusk, are you?‖
Red‘s feminine voice joined the sounds of the rain falling on
the window panes: ―Of course, I‘ve been wandering in the
Underground Ant City for a long time and I rarely come here,
but I almost forgot the Village of Dusk‘s scenery.‖
―Underground Ant City.‖ Mrs. Kathleen‘s expression was stiff
for a moment, and her red eyes changed. ―I heard that that
place is adjacent to Purgatory, where humans and demons live
together, and there is no sun all the year round. Every month,
irrational low-level demons form devil tides, and it‘s disordered
and dangerous. Is this so?‖
Red laughed lowly, gorgeous and delicate eyebrows exuded
terrifying charm in the dim light. With his laughter, a demon
energy that would never be mistaken spread in the house. The
mysterious man sitting on the sofa opened his eyes again. His
original brown eyes became scarlet, and his red lips showed
sharp canine teeth. The signs of a demon gradually emerged
on his pale skin, making the unusual young man become a
succubus!
Ashley, who was still lying on the sofa, almost jumped up. He
looked at Mrs. Kathleen with trepidation, only to find that his
guide‘s reaction was not much better than his. No one would
mistake the obvious surprise on Mrs. Kathleen‘s face.
Demonization, which was a sign that a player had completely
entered the demon camp, had many methods. For example,
worshippers of the Devil of Slaughter had the opportunity to be
selected as servants after being favored by the Devil, and they
were transformed from human beings to demons under the
Devil‘s power, which was a secret of the Slaughter Secret
Society. Although ordinary people‘s long-term exposure to
demon energy would also lead to demonization, this
demonization would only turn people into irrational low-level
demons, which was far from true demonization.
Therefore, when she saw the demonized Red, Mrs. Kathleen‘s
first reaction was that this man was already a close confidant
of the Devil of Slaughter.
―I heard that Kuangshan died?‖ the man under the demon‘s
spell asked lazily with his cheeks propped up with his hands,
ignoring the two people‘s surprise.
―…Yes, yes. The memento ring automatically came to one of
our agent‘s hands, and the only possibility was that Kuangshan
died. We suspect that he fell into the hands of the Court and
was killed by the seed of slaughter.‖ Mrs Kathleen‘s
momentary surprise had faded away. She put down her
umbrella, made a curtsy to Red, and sat gracefully beside her
subordinate.
―What a pity… He was really a very good lover.‖ Red stroked
his bright red lips, revealing the charming smile unique to a
succubus. ―I liked him very much.‖
When Mrs. Kathleen‘s eyes lit up, she guessed vaguely why
this man named Red had come. She expressed regret for the
death of Kuangshan, and then said: ―A new selection
ceremony will be held in another week. The agent Lie Yang is
confident in taking over the Slaughter Secret Society. I think
you* are more qualified.‖
*{E/N: Respectful form of ―you‖}
―Well? The Killing Secret Society… I‘ve been away from the
Slaughter Secret Society in the Underground Ant City for many
years. I was alone in Purgatory and interacting with demons.
Kuangshan sometimes came to me, and I would also go to
him. Hmm… That was a really happy time.‖ The tip of Red‘s
tongue passed over his lip, leaving a wet mark of color and
desire. He said silently, ―Since this is the place where he was
in charge, I have no reason to let it fall into the hands of others.
Agent Lie Yang? Oh, I will compete fairly with him.‖
Mrs. Kathleen smiled. ―I‘m happy to be your reference.‖
―I won‘t let you down,‖ Red said lightly. There was no color of
gratitude.
Mrs Kathleen was satisfied. She knew that once Red became
the Slaughter Secret Society‘s keeper for the Village of Dusk,
as the person who recommended him, she would surely get
enough benefits. Red also needed someone to recommend
him, otherwise he would not be able to enter the field to attend
the selection ceremony.
Two people with ulterior motives smiled at one another, tacitly.
―I will have a small party with my subordinates tomorrow night.
We will look forward to your arrival,‖ Mrs. Kathleen invited Red
before leaving. Ashley, who stood firm against the wall after
covering his wound, looked at the mysterious Red with
trepidation, and his pale face was slightly red.
Red nodded carelessly, so Mrs. Kathleen left with Ashley,
satisfied.
When the door was closed, Qi Leren slumped into the sofa,
relieved. The switch symbolizing acting skills in his mind
immediately turned off. He changed from the mysterious and
enchanting Red to his normal self. He looked back over the
conversation with Mrs. Kathleen just now, and confirmed that
he didn‘t show any flaws. He went to the bathroom, humming
cheerfully.
In the bathroom mirror, he was still dressed as ―Red‖, and
obviously showed demonization, but without the lazy and
enchanting temperament he now seemed to only have a sense
of disobedience. If you insisted on describing it, it was probably
a sheep in a fox‘s clothing. He had protested against the
demon crystal being that of a succubus, but the Trails Office
thought that it was beneficial for him to distinguish himself from
Red‘s role and also suitable for Red‘s identity, so finally he
compromised.
Maybe he really had inherited his mother‘s talent in this
respect. Miao Li had been deeply shocked when she examined
his acting skills. Interestingly, after she learned the stage name
of Qi Leren‘s mother, she solemnly said that if she could leave
the Nightmare World one day, she must visit his mother and
ask for an autograph because she had grown up watching her
works.
Qi Leren, who was tortured to death by Miao Li, had had a
complicated mood.
In order not to accelerate the seed of slaughter‘s growth, Qi
Leren couldn‘t maintain demonization with ―Devil Etiquette‖ for
a long time. He really was more suitable to be a good man, Qi
Leren thought.
His clothes were still wet, and by now they had half dried from
his body temperature. Qi Leren took off his coat and was about
to take off his low-waisted leather pants when a figure
suddenly appeared in the mirror, scaring him into letting out a
cry and bumping into the washstand. The bottles and cans on
the counter suddenly staggered.
The person who jumped in from the open window obviously
didn‘t expect this to be the bathroom, let alone to suddenly
encounter the half-naked Qi Leren, and quickly turned his back
to him. Qi Leren put his clothes back on in a panic - the
neckline was still so low, the hem was still so short. Wearing it
was worse than not wearing it!
Qi Leren covered his forehead in despair and said weakly, ―I
can explain…‖
From outside the window came the voice of the big black bird:
―Explanation is cover-up.‖
Ning Zhou still stood with his back turned, and the rain dripped
from his coat. The slender and straight back was unexpectedly
embarrassed: ―You don‘t have to say…‖
Qi Leren opened his mouth in a panic, but he didn‘t know what
to say. He only heard Ning Zhou‘s low voice in the narrow
bathroom: ―I understand.‖
He understands? Qi Leren looked at Ning Zhou in surprise, his
gaze burning. Ning Zhou stood for half a minute and suddenly
said quickly, ―It‘s very dangerous, you should be careful.‖ After
that, he jumped out of the open window. By the time Qi Leren
came to the window, Ning Zhou had disappeared like a gust of
wind.
The big black bird standing outside the window looked at him.
The black bird honked and flapped its wings, flying into the
rain.
Qi Leren, who hadn‘t had time to explain a word, was saved by
the oncoming rain. In the end, he didn‘t understand what Ning
Zhou was doing in such a hurry. Was it just to explain that he
didn‘t misunderstand him and then remind him to be careful?
I always feel that it’s more difficult to understand the goddess
now that she’s changed back to a male god, Qi Leren thought
blankly. He took off his clothes and continued the interrupted
washing process.
Outside in a dark corner, Al silently watched the drenched Ning
Zhou disappear from sight again. Later there came Miao Li‘s
voice gloating in the walkie talkie, telling him how Ning Zhou
just drove the airship to the court and went straight to the
Boss‘s office. After he left, the Boss asked his people to clean
up his most cherished tea set that he ―slipped‖ and broke.
―There aren‘t enough people these days, yet you have to
bother to look after the ‗bait‘. The fewer people who know
about this plan, the safer it is. There‘s really no way to entrust it
to others. I should be able to take over for you tomorrow,‖ Miao
Li said from the walkie talkie.
―Ah… It doesn‘t matter.‖ Al leaned against the wall and looked
at the curtain of rain under the street lamp. ―I think someone
would be happy to be a free labor force.‖
The light in the second floor window went out, and the person
in the room should have gone to sleep. Al glanced at the man
hiding in the shadows again, and it was inevitable that there
was a little confusion: How did these two people know each
other?
 Chapter 102: Slaughter Secret Society (IV)

{cw: sexual stereotyping}

When the rain stopped the next day, Qi Leren, who had been
exercising at home for half a day, received a banquet invitation
from a bat sent by Mrs. Kathleen. Qi Leren put the invitation
letter in his inventory and went into the bathroom with deep
pain - the make-up.
Yes, this was also a new skill he had mastered in ten days.
Except for the red tattoo on the corner of his eye, which was
painted with special material and had to be erased with special
chemicals, all the other dressings have to be prepared by
himself. Of course, these styles were all designed by the Trials
Office, and strived to make anyone think at first sight that he
was a gay man with a good ―yooooo‖ aesthetic.
Qi Leren did not protest against this, but he insisted that a
person‘s sexual orientation could not be judged from his
appearance. Even if he was dressed in a straight style, it didn‘t
mean that his sexual orientation was straight. However, the
court rejected his opinion, and their purpose was to make him
look like a gay man. As for whether he was or not, the Court
indicated that they couldn‘t control him.
Half an hour later, Qi Leren looked at his unrecognizable self in
the mirror and felt melancholy.
Although make-up was a good skill to have, a man doing it
would be treated as a pervert…
After finishing crossdressing, Qi Leren finally examined himself
in front of the mirror. Today‘s clothes weren‘t low-necked and
open-navel, but it looked strange after being accessorized with
a collar. It was like going to an S&M party with a whip tied
around the waist.
Qi Leren repeatedly hypnotized himself. Right now he was
Red, not Qi Leren, so he walked out of the house with his head
held high. Of course, in order to keep a low profile, he still put
on his cloak.
On the way to the party, Qi Leren vaguely felt that someone
seemed to be following him, probably from the Court, but he
didn‘t care. Soon he came to the place written on the invitation
letter.
The present destination seemed to be a small bar, which was
located in the area of the Twilight Township where most NPCs
were concentrated. The handsome waiter outside the door
asked him if he had an invitation letter, and after seeing the
invitation letter sandwiched between Qi Leren‘s fingers, he
greeted him respectfully.
The feeling of being followed disappeared, and Qi Leren
followed the waiter through the lively dance floor and walked
into a quiet corridor.
―Keep walking along the hall, there is a door at the end, and
someone will show you the way,‖ said the waiter.
Qi Leren snorted lightly, stuffed the common currency used
between NPCs in Nightmare World into the waiter‘s collar, and
whispered in his ear lightly: ―Thank you for guiding me, baby.‖
The waiter turned red, and some took a step back in a panic.
He bowed and left under the teasing gaze of Qi Leren. The
speed was much faster than when he came, for fear of losing
his virginity if he took a slow step.
Qi Leren‘s ―evil charm smile‖ had already reached an
advanced level in the business of flirting with straight men, and
he walked slowly to the waiter at the end of the corridor… Well,
he had already seen the waiter opposite‘s face pale. Good, it
seemed that this was also a straight man, easy to flirt with.
―It‘s fun to flirt with straight men‖ ——BY Qi Leren, who was
having bitter fun.
After walking to the waiter and speaking flirtily, Qi Leren
smoothly entered the space hidden in the bar‘s basement.
After the humble door was opened, mirrors and masks were
hung on both sides of the wall behind the door. Each mask
was beautifully decorated, looking gorgeous and elegant. Qi
Leren couldn‘t help but pay more attention to it.
―Are you Mr. Red? Welcome, welcome.‖ Ashley, the young
man who had been saved by Qi Leren, came out from the
corner and spoke with awe and excitement.
After being rescued by Red yesterday, Ashley has been
thinking about this mysterious predecessor, and he was also
very concerned about the man who‘d played against Red. He
vaguely felt that there was some kind of entanglement between
them. After he told Mrs. Kathleen about it, Mrs. Kathleen just
smiled and touched his cheek, saying that she also liked to
play with the hierophants of the Holy See. Somehow, Ashley‘s
heart was full of acidity.
Across from him Red nodded lightly, not caring about his
complicated mood.
Ashley took a masquerade mask off from the wall and put it on
his face: ―Mr. Red should also choose one. Our party is a
masquerade, and everyone will be wearing a mask.‖
With that said, he secretly looked at the side of Red‘s face. He
still looked so cold, but so charming, the delicate side of his
face and that red tattoo in the yellow light filling him with a
sense of colourful desire. With a smile on his face, he squinted
at him, and his vapid, feminine voice sounded, ―Oh? Why don‘t
you choose for me?‖
Ashley‘s face turned red and he felt overwhelmed under Red‘s
gaze, and even the wound from being stabbed by the Trail
didn‘t hurt.
―I… I think this one is very nice and suitable for you,
predecessor,‖ Ashley said pointing to one of the masks.
The mask was a half-piece, covering only the upper half of the
face and covered with golden wire-drawing. There were two
bright red patterns at the position of the tear groove, just like
two tears, and the corner of the mask had a moon-like arc, just
to reveal the tattoo on his face.
Red stretched out his hand and took the mask off the wall,
putting it on his face. The silver mask made him mysterious
and elegant, while the tattoo exposed in the hollow part added
a few charm points to him. He looked in the mirror on the wall
for a while narcissistically, then turned to Ashley and said, ―You
have a good eye.‖
―Predecessor is the one who‘s won the prize.‖
Ashley, who bowed his head as he spoke, suddenly saw a
white and beautiful hand appear in front of his eyes. The
slender index finger lifted his chin. He raised his face in panic
and saw Red‘s face close to his. The half-mask covered his
upper face, but it highlighted the charming curve of his bright
red lips. He was so close that he almost touched the tip of
Ashley‘s nose.
―Don‘t waste me saving your life. So… How are you going to
repay me?‖ Red whispered in his ear.
Ashley‘s comely face suddenly rose with crimson, and he
glanced at Red in a panic, and then, under his smiling gaze, he
closed his eyes tightly, with a shy appearance allowing this to
continue.
―…‖ Play, play it off!
Qi Leren growled in his heart, and stood stiffly in the same
place, lying in the trough, talking about a good straight man!
He‘s a straight man pretending to be gay, and of course he
only goes after straight men! What‘s wrong with you, you little
gay! He‘d only done this twice yet already gotten caught by it?!
People shouldn‘t respond this well!
Ashley, who didn‘t wait for the kiss, secretly opened his eyes.
The mysterious man who hooked his chin smiled lightly and bit
him full on the earlobe: ―You‘re so cute.‖
With that said, Red stepped back and blew him a kiss, swaying
into the underground corridor.
Ashley gawked at his back, and the earlobe he‘d bitten was
burning hot. He didn‘t know what was wrong with him.
Obviously he only liked women, but it was as if he‘d been
poisoned when he saw how attractive and charming the
predecessor Red was. Even if he was a man, his heart beat
faster for him.
Was it because the predecessor Red had saved him that he
had that kind of nestling complex?
Ashley shook his head to dismiss the blushing thoughts and
quickly chased after him.
The low-key bronze door opened, loud music suddenly burst
out, and gorgeous lights lit the basement, illuminating the room
full of men and women having fun. Mrs. Kathleen, draped in
tulle and leaning against the Roman column by the door, wore
a feather mask and held a glass of bright wine. She showed a
charming smile to Red as he stood at the door: ―Welcome to
our carnival feast. Have fun.‖
After Red paused, he looked around at the men and women
who were dressed revealingly and whispered, ―My pleasure.‖
In fact, at this moment, Qi Leren‘s heart was broken: Hello, is
this 110? Someone here is having a divine feast of the body,
gathering people to have sex and wreak chaos. Come and
save me!!!
 Chapter 103: Slaughter Secret Society (V)

{cw: slight nsfw, sexual harrassment - I’ve marked the start and
end of the scene in question with ++ and included a summary
at the end if you wish to skip this.}
Help: How do I pretend to be a gay man without moral integrity
but keep my moral integrity at a hedonistic party? Urgent,
online, etc.
Answer: Hold steady first, then look for straight men to flirt with.
Qi Leren, who had made up his mind, calmly talked and
laughed with Mrs. Kathleen. Obviously, when straight women
and gay men know each other‘s orientation well, neither side
will be too distracted. Qi Leren felt that this was probably called
courtesy-flirting.
Fortunately, the bottom line of Mrs. Kathleen‘s moral integrity
was still there, and the communication between them was
limited to courtesy-flirting instead of courtesy-sex. She quickly
recommended her male subordinates to Qi Leren, and showed
him her ―goods‖ in a row like a salesman.
The utterly hopeless Qi Leren looked at the group of coquettish
men despairingly.
He, absolutely, did, not, want, to, go, one, round, with, men!
―Most of my subordinates like women, and these are not
exclusive to men. Don‘t you like them?‖ Kathleen always paid
attention to Red‘s face. Although he kept smiling, he was
always absent-minded and seemed to be not interested in her
subordinates.
Ashley looked at Red nervously. The mask covered half of his
face, revealing his deep red lips. He took a sip of wine and
pointed towards a pair of men and women in the corner who
were exchanging life experiences fiercely. ―Is that man your
subordinate too?‖
Mrs. Kathleen looked intently and smiled softly, ―Oh, Sid? He‘s
the lover of a female subordinate. Apart from his body, there‘s
really nothing commendable. If you insist on me saying it, his
performance in bed is fine. Are you interested?‖
Red‘s mouth hooked up, and he lifted Mrs. Kathleen‘s hand
and dropped a kiss on it. ―Thank you for your
recommendation.‖
With this, he left Mrs. Kathleen and a melancholy Ashley, and
walked to the corner with the light gait of a cat.
The whole party scene is full of unpleasant smells, the smell of
wine, smoke, and various drugs all mixed together, making
people indulge in desire, and the crazy music was earth-
shattering. Young men and women dancing on the dance floor
got carried away, and the pressure of survival was forgotten.
They indulged in passion and unscrupulous actions.
It was sad and pathetic.
Obviously, there was lively music everywhere, and there were
people who had fun everywhere, but at this moment standing
in the crowd, Qi Leren felt very lonely.
After all, this wasn‘t a place where he should stay. He had to
find a way to get away without being noticed…
He vowed to force himself to keep his eyes open to the end,
mind over matter.
―It‘s the most pleasing thing in life to light a cigarette
afterwards.‖ A mysterious man dressed in a mask sat down
beside Sid. Sid, who was entering the sage time*, paused.
Instead, his female companion gave a charming smile and
moved to kiss the mysterious man in front of her.
*{E/N: ―sage time‖ means being post-orgasm. I’m pretty sure
the implication is that Sid and this girl just got off together.}
A slender finger touched her lipstick-covered lips to stop her:
―I‘m sorry, madam, I‘m not interested in women.‖
The woman rolled her eyes, picked up the clothes that had
fallen on the ground and put them on her body, and walked
away without looking back.
Sid, who‘d been abandoned by his female companion, looked
at the mysterious man warily. He‘d never seen this man at the
party. He remembered that Mrs. Kathleen had told them that a
distinguished guest would come to the party this time…
Wait, what did he just say? He wasn‘t interested in women?
Then the question was coming. He is sitting here to…
Sid‘s cold sweat immediately flowed down.
{++}
The man in front of him looked at his body with great interest:
―Your muscles are very good, and your ass is also quite firm. I
once had a lover as strong as you, but unfortunately he‘s dead.
Seeing you reminds me of him.‖
Sid, a straight man who was forced to be naked in front of a
gay man, felt deep pressure. The man in front of him had long
legs, a thin waist, and white skin. At first glance, he was the
type that was easy to play. Apart from gender, he was
impeccable. He also knew clearly that he couldn‘t offend the
man in front of him, but… But heaven, have pity on him. He
was a straight man!!!
His dull reaction seemed to make the man in front of him only
more interested. As light as a cat, he rolled over and sat on
him, slowly lighting himself a cigarette. The thick smoke made
his slightly upturned lips have a charming allure. ―Would you
like one?‖
―…Okay …Okay.‖
The man straddled him, his long fingers stroking his muscles.
The cold fingers aroused goose bumps on Sid‘s skin. He
crouched on him like a snake, put a cigarette in his mouth, and
then lit him up with the cigarette he was holding.
The faint light burning from the cigarette butt was very
ambiguous in this hidden corner. The masked man flicked the
cigarette butt and the ashes lightly landed on Sid‘s collarbone,
burning slightly. The man breathed a sigh and blew away the
ash that had fallen on his skin.
The smell of the smoke cascaded over his naked skin, even
more arousing than the sensation of the cold fingers.
The man laughed in a low voice, and the light brown eyes
hidden behind the mask stared at him: ―But compared to a
cigarette, don‘t you want to try the one I have lower down?‖
Sid‘s face suddenly changed. What, this shameless gay guy
wanted his chrystanthemum?!
―Hm? What? If your technique is good enough, I don‘t mind
trying again, as long as it can make me feel good…" The man
pushed his knee towards the place where he was still weak,
and he let out an embarrassing sound, tempted by the
proximity.
The pale Sid looked at Mrs. Kathleen for help, but the latter
nodded to him, telling him to do it!
As a straight man, he never expected to encounter such a
crisis. If he couldn‘t get it up… would he be killed? However,
the desperate Sid was left unrequited. The mysterious man
whispered an address into his ear, then climbed off of him,
adjusted his clothes and smiled at him: "I‘ll be waiting for you
there. Don‘t make me wait too long.‖
{++}
With that, he walked lightly through the crowd and returned to
Mrs. Kathleen.
―Do you allow take-away?‖ Red said cheerily, and Mrs.
Kathleen clinked her glass.
―Of course, but you don‘t need to. There‘s a back room here
that has everything you want,‖ said Mrs. Kathleen.
―When people ‗communicate‘ with each other, it‘s also the time
when people are least prepared. I prefer to be on my own site,‖
Red said lightly.
Mrs. Kathleen expressed her understanding and politely sent
him out of the door: ―The selection ceremony is in a week…‖
Red took his cloak from the waiter and put it on his body. He
took off his mask and said to Mrs. Kathleen, haughtily and
reserved, ―It‘s just a ritual without suspense. The winner can
only be me.‖
―I wish you all the best,‖ said Mrs. Kathleen.
―Thank you for your kindness. Oh, have my ‗pizza‘ come to me
in half an hour. I have to prepare some 'good things‘ first. ‖ He
smiled and turned away.
As soon as he walked out of the bar, Qi Leren gave a long sigh
of relief. Although he stayed in it for only half an hour, it felt like
a year. As a great young man in the 21st century, he really
hadn‘t seen this kind of battle before. He‘d almost let his
expression slip several times. Fortunately, he was covered by
the mask and finally didn‘t show his feelings.
Qi Leren had considered rejecting Mrs Kathleen‘s ―kindness‖
directly, but doing so would obviously cast a shadow over their
cooperative relationship. The best way was to make a
proposition first, and then find an excuse to send the person
away. Time is short, he had to hurry and meet with the extra
sent by the Trials Office who would make a guest appearance,
together put on an act with him for ―Mr Takeaway‖, and then
drive the man back on the grounds of ―I met a hotter one on
the road, so you can go back and continue to pick up girls‖.
The perfect plan.
Back near his temporary stronghold, Qi Leren whistled, and
then went back to the house to wait for the people in the Trials
Office to contact him. Soon he heard a slight footstep on the
second floor, and he whistled again to signal that there was no
one else in the room.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and someone
came down the stairs. Qi Leren looked up, and his calm
expression instantly solidified on his face.
―Ning… Ning Zhou?‖ Qi Leren, dressed in strange clothes and
heavy make-up and smelling of alcohol and tobacco,
immediately jumped up from the sofa, looking both
embarrassed and nervous.
Ning Zhou‘s eyes stayed on him for a few seconds, then he
frowned and asked coldly and stiffly: ―What is it?‖
Qi Leren felt awkward enough to burst into tears. Could he tell
Ning Zhou, who was conservative and introverted, that he
needed someone to undress and help him now? He had to
replace him!
―Who else is nearby besides you?‖ Qi Leren asked, deathly
pale.
―Miao Li.‖
―……‖
Heaven will kill me!
 Chapter 104: Slaughter Secret Society (VI)

{cw: slight nsfw}

After a strange silence, Qi Leren, who had broken the jar*,
looked at his shoes and asked, ―Things are complicated. I
need someone to play a scene with me now.‖
*{E/N: despaired over an error}
―Hmm,‖ Ning Zhou sighed calmly, his Adam‘s apple bobbing.
Qi Leren wasn‘t sure whether this was him acknowledging
what he‘d said, or agreeing to it. He had to look up and
observe Ning Zhou‘s face. When he looked up, he crashed into
his beautiful blue eyes, and suddenly he couldn‘t say anything.
He had no choice but to look in all directions, his eyes drifting.
He thought that he‘d already accepted the fact that Ning Zhou
was a man, but compared with the hasty meetings at the steel
bridge and the entrance to the Court, at this moment he truly
felt that the person he loved had the same gender as him.
It was frustrating that the person in front of him was taller, more
handsome, and stronger than him, truly too frustrating.
Wait, Qi Leren suddenly remembered something serious. Was
it Ning Zhou that he‘d felt on the way to the bar just now? In an
instant, Qi Leren‘s face changed, and his mind was white for a
long time before he realized that Ning Zhou shouldn‘t have
been allowed to enter the bar. It was okay…
The silence in the room was broken by Ning Zhou‘s black bird.
It fluttered around the room with its wings, and finally stopped
on the coat rack under Ning Zhou‘s cold eyes, pretending to be
an immobile ornament.
―Then… take off your clothes first.‖ In his nervousness, Qi
Leren said something wrong when he opened his mouth. He
watched Ning Zhou‘s serious expression crack, and he looked
at him straight, as if he thought he‘d misheard.
Qi Leren solemnly met his line of sight: ―You heard it correctly,
that is, taking off, clothes and stuff.‖
Well, he knew that his image in Ning Zhou‘s mind had
collapsed from a beautiful girl who was like a soft and cute
rabbit to a deadly abnormal homosexual in strange clothes.
Let‘s give up maintaining his image and concentrate on
completing the task.
Sometimes, life is just like that…
&&&
On the way to ―deliver food‖, Sid had been thinking about life.
For more than 20 years, he had no doubt about his own
orientation. After entering the Nightmare World, he‘d won the
favor of many women by virtue of his figure, thus having the
opportunity to join the Slaughter Secret Society, but he was
just a marginal figure, and he wasn‘t even qualified to be given
a seed of slaughter. But just now, Mrs. Kathleen, who was
once out of reach, had summoned him personally and ordered
him to take good care of the mysterious Mr. Red. If he was
satisfied with him, he could get the seed of slaughter.
Sid was very eager for this. Although after being given the
seed of slaughter he would die in a few years because of its
outbreak, without the seed of slaughter, with only his own
ability and the increasingly dangerous compulsory tasks, he
may not be able to endure even one year.
Besides, as long as he didn‘t use the seed too frequently, he is
confident that he can live a few more years, especially as there
were rumors of ways to restrain the seed.
Sid, who had made up his mind, stood in front of the two-story
house and encouraged himself repeatedly.
There wasn‘t much difference between serving a man and
serving a woman. It was no big deal to close your eyes and
imagine fucking a beautiful woman. As long as he served the
person well, he would soon reach the peak of his life after the
job was done!
As the sun set, Sid stood in front of the door, took a deep
breath and raised his hand to knock on the door.
The door was left unlocked, and there was a bright light in the
crack of the door. Sid stood on the spot like he‘d been struck
by lightning. The crack in the door that was less than a palm
width wide was facing the sofa in the living room. Under the
dim and ambiguous light, there were two intertwined figures.
The man with his back to him had firm musculature. The back
of the sofa covered half of his body, showing only broad
shoulders and short black hair. Even so, it could be seen that
he was a man with a figure good enough to make others
jealous.
This live gravure video shocked Sid. He stood at the door at a
loss. His presence was quickly noticed by the people inside.
Red raised his misty face and smiled charmingly: ―Sorry, you
can‘t be used tonight, unless you want to join… Ah!‖
The man beneath him discontentedly bit his earlobe, and Red
teased and asked into his ear if he was jealous. The man
hugged him tightly, hard enough to make it a punishment. Red
remembered that there was someone outside the door whom
he‘d forgotten to handle.
―Go away, go back and tell Kathleen to thank her for her
kindness… Be gentle…‖ After that, Red eagerly hugged the
man and rolled onto the sofa, ignoring Sid as if he was a mess
in the wind.
Sid closed the door on them stiffly and walked back silently.
The sunset in the Village of Dusk was still so beautiful, but the
melancholy Sid has no intention of enjoying the scenery. He
was lucky enough to escape. He didn‘t have to force himself to
be gay. His chrysanthemum was safe, but he didn‘t feel lucky.
Instead, he vaguely regretted it. He couldn‘t stop recalling the
image he‘d just seen… Did it feel that good to be with a man?
Sid, who had never tried before, couldn‘t make a comparison.
If he had a chance in the future, should he give it a try?
Sid, unaware that the door of the new world had opened a gap,
returned to the bar in dismay.
With the sound of the door closing, Qi Leren jumped up from
Ning Zhou like a rabbit. Although there was the barrier of the
back of the sofa, both of them had taken off their shirts for the
performance effect. Just now, Qi Leren had vaguely felt… Qi
Leren‘s line of sight drifted to Ning Zhou‘s lower body
involuntarily, but the light was too dark to see completely in
pants. Was it an illusion?!
Ning Zhou was very calm - if one ignored his hot ears - and
picked up the clothes on the ground, turning his back to put
them on. From behind, the body with wide shoulders and a
narrow waist was really not bad. Of course, the effect was
positive. Just now, Qi Leren didn‘t dare to look him in the eye.
It was really Ning Zhou who‘d crashed all the way, making it
seem like he was dominating a good woman. He had to use
200% of his acting skills and pretend to enjoy it, but they
actually hadn‘t even taken off their pants!
In fact, Qi Leren didn‘t dare to ask Ning Zhou to take off his
pants. Just persuading Ning Zhou to take off his shirt
consumed him with shame, but to his surprise, Ning Zhou
agreed very simply and took it off very simply, although he
stared back at him after taking it off… It was Qi Leren. When
he sat on Ning Zhou‘s lap, his brain couldn‘t stop pouring out
all kinds of dirty associations. It boiled down to one sentence: I
defiled the innocence of the goddess…
―I‘m leaving.‖ Dressed, Ning Zhou turned his back on him and
left without looking back.
―Wait!‖ Qi Leren stopped him but didn‘t know what to say. A
thousand words only turned into one sentence, ―Thank you.‖
―…You‘re welcome.‖ Ning Zhou still didn‘t turn around and
strode up the stairs to the second floor.
The big blackbird parked on the coat rack groaned curiously
and flew to Qi Leren‘s shoulder to beg for food. Qi Leren was
running low on rations, but for Ning Zhou‘s sake, he gave him
a bite. The unconscionable black bird took his feed and
followed his master who didn‘t walk to the front door.
A cold wind blew, and Qi Leren shivered and quickly put on his
clothes.
He was still struggling with that problem. When they were in
close contact just now, did Ning Zhou really react? Qi Leren
was ashamed at once. He knew that this couldn‘t be Ning
Zhou‘s fault. In this ambiguous atmosphere, he‘d been in close
contact with someone, and the other person was dressed so
cool and refreshing and loud that the young man couldn‘t
handle it.
Since Chen Baiqi had told him that Ning Zhou was only twenty-
one this year, Qi Leren was uneasy, feeling as if he‘d harmed a
youth. At twenty-one, he was still studying in the ivory tower in
the outside world. Before, he had not only unconsciously
deceived his feelings, but had also almost shaken his faith.
This time, he didn‘t say anything and cooperated with him in
this act, and Qi Leren felt guilty.
If Ning Zhou was a girl, he would be responsible for people‘s
feelings properly, and be kind to her with all his heart and soul.
It was a pity….. The other party was taller than him, handsome
and strong, and he was still a boy with firm faith.
It was really a chaotic and cutting relationship, and Qi Leren
fell back on the sofa with a headache.
 Chapter 105: Slaughter Secret Society (VII)

{cw: mention of miscarriage}

―What have you been busy with recently? I haven‘t seen you
since our last meal. You‘ve been away from home for days,
and Su He asked me several times.‖
On this day, Qi Leren wasn‘t dressed up as Red. He went back
to Sunset Island in the Village of Dusk and asked Chen Baiqi
about making chargers and compulsory tasks. In ten days, he
had to carry out a compulsory task for the first time. He‘d heard
that it would be very easy, but he was still a little nervous. As a
result, he was caught red-handed by Dr. Lu, who brought his
own talent of finding people and treasure.
―I‘ve been working on something…‖ Qi Leren, of course, could‘t
disclose what he was doing to Dr. Lu, so he had to play dumb.
This undercover mission was very dangerous. Qi Leren had
even written a suicide note and put it in his home in Sunset
Island. If he unfortunately died without a corpse and could not
be resurrected with the Easter Egg, this letter and other articles
for daily use would be left to the next person who lived in his
house, and the information about the Nightmare Game and
main tasks would be conveyed to them. It was all written in this
letter. His mood was a bit complicated. He always felt like a
predecessor NPC who had died before being able to achieve
his mission. He died before the story started. His lucklessness
would serve to provide clues and items to the protagonist.
The reason why he didn‘t choose to tell Dr. Lu was because he
didn‘t want to bring trouble to him. He couldn‘t afford such a
great event with Dr. Lu‘s character. He would rather bet his
hope on an irrelevant stranger. As long as he wouldn‘t let the
secret disappear with his death, he could feel at ease.
Unfortunately, Dr. Lu didn‘t understand his good intentions at
all and he criticized his disappearance. Qi Leren had no choice
but to use the ultimate technique: ―I was wrong, I‘ll invite you to
dinner.‖
―Wow, if you say so. I found a delicious restaurant. Let‘s go!‖
Dr. Lu forgot his chatter for a second and took Qi Leren to eat
delicious food.
―Oh, two days ago, Su He and I talked about the Castle Cry
task. The task‘s true ending is the type that can be interpreted
in multiple ways, and I thought of another possibility.‖ On the
way, Dr. Lu chatted with Qi Leren.
―What possibility?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Didn‘t you say before that the NPC who played Adeline was a
Devil worshipper named Isabel? She seduced John and was
killed by the jealous Crazy Lady. All this was premeditated by
her. Then she changed her hat and bewitched the crazy lady
as a demon, which finally caused the whole tragedy. This
should be the true ending in the universal sense. However,
we‘ve never considered the position of Nina‘s role. She had
greatly influenced the whole story, but her behavior seems
strange. Is it possible that Nina was actually on the Devil‘s
side, or at least she was bewitched by the Devil when she
caused the Crazy Lady to miscarry? The last Devil‘s Sacrifice
we found was nails, but in chronological order, this was
actually the first of the Crazy Lady‘s sacrifices, and it was also
the only place where Devil bewitched her. In this memory,
Nina, who cleaned up the mirror fragments, cut her hand and
blood dripped on the carpet. At that time, there were mirror
fragments on the carpet. Is it possible that the person who was
bewitched at that time was not just the Crazy Lady?‖ Dr. Lu
said.
―You mean, Isabel attached the Devil to Nina‘s soul?‖ Qi Leren
asked.
―I wouldn‘t say it was attached, more like it affected her. Su He
knows a lot about demons. He said that Isabel is no longer a
low-level demon. As a follower of the Devil of Fraud, she
represents an original sin, such as hegemony, greed, paranoia,
depravity, tyranny, lust, betrayal, or other sins. What do you
think Isabel stands for?‖
Qi Leren closed his eyes and remembered everything about
Isabel, and word suddenly poured into his mind.
-I am the ghost who killed Adeline. I am the countless betrayals
that Sarah has noticed from the details, and the jealousy that
will never burn out in her heart.
―It‘s jealousy,‖ Qi Leren said clearly.
He remembered the underground palace where witches were
sacrificed, where countless girls‘ resentments were buried, and
the girls who danced in the palm of the Devil of Fraud‘s hands
fought each other because of jealousy, and finally made one
witch after another.
And the garden at the top of the old castle, burning in the fire
and rain, and finally the fire and blood shed by the Crazy Lady
herself… That flame was the green-eyed monster that never
went out in her heart.
Dr. Lu nodded: ―Yes, she is ‗jealousy‘ nine times out of ten.
The Crazy Lady was bewitched by her because she was
jealous, Nan Lu was possessed by her because she was
jealous. If Nina was also affected, it showed that there was
also a flame of jealousy in her heart.‖
―Er… You mean Nina may have been Johann‘s mistress, so
she was jealous of the Crazy Lady?‖
Dr. Lu gave him a blank look: ―Haven‘t you ever thought that
she was jealous of someone else?‖
―Ah? Who? ‖ Qi Leren was confused.
―She was jealous of Johann because she liked the Crazy
Lady,‖ Dr. Lu stated matter-of-factly.
Qi Leren, who was shocked by Dr. Lu‘s train of thought, looked
at him incredulously for a while. After a stretch of silence: ―No
way? They‘re both women.‖
―You‘ve played as a lily* yourself, why are you biased against
lilies?‖ Dr. Lu asked with dissatisfaction.
*{E/N: lesbian}
Qi Leren was speechless.
―If you read this story without prejudice, Nina‘s love towards
the Crazy Lady explains things. She adored the Crazy Lady
and didn‘t want her to get pregnant, so she helped Johann to
drug the Crazy Lady, but later she felt bad because of the side
effects, so she disobeyed Johann‘s order and reduced the
mercury powder dosage. She acted aggressively to cause her
to miscarry after the Crazy Lady became pregnant, so she was
willing to risk her life to let Crazy Lady go at last and advised
her to run away, and she became a sacrifice for the Crazy
Lady when it became inevitable. Nina was weak, she was just
a lowly maid, afraid of Johann - in the story, she was afraid of
the armor because the Master who was represented by the
armor punished her for her incompetence - and she dared not
show her feelings to the Crazy Lady. This mixture of love,
jealousy, and fear filled her soul with pain, and was eventually
seduced by the demon. Hey hey, aren‘t I smart?‖ Dr. Lu, who
talked nonsense seriously, finally couldn‘t help it and began to
boast.
―Is there any evidence for this conjecture?‖ Qi Leren asked the
key question.
―…No.‖ Dr. Lu deflated.
―So you‘re just guessing?‖ Qi Leren sneered.
―Aren‘t you being unreasonable? What you called guessing
should be called reasonable imagination,‖ Dr. Lu argued. ―If
you‘re not satisfied with the lily direction, I‘ll tell you a gay
theory! Once upon a time, there was a man named Johann
who wanted to marry rich Mrs. Sarah for money, but fell in love
with her family doctor. He didn‘t want to expose himself as a
homosexual but wanted to break off his engagement, so he
pretended to have an affair with Mrs. Sarah‘s maid Adeline. As
a result, Adeline was secretly killed by Mrs. Sarah. He still
married Mrs. Sarah, and was ready to wait for an opportunity to
kill her to get her inheritance. His lover, Dr. Flajser, assisted
him. The cheating dog who drove Mrs. Sarah crazy was finally
killed by Mrs Sarah.‖
―…‖ More and more bullshit. Although Qi Leren didn‘t agree
with Dr. Lu‘s imagination, he couldn‘t stop his friend‘s thoughts,
but he was interested in the types of demons. Because of his
skill ―Devil‘s Etiquette‖, he appealed to the Court for some
demon crystals, but these crystals were all low-level demons,
and most of them were succubi. There was no demon of
Isabel‘s level. He was a little curious about what kind of
crystals a devil like her would have. The energy inside could
possibly make a whole lake boil.
In order to appease Dr. Lu, Qi Leren treated him to a delicious
meal and told him to be careful in his compulsory task, so as
not to throw himself into the street because he only had the
fighting ability of vegetables or chickens.
After saying goodbye to Dr. Lu, Qi Leren went to look for Chen
Baiqi. Her sister Sissi was looking after the shop. When she
saw him, she called for her sister at the top of her voice. Only
then did Chen Baiqi come out of the basement and put a stack
of books on her desk, greeting Qi Leren.
Chen Baiqi ran a bookstore, most of which were books about
the Nightmare World collected from unknown sources. What
was more frightening was that such books as Simple Demon
Summoning, Feeding Methods of Lower Demons, Introduction
to Theological Prayer, Some Thoughts on the Purification of
Demon Crystallization Energy, etc., which seemed like popular
fiction at first glance, were not fabricated but were actual non-
fiction.
Unfortunately, Qi Leren had little interest in occultism and had
no time to study these things, but he‘d heard that many players
were interested in these things and were willing to spend a lot
of survival days to buy these books.
―I want to ask about the first compulsory mission,‖ Qi Leren
said to Chen Baiqi. ―In addition, I want to find out if anyone in
the Twilight Township can make a charger.‖
Chen Baiqi looked him up and down, took out a contract book,
and Qi Leren looked at the numbers on it. It wasn‘t too
expensive, so he signed it.
―The players in the Nightmare World come from all walks of life
in the real world. I happen to know a few craftsmen. I‘ll give
you a list and their contact information later. You can contact
them yourself. If you need me to contact them, I‘ll charge
extra,‖ Chen Baiqi calmly explained and put the contract book
away. ―As for the compulsory task, it‘s very simple. You can
pass it with your eyes closed and your hands empty. The
difficulty is about equal to a haunted house at an amusement
park. Just walk.‖
―That‘s all?‖ Qi Leren couldn‘t believe his ears.
―That‘s all,‖ Chen Baiqi said.
―…You con-woman, return my money!‖ Qi Leren said angrily.
―There‘s really nothing to say. Everyone has different tasks. As
far as I know, it seems that no one has died in the first
compulsory task, unless it was a multiplayer task and they
were killed because of conflicts with other players.‖ Chen Baiqi
grinned. ―As compensation, you can ask me another question
free of cost.‖
Qi Leren sat back in his seat again. It was impossible to get
back time. It would be better to ask Chen Baiqi about
something else.
After hesitating for a while, Qi Leren pretended to ask casually:
―Do you know how to produce a half-field?‖
Chen Baiqi looked at him with surprise, as if wondering how he
knew about this thing. Qi Leren became uncomfortable:
―What‘s wrong?‖
―It seems that you know,‖ Chen Baiqi said with some regret.
―Know what?‖ Qi Leren‘s heart jumped, feeling as if he was
gazing into the unknown.
―A half-field that has not completely condensed into a field is
inherently fragile, but don‘t worry, although Ning Zhou‘s half-
field has collapsed, he‘s still young and has potential. It‘s not
impossible for him to break through the shackles and re-
condense the field in time,‖ Chen Baiqi consoled.
Qi Leren looked at her, waiting for her to continue: ―Half-field
collapsed? When? What‘s happened?‖
Instead, Chen Baiqi was shocked: ―You don‘t know? Then why
did you ask how about half-fields?‖
Originally, he wanted to ask about the Slaughter Secret
Society producing a half-field. However, he had been told
about Ning Zhou‘s half-field collapsing. Qi Leren suddenly felt
panicked: ―What did you mean?‖
Chen Baiqi looked at him with awe, and her eyes were
inexplicably complicated: ―When his half-field collapsed,
weren‘t you there?‖
Qi Leren sat back in the chair and closed his eyes with
shame. The ethereal and graceful holy music is getting farther
and farther away, the holy white light in front of us gradually
fades, and the pilgrims praying in the magnificent church hall
become unreal, standing under the cross - the holy nun in a
white robe silently closes her blue eyes. Demons are raging,
and this enchantment, supported by countless prayers, is
crumbling and will die at any moment.
At that time, bathed in the holy light, Qi Leren had been
focused on surviving and didn‘t know the truth. He hadn‘t
known that it was his half-field that Ning Zhou was about to
break.
 Chapter 106: Slaughter Secret Society (VIII)

―I really didn‘t know before… I just heard about the field and
half-field recently,‖ Qi Leren said with difficulty. ―I thought that
the Barrier of the Holy Spirit was an enchantment attached to
his mother‘s memento. I didn‘t expect…‖
―That is indeed a memento of his mother; mementos do also
have magic that can be used to help one condense a field as
soon as possible. Ning Zhou‘s half-field was condensed by his
mother‘s memento, but the growth of this kind of field is very
fragile until it‘s been fully formed. If it‘s forcibly used, it will
inevitably lead to the collapse of the half-field. It will be much
more difficult to condense the half-field again than it was the
first time. Frankly speaking, Ning Zhou‘s divine talent is far less
than that of his mother Maria, who was already a field-level
master at his age,‖ Chen Baiqi said.
―Ning Zhou is already very powerful. I was still in college when
I was as old as him. I couldn‘t even kill a chicken.‖ Qi Leren
couldn‘t help defending Ning Zhou.
Chen Baiqi gave him a complicated look: ―Compared to you, of
course. When I first entered the Nightmare World, Ning Zhou
was only thirteen years old. He couldn‘t even learn the most
basic healing of holy light. Even after Maria died and he was
taken to the Holy See, he didn‘t learn magic well. I always
disapproved of his use of the secret methods of the Holy See
to condense his half-field, because he wasn‘t suited for this
road. Even if he reaches the field level, he may not be able to
go further. So this time, the collapse of the half-field may be a
good thing for him.‖
Qi Leren opened his mouth, but he didn‘t know what to say.
His understanding of Ning Zhou was too little. Every time he
listened to Chen Baiqi, he missed seeing the tip of the iceberg
of Ning Zhou‘s life. He wanted to ask a lot, but he didn‘t know
what position he should use to ask. In the end, he had to be
silent.
He thought of a lot of things. The Holy Nun of the Holy See, the
young field-master, appeared in the inferno invasion more than
20 years ago… The combination of such clues reminded him
of an NPC…… in the Nightmare Game… A lady known more
by her legend than her name.
It turned out that her final ending was not to be buried in the
Holy City, but instead she spent the rest of her life in the
Village of Dusk.
It turned out that she was Ning Zhou‘s mother.
―You‘ve been in the Nightmare World for eight years,‖ Qi Leren
said after a long pause.
―Yes, for eight years… I once condensed more than half of a
field, but it was broken on the edge of life and death. So far,
I‘ve not taken this step again. Unfortunately, I won‘t have a
second eight years.‖ Chen Baiqi‘s slender eyebrows revealed a
fleeting loneliness. In the past eight years, life and death had
been honed and precipitated by her, and finally left only the
fine lines in the corner of her eyes. ―Everyone has limits,
mediocre people can‘t live for three years, and those with
outstanding qualifications can only live for ten years. One day,
sooner or later, the difficulty of the task will exceed your limit.
"We will all have that day, and most people won‘t even be able
to survive until then, because luck will not always be on your
side,‖ Chen Baiqi said.
Qi Leren also wanted to know more about fields, at least know
how to condense a field, and what the use of a field was.
Unfortunately, Chen Baiqi refused to disclose it, saying that
knowing too much was not necessarily a good thing for him,
and he might even doubt life. On the way back, Qi Leren was
still thinking about fields. The memento ring of the Slaughter
Secret Society was a half-field item, but it could be used
repeatedly. What was the difference between it and the half-
field condensed by others? He remembered that Miao Li said
that there was no hope of becoming a field master by killing the
secret societies half-field pledge…
Back at Red‘s home, Qi Leren lied down on the sofa tiredly. He
fidgeted and lit a cigarette. Puffing away, he seemed to have
returned to that embarrassing night. What kind of mood was
Ning Zhou in at that time? No matter how much he did for
others and how much he paid the price, he would never say it,
and he would even stay away from it for fear that others would
know. This kind of character, this kind of go-to person, was the
most lovely and the most hateful.
Sluggishly, Qi Leren snuffed his cigarette and threw it aside.
There was no way but to learn to smoke for this task, but it
wouldn‘t be good for him to really become addicted to smoking.
Considering that today‘s training task was not finished, Qi
Leren stood up at his appointed position, changed into his
sportswear, and walked into the basement.
He had to prepare for the selection ceremony in a week‘s time.
He was sure it would be a test of life and death.
&&&
―It‘s going to rain again. The weather has been changing
quickly lately,‖ Mrs Kathleen said as she sipped hot coffee.
Ashley, who stood beside her, looked at the ground with eyes
narrowed, and secretly took a look at the person opposite from
time to time.
Red reclined and put his slender legs on the coffee table next
to him. He looked out the window with his head in his hand and
seemed to be absent-minded. The silver chains tied to his
boots reflected the light of the sunset: ―What time is it?‖
―It‘s still five minutes away from midnight. When the time
comes, we‘ll be taken into the half-field. If you don‘t belong to
the Village of Dusk‘s Slaughter Secret Society, you need me
as a reference, but next time you‘ll be able to enter the half-
field by yourself.‖ Mrs Kathleen spoke with a smile, talking
about the party again, and expressed regret that Sid couldn‘t
be of use.
Red became a bit more energetic, licking his lips and revealing
a tacit smile: ―Although I really wanted to accept him, it‘s a
pity… This little wild cat is jealous, and his enthusiasm is
unexpected these days.‖
Mrs. Kathleen glanced at the hickey on his neck and smiled, ―I
can see that.‖
Qi Leren had a cold and noble face on the surface, but a heart
full of enthusiasm. In order to go for the full effect, he‘d taken
the syringe with the needle removed and used it to suck and
scratch around his neck for a long time. Fortunately, it was not
in vain.
―Speaking of it, Sid has been very lost since you returned him
that day. I heard that he found a man to try it out and has
become addicted… My female subordinate has already
complained to me that he‘s absent-minded in bed.‖ Mrs
Kathleen covered the lower half of her face with a feather fan,
and her tone was rather bitter.
Ha ha, my ―straight man‖ bent with one look at my gravure
video, yet I’m blamed for bending him? As a virgin, Qi Leren
was speechless in the face of this group of men and women
who thought about the lower body all day.
―It‘s better to be my Ashley. I like such a sweet boy, like a little
apple that‘s not yet mature,‖ Mrs Kathleen said, smiling and
touching Ashley‘s red face.
However, she didn‘t see it. Ashley blushed at the Qi Leren all
the time and bumped into him like a fawn.
Qi Leren felt tired for a while: Madam, as the leader of a
hedonistic organization, why are all the men in your
organization SO GAY? It’s only newly discovered. If you break
them of it immediately they can still mend their ways…
―Time is up.‖ Mrs Kathleen closed her feather fan, got up, and
held out her hand to Qi Leren.
The two held hands together, and a white light appeared on
Lady Kathleen and Ashley, then on Qi Leren.
A huge force pulled the three people out of the Village of Dusk
and into the half-field.
The feeling of entering this half-field was completely different
from entering Su He‘s field. Su He‘s field hardly made one feel
that this was not a real world, and there was not much
discomfort when entering. However, here, Qi Leren had a
feeling of unreality from the moment he entered the field.
At present, the half-field was a huge underground cave. The
churning viscous red magma rolled underneath, and dozens of
people in cloaks walked along the only stone path in the
magma, heading for the open space in the middle of the cave.
There was a beam of light rising from the altar in the center of
the magma, leading to the roof of the cave.
This scene felt familiar to Qi Leren. He remembered that there
was also an altar in the underground palace in the Witchcraft
Sacrifice task. At the end, Isabel walked into the altar‘s beam.
Perhaps this was a way for the Devil to contact his followers?
Although the Trial indicated that the relationship between the
Devil of Slaughter and his believers was rather distant, and Qi
Leren‘s identity would not be exposed under normal
circumstances, he was still a little nervous for fear that his
identity would suddenly be exposed and he would be trapped
in the field to die.
Some thermophilic fungi grew at the top of the cave, sending
out strange blue light, which made the dome of the cave seem
as bright as the milky way. The hot air and churning magma at
their feet added a bit of hellish atmosphere to this half-field.
A large group of people walked slowly towards the rocky
ground in the middle of the magma, where there was already a
person waiting for their arrival.
Lie Yang, the agent of the Slaughter Secret Society‘s Twilight
Township branch.
At the moment he saw him, Qi Leren‘s stomach seemed to
sink into a cold stone.
Qi Leren had seen this man, and that man had seen him. He
knew that he was a newcomer and that he was related to the
Holy See. On the ship where he was parasitized by the seed of
slaughter, they had fought together against a player who was
overcome by a seed of slaughter.
His name was Luo Yishan.
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: Luo Yishan appeared in Chapter 65, that is, the chapter of
the player who broke out from the seed of slaughter and fought
Qi Leren. At that time, Luo Yishan was also on the airship, and
they talked, so he knew that Qi Leren was a newcomer, and he
had seen him wearing clothes with the Holy See‘s logo
(goddess‘s).
 Chapter 107: Slaughter Secret Society (IX)

Suddenly there was a chuckle in the crowd, with a hint of

sarcasm. The crowd spread out on both sides like Moses
dividing the sea. An unusual man slowly came out of the
crowd, just like a queen who was presented by her ministers.
Under the aura of confidence and strength, even strangers
could not help but make way for him.
―I didn‘t expect to see an acquaintance here.‖ Red curled the
corners of his mouth, and his gorgeous face showed no delight
in meeting an old friend, but instead provocation.
Luo Yishan, standing under the altar, paused. He felt that the
people in front of him was a little familiar, but when he recalled,
there was no such person in his memory. It was strange. This
kind of flamboyant aura and rare style of dress, if he‘d seen it
once, he could never forget it… Unless…
―Are you…‖ Luo Yishan suddenly remembered a man, a
newcomer with a different temperament from the man in front
of him, who was later taken away by the Trial.
Red smiled, and his brown eyes were suddenly stained with
blood. The original enchanting face suddenly revealed a
demonic symbol, which entangled with the tattoo at the corner
of his eye rendered the pale skin with a sense of bright and
fragrant lust. The demon‘s unabashed power spread from him,
and the people around him in this hot purgatory were
overcome with the feeling of suffocation!
―Dear Mr. Luo Yishan, we meet again.‖ Red showed sharp
fangs and smiled enigmatically.
Luo Yishan, who had been called his real name, was silent for
a few seconds: ―I really didn‘t expect… the ‗newcomer‘ I met
on the airship to turn out to be a demonized player.‖
―I‘m not surprised. The smell of Slaughter on you was too
strong. Even if you can fool the Court‘s examination, you can‘t
fool my eyes,‖ Red said mockingly, looking haughtily at Luo
Yishan.
He didn‘t explain why he acted like a newcomer at that time,
nor did he explain his coat bearing the Holy See‘s emblem, nor
did he explain his bizarre resurrection on the airship. He even
provoked Luo Yishan unscrupulously, but the more puffed up,
the more cautious the other party was, the more initiative they
took to weave his behavior into a logical story.
―Let me introduce you to Mr. Red from the Underground Ant
City, a master who recently came to the Village of Dusk. He
was originally affiliated to the Underground Ant City‘s branch,
but he hasn‘t returned for a long time because he was honing
himself in purgatory.‖ Mrs Kathleen duly introduced Red‘s
origin to everyone.
Red looked around at the believers, and the demonic smile on
his face seemed to grow.
―I came for someone, and I think everyone is familiar with him.‖
Red deliberately prolonged his tone and said slowly, with a
cruel smile at the end. ―His name is Kuangshan, my lover.‖
―So?‖ Luo Yishan calmly asked.
―So, I will accept his ring,‖ Red said lightly, glancing at the ring
on Luo Yishan‘s thumb.
He spoke calmly and understated it as if he were stating a fact,
but it doing so, his words became more terrifying. His
mysterious origin, his demonized body, and his imposing
manner of oppressing people forced the others to pay attention
to him.
The expression on Luo Yishan‘s face was stiff, and his identity
as a holder was inevitable, which was bound to offend Red…
Red‘s origin was too mysterious. He‘d disguised himself as a
newcomer who had just entered the game on the airship, killed
the believer who was overcome by his seed by means of
bizarre resurrection, and deliberately let him see the Vatican‘s
emblem on his clothes. Was this a way of testing him? At that
time, he didn‘t feel the smell of Slaughter on Red‘s body. Even
the Trails Office couldn‘t find it.
This man was so unfathomable… He would have to deal with
him carefully.
Luo Yishan, who was caught in conspiracy theories, laughed
heartily: ―According to the rules of the Slaughter Secret
Society, any believer is qualified to compete for the position of
the holder. If there are many people competing at the same
time, the first person to complete the task is the winner.‖
Red crossed his arms but didn‘t refute. He just said arrogantly:
―What are you waiting for? Who else wants to compete for the
holder, stand up together. But the person who will eventually
bring the sacrifice back will only be me.‖
No noise was made, the only sound that of the rolling magma,
which rose and fell in this underground lava cave.
Red laughed, as if laughing at their timidity, but no one dared
to show dissatisfaction.
Luo Yishan stood on the altar, and the ring on his hand
touched the groove of the altar. A beam of light rose from the
altar and sank into the dome ceiling covered with blue
fluorescent fungi. A few lines of golden words emerge in the
light:
[SACRIFICE TARGET NAME: Ning Zhou]
[GENDER: Male]
[AGE: 21]
[AFFILIATION: Holy See]
[PERSONAL INTRODUCTION: An exorcist of the Holy See, a
knight of high rank, who is suspected of holding semi-finished
products. At present, he is in the Village of Dusk and is closely
related to the Court]
At that moment, Qi Leren failed to conceal his horrified
expression.
―What‘s the matter?‖ Mrs. Kathleen noticed his look and asked
curiously.
Red lowered his eyes, and a strange smile spread on his
mouth. He licked his red lips with great interest: ―Ah, it‘s him…‖
He glanced at Luo Yishan and threw a kiss: ―Sorry, I won this
task.‖
Luo Yishan‘s heart sank and his face was silent: ―It is not
known who will die.‖
―Haha, so, I‘ll bring this person back alive, and let you meet the
Vatican‘s exorcist. No matter how firm one‘s faith is, it‘s so
vulnerable in the face of desire and hope… But the more
painful it is when it falls, the more delicious the soul is, making
one… unable to stop.‖ Red looked at the golden words
emerging from the beam, showing a subtle complexity in his
expression.
Red turned away and smiled strangely. The demon‘s bright red
eyes seemed to be flowing with hot magma, making those
around him dare not stare: ―I will use his blood to begin the
coronation ceremony and sacrifice him to my Lord.‖
Luo Yishan, who had a heavy heart, reluctantly smiled: ―I will
wait and see.‖
&&&
After leaving the field, Qi Leren returned to the place where
they had entered the field, but found that the time inside and
outside the field was synchronous. He clearly remembered that
there was a significant difference between the speed of time
inside and outside Su He‘s field, probably because this field
was a semi-finished product attached to a memento.
With Red‘s persona, Qi Leren lightly avoided Mrs. Kathleen‘s
temptations and left.
Seeing Ning Zhou‘s name at the Slaughter ceremony really
surprised him, but he soon realized that it might be a good
opportunity for him. If Ning Zhou was willing to cooperate with
him, he could bring the living Ning Zhou into the Slaughter
ceremony and take the memento ring.
In a word, let‘s discuss it with the Court first.
That night, Miao Li appeared in Qi Leren‘s dream. After
learning the true identity of the agent, she was surprised and
said she would inform her boss.
―We‘ll inform Ning Zhou that he‘s locked in as the ceremony‘s
target. As for whether he‘s willing to cooperate with the task, it
depends on his attitude. After all, he‘s not an employee of the
Court, and we have no right to order him to do anything,‖ Miao
Li said.
Qi Leren had a feeling that Ning Zhou would agree to help…
He just had this feeling.
Ah… Don‘t worry about debt, don‘t worry about debt.
No, no.
 Chapter 108: Slaughter Secret Society (X)

―Good, good evening…‖ Qi Leren, who came out of the

basement after completing today‘s training task, glanced over
and saw Ning Zhou sitting on the sofa. The uninvited guest sat
straight on the soft sofa, who knows how long he‘d been
waiting.
Qi Leren, who was covered in sweat, subconsciously looked
down at his clothes. This time he was fine, wearing a sports
vest, and finally he was not curious-looking: ―I‘ll take a shower
and be right back!‖
With that said, Qi Leren ran upstairs to first wash himself
quickly.
Perched on the coat rack, the big black bird let out a strange
laugh and seemed to laugh at Ning Zhou, this master of its that
had been left on the sofa. The latter gave it a blank look, and
under the deterrent of its master‘s eyes, it made a whistling
sound and looked in all directions casually.
After a quick shower, Qi Leren ran down the stairs with a
boiling hot water kettle, and poured Ning Zhou and himself a
glass of water. The big black bird that was not entertained
rattled discontentedly, and Qi Leren had no choice but to pour
it a cup. Unexpectedly, the bird was brazen and pushed its
luck: ―I‘m hungry, I want something delicious!‖
It also coveted the few rations Qi Leren had left!
Qi Leren was distressed. There weren‘t many ―pleasing
rations‖. By now, they had all been fed to this bird… But this
was Ning Zhou‘s bird. Right now, he had to count on Ning
Zhou for help. Alright, let‘s feed…
―Ignore it.‖ Before Qi Leren took out the food, Ning Zhou made
a noise to stop him.
Qi Leren retracted the hand he‘d been about to feed it with in
good faith.
The big black bird looked at its master resentfully, pecked his
ear discontentedly, and flapped its wings to fly away.
―Your bird has character… but its very smart. What‘s its name
and breed?‖ Qi Leren asked.
Even outside of the mission, where Ning Zhou was no longer
equipped with the Closed Meditation skill, he was still quiet,
rarely saying anything: ―It has no name, the species is an
eagle, and its habitat is in the Jinghai Desert.‖
Qi Leren‘s regional understanding of the Nightmare World
basically comes from his playing Nightmare Game, and he
vaguely remembered that the Jinghai Desert was the location
of the Underground Ant City, hiding the nest-like underground
world under its scorching and horrible desert, as well as the
scorching Purgatory deep underground, which was a place
where demons ran rampant.
There were really too few topics between the two. They‘d
hardly talked during the Witchcraft Sacrifice. After that, every
time they met, the unique circumstances hadn‘t allowed them
to sit down and chat, but now they were a little embarrassed.
―If it‘s an eagle, then doessn‘t it speak eagle (English)?‖ Qi
Leren told a pun.*
*{E/N: Ning Zhou says his bird is an eagle (语鹰 yu ying), and
Qi Leren tries to joke by saying oh, then wont it speak the
language of the eagles (ying yu 鹰语; the same characters but
switched), which is a homonym for english (英语 ying yu) }
Ning Zhou gave him a calm, blank look, giving no indication of
laughing.
Qi Leren froze, forgetting that Ning Zhou was not a person
from the real world. He didn‘t know what English was!
―Ahem, in the outside world, there is a common language
called English. We sometimes use it when we talk. What is
Hello, Happy, Hani… Ahem, it‘s nothing special, pretend I
didn‘t say anything.‖ Qi Leren felt that he had suddenly
become an emperor of silence, and his heart was in tears. Why
was it that he could easily talk to sinister killers when he was
acting as Red? Yet now, in the face of his own kind, he often
made stupid mistakes?
In fact, he didn‘t know what to say to the other party. Why did
he say such a thing? Ning Zhou: ―…Oh.‖
For some reason, this silent scene reminded Qi Leren of a long
time ago. At that time, he had not yet entered the Nightmare
Game, and he was still an unemployed youth who was looking
for a job everywhere shortly after graduation. His parents
introduced him to a friend‘s daughter. This sister was dignified
and beautiful, that is, she was a little cold. After the exchange
of ―um, ah, oh, ok, thank you, you‘re welcome‖, there was no
more…
At this moment, the scene was similar to the picture of that
blind date, except the one on the opposite sofa wasn‘t quite the
right gender.
―I…‖ Qi Leren was ready to talk about the Slaughter Secret
Society.
―You…‖ Ning Zhou also happened to speak.
The two voices collided.
―You go first.‖
―You go first.‖
Two voices collided again, and they went silent at the same
time.
Qi Leren began to sweat again. It won’t work! This
communication is totally impossible! It’s embarrassing to sit
and talk!
―Are you hungry? I‘ll make some fried rice.‖ Qi Leren was really
a little hungry. It would be better to communicate at the dinner
table.
3―I don‘t…‖ ―I‘m hungry! I‘m so hungry! I‘m starving!‖ Ning Zhou
had just said two words when his bird screamed at the top of
its lungs, startling Qi Leren.
After being interrupted by it, the atmosphere in the room was
finally better. Qi Leren showed a big smile and looked at it
gratefully: ―If it can eat, I‘ll make three servings. Cooking at
home is much cheaper than eating outside. Paying the bill
when you eat out hurts.‖
Seeing Qi Leren‘s offer, Ning Zhou didn‘t refuse and silently
followed him into the kitchen… A win.
Qi Leren‘s mood became complicated when he saw Ning Zhou
cutting tomatoes with a kitchen knife. It felt like seeing Dr. Lu
approach him; he always felt that the skill points were a little
biased.
A pan of fried rice and a pot of soup were finished quickly, and
Qi Leren‘s craftsmanship was OK. After all, he lived alone all
the year round, and he would have to eat instant noodles every
day if he couldn‘t cook with his own hands. Ning Zhou, though,
seemed almost like a chef, and Qi Leren felt distressed when
he thought of his own life experience.
But there was a feeling of friendliness with this chef, and the
atmosphere was much better when the two people sat at the
dinner table. Qi Leren told Ning Zhou about the Slaughter
Secret Society while eating, and how when he saw Ning Zhou
listed as the mission goal for the selection ceremony to decide
the holder, he‘d almost fallen into the trap. Ning Zhou gave him
a deep look.
Qi Leren choked for a moment, and he found it was easy to
misunderstand, but the explanation made it worse and worse,
so he had to bury his head in his food, burping from the
anxiety. He was ridiculed by the eagle, who was tasting its
unfamiliar fried rice.
After eating, Qi Leren revived his spirits and began to tell Ning
Zhou about his plan: ―The Slaughter Secret Society‘s internal
struggle is fierce. The Court always suspected that they could
catch Kunagshan because the present keeper agent Lie Yang
(Luo Yishan) had secretly leaked his whereabouts, because
once the keeper dies, the memento ring will fall into the hands
of the keeper agent. Right now, the ring has lost its binding. No
matter whose hands it falls into, anyone can use it, but the
functions of the half-field are incomplete. The acting ring holder
also has the right to hold a selection ceremony to elect the next
ring holder, and the new ring holder binds the ring to restore all
functions in the half-field. But my presence broke his
calculations. He must be worried that I‘ll find you before him
and sacrifice you to the Lord of Slaughter to become the new
holder, so he needs to find a way to get rid of me and hold
another selection ceremony. There are too many variables
now. So I guess he‘ll get rid of me before I finish the task.
When there‘s only one competitor left, whether the task is
completed or not, he‘ll become the ring holder. ‖
Qi Leren‘s situation at this time was undoubtedly dangerous,
but he felt quite safe in this house. After all, the Court‘s people
shadowed him all the time. It was very difficult for Yang to kill
him here. If Yang was being careful, he wouldn‘t assassinate
him here. The place was too unfamiliar, and his likelihood of
failing would be very high. Once he failed, Red would be more
vigilant.
In order to assassinate the demonized Red, it was necessary
to kill him with one swift and resolute blow and end the battle
before he awakened his demonization. The best way was to
carry it out in the field. When you entered the field with full
confidence and wanted to complete the sacrifice and seize the
memento ring…
―There‘s a good chance that he‘ll rally his men to attack me
suddenly and get rid of me after I enter the field. I‘ve heard that
in many selection ceremonies, it was quite common for
candidates to kill each other. The Devil of Slaughter is
indifferent to this group of believers, looking at them as no
different from beggars. He just likes to watch them kill
indiscriminately,‖ Qi Leren said with a frown.
―What are you going to do?‖ Ning Zhou asked.
Qi Leren glanced at Ning Zhou with trepidation: ―This…
requires you to be sacrificed…‖
Ning Zhou: ―…‖ He had a bad feeling.
Qi Leren was really becoming more and more skilled at
convincing his teammates.
 Chapter 109: Slaughter Secret Society (XI)

―You are in a very dangerous situation,‖ Mrs. Kathleen said to

Red while enjoying Ashley‘s black tea.
Red was still careless. He gave Mrs Kathleen a smile after
hearing her words.
Ashley, who stood on the side, was worried. Although it hadn‘t
been long since he‘d become a follower of Slaughter, he‘d
already seen blood shed in several selection ceremonies.
Those candidates had put aside their tasks and become
absorbed in dealing with their own kind, and almost every time
all would be killed except the final winner. He couldn‘t help but
worry about Red. He had heard that he‘d left the Underground
Ant City‘s branch of the Slaughter Secret Society several years
ago, so it was inevitable that he was unfamiliar with the
situation in the Slaughter Secret Society now.
―If you‘re worried that Lie Yang will suddenly attack me, hehe, I
think I‘m a little smarter than him.‖ Red pulled out a cigarette
for himself, threw another one to Mrs. Kathleen, and then
looked straight at Ashley.
Axi went red in the face, bending down to light Red‘s cigarette.
From this overlooking point of view, he found for the first time
that the intimidation had faded away from Red‘s body. He was
still indifferent and careless, but under the thick makeup, he
seemed to have a delicate face, which was both strange and
novel…
Feeling his line of sight, Red raised his face to look at him, and
his light brown eyes reflected the scarlet light of the sunset. At
close range, this was more terrifying than he was in his
succubus state.
Ashley went back to Mrs. Kathleen in a panic and lit her
cigarette. Mrs. Kathleen said jealously, ―My underling seem to
like you very much.‖
―No, ma‘am…‖ Scared, Ashley hurried to defend himself.
―He‘s cute, but unfortunately I‘m not interested in this kind of
soft boy.‖ Red gave a smile as enchanting as a passing cloud,
flicked the cigarette butt, and continued, ―You didn‘t come here
today just to tell me about Lie Yang.‖
Being ignored, Ashley stood behind Lady Kathleen. Still, every
time Red ignored his existence, it made him feel more silly
about his feelings. He would rather choose a man who was
useless in bed, or wasn‘t concerned with greetings, or was
even stingy with kisses. When would he be able to talk and
laugh with him like Mrs. Kathleen? Would there really be that
day? Ashley, who was eaten by his inferiority complex,
watched secretly, and his heart was filled with humble acidity.
―Lie Yang is also very wary of me now because I‘ve referred
you, but I still have good relationships with a few friends, so I
will hear some things. I suggest that you complete the task as
soon as possible and bring the target‘s body into the field as
soon as possible. It‘s best if before Lie Yang is ready, I
threaten him with my friends and ‗force‘ him to hand over the
ring,‖ Mrs. Kathleen said.
―As long as the ring is still in Lie Yang‘s hands, he won‘t hand it
over,‖ Red said coldly and smiled mockingly. ―I prefer to bring
my prey into the field alive and begin the ceremony by watering
the altar with his and Lie Yang‘s blood.‖
With a hand over his heart, Red spoke with a look of longing
and enthusiasm: "Only in this way will my Lord notice me, and
see that I‘m his most loyal believer!‖
Mrs. Kathleen‘s expression was stiff. Obviously, she was not
such a fanatical believer. When she met a fanatical believer,
she would feel uncomfortable: ―If you insist on this, it will be
risky. After all, your prey is a firm hierophant. You might not be
able to control him.‖
―Compared to my Lord, this danger isn‘t worth mentioning,‖
Red said, his expression decisive.
―OK…‖ Mrs. Kathleen‘s expression could be summarized as:
Although I don‘t quite understand what you crazy believers
think, it‘s good that you‘re happy.
Mrs. Kathleen left. Although she couldn‘t reach an agreement
in this meeting, she was still willing to bet on him. She also
inquired about Ning Zhou. Qi Leren vaguely said that he‘d
formed a relationship with him by approaching him while
pretending to be a woman. After all, hierophants of the Holy
See resisted same-sex love. Mrs. Kathleen looked at him with
surprise and even her subordinate, Ashley, was shocked.
They thought it was a terrible thing to let the world know that
you used to change your hat and dress as a woman.
Ning Zhou, who was sitting in the basement with his black bird,
must think so, hehe.
&&&
The underground cave filled with hot lava was once again
opened to the Lord of Slaughter‘s believers. This half-field was
like a solidified space, with no potential for growth, but it was
an excellent shelter that allowed believers to not have to gather
in a specific place in the Twilight Township, thus reducing the
risk of being caught by the Court.
But today, it was about to fall into enemy hands.
Luo Yishan, standing at the edge of the altar, looked dignified.
He didn‘t expect Red to play his hand so fast. When he was
still searching widely for clues about Ning Zhou, Red had
already completed the task. Although he hadn‘t had enough
time to finish the task, it was enough for him to arrange
manpower to deal with Red. As long as he killed Red, he was
the only candidate. Even if he didn‘t not finish the task, the ring
in the half-field belonged to him.
On the stone bridge over the rolling magna, holding a chain in
hand, Red laughingly came to the altar, and the crowd made
way for him spontaneously.
He dragged the man dressed as a Vatican exorcist, but the
collar of his shirt was half unbuttoned, revealing large areas of
kiss and scratch marks on his clavicle. He looked ahead with
empty eyes, wearing a metal collar around his neck and with
his hands bound in metal handcuffs, and he walked forward
silently and blankly. In this half-field where the heat was like
hell, all the places he stepped seemed to be covered with
invisible snow and ice.
Red, who showed signs of demonization, looked back lazily,
stroked the beautiful abstinent exorcist‘s face, and winked in
Luo Yishan‘s direction: ―The exorcist of the Holy See, I brought
him alive. How about it? Don‘t I have a good style? This fallen
pure soul is the best gift to sacrifice for my Lord.‖
Red eyed Luo Yishan‘s ring. Luo Yishan immediately felt his
line of sight and a wave of anger welled up in my mind. He
would never hand over this ring! The manpower had been
arranged, as long as he gave the order…
Red suddenly showed a strange smile, and the chain held in
his hand loosened and fell to the ground with a crunching
sound. He had rushed to Luo Yishan like an arrow, and with a
wave of his dagger in the air, he moved like the wind - his
cheetah-like speed was too fast and amazing, and he threw
him to the ground!
―Start it! Get him!‖ There was a chilling coolness from his wrist,
and the severe pain turned Luo Yishan‘s command into a
scream. The left hand wearing the ring had been cut off by the
dagger, and the blood flowed wildly. The defensive shield he
used to protect himself was immediately broken, and Red flew
out like a bullet. However, he flew too much, and Red fell
directly into the rolling magma, turning to ashes in an instant.
Luo Yishan and his men were still stunned by the sudden end
of the battle, when an arrow flashing with a silver luster flew
like thunder, and the translucent shield was like glass, crashing
and breaking under this arrow!
The Vatican exorcist, who had originally been controlled like a
marionette under Red‘s masterful technique, had opened the
shackles on his hands when everyone‘s attention had been
turned, and Red, who had disappeared into the magma,
appeared in front of him again…
 Chapter 110: Slaughter Secret Society (XII)

The seed of slaughter broke out!

Luo Yishan, whose protective cover was broken, sank into the
seed of slaughter‘s control after it was triggered by the sudden
crisis, and the crazy seed of slaughter turned into thorns
piercing his body. The demon energy flowed furiously in the
half-field and surrounded the altar, and the surging rain cloud
of demon energy generally enveloped this half-field controlled
by lava.
On the cave‘s dome ceiling, the blue light of the thermophilic
fungi was like a vast starry sky. Under this gloomy and strange
blue light, the seeds of slaughter caused the believers to lose
control one after another, devouring all reason in an instant!
Qi Leren‘s, after loading the save file to resurrect himself, felt
his eyes go red as the cold power ran down his neck. It was
flowing through the current of his blood. That terrifying,
destructive power encroached on his reason. At this moment,
there was no memento ring before his eyes, no Ning Zhou. His
eyes only sought death!
Luo Yishan, who had lost his hand, was the same. He forgot
the wound that was constantly spraying blood, didn‘t even
remember to pick up his amputated hand, and forgot the ring
on his amputated hand. His healthy right hand roared at Qi
Leren with a heavy stick, and thorns swept towards him like
heavy rain!
The two frenzied men fought in the open space, and the Qi
Leren, who was fully inspired by his fighting instinct, was as
agile as a bobcat. Even under the control of the seed, he did
not forget his shortcomings, and Luo Yishan‘s powerful hits
never connected. But even so, the significant difference in
combat effectiveness between the two men was not enough for
him to defeat this opponent. If Ning Zhou hadn‘t helped with his
archery, he would have been beaten in little more than ten
seconds.
The half-field was in chaos, and Mrs. Kathleen became
suspicious because of how quickly Ning Zhou had broken free,
but at this time she was already riding a tiger*, so after
consideration still she chose to believe him. She didn‘t let Luo
Yishan‘s cronies control the whole situation. However, under
the traction of the huge demon energy, all the believers had
been caught in the outbreak of the seeds of slaughter, and the
believers whose seeds were deeply developed had been
pierced by thorns one after another. The large black thorns
unscrupulously harvested the lives of believers and a melody
of death rose from the spewing blood and death wails.
*{E/N: in a precarious situation}
There was no right or wrong, just killing for celebration, and
celebration for killing.
A silver arrow shot a long line of electric light across the
ground, exploding into frost and spreading. The extremely cold
temperature made the magma around it freeze for a moment,
to say nothing of the believers in that area, their bodies and
thorns becoming covered with a layer of frost that slowed their
movement. Ning Zhou drew his double knives out of their
sheaths and rushed to the devil worshippers who had turned to
ice, killing them amidst the blood rain.
On the edge of the altar, Qi Leren had turned around and
climbed up the altar, fighting bravely with Luo Yishan. His clear
consciousness had been suppressed under the desire to kill,
but the countdown was progressing lower and lower.
The S/L Skill‘s effect time was only… seven, six, five, four,
three…
Luo Yishan‘s thorns swept over the rocky ground, and the limb
that had been cut off by Qi Leren flew out. With its arc, it fell
towards the magma.
Qi Leren, who was avoiding Luo Yishan‘s attack on the altar,
suddenly woke up for a moment. If the ring fell into the magma,
his recent painstaking efforts would be completely invalid!
Two seconds.
With a push of his foot, he jumped up like a cat lunging for his
prey.
One second.
His hand was two meters away from the flying amputated
hand. He was still rising, but the bloody hand was falling away.
Zero seconds.
He also began to fall, but was still half a meter short! Only half
a meter away!
The save time had passed, and the skill cooling countdown
was 0:59:59.
His feet were no longer solid ground but hot lava, and the
terrible heat was on him, getting closer and closer…
He‘d lost his center of gravity, falling upside down. The world
was inverted before his eyes. Ironically, at this moment, he
could calmly look at the absurd Slaughter ceremony not far
away. In this upside down world, the blood gushing
everywhere was like red rain falling from the sky, more
dazzling than the magma.
A cold voice laughed wildly in his mind. It was the seed of
slaughter‘s consciousness, and it joyfully commanded him to
die.
No, stop! There was still a way, there had to be a way… Yes,
he could use the [Countercurrent Sand] to reset a skill card at
will, but… Even if he reset the S/L skill here, he would still fall
into magma in midair after loading the file!
It was over.
Once again, his sober consciousness was swallowed up by the
seed of slaughter. Qi Leren looked at the hot red manga
indifferently as he watched himself rush towards death.
―Qi Leren-! Grab the ring!!!‖ Ning Zhou‘s voice came from far
away, waking him from his zen state like sudden thunder.
Qi Leren‘s consciousness once again overcame the seed of
slaughter, and he realized that he was falling into the abyss of
death.
To fall into magma was to fall into hell. He would be reduced to
ashes and disappear here forever.
There was only one chance for him to survive…
Grab the ring!
Although his spiritual power left after breaking from his
meditative state was weak, it made the impossible possible at
the moment when it seemed lost. Qi Leren stretched his hand
out hard and grabbed the hand at the moment when it was
about to fall into magma. The cold temperature of the memento
ring shocked his system, and he frantically screamed in his his
mind-
Get out! Close the field! Get us out of here!
A white light flashed, and the half-fields was closed.
At this moment, this feast of the Devil of Slaughter‘s dance…
Abruptly ended.
&&&
In front of him was a hot red. As if given an electric shock, Qi
Leren sprang up from the sofa only for his legs to go soft,
sitting back down.
At the last second in the half-field, the hot magma had almost
touched his head, and the terrible heat seemed to have burned
his soul. At that time, his S/L skill had run out. If Ning Zhou
hadn‘t woken him up at that time, if he hadn‘t caught the
amputated hand at that time…
The amputated hand was still in his hand, yet before Qi Leren
could take off the memento ring, his hand was grasped.
An awkward Ning Zhou pulled his wrist, and his blue eyes were
like the sea in the storm, brewing a horrible mood. Qi Leren
was stunned, a little embarrassed.
"Oh… We‘re okay,‖ the old man Qi Leren said towards the
ground, but he didn‘t have any confidence in his heart.
His wrist hurt, but Qi Leren didn‘t dare to look at Ning Zhou‘s
face. Just now, he couldn‘t tell whether Ning Zhou was going to
hit him or hug him… Probably hit him. He also knew that the
image at that moment had been too thrilling, enough that
someone watching would have a heart attack.
After leaving the half-field, his seed of slaughter was
controlled, and now it was back to hiding in the back of his
neck. Qi Leren was a little distracted thinking about it, only to
suddenly hear Ning Zhou‘s voice: ―At any time, living is the
most important thing.‖
―…Um, I see.‖ The atmosphere was too strange, and Qi Leren
had no intention of arguing. He took his hand away and
contacted the Trials Office with a walkie-talkie. ―The ring is
here, come quickly.‖
―Three minutes, wait on the roof,‖ Al‘s calm voice came from
the other end of the walkie talkie.
There wasn‘t much time, and the Slaughter Secret Society‘s
belivers would surely come here. They had to leave before
they arrived.
Qi Leren took the ring off the amputated hand and held it in his
hand. He didn‘t complete the ritual task or kill another
candidate, so the ring didn‘t belong to him, nor was he the
Slaughter Secret Society‘s keeper. At most, he could only use
part of this half-field.
Unfortunately, believers summoned to the half-field could
refuse to enter it, otherwise he could now pull all the believers
into the half-field and escape with ease.
―Let‘s go and wait for the airship on the roof,‖ Qi Leren said to
Ning Zhou.
On the roof, the sun shone like blood.
The Nightmare Game had not explained why the Nightmare
World had this strange weather in the Village of Dusk. This
human sanctuary shrouded in the sunset all year round
seemed to have been forgotten in time, together with the
sunset that never fell.
But at this moment, the two people have no intention of
appreciating such beautiful scenery. From the direction of the
setting sun, a large group of bats were coming towards them
like migratory birds. Looking down from above, believers
wearing cloaks and masks appeared in the distant streets.
They were coming here to stop them from taking away the
memento ring!
The Court‘s airship appeared at almost the same time. The
helicopter-like airship headed straight toward the roof where
the two were located.
Hurry up, hurry up. Qi Leren looked to both sides, praying that
the speed of the aircraft would be faster than the approaching
tide of bats.
He looked at Ning Zhou again, who had taken out his bow and
arrow without saying a word.
Sure enough, there it was. Qi Leren was used to his style, but
there were too many bats. Were there enough arrows? Or did
he intend to use the frost arrows that could freeze bone
dragons?
A dark arrow was draped over the metal longbow, and as the
string was pulled back, the arrow shot out with a loud bang.
Such a sound was surprising to the ear. The arrow shot out like
lightning, and bats fell from the air like iron blocks. The sound
echoed like thunder.
What kind of arrow was this? Qi Leren watched curiously,
secretly looking at the bow and arrow in Ning Zhou‘s hand.
―Gravity increase,‖ Ning Zhou said.
Qi Leren didn‘t really know whether this was a skill or
something, but everything had been happening so quickly
recently that he hadn‘t been able to change his mentality. Not
knowing how to pretend to understand, he nodded blindly.
Only two meters away from the roof, the nearby aircraft
opened its door. Ning Zhou motioned for Qi Leren to go first,
and Qi Leren struggled for a moment. He jumped high to reach
the door and strained to climb up then turned back to Ning
Zhou to stretch out his hand and pull him, but before he had
turned around, Ning Zhou had come up.
Almost at the same time, the believers flooded onto the roof.
A man-made rain cloud condensed in the sky and the wind
blew with thunder and lightning. Lightning as thick as wrists fell
from the sky onto the roof. A shield popped open instantly on
the aircraft, blocking the thunder and lightning.
The aircraft rose, getting farther and farther away from the roof.
Through the translucent shield, Qi Leren saw the large group
of believers wearing cloaks flooding the roof, and believers
with ranged attack abilities were trying to break the shield and
shoot down the aircraft.
In the crowd, only one person was not wearing a mask, and Qi
Leren saw him at a glance.
Ashley.
In the violent, chaotic crowd, he looked up at him. Through the
thunder and heavy rain, his childish eyes changed.
He had many things to ask and say. That encounter in the
rainy night had turned out to be the beginning of a plot of
destruction. His longing, his yearning, and his silent love were
all false.
There was no Red in this world. What he had fallen in love with
was just a carefully woven phantom.
Just as the day they had met, his first love, which had never
started, came to an abrupt end in the midst of a rainstorm that
clouded his eyes.
The crowd flocked to the aircraft, but Ashley suddenly turned
around and left against the stream of people. He held Red‘s
mask in his hand, which broke from being clutched too hard.
The fragment cut his palm, and the blood was dissolved and
washed away by the rain.
―Ma'am, get out of here. The Village of Dusk is no longer safe,‖
Ashley said to Mrs. Kathleen, who was hiding in the shadows.
In the heavy rain and thunder, Mrs. Kathleen looked at him
wearily. Her delicate makeup had been washed away by the
rain and her face had become blurred, decadent and
ridiculous. She vaguely felt that her subordinate had changed
and his youth had faded from his face, leaving no trace, and
giving the outline of a mature man standing in the rainstorm.
―Pull yourself together… Let‘s go, let‘s go to the Underground
Ant City. The Village of Dusk‘s enchantment has been broken
by the Trial.‖ Mrs Kathleen made the decision and gave up
calling to her other subordinates. She would take Ashley to the
border with her.
Ashley looked up at the flying aircraft, which had passed
through the magic rain cloud and flew towards the distant
sunset.
One day… Ashley carefully put the mask he held away into his
item bar. One day, they would meet again.
At that time, he must not be what he was today.
 Chapter 111: The Dream of the Holy Nun (I)

In an instant, the aircraft had already flown over the rain clouds
and the setting sun shone through the transparent window,
casting warm gold onto the three people in the aircraft. Al
drove the aircraft, and the inner cabin of this small aircraft was
narrow. Qi Leren and Ning Zhou sat side by side, waiting for
the aircraft to land.
The heavy memento ring was still in Qi Leren‘s hand. He
played with the ring, a little absent-minded as he recounted
what had happened. The last image he‘d seen before the
hatch had closed behind him was still deeply imprinted in his
mind: amidst the thunderstorm, the believers rushed toward
the departing aircraft, but Ashley had turned around and
disappeared into the crowd against the flow of people.
The young boy who blushed when he met his eyes had
changed.
When he was on duty, Qi Leren hadn‘t paid much attention to
him. He paid more attention to Mrs. Kathleen than to Ashley,
who was just an introduction to his task. In order to catch Mrs.
Kathlee‘s support, he‘d mixed into the Slaughter Secret
Society, but somehow, at the end of the task, it was this
teenager who followed behind Mrs. Kathleen like a shadow
who suddenly was impressed upon him.
But it didn‘t make sense. Sooner or later, they would fall into
the hands of the Trials Office, and the Village of Dusk‘s
Slaughter Secret Society would soon be uprooted.
Qi Leren picked up the ring with Luo Yishan‘s blood on it. The
ring reflected the bright light of the sunset outside the window.
Ning Zhou looked at the ring then looked at him as well. The
outline of the side of his face was softened by the light, and the
sunset passed through his eyelashes, leaving countless
shadows. Qi Leren‘s eyes fell from the ring to Ning Zhou‘s
face. For a moment, he wanted to ask about the blue gem ring,
but he couldn‘t ask, he could only smile at Ning Zhou.
An incredible thing happened at this moment. Ning Zhou, who
has always been unsmiling, softened his expression and
smiled back at him.
The roaring sound of the ship‘s engine disappeared from his
ears, as did the ticking sounds of the machinery. Even the
orange sunset seemed to disappear. Qi Leren stared at Ning
Zhou‘s rare smile and was speechless.
It was silly, because he still held the Slaughter Secret Society‘s
memento ring, as if he were going to give it to someone.
―Remove the seed of slaughter when you go back,‖ Ning Zhou
said, the side of his face being made noticeably warm by the
red light of the dreamy sunset.
―Oh… Yeah, okay.‖ Having come to his senses, Qi Leren
touched the seed of slaughter that had grown from the back of
his neck down his spine. This timebomb could finally be gotten
rid of.
―Ning Zhou… For this time, thank you,‖ Qi Leren whispered his
gratitude.
Ning Zhou shook his head and said nothing.
Qi Leren understood what he meant. He didn‘t mean anything
by it. He was just doing what he thought should be done, and
he would never ask for anything in return.
Al, who is driving the aircraft, had been paying attention to the
movement behind him. At this moment, he finally rolled his
eyes. What‘s the matter with these two people? Affectionately
looking at each other for half a day, were they going to kiss?
Even if movie law states that ―there must be a kiss after a big
battle‖, you have to look at the gender clearly!
Thinking this, Al suddenly felt a little ashamed. This task was
really too difficult for new people. Seeing that a good young
man had had his sexual orientation become wrong due to his
special training… And Ning Zhou, the Holy See forbade
homosexuality.
The aircraft landed at the Courthouse, and Qi Leren was not as
upset by this visit as he had been the last time he‘d been to the
Courthouse. With the task completed, he walked off the aircraft
with high spirits and followed Al into the Courthouse.
This time, instead of being taken into the underground area, he
went directly to an office.
Al knocked on the door and a man‘s voice came from inside:
―Come in.‖
Al opened the door and motioned for Qi Leren to go in.
Instead, Ning Zhou went in first.
The person inside stood at the window with his back to them.
He seemed to be looking at the sunset that lingered on the
coastline. When he heard footsteps, he turned around and saw
Ning Zhou at the door and suddenly asked, ―What are you
doing here?‖
Qi Leren didn‘t know who this man was. The last time he‘d
come to the Court, he‘d seen him come out with Ning Zhou. He
should be the Court‘s leader. Seeing him at this moment, Qi
Leren suddenly had a kind of confidence - so, Red‘s style of
dress was not so girly.
Look at this one - tall, pale, thin, straight black hair. His face
was really neutral. If it wasn‘t for his voice, he wouldn‘t have
been sure he was a man. Qi Leren would definitely think this
was a sophisticated elder sister.
Qi Leren was looking straight ahead when Ning Zhou suddenly
caught his gaze and held out his hand.
What was this? Qi Leren took a slow beat to remember the
memento ring and handed it to Ning Zhou quickly.
Ning Zhou took the memento ring and threw it without looking
at it. The other party quickly caught it and complained: ―I really
don‘t know why you‘re so angry… Hello Qi Leren. Although it‘s
not the first time we‘ve met, I didn‘t rush to introduce myself
last time.‖
The man came over, held out his hand to Qi Leren, and shook
it gently before pulling away: ―I‘m Si Ling, acting chief
executive officer of the Court. Thank you very much for your
support for this mission. We‘ll honor our previous promises at
any time.‖
―What about other rewards?‖ Ning Zhou asked coldly.
Si Ling sighed: ―Well, because you‘ve done very well, we‘ll give
you an extra reward, such as skill cards and items, which can
be converted into survival days. You can tell us your general
requirements and we will try our best to satisfy you.‖
Qi Leren was delighted. He wanted the skill card lent to him
before by the Trial that improved the basic values of equipped
cards. Otherwise, he wouldn‘t have had the agility and strength
to fight with Luo Yishan for so long.
But…
―I want to participate in Court‘s the training of newcomers,‖ Qi
Leren said firmly.
Skill cards could improve his ability instantly, but if he didn‘t try
to improve himself while he was still a newcomer, he would die
in a task sooner or later. He still had many mysteries to solve,
and he wanted to go further.
Si Ling raised his eyebrows. It seemed that he didn‘t expect
him to put forward this request.
―It seems you‘re smarter than I thought.‖ Si Ling approached
him. At close range, his eyes seemed to be like that of a cold-
blooded reptile, his pupils longer than that of ordinary people.
The distance between the two people had exceeded the limit of
politeness and Qi Leren felt a chill coming from Si Ling.
This was not the coldness brought by an aura, but a kind of
substantial coldness. It was like the coldness from a
refrigerator when the door was opened. It was not aimed at
him, but was a real coldness.
―Then let Al train you,‖ Si Ling took a step back, glanced at
Ning Zhou with a smile, and then smiled at the guest.
―Choose something else,‖ NingZhou suddenly said.
Qi Leren sighed blankly, only to hear Ning Zhou repeat: ―I‘ll
train you. Choose something else.‖
Someone had volunteered to be his coach. Qi Leren
immediately understood Ning Zhou‘s meaning. He could make
other demands to the Tria, he shouldn‘t waste this precious
opportunity on training himself. Although he didn‘t think it was a
waste, since there were better people willing to help him, he
could make other demands to the Trial.
―Hey, although the Trial is an extension of the Holy See, you
shouldn‘t take advantage of us,‖ Si Ling said with an air of
annoyance.
Ning Zhou ignored him and said to Qi Leren: ―If you can‘t think
of something, keep it. If you want to use the Trail in the future,
you don‘t have to be polite to them.‖
―Oh… I‘ll keep it.‖ Qi Leren listened to the good advice. Maybe
he could avoid being arrested in the future.
Si Ling walked past the two men, opened the door of his office,
and held out his hand perfunctorily: ―You can leave.‖
Qi Leren felt as if he had successfully offended him and was a
little nervous. He smiled kindly at Si Ling and left quickly.
―Ning Zhou,‖ Si Ling stopped him.
Ning Zhou‘s footsteps stopped and he looked at Si Ling. He
looked at him with a dignified expression: ―The Pope once
praised you in front of me. He said that you never let him
down.‖
Ning Zhou‘s hand at his side moved for a moment, slowly
clenching into a tight fist.
―I won‘t let him down,‖ He said, turning and walking out of the
room.
 Chapter 112: The Dream of the Holy Nun (II)

―So Ning Zhou is there with you now?‖ Miao Li asked as she
roamed Qi Leren‘s dream.
Qi Leren kept having unwanted dreams whenever he nodded
off, but thanks to Miao Li‘s intrusion, he had been woken from
the nightmare he had been having just now. His dreams of
continuous death only made him more tired.
Miao Li yawned: ―That‘s great, we‘re still busy with the follow-
up for the Slaughter Secret Society.‖
―Isn‘t it all over?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Over? No, no, no, this task is much more complicated than
you think. Although you‘ve performed the most critical part,
there are many other things besides this…‖ Miao Li pushed her
glasses up. ―Do you think sending you into the Slaughter
Secret Society undercover is the only thing we did? It took a lot
of effort for the Illusionist to cover up your tombstones on
Undead Island. He‘s very curious about you.‖
Tombstones? Qi Leren suddenly remembered that when he‘d
recognized Luo Yishan, Luo Yishan had also recognized him. If
he sent someone to investigate the identity of ‗Qi Leren‘, then
those amazing tombstones on the Undead Island…
Wait a minute.The Court knew about his tombstones? Qi Leren
was stunned.
―You thought no one knew about it? In a few months, the whole
Twilight Township will know that there‘s a player named 'Qi
Leren‘ who has died many times. This kind of bizarre news
always travels quickly,‖ Miao Li said with a smile, seeming to
see what he was thinking.
Qi Leren suddenly had a bad feeling. He didn‘t want to get into
any trouble: ―Is there any way to cover up my tombstones? For
example, by digging them out?‖
For the sake of confidentiality, Qi Leren would not hesitate to
dig his own graves.
―…Your idea is really interesting, but the Nightmare World is
different from reality after all. Even if you forcibly dig out your
tombstone, it will be refreshed after midnight. The Undead
Island is like a game log, recording the names of players since
the birth of this world. What qualifications do we have to delete
the game logs when we‘re only players?‖ Miao Li said with a
slight irony. ―So we just sent an Illusionist to temporarily cover
your tombstones on the Undead Island after confirming that
you needed to go undercover. Now the Illusionist has removed
the illusion, and your secret can‘t be concealed for too long. As
long as one person finds out, a secret is no longer a secret.
You should be glad that there aren‘t many people who have
grave-sweeping as a hobby.‖
It was unfortunate. If the Illusionist had covered the
tombstones earlier, he wouldn‘t have been distracted by the
mountain of death records. It seemed that you should use your
real name less when walking outside. If there were onlookers,
he would be afraid of someone trying to take advantage of his
ability to resurrect himself… This had already happened and
would continue to happen. Speaking of which.
―The Slaughter Secret Society‘s believers were caught, right?
Luo Yishan… Lie Yang knows my real name. At that time, I
failed to kill him in the field,‖ Qi Leren asked with a frown.
―He‘s dead, died of the seed of slaughter‘s outbreak and blood
loss. Now the Village of Dusk‘s enchantment has been closed,
only in not out. The connection attached to the memento ring
can track the identities of people who have entered the field,
and basically all believers have been either arrested or will be
soon. However, there are still several believers who were not
in Dusk when the incident occurred, and two other believers
escaped before the enchantment closed,‖ Miao Li gave a brief
account of the situation.
―Who escaped?‖ Qi Leren suddenly had a bad feeling.
Miao Li gave him a deep look and seemed a little sympathetic:
―Two people you know very well. Mrs. Kathleen, and her
subordinate Ashley.‖
―…‖ The sense of foreboding always came true. Qi Leren
couldn‘t say what kind of revelation this was.
―Let Ning Zhou train you, maybe it will be useful one day,‖ Miao
Li said.
The depressed Qi Leren looked indifferent. Ning Zhou didn‘t
speak kindly when he trained him. He couldn‘t remember how
many times he knocked him to the ground even when he was
prepared. Even if his psychological quality was better, he
would soon have a psychological shadow from falling into a
sprawl all the time.
―Oh, another thing about Slaughter, go to the Trial after you
finish your first compulsory task and set aside at least one
week of survival days. We‘ll help you take out your ticking
timebomb,‖ Miao Li said with a smile and walked out of his
dream lightly.
It was already morning when he woke up. Although it was still
sunset outside the window, the countdown of survival days told
him that another day had passed. Qi Leren struggled to get out
of bed, washing and thinking about today‘s mission.
Ning Zhou gave him a daily training menu, and he was also
responsible for sparring with him for some of the contents that
required a partner. Therefore, Qi Leren took the initiative to
prepare the ―coach‖‘s three meals. At present, the two people
got along well - considering that so many embarrassing things
had happened between them, this harmonious relationship
was even more commendable.
There was a faint warmth when he remembered the scene of
them eating together in the warm sunset.
However, Ning Zhou said yesterday that he would be absent
today and Qi Leren didn‘t bother to ask him where he was
going, so he was the only one who enjoyed breakfast today.
Compared to a large number of procrastinators and lazy
parasites in modern society, Qi Leren was a very self-
disciplined person. After entering the Nightmare Game, he
consciously exercised himself. Now that he had this scientific
tutorial, he cherished this opportunity very much. Although
every day he was drilled so black and blue that he had to crawl
to bed at the end of the day, and when he fell asleep he was
haunted by nightmares from time to time, the next day he
would still grit his teeth.
Ning Zhou was not here, so the training schedule was
cancelled. After training in the afternoon, Qi Leren had some
rare leisure time. Out of camaraderie among friends, he
specially copied a training menu for Dr. Lu. In the private clinic,
he saw Dr. Lu lying on a soft sofa enjoying dessert and hot
drinks. He warmly invited Qi Leren to share in the afternoon
tea.
After learning about Qi Leren‘s recent training menu, Dr. Lu
showed the expression of ―My little friend is so masochistic he
would scare a baby to death‖ and only reluctantly agreed to jog
for two kilometers every day after being persuaded by Qi
Leren. However, when he saw his criminal record of falling flat
after running only two steps - which Dr. Lu repeatedly
explained was because his cerebellum was naturally
uncoordinated and his balance was worse than the average
person - Qi Leren didn‘t believe he would last for long…
After coming out of Dr. Lu‘s clinic, Qi Leren also saw a player
who spoke with an accent talking with his friend: ―There‘s a
female doctor here whose medical skills are very good! There‘s
just a few more rules. ‖
―Really? Is she beautiful?‖
―He‘s a man.‖
―Didn‘t you say it was a female doctor?‖
―Oh no, it‘s Nu (woman).‖
The window on the second floor suddenly opened. Dr. Lu
poked his head out and said maliciously, ―My last name is Lu! I
don‘t treat people with accents!‖
After asking for forgiveness, the two people found that the
doctor was hard-hearted and they immediately took up evil
thoughts, wanting to threaten violence. Worried about Dr. Lu‘s
safety, Qi Leren, who hadn‘t left yet, simply practiced his
recent training results and was pleasantly surprised to find that
one or two players weren‘t a problem.
The two players didn‘t even dare to trash talk as they escaped.
Qi Leren watched the two disappear at the intersection and
then reluctantly looked at the helpless Dr. Lu: ―Now that you
know how important exercise is, let‘s teach you a few tricks.‖
Dr. Lu opened his mouth and exclaimed: ―I‘m used to you
having the aura of a mysterious soft girl, you‘re as easily
bullied as I am. I‘m surprised to see you‘ve improved so much.
It‘s really hard to look at you now, you were so cute before…‖
Qi Leren‘s hands itched to beat him. What is this mysterious
soft girl aura?! Who the hell is cute? Although that one task
forced me to be a girl for a few days, I’m still a man normally. I
just sent two seven-foot men packing!
―Have a good time training yourself. If you can‘t run at least two
laps, what will you do the next time someone makes trouble? If
you can‘t beat them, you have to run for it,‖ Qi Leren said
earnestly, too lazy to care.
―Don‘t I have a skill card, [Here, We Will Have Free Wi-Fi]?
When equipped, everyone will slowly forget my existence and
do their own thing. If the duration of the skill is up, I‘ll either
admit defeat or call the police. If it truly doesn‘t work out,
there‘ll always be passersby who will help me at the crucial
moment,‖ Dr. Lu said firmly.
―…Do whatever you want.‖ Qi Leren said tiredly. As someone
with E-level luck, he didn‘t quite understand the confidence of
someone with EX luck, so he left in a disgruntled manner.
It was still early, so he could go somewhere else. Qi Leren
made a trip according to the addresses and information given
by Chen Baiqi. There were two players who were good at
manual work and could be used to make chargers. As a result,
when he came to the doors that matched the addresses, one
had gone out to do a task and wasn‘t at home and the other
house was empty, which should mean he‘d died recently.
Qi Leren was in a state of melancholy. It seemed he would
have to come back another time to see if the player who had
left to do a task had come back alive.
As he had plenty of time, Qi Leren simply checked the main
task again. Ever since he‘d entered the Nightmare World he
would go see if the key NPC Rudd, who triggered the task, was
present, but he deliberately didn‘t trigger the task for fear that
he would die again. He just wanted to see if anyone knew
about it.
Following the remembered route, Qi Leren came to the Twilight
Township‘s NPC settlement, which was close to ―Red‘s‖ home
where he‘d been staying while undercover with the Slaughter
Secret Society. Qi Leren was afraid he would meet some
believers who hadn‘t been arrested, so he put on his cloak for
safety.
Under the setting sun, a large amount of water vapor gushed
out from the rusty iron pipes on both sides of the road,
seeming like smoke when seen from a distance.
There was a tavern in the depths of the alley near a garbage
dump made of scrap iron. The iron waist-high iron gate couldn‘t
keep out the noisy sounds coming from the building. Men
played cards, drank, and chatted loudly, making this remote
tavern seem very lively.
Qi Leren pushed open the waist-high iron gate and walked into
the pub.
The tavern owner recognized him, the man with short curly hair
asking enthusiastically, ―I haven‘t seen you in a long time, Qi.‖
―I‘ve been busy with some things recently,‖ Qi Leren answered
and looked around.
The NPC Rudd he is looking for wasn‘t here… This was
unusual. Every time he‘d come here before, he was drunk in
the corner of the pub. According to the plot, if he bought him a
drink, he would recount his memories with a face of snot and
tears, the tragic battle where mankind‘s Holy City was
overtaken by demons more than 20 years ago, and then he
would go to the churchyard to pay homage to his comrades.
―Where‘s the drunk?‖ Qi Leren asking, pointing to the corner of
the pub.
―Oh, him. Just now, a man in a cloak came to have a drink with
him and then they left together. Before leaving, the guy even
paid off the wine bill he owed. I‘m really grateful,‖ said the
boss.
Qi Leren‘s face changed instantly: ―What did the man look
like?‖
―I don‘t know, he was also wearing a cloak. I couldn‘t see his
face clearly,‖ the boss said. ―But I haven‘t seen him here
before. I don‘t remember his voice… Hey, don‘t you want your
wine?‖
―Keep it!‖ Qi Le rushed out of the pub and headed for the
abandoned church not far away without looking back.
The main task‘s next step was there!
 Chapter 113: The Dream of the Holy Nun (III)

The abandoned church was located at the border of the

Twilight Township, an area deserted and overgrown with
weeds.
From a distance, the dilapidated church, which was about to be
overtaken by the sparse woods, seemed to be frozen in the
sunset, gradually broken under the wheel of years, and finally
forgotten.
At the edge of the roof, a string-thin moon was bathed in the
sunset. Qi Leren recalled that the day when he received the
task in the Nightmare Game, there was also such a string-thin
moon hanging in the twilight.
Qi Leren took a deep breath, stepped on the rubble, and
walked to the church.
The door of the church had been in disrepair for a long time
and opened with a gentle push. The breeze from the door
aroused the settled dust, sending it flying under the golden red
afterglow. The image of the game overlapped with this scene,
both familiar and unfamiliar. The image of the computer screen
in his memory became a real scene at this moment, giving a
feeling of absurdity.
Through the rows of pews, Qi Leren came to the depths of the
church.
There were two doors here, one to the left and one to the right.
At that time, Qi Leren had randomly chosen the door to the
right and walked along the forest path. He‘d come to a
cemetery, where he had received a mission to go to the Holy
City. The reason why he‘d known this mission was special was
that the mission‘s text colour in the game was different from
other tasks.
As a save scummer, Qi Leren had actually saved files when
choosing to go left or right, but after entering the right door and
receiving the task, he didn‘t reload the file but instead
continued the game. The NPC Rudd had told him that he and
his comrade-in-arms Arnold were eroded by the Devil‘s energy
after the Battle of the Holy City and their fighting power had
declined, so they didn‘t have the strength to return to the Holy
City. Now, the Holy City is shrouded in fog, but Arnold has a
mission item which would allow people to pass through the fog
and enter the Holy City. He hoped that players could dispel the
fog and let the people trapped in the Holy City be free.
At that time, Qi Leren hadn‘t known much about the Holy City.
After getting the task items, he‘d rushed to the Holy City and
then died for the first time in this game, getting a Bad Ending…
Qi Leren looked at these two identical doors carefully. They
were embedded in the wall from left to right, waiting for his
choice.
Qi Leren knew that he should make a decision quickly. If he
caught up now, he might still catch the man who took away the
drunken NPC and even take over the task before him. But so
what? If the other party, like him, had played the Nightmare
Game in the real world and happened to trigger the main task,
then his secret was no longer only his secret…
Therefore, it was important to leave this kind of responsibility to
others.
But…
A faint unwillingness made him hesitate.
Qi Leren helplessly felt that this tangled situation was probably
retribution for his rare procrastination… Although him dragging
out triggering this task hadn‘t been from laziness, but because
he was thinking of his own safety.
Forget it, he would go to the left door this time. The choice was
always his Qi Leren turned away from the door on the right and
went straight to the wooden door on the left.
The wooden door was pushed away. Ahead was a sparse
forest shrouded in sunset, weeds covering the gravel path on
the ground, and Qi Leren easily identified the path and headed
into the forest. In the setting sun, the wind blew this barren
woods, far away from the factories that roared all day long. The
air in this area was fresh and the sound of insects, birds, wind,
and bats‘ flying turned into a natural music in the ear.
Qi Leren walked forward with his heart in his hand. As he
walked deeper and deeper, the forest in front of him gradually
grew thick. In the deep twilit scene, he vaguely saw the high
and low tombstones in the misty clearing ahead, and a hazy
figure in the fog.
His foot stepped on the wet ground, and the dead branches
were broken. The birds in the branches sang, and the man
turned around.
The open space in the forest, the worn tombstones on the wet
soil, and the man in the sunset… were like a story and a
dream.
―Ning, Ning Zhou?‖ Qi Leren swallowed. He never expected to
see him here.
Ning Zhou, wearing a cloak, looked at him quietly. The soft
sunset blurred the blue in his eyes, and Qi Leren couldn‘t help
but think that he saw tenderness. But in the blink of an eye,
those eyes were frozen by rational coldness, leaving only
empty calm.
―Why are you here?‖ Qi Leren couldn‘t help but ask.
Ning Zhou backed away a little, revealing the tombstone
behind him, which was well maintained unlike those around it
that had been damaged and broken. It had a name engraved
on it - Maria.
Qi Leren suddenly remembered Ning Zhou‘s life experiences.
His mother was a hierophant of the Holy See, and his father
was from the first group of players to enter the game… He was
raised by his mother, and after Maria died he was sent to the
Holy See in Neverland and embarked on the same path as
Maria.
He remembered what Chen Baiqi had said. The thirteen-year-
old Ning Zhou couldn‘t even learn a holy light cure. Even if he
went to the Holy See, he wasn‘t able to learn magic well…
What was Ning Zhou like as a child? Maybe he also had the
same experiences as ordinary children, and grew up freely and
happily in the sunset… until Maria died.
Qi Leren hesitated for a moment and walked silently to Ning
Zhou‘s side. There was no photo on Maria‘s tombstone. There
was nothing but a name. It was hard to imagine that a field
master should finally be silent in such a deserted churchyard.
―She always wanted to go back,‖ NingZhou suddenly said.
Since just now, Qi Leren had been waiting for Ning Zhou to say
something, but he didn‘t expect Ning Zhou to talk about Maria‘s
wishes.
―Go back to the Holy City?‖ he asked in a low voice.
Ning Zhou nodded shallowly: ―But she had been unable to go
back and dared not to.‖
Although he didn‘t know the reason, a feeling of melancholy
welled up in Qi Leren‘s mind. He was almost sure that Maria
was the Holy Nun who had never been named in the
Nightmare Game.
After the Holy City‘s enchantment collapsed, the Holy See
withdrew from the Holy City. She stayed behind and used a
mysterious method to protect the people in the Holy City. Now
Qi Leren knew that this power should be called a ―field‖, but at
that time, the game did not describe this method figuratively,
instead describing it as ―The Dream of the Holy Nun‖.
This Holy Nun, who was unwilling to give up the Holy City,
broke out with amazing power. She was favored by the gods
and pulled everything in the Holy City into her own ―Dream‖.
The Dream suppressed the raging demons and made them
unable to harm human beings. Even the Devil was killed by
this Dream and slept deep in the cathedral.
However, the Holy Nun finally collapsed herself, and when she
died, her Dream would not be woken again. Her Dream
imprisoned both human beings and demons, and even the Old
Devil who had invaded the human world for the first time was
imprisoned in her Dream.
Maybe even her own soul had been forgotten there.
The surviving walking dead was finally defeated by time, and
her bones were buried deep in the soil.
However, Qi Leren knew that until the moment before her
death, she still wanted to go back and personally end the
―Dream‖ she had created in order to let the people trapped in
the Dream return to reality. However, she had been weak for
too long, lingering on her deathbed for more than ten years,
and finally returned to heaven.
At this moment, Qi Leren wanted to do something for her and
for him…
―Do you want to go back to the Holy City?‖ Qi Leren asked him.
Ning Zhou nodded silently.
―Then leave it to me!‖ Qi Leren showed a happy smile to him. It
seemed that it was a very happy thing to be able to help Ning
Zhou. This was indeed the case. ―I happen to know how to get
to the Holy City. As long as I find something, I can pass
through the fog outside the Holy City. So let‘s go to the Holy
City together!‖
The breeze was harmonious, the afterglow was tender, and
Ning Zhou, who stood in the deserted cemetery, did not ask
him how he knew how to get through the fog, nor how to get
the key item. He just nodded his head without doubt.
He shouldn‘t have agreed. Ning Zhou knew this clearly. Every
step closer was a step toward the abyss; to stay one more
second was to drink poison to quench his thirst. In the depths
of his heart, her appearance has faded away, but his
appearance has become more and more vivid. Meeting again
and again was like a colorful brush that filled his outline with
color, and he was about to come out of the painting.
The demon lurking in his soul lured him with moving words,
which made him hesitate, doubt, shake, and drowned him in
sin.
God wanted his followers to love their own kind, men, women,
old people, and young children alike.
God praised love and blessed couples who were united by
love, but God did not allow men to fall in love with men and
women to fall in love with women.
Man‘s love could not exceed that of the Lord. Only the Lord
loved everyone.
Therefore, he should restrain himself and stay away from him,
but his inner desire and yearning couldn‘t be suppressed. Just
like after the long extreme night in Neverland, when he and the
other followers had stood on the glacier, singing and chanting
against the cold wind, waiting for the first sunshine after the
endless night. At that moment, the joy and yearning in his heart
came from his soul and was irresistible.
He could only say to himself: This is the last time.
 Chapter 114: The Dream of the Holy Nun (IV)

―So, you‘re the one who took Rudd away from the pub just
now? Do you know him?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―I do. He and Mr. Arnold were my mother‘s friends, and I
recently learned that Mr. Arnold has passed away,‖ Ning Zhou
said. The knight Arnold was his first teacher, and most of his
fighting skills were learned from him. When Arnold died a few
months ago, he didn‘t find out right away. Although he‘d been
to the Village of Dusk, he had been in too much of a hurry and
didn‘t visit Arnold, and he didn‘t hear the news of his death until
recently.
Because he didn‘t know where he was buried, he had come to
Arnold‘s friend Rudd, who brought him here. Then he came to
visit Maria, who was also buried nearby, and then he met Qi
Leren.
Qi Leren thought deeply at that instant, and some of his
thoughts made him afraid.
If he had chosen the left door instead of the right one in the
abandoned church, would he have met Ning Zhou in the
game?
Maybe, maybe not.
If he had met Ning Zhou at that time, would the plot of the
Nightmare Game have changed dramatically?
The answer was yes.
If Maria was really the Holy Nun then, as her child, Ning zhou
in the game will definitely make the same choice as him now. If
he took Ning zhou to the Holy City…
Qi Leren gave a wry smile in his heart. So he had given his
―first drop of blood‖ in the Holy City because he hadn‘t brought
the task‘s key NPC?
He didn‘t want to think like this because it made him think Ning
Zhou was an NPC in the game, not a living human being.
Maybe there was such a possibility if he had seen Ning Zhou
composed of a series of data through the computer screen. He
wouldn‘t have a problem regarding him as an ordinary NPC,
and he wouldn‘t explore his life, nor be moved by his emotions.
Even if he saw him die, he could only sigh for him and forget in
an instant.
This was too cruel, too cruel…
―Let‘s go and find Rudd. He knows that Arnold has a key item
in his hand. With it, we can cross the fog outside the Holy City
and enter the ‗Holy City‘,‖ Qi Leren said, clearing the mood.
The Holy City in the fog was also the Dream of the Holy Nun,
or in a more colloquial way, a field created by Maria, a world
shrouded by the illusion of peace and tranquility, where the
human beings who had survived the demon invasion lived
happily and were ignorant of the world, under the appearance
of peace. However, after the death of the Holy Nun, the illusion
of peace has become increasingly fragile, and would
eventually reveal the ferocious and horrible contents.
The two men turned back to another path. Ning Zhou had just
returned from Arnold‘s grave and returned there now with Qi
Leren. He found Rudd in the cemetery. Qi Leren remembered
that Rudd had easily given him the task in the game and had
told him that the keepsake was in Arnold‘s former residence,
hoping that he would take the keepsake to the Holy City as
soon as possible and rescue the human beings trapped in the
Holy City.
But this time, Qi Leren hadn‘t chatted with Ruth in the pub. He
was worried that Rudd would no longer tell him this key
information since the son of his old friend was here. Would
Rudd be more cooperative?
While he was weighing his words, Ning Zhou asked straight
away: ―Give me her field memento.‖
Rudd, who was still drunk, suddenly sobered up and denied it:
―I don‘t have that kind of thing!‖
Qi Leren was stunned at the plot‘s sudden change. Rudd‘s
attitude was too strange. Why did he deny it? In the ―Nightmare
Game‖, he couldn‘t wait to tell him the clue of the memento…
Was it because he‘d missed the pub part of the plot?
No, it was because of Ning Zhou.
Qi Leren carefully observed Rudd‘s eyes. When he looked at
Ning Zhou, he obviously showed nervousness. He was trying
to hide something…
Ning Zhou said that Rudd and Arnold were friends of his
mother, so why didn‘t he want Ning Zhou to go to the Holy
City?
Why?
Although the ―Dream of the Holy Nun‖ had started to have
problems, wasn‘t it better to crack the field early and let the
human beings there leave? Why did he want to stop Ning
Zhou?
Ning Zhou‘s aura suddenly suppressed. He seemed to be
trying to endure something and asked in a low voice: ―Did she
know that her domain memento had fallen into the hands of
you and Arnold?‖
Rudd‘s lips moved and he swallowed what he said: ―I don‘t
know what you‘re talking about.‖
Ning Zhou took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His over-
suppressed voice trembled slightly: ―She was thinking about
going back before she died…‖
Rudd seemed to have been struck by lightning, and his pale
face was stiff and sober.
―You knew she‘d been thinking about going back. For more
than a decade, she‘d been worried and tormented, and she
had woken up from nightmares over and over again… She
thought that her domain memento had been lost in the Holy
City, but she didn‘t expect that you were hiding it.‖ Ning Zhou‘s
blue eyes brewed with deep anger and disappointment, ―Why
did you hide it from her? Why?!‖
Rudd, who was left without face, trembled in a way that made
him look a little vulnerable in front of Ning Zhou‘s anger. He
looked at Arnold‘s grave and seemed to draw strength from his
friend. He shouted, "If Maria knew that her field memento
hadn‘t been left in the Holy City, she would have definitely
gone back, but her field is dead! The only way to solve the field
is to destroy it completely. What‘s the difference was there
between that and killing her? How could we watch her die?!‖
"A soldier should die on the battlefield. This is the supreme
honor given by the Lord. Accept it, don‘t run from it.‖ Ning Zhou
took a step toward him and Ruth was intimidated by his
imposing manner, retreating unconsciously towards Arnold‘s
tombstone.
―Let me finish what she failed to finish. Now, give me her field
memento,‖ Ning Zhou said as he reached his hand to Rudd,
staring into his eyes.
Rudd was silent, his clenched teeth revealing his fear as they
rattled. He seemed to be a trapped beast pushed to its limit,
struggling with his heart at a loss.
―I don‘t know,‖ Rudd let this sentence drop and fled away from
the cemetery.
In the sunset, only Qi Leren and Ning Zhou were left.
Seeing this, Qi Leren somewhat understood why Rudd would
tell him the whereabouts of the field memento so easily in the
Nightmare Game. Rudd was afraid. The pious Arnold would
rather reveal his deception so that he could go to heaven after
his death, but Rudd was not as persistent as he was. He
wanted to relieve his guilt, so he chose to give the field
memento to a stranger who was willing to go to the Holy City,
and let him fulfill Maria‘s last wish.
Qi Leren could understand Rudd‘s feelings to some extent.
Just like how when he was undercover with the Slaughter
Secret Society, he would rather leave a letter about
the Nightmare Game‘s main task and some scattered side
tasks in his own room, expecting a stranger whom he had
never met to take over the heavy responsibility rather than tell
Dr. Lu about it.
The heart that wanted to protect relatives and friends was the
same.
―I know where it is.‖ After consideration, Qi Leren said it: ―It‘s in
Arnold‘s home.‖
Ning Zhou stood at Arnold‘s grave. He had been his first
teacher and his mother‘s knight. He had vowed to be loyal to
Maria, but he would rather break his oath and bring this secret
to the grave, even if his soul would be condemned to fall into
hell.
Ning Zhou closed his eyes, recalling how Arnold had patiently
taught him many years ago, and helped him to correct one of
the simplest knife-cutting movements carefully. After Maria
died, he had followed Maria‘s last wish and sent him to the
Holy See, where the Pope personally served as his guardian.
But this was the man who had sent Maria to her grave
believing a white lie.
 Chapter 115: The Dream of the Holy Nun (V)

Although the key NPC Rudd had run away, Qi Leren, who was
a ―cheating‖ player, did not panic at all. He said in a word:
―That thing is in the dark room of Arnold‘s former residence.‖
So in less than half an hour, they had snuck into Arnold‘s room
smoothly and retrieved the key task item - a small and delicate
brooch, composed of metal gears and feathers, from which a
drop-shaped pendant hung down. The whole brooch was
incredibly delicate. At the moment the brooch was picked up, a
system prompt appeared:
[Obtained the special task item brooch. Holding this brooch,
one can pass through the fog around the Holy City.]
[Player Qi Leren has triggered a special task: The Dream of
the Holy Nun. Please bring the memento to the Holy City within
30 days. After arriving at the task site, your survival time will be
suspended until the mission ends. Overdue arrival is regarded
as a task failure, and 100 survival days will be deducted.
Players can receive the task by touching the task item. The
current number of participants is ¼.]
Qi Leren handed Ning Zhou the brooch, and Ning Zhou also
received the task.
Qi Leren asked, ―Would you like to bring a few more people to
do the task with? We can find two more teammates… A healer,
at least.‖
Qi Leren deeply remembered that Chen Baiqi said Ning Zhou‘s
Holy Spirit cure was broken, and Ning Zhou had also taken
medicine with him in the Witchcraft Sacrifice task. It didn‘t
seem like he had any healing abilities. Although Dr. Lu‘s
fighting power was unreliable, there was still a lack of healers
in the Nightmare World - seeing that he could live so well by
opening a clinic. He also brought with him EX luck and
treasure hunting skills, but was it a good choice to take him?
That is, the task was a bit dangerous… Did he want to take Dr.
Lu?
Ning Zhou snorted, but the black bird on his shoulder said
noisily, ―I won‘t bring a healer, clearing the world depends on
going wild!‖
Qi Leren was speechless about this bird. Ning Zhou was such
a serious person. How could there be such a rowdy bird? He
didn‘t know where it learned to be such a mess.
After leaving Arnold‘s former residence, Qi Leren hesitated to
go to Dr. Lu‘s home, and was just in time for Dr. Lu to be going
to get a midnight snack.
Dr. Lu depressedly and asked him if he intentionally came
during mealtimes. He‘d gone to have a snack that afternoon,
but had instead entertained Qi Leren. After eating and drinking,
Qi Leren told him about the ―Dream of the Holy Nun‖ task and
invited Dr. Lu to join.
―The first ‗monthly exam‘ will be held soon, and we‘ll have to
wait until after that,‖ Dr. Lu said with an expression of pain.
Because the compulsory task happened to be once a month, it
was dubbed the monthly exam by players. Qi Leren and Dr. Lu
had entered the game on the same day, and the time of their
monthly exams were the same, so he naturally agreed: ―That‘s
fine.‖
―To be honest, I don‘t want to die. This task sounds very
difficult. Why don‘t you invite Su He and I‘ll go if he goes?
Speaking of it, I saw him two days ago. He‘s still in the Village
of Dusk. He should have a better understanding of the main
world‘s background. If he‘ss willing to help, the task could be
much easier,‖ Dr. Lu suggested.
Qi Leren paused. After receiving the task, he didn‘t want to
invite Su He, because he was always a little afraid of Su He
seeing through him about the laptop. But when he thought
about it, Su He wouldn‘t know that this is the so-called main
task. He could say he‘d received it by chance.
But if as the task went on Su He found that this task was
inextricably linked with the Nightmare World… Would his half-
GM status have an uncontrollable impact on this task?
Just as Qi Leren struggled, a knock sounded on the door and
Dr. Lu sighed, ―Ah, there are patients at night, it‘s really
exhausting. Come in, come in!‖
When the door opened, Su He pushed the door open and
looked slightly surprised to see Qi Leren in the room: ―So
you‘re here.‖
―Speak of the devil, Su He, we were talking about a main world
task. Do you want to participate?‖ Dr. Lu asked smoothly.
―A main world task? What‘s the task‘s name and location?‖ Su
He hung his blazer on the hook behind the door, walking
towards the two people. It was a little crowded when three
people sat in the spacious room, but Su He gentle aura
wouldn‘t make people feel oppressed.
Dr. Lu has already started, so Qi Leren simply said: ―The task
is called 'The Dream of the Holy Nun‘ and the location is in the
Holy City.‖
―The Holy City? It was captured by the Devil more than 20
years ago, tough, and now it‘s shrouded in a fog. I am afraid
it‘s dangerous to enter rashly,‖ Su He said, recalling the history
of the Nightmare World.
―Entering the Holy City isn‘t a problem. I accidentally got a task
item. With this item, I can pass through the Holy City‘s fog.‖ Qi
Leren thought about it, but still didn‘t say anything about Maria
and her field, because he couldn‘t explain the source of the
information.
―It seems to be related to the Devil‘s invasion in the previous
tasks, I‘m very interested. Okay, I‘ll join,‖ Su He smiled and
readily agreed.
―That‘s great!‖ Dr. Lu breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly
remembered something. ―Oh, why are you coming to see me
so late?‖
―I originally came to say goodbye to you. In fact, I went to Qi
Leren‘s home just now… Your friend opened the door,‖ Su He
paused strangely, his handsome eyebrows raising in a clear
sign of curiosity.
Dr. Lu: ―Ah?‖
Qi Leren: ―…‖
After the Slaughter Secret Society undercover mission, Qi
Leren moved back to his home on Sunset Island. Ning Zhou
was staying with him for the time being for convenience while
carrying out basic training. Just after the two had come back
from Arnold‘s former residence, he left Ning Zhou because he
came to see Dr. Lu. As a result, Ning Zhou returned to his
home and happened to meet Su He who had come to say
goodbye to him…
In the Castle Cry task, Qi Leren had talked with Su He about
the Witchcraft Sacrifice task… Although he hadn‘t used any
names and Su He shouldn‘t be able to tell that the man he‘d
mentioned was the same Ning Zhou who opened the door at
his house, Qi Leren still felt a little guilty for no reason.
But if Dr. Lu and Su He joined the Holy Nun task, it was only a
matter of time before they realized who Ning Zhou was!
The story of going undercover with the Slaughter Secret
Society was hidden and couldn‘t be made public. How could he
explain that the two people who had looked upon each other
like death had suddenly made up again and were living
together? Could this be explained as a pure friendship
between the same sex?!
Qi Leren, who had a headache, forcibly changed the subject:
―Well, you came to say goodbye to me? So Su He, you‘re
going back to the Village of Dawn?‖
Su He was really a very gentle person, and even had no
objection to the poor change of topic: ―I was going to go back
to the Village of Dawn, but now that you need it, of course I
have to stay and help.‖
―No, no, no, if you have something to do, go back.‖ Qi Leren
imagined Dr. Lu and Su He watching Ning Zhou and him
together and felt his heart become overwhelmed. He regretted
it, he shouldn‘t have come here to ask Dr. Lu to take part in the
task.
―I don‘t mind. In fact, there‘s nothing important, I just haven‘t
been to the Village of Dawn in a while and thought I should go
back. I would leave if there was nothing else here, but now that
you have difficulties, then of course I can‘t stand by,‖ Su He
said with a smile.
Dr. Lu applauded and praised his teammate: ―Little friend of
love and justice, come, I will invite you to eat cake.‖
Qi Leren, who felt that there is no love in his future, was
simultaneously angry and comforted as he ate Dr. Lu‘s cake:
Anyway, there was a healer, a fighter, and a recyclable meat
shield, so let the GM come along for the ride.
 Chapter 116: The Dream of the Holy Nun (VI)

Out of habit, Qi Leren went to Chen Baiqi to buy some

information about the Holy City. Unfortunately, Chen Baiqi
didn‘t have any details on it, only an old map of the Holy City
from decades ago that she made Qi Leren pay for. Chen Baiqi
reserved the task information of ―The Dream of the Holy Nun‖
from him, to be sold to her when he finished his task.
Qi Leren also asked her if she had any interest in this task.
Although the number for the task was already full, if Chen Baiqi
was willing to join, he could consider persuading Dr. Lu to stay
safe in the clinic.
Chen Baiqi gave him an inscrutable look: ―I‘ve been able
to live in this world for eight years by holding a principle.‖
―What principle?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Never die easily unless you have to,‖ Chen Baiqi said.
―……‖
―This kind of task involving the demon invasion from more than
20 years ago is either epic difficulty or a chain task that will go
through eighty-one difficulties before finally becoming epic
difficulty. Anyway, it won‘t be easy. I wouldn‘t be surprised to
see demons all over the city as soon as you enter the Holy
City. Please Qi Leren, don‘t let me sweep your grave again,‖
Chen Baiqi patted Qi Leren on the shoulder and said with a
smile.
―Hey, don‘t give me a flag,‖ Qi Leren said depressedly.
―You‘d better hold Su He‘s thighs. He may have items that
force him out of the task. He would never let himself die from
not being able to stand the difficulty. After all, there‘s still a long
way to go. It‘s a pity that you are a little poor, otherwise I could
sell you some high-quality items. Right now I can only sell you
cheap little miniature bombs, I really can‘t make a lot of
money.‖ Although Qi Leren had earned a lot of survival days,
he was still a poor wretch in Chen Baiqi‘s view. She couldn‘t
extort money before he was fattened.
Qi Leren, after paying for the task‘s necessities, went home
depressed.
The mandatory task for the first month had arrived. In the first
month, Qi Leren performed two tasks, namely, Witchcraft
Sacrifice and Castle Cry; one was a main world task and the
other was a copy world task. During the tasks‘ execution, the
players‘ remaining survival days would not be consumed, but
they were still counted as survival time spent by players.
Every mandatory task could be postponed for one week. If a
player failed to start after the deadline, he would be forced into
the task world. If a player performed a task that lasted for two
months, he must complete a mandatory task within one week
after the task was finished, and then complete another
mandatory task within one week.
Players in the Nightmare World hated the ―monthly exam‖,
because there was almost no task reward (unless the degree
of completion was extremely high), and the difficulty was also
raised every month. By the third year, those players who were
not qualified and neglected to improve themselves began to fall
off one after another and were eliminated by the cruel monthly
exam without the chance of a make up exam.
Qi Leren wasn‘t worried about his own strength. Ning Zhou
said that his skill cards and his own strength were enough to
cope with the compulsory tasks of the first three years, but he
was often flustered because he frequently met tasks with
unusual difficulty.
Dr. Lu, however, looked frightened, fearing that he couldn‘t
pass the first monthly exam, and came to Qi Leren‘s home to
start the task together. Although most of the first compulsory
tasks were single-person tasks and starting together didn‘t
mean they would be in a task together, it made Dr. Lu feel a
little safer.
But…
―You, you, you, you, hello*!‖ After seeing Ning Zhou standing
by the window, Dr. Lu suddenly remembered that Su He had
talked about a friend in Qi Leren‘s home last time.
*{E/N: Dr. Lu is trying to cover up his shock by making ―you‖ (
你) into ―hello‖ (你好)}
At the moment when Qi Leren opened the door, he wanted to
throw the door in Dr. Lu‘s face. However, if you thought about it
carefully, Ning Zhou and Dr. Lu would meet each other sooner
or later. Seeing him early was the same as later since he had
to introduce people to Ning Zhou.
―Dr. Lu, this is Ning Zhou, who will participate in the ‗Dream of
the Holy Nun‘ task. Ning Zhou, this is Dr. Lu, whose full name
is Lu Cangshu, he‘s my friend from the same Novice Village
who‘s a healer,‖ Qi Leren briefly introduced the two men.
Stopped on the sofa, the big black bird cawed angrily, forcing
Qi Leren to introduce it to Dr. Lu to get it to stop.
Dr. Lu looked at the person from head to toe with his mouth
open, pulled Qi Leren‘s ear to him, and asked, ―Your
goddess?‖
Can you not be so quick with this? Qi Leren vomited in his
mind and nodded honestly.
So Dr. Lu sat down with a strange smile, looked hard at Ning
Zhou, and looked hard at Qi Leren, as if he knew everything.
Qi Leren felt that he couldn‘t explain clearly even if he had one
hundred mouths.
Poor Ning Zhou didn‘t know why he was being scrutinized. He
was completely out of the situation and was not used to getting
along with strangers. He sat for a while and then went upstairs.
When Ning Zhou left, Dr. Lu tried to suppress the excitement of
getting gossip, and forced him to align himself with Qi Leren
seriously, saying, ―I don‘t discriminate against homosexuals.
Really, I‘ve seen many as a doctor. Several little gays came to
the anorectal department every day to ask my brother for a
finger examination. His technique isn‘t bad. It takes 30 seconds
to milk a prostate…‖
―…You‘ve misunderstood, we‘re not that kind of relationship.‖
Dr. Lu had a look of ―Excuse me, you are living together‖.
―Ning Zhou just came to help me train. The training menu I
gave you last time was set by him,‖ Qi Leren explained.
―I see…‖ Dr. Lu suddenly realized, then looked at him askance,
and asked, ―Do you think I‘ll believe this nonsense? Didn‘t your
relationship die as soon as the mission was over? Why is it
that now he cordially trains and practices with you? A while
ago, you suddenly disappeared. I couldn‘t find you all over the
world. I really wondered if you‘d given up and chased your
goddess. Now that you‘ve finally caught this goddess, you
actually say that you have a pure straight man friendship,
hehe.‖
Qi Leren was speechless.
Although it was normal for two men to live together, Qi Leren
believed that Ning Zhou didn‘t think much about it at all, but it
was unconvincing in front of Dr. Lu who knew the previous
episode… After all, more than half a month ago, they‘d fallen in
love at first sight and went through fire and water, dying to
live… and then died when it was all laid bare. As a result, it
took less than half a month for them to live under the same
roof. This development didn‘t seem quite right…
However, Qi Leren couldn‘t explain the Slaughter Secret
Society undercover task to Dr. Lu - although he feels that after
the explanation, Dr. Lu would only be more convinced that they
weren‘t innocent, and even Qi Leren himself began to wonder
if there is something really wrong between him and Ning Zhou.
Qi Leren asked himself, if he had met Ning Zhou as a woman
at a different time and place, would he fall in love with her? The
answer was: he would. As a woman, Ning Zhou perfectly met
all his expectations for the other half. Whenever and wherever
he met her, he would definitely fall in love with her.
But if he met Ning Zhou, who was a male, would he still fall in
love with him?
Qi Leren thought that the answer was probably no.
He may worship him, yearn for him, want to be friends with
him, and even go through life and death for him, but he
wouldn‘t fall in love with him, because he wouldn‘t consider the
possibility of exceeding the limit of friends at all, and Ning Zhou
would only be more stubborn than him. Even if they went
through hardships and died together, they may have a deeper
friendship and even affection than love, but that would never
turn into love.
Feelings were so simple and complicated, neither one was
deeper than the other, but only a small error would completely
change them.
―Although there was something wrong at the beginning, the
misunderstanding has been solved now. I think we‘ll become
good friends, very good friends,‖ Qi Leren said, speaking
slowly. Maybe he was a little confused, but he still said so,
inexplicably determined.
Dr. Lu looked at him carefully for a long time with disbelief:
―…Oh.‖
―Time is almost up, let‘s start the mandatory task.‖ Qi Leren
cast aside his distractions and concentrated on dealing with
the present difficulties.
He opened the system‘s menu bar and selected the mandatory
task for this month. Qi Leren and Dr. Lu disappeared from the
room one after another.
The eagle, who stopped on the sofa, patted its wings and flew
up the stairs to return to its master. Ning Zhou, who stood on
the stairs, stretched out his arm to let it land. The eagle that
understood speech affectionately rubbed the side of Ning
Zhou‘s face and felt it‘s master‘s mood. It was very clever at
times.
The two people in the living room had disappeared. Ning Zhou
wanted to go downstairs to help them prepare but instead
heard Qi Leren and Dr. Lu talking about him, so he had
stopped on the stairs.
Friends…
This should be the most appropriate distance.
 Chapter 117: The Dream of the Holy Nun (VII)

Qi Leren thought that with his luck value falling below the
alphabet, there could be no such thing as a simple task. After
all, the novice-difficulty Castle Cry has soared by two levels,
and not only had the copy been polluted by demon energy, but
there had also been the laptop with the Nightmare Game from
the real world.
It was in this mentality of non-expectation that Qi Leren started
his first compulsory task.
But he got a surprise, the kind without fright.
Qi Leren, who spent the night in the forest cabin, found that
this was really a copy where he could just lie down. At night,
the howling of wolves, the crying of ghosts, and cries for help
came one after another outside the cabin, and strange
laughter, crying, and knocking on the door continued outside
the bedroom door. Frightened, Qi Leren stood still with his
dagger in his hand and just waited until dawn when the task
finished.
The most ironic thing was that the name of this compulsory
task was ―Night Tour in the Forest‖. Qi Leren had waited with
this spirit of ―don‘t die‖ in a copy where he could have spent the
night lying on the wooden bed. As a result, no monster came
in. During that period, he scratched his claws and wanted to go
out and have a look, but he was short of interest when he
remembered that Chen Baiqi had said compulsory tasks hardly
gave any rewards.
In a few days, he would go to the Courthouse to get rid of the
seed at the back of his neck, and then he would go to the Holy
City to start his mission. If he was seriously injured here, Dr. Lu
couldn‘t cure it, which would affect his combat effectiveness.
However, Qi Leren knew clearly how dangerous the Holy City
in the fog was…
After the task, Qi Leren returned to his house. Dr. Lu had
finished earlier than he did and had fallen asleep on the sofa.
After being woken up by Qi Leren, he told him cheerfully about
his compulsory task, which was simpler than his! He and a
group of NPCs went to try a test session, and the team
followed him and never ran around. The people resolutely
refused to fight, and the task was finished in an hour, which
was earlier than Qi Leren‘s return.
―I know what novice difficulty is now,‖ Qi Leren said with half-
moved emotion. ―Make sure you‘re ready to leave for the Holy
City in ten days. Go back and prepare soon.‖
After setting the time and team members, there weren‘t many
things left. Qi Leren prepared what to bring and sorted out his
skill cards and articles.
There were three belt slots.
There were four skill cards: [S/L Data], [Rain-Day Clothing],
[Primary Fighting Skills], and [Demon Etiquette]. Originally he
had a skill card borrowed from the Court, but he returned it
after the undercover mission.
There were four items: [Dagger Full of Human Blood] (which
needed to be inserted into a card slot), [Delightful Rations],
[Countercurrent Sand], and [Easter Egg].
There were also holy runes (which had expired) bought from
Chen Baiqi before the castle was frightened, and the miniature
bombs he‘d just bought, with the rest before, were a total of
five. Because of the undercover mission, the Court had given
him some succubus demon crystals, seven of which were left,
meaning he could transform seven times. He also still had
some of the holy water from Ning Zhou. In addition, there were
necessary items for the mission, such as daggers, flashlights,
first aid kits, and compressed food.
Qi Leren sadly found that there was too little time left for him to
practice, as he had only entered the game a month ago yet he
was already about to start the main task. If the task‘s follow up
was good, then he could improve step by step, but if the task
went straight to epic difficulty, he could stop eating.*
*{E/N: aka he would have no reason to, since he’d be dead}
He would have to wait until after the task to continue training.
This kind of training wasn‘t quick. It would take Ning Zhou at
least three months to make significant progress in his regimen.
There wasn‘t enough time now.
Sighing that there was never enough time, Qi Leren went to
prepare food, and wanted to ask Ning Zhou what he wanted to
eat. However, he couldn‘t find anyone else from the basement
to the second floor. He was the only one in the empty house.
For the next few days, Ning Zhou always left early and arrived
late, only appearing when he needed to teach him and then
disappearing again. Qi Leren could hardly feel the existence of
another person in the house, and asked him what he was busy
with recently. Ning Zhou said that the Holy See had some
things to deal with. Therefore, this situation of living under the
same roof but hardly seeing each other continued.
Before, the Court had informed him that it was necessary to set
aside a week or so, so Qi Leren rested for a few days after
finishing the compulsory task, left a note for Ning Zhou, and
went to the Court alone. Miao Li took him into the Courthouse‘s
underground level and told him as she walked, ―It will involve
some secrets of the Courthouse to help you get rid of the seed
of slaughter parasite. It takes about seven days to get rid of the
seed of slaughter, so we‘ll use special methods to make you
forget your memories of this week. You‘d better write a letter to
yourself in case you don‘t know what happened when you
wake up.‖
Although Qi Leren was a little curious about what the secret
was, he also knew that the Court couldn‘t tell him. What he
was more worried about was whether wiping his memory
would accidentally harm his other memories, or whether the
Court would take the opportunity to get some secrets from his
mind that he doesn‘t want to be known.
―You can not wipe my memory? I promise I won‘t tell,‖ Qi Leren
asked.
―I‘m afraid not. This involves very important things… To be
honest, even I don‘t know.‖ Miao Li pushed her glasses and
saw his concern. ―If you‘re worried about your privacy, you can
rest assured that the method to eliminate memories doesn‘t
involve hypnotism. It‘s a drug that causes memory loss, just
take it according to the dose.‖
Qi Leren was a little relieved. He felt that there was no need for
the Court to deceive him, nor would he be killed to cover up the
Slaughter Secret Society‘s existence - for Ning Zhou‘s sake, he
wouldn‘t be given such a cruel hand.
Under Miao Li‘s guidance, Qi Leren changed into patient‘s
clothes and lied on the operating table. A Trial agent gave him
an injection, and then he lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, it was a week later. It took seven
days and four hours of survival time, and he was sore and
unconscious. It took Qi Leren a good half-day to remember
where he was; his memory was blank. After reading the letter
he‘d written a week ago, he slowly remembered it.
The seed of slaughter at the back of his neck was gone, and
the cold and bloody energy was pulled away from him. He felt
like a tree freed from a parasitic plant that could spread its
leaves comfortably.
The pendant that had been lent to him by the Trial before, that
measured the concentration of demon energy, was also
returned easily.
After walking out of the Courthouse, the setting sun shone on
Qi Leren, and he felt warmth.
Finally, finally, you can stop worrying.
Although the seed could greatly improve his ability, he‘d
always felt that it is very dangerous to take this shortcut, like
walking on a cliff where every step could cause him to fall at
any moment.
He prefered to rely on his own strength and go on step by step.
With a relaxed and happy pace, Qi Leren left the Courthouse.
―Aren‘t you going with him?‖ Si Ling reluctantly tried to push.
―You come to me every day to punch in and supervise for fear
that we‘ll do something to him. It‘s been a week. Now that you
know he‘s fine, you should roll.‖
With his arms crossed, he stood by the window and watched
Ning Zhou watch Qi Leren leave the Court, acting as if he
hadn‘t heard his words.
―I can‘t stand you…‖ Si Ling complained, looking at him as he
picked up the file on the desk.
&&&
Three days later, in the early morning, Dr. Lu and Su He came
to Qi Leren‘s house, and Ning Zhou was already there. Qi
Leren solemnly asked them again: ―It‘s not too late to change
your minds, you haven‘t officially taken the task.‖
―Isn‘t it too late to say this?‖ Dr. Lu squinted at him. ―Don‘t
worry, give us the task item. If you wait, you‘ll have to trigger
the task a second time.‖
The brooch that triggered the task was taken out by Qi Leren,
handed to Dr. Lu and handed to Su He.
Su He held the brooch in front of his eyes and looked at it
carefully. He praised: ―This brooch is very delicate, and there‘s
a strong faith attached to it. It should be the personal belonging
of a female priest.‖
―Ah… Well, I think so.‖ Qi Leren didn‘t say that it was Ning
Zhou‘s mother‘s relic.
―With it, you can walk into the Holy City through the fog. It
seems that the owner of this item had a very close relationship
with the Holy City…‖ Su He said. His line of sight paused for a
second on Ning Zhou, and Ning Zhou, who was looking out of
the window, felt his line of sight and immediately turned his
head. The two men met each other‘s eyes and looked away
from each other.
Qi Leren was inexplicably nervous. He always felt that Su He
was very clever, and he may have guessed Ning Zhou‘s
special origin…
―It‘s almost time, let‘s go,‖ Su He said.
―Oh, okay, let‘s go.‖ Qi Leren quickly got up, and the four
people left the house and headed for the border of the Village
of Dusk.
The Vatican‘s aircraft stopped there, carrying them to the Holy
City.
 Chapter 118: The Dream of the Holy Nun (VIII)

The aircraft landed on a hill near the Holy City. Looking down
from the hill, the Holy City located in a valley shrouded in a fog
that reached the sky, and the scene in the fog was obscured
from view.
Qi Leren and his party went down the hill and headed for the
fog. Maria‘s brooch, which he held in his hand, began to grow
hot as he entered the fog, radiating a warmth.
The fog was getting deeper and deeper, and the trees close at
hand became blurred. Even their feet were covered with a
layer of gauze, and to the front, the back, and the left were
gray fog, which made it difficult to tell the direction.
―The compass has also failed,‖ Dr. Lu muttered.
―Let‘s go by feeling. Since the task item is there, we‘ll definitely
be able to walk into the Holy City,‖ Su He said comfortingly.
Qi Leren had an instinctive fear of the fog. When he was in the
Novice Village, the hospital was shrouded in the fog. He also
fell from the roof to save Su He. In the fog that was so thick it
was almost a liquid, countless mysterious laughing spirits
stood quietly, and the scene became a frequent visitor in his
future nightmares.
―There seems to be light ahead!‖ Dr. Lu cried in surprise.
The four people walked forward quickly, and the thick fog
began to dissipate. A small figure could be seen standing in
the misty gray fog.
Qi Leren stopped. When he crossed the fog of the Holy City in
the Nightmare Game, he never saw any such strange figure.
What was the shadow in front of him…
From the fog came the sound of a little girl giggling, and then
the standing figure ran. It seemed she had just discovered that
they were ordinary, and she was running towards them
happily. Her figure became clearer and closer, and her golden
hair was as dazzling as gold in the fog, overcoming the mist.
She was holding her skirt and jumping as she ran. The fog
made her look blurred. Qi Leren tried to look at her, but he
couldn‘t see her face clearly. He only felt a familiar feeling…
Very close, very close.
The laughter stopped, and the little girl‘s footsteps stopped.
She lifted her skirt with both hands, bowed to them like a
dancer at curtain call, ran away with a smile, and disappeared
into the fog.
―So… What was that?‖ Dr. Lu asked shakily.
Qi Leren was calmer than he was. He could also think about
what it meant for this little girl who hadn‘t appeared in the
Nightmare Game to appear now.
Perhaps this meant that he was on the right path this time.
Qi Leren looked at Ning Zhou beside him. He was frowning
slightly.
―What‘s the matter?‖ Qi Leren whispered to him.
―…‖ Ning Zhou shook his head and said nothing.
―Let‘s follow her, maybe we‘ll be there soon,‖ Su He said.
The four people continued to trek through the fog. After the
mysterious blonde girl appeared, the fog finally began to
dissipate. The brightness of the sun brought a feeling of
happiness and yearning. They chased the direction of the light.
Finally, the fog in front of them was gone, and the magnificent
Holy City was just around the corner!
System task appears:
[Player Qi Leren has begun the task: The Dream of the Holy
Nun.]
[Task Background: Twenty-two years ago, the Devil led the
demons to attack the Holy City, and the Holy City fell. The Holy
See was forced to evacuate, leaving the country forever. A
holy nun couldn‘t bear to see the believers suffering from the
Devil‘s ravages, and was willing to live and die together with
the people of the Holy City. In the desperate situation, she
obtained a power given by God and protected the Holy City
with her own dreams. The demons were expelled and
destroyed, but since then the Holy City has been shrouded in a
fog and isolated from the outside world…]
[Task Requirements: End the Dream of the Holy Nun.]
[Data synchronization countdown, ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one, synchronization completion.]
There was a towering wall surrounding the city. The group of
people came to the gate. The gate was open, but there was no
guard. Through the open outer wall of the city, the city in front
of them was thriving. The residents traveled in the busy
streets, and the masonry buildings had a different exotic style.
There were pubs open during the day, vendors selling fruits by
the roadside, and a church complex built around the mountains
in the distance… Everything looked beautiful, yet this was the
city that had been closed off for more than 20 years.
―This is… the Holy City?‖ Ning Zhou said to himself, his voice
very light. Although this was where his mother grew up, he had
never been here. Because when he was born, it was isolated
from the outside world.
―No, I‘m afraid this is not the real Holy City,‖ Su He said with a
hint of dignity. ―I can feel that I‘m now in a field.‖
Yes, they were not in a real world now. Qi Leren knew this very
well. This was Maria‘s field and the Dream of the Holy Nun, but
it was not the real Holy City.
―A field? It seems to be very powerful.‖ Dr. Lu doesn‘t know
what this was. His understanding of fields came from the
―field‖ Su He had brought him and Qi Leren into from the
castle.
―This field really is very powerful. Whether in scope or
realism… Connecting it to the name of this task and the history
of the Holy City, is this the field condensed by the Holy Nun?
She created a dream Holy City and let the human beings who
survived twenty-two years ago live in her field. It‘s really…
amazing,‖ Su He praised, looking at the realistic blue sky and
white clouds in front of him. ―Very, very amazing.‖
―If you have a chance, you must meet this lady,‖ Su He said.
―Well, I‘m afraid that‘s impossible. This lady has been dead for
many years.‖ Before he spoke, Qi Leren had taken a glance at
Ning Zhou and saw that he didn‘t show any special expression.
Su He looked at him with consternation: ―The field master is
dead, but the field isn‘t broken? Or is there a difference
between a field condensed field through the Vatican‘s secret
method and a field condensed by a player? A relationship with
faith?‖
Ning Zhou nodded his head. Although his half-field was
broken, he knew the path of the Holy See very well, which was
also attributed to a great deal of research for the Holy See that
Maria had left before her death. Although his physique was not
suited for the route of power through faith, he had no issue with
theoretical knowledge.
Qi Leren was inexplicably a little sad. Since he found out that
Ning Zhou‘s half-field was broken he‘d been worried about it,
but he knew too little about fields. Now…
Although a little embarrassed, Qi Leren still cheekily asked Su
He: ―What should players do to condense a field?‖
―Actually, this is very mysterious. When I recall the field
condensation, I can only think of a very vague memory
fragment, because at that time… I was about to die.‖ Su He
calmly narrated, ―It was like a light suddenly flashed in the
dark, and I suddenly realized a new power while on the edge of
life and death, which was wonderful and incredible…‖
Dr. Lu covered his forehead. ―I don‘t understand at all. I believe
in science. What‘s the use of this field thing?‖
―Simply put, only field-level skills may confront field-level
people, otherwise it‘s not an order of magnitude at all.‖ Su He
blinked at the others mysteriously. ―It‘s like suddenly stepping
into a new world. What you have to face is completely different
from the past.‖
While Qi Leren was confused and wanted to ask something,
several middle-aged NPC guards found them and asked where
they‘d come from. After learning that they had passed through
the fog outside the Holy City, the guards and surrounding
NPCs were very surprised and wanted to take them to see the
Lord.
Was there this story in the Nightmare Game? Qi Leren was
baffled.
He remembered that when he played here, there had been no
guards, and he hadn‘t seen any lords until his death. What was
happening with this story?!
Qi Leren, who felt the plot derail, felt powerless.
The four people followed the guards to the Holy City‘s palatial
main government building, and the residents along the way
looked at them curiously and whispered.
Along the street paved with bricks and stones, the guards
brought the four to the stone fort in the middle of the Holy City,
passed through the gates and halls, and came to the Lord. The
manager of the Holy City was about fifty, with white hair and
aged appearance.
The guard reported to him the origin of the four men, and the
old Lord stood up from his seat trembling and stared at Ning
Zhou: ―You… Are you from the Holy See?‖
Ning Zhou, dressed in the uniform of a Vatican exorcist,
nodded his head. The uniforms of the Holy See had not
changed for more than 20 years. Even if the Holy City in the
fog had been forgotten by God‘s grace for more than 20 years,
the Lord could still recognize the dress of the Holy See at a
glance.
The Lord stared at him for a long time, and then collapsed and
sat back in his seat for a long time. His wife served him wine in
a golden cup, and the Lord gulped it down: ―So, are you here
to help us end the disaster of the new moon?‖
The disaster of the new moon? Qi Leren gave a silent wry
smile. After going for a turn, he still had to solve this same
task.
He hoped he wouldn‘t die this time.
 Chapter 119: The Dream of the Holy Nun (IX)

After seeing the Lord, the four people stayed in the Lord‘s
castle, waiting for the night of the new moon to come.
From the Lord‘s mouth, they learned some information about
the new moon: from a certain year, every night of the new
moon, the residents in the Holy City had to fall asleep before
midnight, whether they fell asleep naturally or relied on
sleeping draughts. If someone didn‘t fall asleep before the
clock struck zero, or woke up before dawn, the person would
disappear, vanishing forever.
The residents in the Holy City called it ―the disaster of the new
moon‖.
The cause of the disaster of the new moon was still unclear.
Many people had explored this strange monthly phenomenon
with curiosity. Some even deliberately stayed awake after
midnight, and then left some creepy notes…
In the castle‘s library, according to the requirements given by
Qi Leren and others, the attendants collected the data about
the night of the new moon together, and the group sat at the
table to peruse the data separately. Even Ning Zhou‘s big
black bird stopped to comb its feathers honestly without
making any noise.
Su He looked through a note and said, ―This diary is
interesting. You can have a look.‖
Qi Leren took the notebook handed by Su He. Fortunately, the
lingua franca of the Nightmare World was Chinese (although
he didn‘t know whether this came from automatic translation by
the system), so he could read the Nightmare World‘s words.
For some time now, he had become accustomed to the NPCs
who looked like Westerners speaking Chinese skillfully.
―…I have prepared everything I need, such as paper, pen, oil
lamp, stick, and cloak, and told my parents that I have drunk
my sleeping draught and can sleep through the night. It‘s
twenty-three o'clock in the evening, with one hour left before
midnight. I am very excited and uneasy because I don‘t know
what I will see in an hour. If everything is normal after midnight,
I will put on my cloak and go out for a night tour. If something is
wrong… I have locked the doors and windows anyway, and
there will be no danger.‖
After reading this, Qi Leren had already seen the unfortunate
ending.
Dr. Lu also leaned over and said, ―He‘s dead.‖
Qi Leren turned the notebook to the next page, and the
handwriting on parchment became hastily messy:
―The zero hour is here! God, I actually stayed up after zero on
the night of the new moon. Now I‘m a little nervous. But
everything around me is normal. Just now, I stood by the
window and looked down. The Holy City is dark, and even the
kerosene street lamps on the main road have gone out. This is
normal. After all, no one needs street lamps on this night. It‘s
so quiet, there‘s no sound around, only the rustle of the quill
pen writing on paper, and I can already hear my heart beat
faster and faster. Is this the disaster of the new moon? It‘s not
the same as I imagined.
"I seem to hear footsteps outside… An illusion? (A splotch of
ink) Just now I walked softly to the door and listened carefully.
There were really footsteps!!! There‘s something on the stairs?!
There was the sound of the floorboard creaking, a strange loud
noise which must have been made by stepping on the loose
board on the stairs! Oh, my God. Did something sneak into my
house?! Mom and Dad are asleep in the master bedroom.
They can‘t hear me. God, what should I do? What to do!! Will it
come in? God, what should I do? What should I do?‖
The owner of the notebook had been completely panicked, and
he was becoming more and more untidy and messy.
―Will it see the light of my room through the door? I‘d better
blow out the oil lamp, yes, blow it out, and then drink the
sleeping draught. I must sleep.‖
The image of a terrified young man appeared in Qi Leren‘s
mind. He imagined how he was horrified to notice the strange
footsteps of an unknown monster wandering outside the door.
He had lost his innocent curiosity to fear, but fear itself did not
let him go.
Qi Leren turned the page. A line of words full of fear and
despair occupied most of parchment, and the last half word
was even written outside the lines. It was untidy, distorted and
collapsed, and the fear of the unknown completely defeated
the young man who wrote the last sentence in the dark.
―It‘s knocking at the door.‖
This notebook was only a few hundred words, but it was
unnerving. From curiosity to panic to despair, he was like a
frightened bird in the dark, and the sudden knock on the door
had completely defeated him…
Su He waited patiently for them to finish reading this note, and
then said: ―From the content of the text, there will be some
incredible changes after midnight on the night of the new
moon.‖
Qi Leren closed the notebook and returned it to Su He: ―Maybe
it‘s a demon?‖
He knew more than them, because he had experienced the
night of the new moon in the Nightmare Game. In the game, he
got the task inexplicably and walked into the Holy City.
However, the NPCs didn‘t show curiosity towards him and he
wasn‘t taken to see the Lord. Instead, he spent the night in a
pub in the Holy City and learned the story of the disaster of the
new moon through the guests in the pub. Naturally, he chose
to stay up late when the night the new moon arrived, and
walked into the streets of the Holy City after the zero hour.
And then he died in an ordinary way to a demon‘s attack.
―It‘s most likely demons. Maybe the demons appear on the
night of the new moon, and then attack any humans who
haven‘t fallen asleep. But why does this happen only on the
new moon? Where do these demons usually lurk? Why attack
people who have not fallen asleep?‖ Su He raised several
questions in one breath.
Qi Leren was speechless to these questions and peeked at
Ning Zhou, who was reading the documents: ―This question is
handed over to the professional exorcist of the Holy See to
answer.‖
Ning Zhou raised his head to Su He‘s slightly smiling eyes, the
two people looked at each other for three seconds, and then
their eyes turned away.
―Wait until the night of the moon,‖ Ning Zhou said and
continued to read the stack of data.
Su He smiled silently and said faintly, ―All right.‖
That’s it? Don’t you want to continue analyzing it? Qi Leren
looked at their busy Ning Zhou and Su He blankly, and was
suddenly pulled aside by Dr. Lu. Qi Leren thought that he‘d
found some clues. Instead, Dr. Lu just dragged him to the
corner and asked mysteriously: ―Do you think that Su He and
your good-friend-who-lives-with-you-but-still-has-a-purely-
platonic-relationship-with-you are a little angry?‖
Wasn‘t this too long of a descriptor? Qi Leren suddenly felt the
malice from his friend: ―It‘s okay. Ning Zhou just doesn‘t like to
talk very much. He doesn‘t talk to you much either.‖
Dr. Lu said definitively: ―No, this is totally different, the aura,
there is a subtle aura between them.‖
―What aura?‖ Qi Leren was not ashamed to ask.
Dr. Lu said seriously: ―Asura‘s field*.‖
*{E/N: A situation of dispute between a present and past lover}
―What?‖ Qi Leren remembered that this seemed to mean
describing a tragic battlefield, but it was obviously not
appropriate to use it here.
―Forget it, I‘m going to the bathroom.‖ Dr. Lu gave him a
supercilious look as he walked out of the library with his hands
in his pockets.
Qi Leren, who didn‘t get an answer, was still thinking about
what ―Asura‘s field‖ meant. He suddenly heard Ning Zhou and
Su He call his name at the same time: ―Leren, look at this." "Qi
Leren, here.‖
The two men, each occupying one side of the table, looked at
each other then both looked at the Qi Leren by the door.
In a moment‘s lightning strike, Qi Leren learned something
without need for a teacher.
Was this what Asura‘s field meant? When two good friends put
forward the same request at the same time and it wasn‘t clear
which side should be prioritized; this subtle, strange, and even
slightly embarrassing atmosphere. This is what it meant.
It was really confusing, but he didn‘t know what he was
panicking about.
―I… I need to go to the bathroom, you can exchange what
you‘ve found with each other first.‖ At the same time, Qi Leren
learned a little skill of how to deal with this scene without need
for a teacher, and pretended to walk out of the library calmly.
Anyway, go to the bathroom first.
 Chapter 120: The Dream of the Holy Nun (X)

When walking on the dark steps looking for the bathroom, Qi

Leren still thought about this question: Why did he feel
flustered?
He reasoned that it was due to unpredictability. If he had to
give an answer, it was probably that no matter which side he
went to first, the other side would have a feeling of being
ignored.
At this moment, Qi Leren suddenly remembered a picture.
When he was still a junior high school student, a friend of his
had accidentally recommended a bad gal game* for him to
play. When the protagonist he played as had hesitated
between the white rose childhood sweetheart and the red rose
heiress, the two had appeared at the same time and both
tenderly and proudly invited him to attend a party as their date.
No matter which one he chose, the goodwill of the other party
would go crazy, which had scared the still junior high school
aged Qi Leren to quickly save in order to lessen the pressure.
*{E/N: dating sim aimed at a male audience}
Although the game picture in his memory had been blurred, the
confused mood at that moment was clearly printed in Qi
Leren‘s mind and he actually felt that there was a subtle
similarity with the present scene, which made his hair raise.
There was a short light laugh in the dark, and the
contemplative Qi Leren‘s hair exploded. He clasped the dagger
and lowered his voice and asked, ―Who‘s there?!‖
There was a dead silence.
At this time, he was standing on the stairs of the castle, close
to the top floor. There were a few kerosene lamps scattered on
both sides of the mottled stone wall, shaking slightly in the
wind that poured down from above the stairs.
In the extreme silence, Qi Leren heard the sound of himself
swallowing and the ba-bump ba-bump of his heartbeat.
Just now, the laughter had been very short and light, which
seemed to be the voice of a young girl, but it disappeared
quickly. Qi Leren wondered if it was only the creaking sound of
the wind blowing open the doors and windows.
He was as calm as possible and examined his own situation.
Tonight was not the new moon. This was the relatively safe
castle of the Lord. His skills were ready to be activated. The
task had just started. Although the present situation was
slightly strange, it shouldn‘t kill him. It should be a clue.
Qi Leren took a deep breath and walked up slowly against the
wall. He walked for almost half a minute just to climb the dozen
stairs.
Above the stairs was an open terrace, which overlooked the
night view of the whole Holy City. The entrance of the terrace
was three or four meters wide, decorated with white stone
pillars on both sides. The ground was covered with smooth
stone, which reflected the light of the moon.
The curtains hanging on the terrace were light and dancing in
the wind, and the moonlight and the shadow of the curtains
intertwined, as graceful as a dancer‘s skirt but cold and empty
under the moonlight. However, the beautiful scenery in front of
him did not relax Qi Leren at all. He stared at the shadow of
the colonnade.
Accurately speaking, it should be hidden behind the
colonnade, but it was exposed by the moonlight as a figure in a
skirt.
Unblinkingly, Qi Leren‘s eyes stared at the pillar. Looking
carefully, there was a hand on the pillar hidden by the flowing
curtain, like a person was hiding behind the stone pillar but
was stretching out their hand to hug it.
The hand was small, the fingers on the pillar were thin, and
with the height of the hand, it was obviously a child.
It should be a little girl. He was afraid that it was the little girl
they met in the fog when they had walked into the Holy City.
He remembered that she had golden hair, which was as bright
as sunlight even in the thick fog.
And now, this strange little girl was hiding behind the pillar.
Cold wind poured in from the terrace, cooling Qi Leren‘s entire
body. He didn‘t know whether the little girl in front of him was a
human being or a ghost… It should not be a ghost at least,
since she had a shadow.
Did she want him to go there? If he saved here now, it wouldn‘t
take more than a few seconds to walk…
The little girl behind the pillar let out a laugh again, her fingers
holding onto the pillar moving. A gust of wind blew, and a few
strands of her hair were blown by the wind. The white gauze
curtain also floated high with it, revealing the color of the girl‘s
hair behind the gauze curtain. Even in such a cold moonlight,
her hair was still the colour of gold.
She moved.
She tilted her head slowly, slowly, her head sticking out from
behind the pillar, more hair exposed, then her small ears, her
face…
The wind came to an abrupt end, and the floating curtains fell
silently, blocking her face. Qi Leren could only see her shadow
projected on the gauze curtain in the pale moonlight. She
came out from behind the colonnade, took her little skirt, and
stepped forward and came towards him!
"Let‘s dream together,‖ the sweet voice of the little girl sounded
in the dark.
Qi Leren‘s eyes widened, and his already tight nerves were
almost broken. Stiffness spread from his feet, and he was
paralyzed and couldn‘t move. At this moment, he seemed to be
the young man who ventured on the night of the new moon,
and heard a knock on the door that could not exist in the
dark…
She‘s coming, she‘s coming, she‘s coming!
―Qi Leren, what are you doing up there?‖
Dr. Lu‘s voice came from under the stairs. He ran up the stairs,
and Qi Leren shouted in a hurry: ―Don‘t come over!‖
Dr. Lu, who was running up the stairs, suddenly stopped, but
stopped too fast and his center of gravity was unstable, so he
rolled down the stairs with a whoop of ―ouch!‖ He heard a
tumbling sound that made his own skin hurt, and Dr. Lu lied
under the stairs and screamed.
While Qi Leren was distracted, the shadow behind the curtain
disappeared quickly, and the silent moonlight spread on the
marble ground, quiet and serene. The strange little girl seemed
now to have been a phantom, coming and going without a
trace.
Qi Le strode onto the terrace and tore back the curtain. When
the curtain stopped, something like a butterfly or a moth
fluttered out and flew in front of his eyes before going away
toward the night sky, with the moonlight shining brightly on the
marble of the terrace. The pillars were empty. He pondered for
a moment, and turned and walked down the stairs to check on
Dr. Lu.
―Ow ow ow ow! I‘m dying! I‘m dying! Don‘t pull me, I‘ll give
myself treatment first!‖ Dr. Lu, who had fallen to the bottom of
the stairs, refused Qi Leren‘s help and used ―Doctor‘s Orders‖
for himself. Only then did he slow down and hold the wall,
standing up resentfully. ―You shouted so loudly that thought
you were doing something gross, which scared me so much
that my feet gave out and I rolled down…‖
Qi Leren was worried and helped him in the direction of the
library: ―There was a strange situation just now… You might
have been in danger when you came up. Let‘s go back and
talk.‖
Back in the library, Qi Leren told Ning Zhou and Su He what
they had just discovered: ―…Although it‘s not clear who it is, I
am basically sure that she‘s the same person as the little girl
we met when we crossed the fog. I saw golden hair, but I didn‘t
see her face.‖
―It seems to be a key role,‖ Su He said confidently.
―…A little familiar,‖ Ning Zhou suddenly said.
All three looked at him, and Ning Zhou frowned and said, ―That
little girl gave me a strange feeling.‖
―Does she have demonic energy or pious energy?‖ Qi Leren
asked.
Ning Zhou and Su He shook their heads at the same time: ―I
can‘t feel it.‖
There were no more clues, so the four people had to forget
about it for the time being and prepare to go around the Holy
City to investigate the next day. It was the night of the new
moon in three days, leaving them with little time to collect
clues.
Late at night, the group of people stayed in the castle under
the Lord‘s arrangement. To be on the safe side, they didn‘t
want single rooms, but rooms for two people. Of course, they
still had separate beds. There was a slight delay in dividing
rooms. Because of a subtle atmosphere that is difficult to
describe in words, Qi Leren wanted to stay with Dr. Lu, but Dr.
Lu jumped out of his chair like he‘d burned his ass and refused
sternly on the grounds that two chickens could not be placed in
the same room, otherwise they would be caught by the gang.
―Then I‘ll share a room with Qi Leren,‖ Su He suggested
naturally.
Dr. Lu looked bitter and said, ―Is it not better for us to share a
room? Leren and Ning Zhou are familiar, and they‘re very good
together.‖
He didn‘t want to share a room with his best friend‘s
―cohabiting friend‖, 10,000% didn‘t want to, so he sent a wave
of crucial assists at the crucial moment.
So, the matter of dividing the room was finally decided. As a
maid led them to their room, Qi Leren watched Ning Zhou‘s
back as he walked in front of him, and the nerves caused by
the mysterious little girl seemed to relax.
There should be no more nightmares tonight, he thought.
 Chapter 121: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XI)

On this night, Qi Leren still dreamed, but it was a rare dream

that wasn‘t a nightmare. No, in a sense, it was a nightmare.
The dream was like a movie that was played automatically. It
began where he and Dr. Lu had entered the Novice Village,
and then Su He appeared. They finished their mission and
came to the Village of Dusk, then there was the Witchcraft
Sacrifice, and then it jumped to the Castle. In his dream, he
experienced the battle where he had defeated the crazy lady in
the basement. When he tried to open the drawer with the
laptop computer again, his dream came to an abrupt end.
Qi Leren, who had woken up in the middle of the night, was still
in a daze. He turned over and went back to sleep. Then he
dreamed of Ning Zhou in the Witchcraft Sacrifice. At that time,
he still had a woman‘s appearance. They had intimate contact
in the deserted underground cave and explored each other‘s
bodies unscrupulously until…
In his dream, he felt something that shouldn‘t appear on a
woman.
Qi Leren rolled up and sat on the bed in cold sweat. It was
already bright out, and his biological clock rarely went on
strike. Just as he groped for the watch on the pillow, he saw
Ning Zhou sitting on the sofa by the window polishing his
double knives.
Qi Leren got a kick and immediately woke up: ―Morning…
Morning.‖
Ning Zhou‘s line of sight paused for a second on his open T-
shirt collar, then paused for a second on his sleepy face,
nodded lightly, and moved away.
Qi Leren had encountered a little trouble. A normal male would
encounter morning trouble beginning in puberty. Now he had
two choices: just sit on the bed and wait until it goes away, or
go to the bathroom to solve it by himself.
Considering that less than five meters away, there was his
(incorrectly gendered) sex dream object, and the other party
was wiping the blade with a cold face while his talking eagle
stood on the back of the sofa watching him, his brain felt like it
was overheating. Qi Leren felt that no matter which one he
chose, he was a little ashamed. Now he could only pray that he
hadn‘t made any wrong sounds when he‘d been dreaming just
now.
Because he was too nervous, he even thought about it. How
would Ning Zhou solve this kind of trouble? He vaguely
remembered that some religious doctrines not only prohibited
premarital sex but even prohibited self-comfort, which was
inhumane in multiple ways.
Just as his thoughts were spinning out of control, Ning Zhou
suddenly put away his double knives and inserted them back
into the sheaths on the outside of his thighs: ―I‘ll get breakfast.‖
―Oh, good, good.‖ Qi Leren breathed a sigh of relief and
watched Ning Zhou leave the room with his black bird.
The trouble was solved. After breakfast, the four people got
together again, studied the map of the Holy City Qi Leren had
bought from Chen Baiqi, and discussed their actions for the
next few days. Finally, they decided to take a general walk
around the city now, and then go to investigate the old site of
the Holy See.
The Holy City was still the Holy City. It still looked lively after
being closed for more than 20 years. However, in some
corners signs of the city‘s decline could already be seen. Many
houses had been abandoned except for those along main
roads. It was said that after the demon invasion and the
disaster of the new moon, the existing population of the Holy
City was less than 10,000.
The streets were full of middle-aged men and women and
some white-haired old people, but young men and women
were rarely seen, especially children. The four people
wandered around to inquire about the Holy City, and then set
off to the former site of the Vatican.
―What did the Lord say yesterday? The vicinity of the Vatican
was closed by a mysterious force and cannot be entered?‖ Dr.
Lu asked, recalling the information he‘d found in the castle
yesterday.
Qi Leren responded, ―That‘s what the passer-by said just now.
They wanted to seek asylum from the Holy See, but they
couldn‘t get in at all. The Lord‘s wife is a very devout believer
and often prays near the Vatican, but she can‘t walk into it.‖
―Let‘s go there and see,‖ Su He said.
The former site of Holy City‘s Vatican was located on a hill on
the north side of the city. The white stone buildings built around
the mountain were still holy, but felt as if they were in a pool of
stagnant water.
―This is a bit like a saint‘s sanctuary,‖ Dr. Lu sighed when he
stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up.
By what he said, Qi Leren also felt a little similar.
Looking up, the verdant mountain forest was covered with a
long ladder composed of white stone steps, extending upwards
along the winding mountain road. There were many religious
buildings along the way. Green and white constituted the most
basic colours of this sanctuary, which shone under the blue sky
and white clouds. The church at the top of the mountain
seemed to have experienced a war. Half of the buildings had
collapsed, but even if only the broken wall remained, it still
looked holy and magnificent and fascinating.
In the past, was this the holy land in the eyes of believers?
―Sure enough, it‘s closed.‖ Su He stood on the steps and held
out his hand, and his palm seemed to touch some strange
barrier, ripples spreading from the position of his palm, filled
with ominous black.
―The power of the Devil,‖ Ning Zhou said with certainty as he
also stepped forward.
―It is the power of the Devil. It seems that they closed the
Vatican…‖ Su He thought for a moment and continued, ―The
Devil who led the demons to invade the human world for the
first time in historical legends should be sealed here.‖
Dr. Lu‘s expression was distorted and he asked painfully, ―We
won‘t let it out by accident, will we?‖
Su He smiled: ―It shouldn‘t be, because it‘s said that the Devils‘
inheritance is different from that of human beings. If the old
Devil does not die, the new Devil will not be crowned and
recognized by the Devils. By now the new Devil has been born.
I‘m afraid that the old Devil is really dead.‖
―You mean the three Devils of Power, Slaughter, and Fraud?‖
Qi Leren remembered that Su He once gave them a basic
rundown. ―But can three Devil Kings be produced at the same
time?‖
―This… I don‘t know.‖ Su He smiled helplessly.
Unable to enter the Vatican, the four people searched near the
foot of the mountain and found a cemetery surrounded by
flowers and green trees beside a stone stairway.
―The Garden of the Holy Tomb,‖ Qi Leren stood at the entrance
of the cemetery and read the inscription.
It was said to be a cemetery, but the Garden of the Holy Tomb
was full of flowers, and these beautiful flowers bloomed
luxuriantly even now when no one cared for them. If it wasn‘t
for the few scattered tombstones interspersed among the
flowers, people who come here would hardly feel that it was a
cemetery.
―I‘m starving. Let‘s take a rest and investigate the clues in the
afternoon.‖ Dr. Lu‘s stomach had been growling.
―Yes, I‘m hungry, too.‖ Qi Leren hadn‘t eaten much for
breakfast and now he was hungry after running around all
morning. Although this was a cemetery, the scenery was good,
and four people decided to have a rest here.
Lunch had been prepared by the maid in the Lord‘s castle. The
maid in her forties carefully packed bread and wine in a big
basket with jam and bacon, which tasted much better than their
own dry food. Spreading out the tablecloth like a basket, the
four people sat on the lawn and enjoyed lunch in the sunshine.
After coming to the Nightmare World, Qi Leren hadn‘t been so
relaxed in a long time. He‘d left the depressing mechanical city
of the Village of Dusk with its sun that never fell. The sunshine
and air here and now made him relaxed and happy. Ning
Zhou‘s eagle also liked this environment very much. It got out
of its pet bag, grabbed a large piece of bacon, and flew off on
its wings. Even its shadow had left.
After being satiated with food and drink, Qi Leren circled the
Garden of the Holy Tomb. In the corner of the garden there
was a huge tree stump, which should be the remains of a huge
tree that had been struck down in a thunderstorm after its
interior had decayed. The trunk laying more than a meter away
on the ground had fallen down and become a piece of lifeless
deadwood on the grass. Even so, the broken trunk with a
diameter of two meters was higher than Qi Leren standing in
front of it.
The stump left by it had been hollowed out, but it was
interesting that green grass had grown out of the hollowed-out
wooden stump, making the space in the stump look like a
natural open bed.
In this season, the flowers were in full bloom and the
surrounding treetops were full of flowers, mostly blue and
white. When a gust of wind blew the petals fell down in a swirl,
and fell into the hollow stump, covering the grass inside the
stump, which looked soft and comfortable.
Qi Leren, who was a little sleepy after eating and drinking,
simply stepped on the roots above the ground and climbed into
the stump. He was covered with fresh grass and fallen flowers
that distributed their fragrance, and sighed contentedly.
The stump of this huge wooden tree that had been broken off
became a small bed for his nap, with just enough room for a
person to sleep. Lying in it, Qi Leren closed his eyes and let
the sun fall on him, making him blush, and his whole body was
filled with sunshine and warmth.
In the quiet Garden of the Holy Tomb, Qi Leren could still
vaguely hear the voices of Dr. Lu and Su He, but their voices
were pushed farther and farther by sleepiness, and he fell
asleep.
―Why are there roses carved on this tombstone?‖ Dr. Lu asked,
pointing to a tombstone.
After carefully studying the tombstone, Su He said: ―The key
should not be roses, but the number. There are just seven
roses, which means ‗I love you‘ here. This should be a
tombstone for someone‘s lover.‖
Dr. Lu hit his right hand with his left hand: ―Yes, I remember
you told me and Leren in the Castle task.‖
The conversation between the two attracted Ning Zhou‘s
attention. He also saw the tombstone with the name and life of
a Holy See believer. Her name was Susan, a devout believer
who had disappeared on the night of the new moon. Her
husband held a funeral for her, praying that her soul could be
saved by God. The lifelike rose relief on the tombstone was
painted white.
―White roses are pure love,‖ Ning Zhou said. Maria had loved
white roses, so he remembered.
He still remembered that Maria told him about the Garden of
the Holy Tomb outside the Holy City‘s Vatican. When she was
a girl, she had planted many roses here which were colorful,
but she loved white best. There was a towering tree in the
corner of the Garden of the Holy Tomb where she had hung a
swing and played alone in the evening wind. It was an innocent
and carefree time.
More than 20 years had passed and the roses planted by
Maria had survived tenaciously, growing in the corners of the
Garden of the Holy Tomb, and the tree that she had hung from
the swing on…
―Hey, where‘s Qi Leren?‖ Dr. Lu asked curiously.
―He seems to have wandered over there.‖ Su He pointed to the
corner of the garden.
Ning Zhou strode past and he found Qi Leren in the corner of
the garden. He was lying in the hollow stump, sleeping
amongst grass and petals, and taking a nap in the warm
afternoon sun. A naughty petal rolled down his hair along the
wind and ran to his face, getting stuck in his eyelashes. He
seemed to feel itchy, and his wrinkled nose scrunched. The
breeze saved the petal from his eyelashes. It bounced and
landed between his lips. The blue and white petal looked more
bright outlined by his red lips. Ning Zhou stared at it for a long
time…
―Qi Leren - where did you go?‖
Dr. Lu‘s cry came from a distance and Qi Leren, who was
sleeping soundly, woke up with a start, suddenly opened his
eyes, and it seemed that something was blocking the
sunshine… He lied in the petals and looked up and his eyes
fell on a piece of blue, which was bluer than the sky. It was
clear and pure, hitting his heart. For a moment he didn‘t realize
it wasn‘t the sky, but Ning Zhou standing by the tree. He
looked at him quietly, still so cold, as if the gentle blue he saw
just now was the illusion that he had not yet woken up from.
―I fell asleep?‖ Qi Leren opened his mouth, and the petal falling
between his lips was eaten by him. He quickly sat up and
looked in all directions to find the source of the sound just now.
Dr. Lu trotted to him and exclaimed in amazement: ―This bed
looks so comfortable, it‘s still all natural and pure, you really
know where to find a place.‖
Qi Leren jumped out of the stump and patted the petals and
grass clippings on his clothes. ―Do you want to lie down for a
while?‖
Dr. Lu looked at the stump for a while and gave up: ―Forget it,
let‘s eat small cakes. I brought them from the Village of Dusk.
They‘re delicious.‖
Qi Leren took a reluctant look at the comfortable tree bed and
finally followed Dr. Lu to the picnic place. Su He sat on the
grass casually, smiled, and raised the goblet filled with wine to
greet them. As they walked along, Qi Leren looked back. Ning
Zhou stood by the stump and looked at him silently.
He hadn‘t thought he‘d look back. A little surprise appeared in
his blue eyes, and there was some hidden emotion that was
too late to be restrained. He restrained it implicitly, almost to
self-abuse, quiet and always too easy to miss. There were too
many details in a single moment, so people who couldn‘t
understand ignore them completely. In the warm sunshine in
the afternoon, Qi Leren smiled,raised his hand, and waved to
Ning Zhou: ―Come with us!‖
So he hesitated for just a moment, then walked straight and
firmly towards him.
 Chapter 122: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XII)

―We still need to think about this task,‖ Su He said as he took a

sip of bright-colored wine. ―There‘s still two days left before the
night of the new moon. Although this task might not be
completed on a night of the new moon, the key point should be
in this night. We must find a breakthrough on this night,
otherwise we‘ll have to delay here for at least a month. You
don‘t want to face several consecutive ‗monthly exams‘ as
soon as you finish this task.‖
Dr. Lu looked at the food: ―No, absolutely not!‖
―First of all, the task requirement is to end the Dream of the
Holy Nun, but there‘s no reward. The tasks in the main world
are often like this. They won‘t inform you of the reward in
advance like a copy task will. Sometimes the completion
method is very vague and you need to explore it yourself,‖ Su
He said.
Qi Leren nodded his head. The same was true when he did the
Witchcraft Sacrifice. He wasn‘t told the rewards in advance,
and he didn‘t receive a reminder when he hit each one.
However, the objectives of the Witchcraft Sacrifice had been
much clearer than this task, probably because it had been a
main world cycle task which was carried out every three years,
so the rules are clear.
―To end the Dream of the Holy Nun means to break this field.
In theory, the owner of the field dies and the field should end,
but here it has not… The fields created with the Holy See‘s
faith are different from ordinary fields. I don‘t know this much
about this. I need Mr. Ning Zhou to solve our doubts,‖ Su He
said lightly.
―…The formation of the Holy See‘s fields require an item, and
the power of faith condenses on that memento to form a half-
field.‖ Ning Zhou‘s cold voice explained the secret of the
Vatican. Qi Leren looked at him carefully. Is the memento
pendant still hanging around Ning Zhou‘s neck? He couldn‘t
see because of his clothes, but he thought Ning Zhou should
be wearing it.
―The memento for this field is the brooch,‖ Ning Zhou said.
Qi Leren took out Maria‘s brooch and presented it in his hand.
The small and delicate brooch was slightly warm, as if it was
alive. It was with it that they had been able to walk into this
dead closed field as if they had the key, but if they used it too
much, it would collapse.
―After forming, the half-field grows gradually. The process may
be fast or slow, depending on the affinity‘s strength. It can be
condensed into a field in a moment. After the formation of the
field, it will condense into another memento, representing…
Destruction.‖
Su He raised his eyebrows with interest: ―Do you need this
memento to end the field?‖
Ning Zhou nodded: ―This field is dead and it will not evolve any
more, nor can it be controlled by the field master. It‘s already a
small independent world. To end it, you need to destroy it with
a memento of Destruction.‖
Two mementos of faith, one for life, the other for death,
beginning and end… Was this the secret of the Vatican?
Unfortunately, Ning Zhou‘s half-field has just begun, and it has
already been destroyed. Qi Leren couldn‘t help but be
somewhat disappointed.
―It seems that we need to find the memento of Destruction,‖ Su
He said and looked at the former site of the Holy See shrouded
by the power of the Devil. ―Well… I feel like it should be there.‖
―It really is there,‖ Ning Zhou said.
―Huh?‖ ―Hey?‖ Dr. Lu and Qi Leren looked at him in surprise.
―How do you know?‖
Ning Zhou looked at the broken building on the top of the
mountain in the distance and said in a very low voice: ―…She
told me that used the sword there to kill the Devil.‖
―…You knew the Holy Nun?!‖ Dr. Lu asked, gawking.
"She was my mother, Maria,‖ Ning Zhou said.
―A player?‖ Dr. Lu asked nervously.
Ning Zhou shook his head. He wouldn‘t use the word NPC to
refer to people from this world. In his eyes, these people who
called themselves ―players‖ were outsiders.
Dr. Lu looked at Qi Leren with a face of curious sympathy.
The atmosphere had become very tense. Dr. Lu‘s mouth
opened and closed, closed and opened, like a fish stranded on
the beach. Su He seemed to have anticipated it, and said
easily, ―This kind of situation is quite common here… Let‘s go
on with the mission. Now it seems that to end the Dream of the
Holy Nun, we need to get the sword that Lady Maria used to
kill the Devil, but to get the sword, we must first open the
enchantment of the Devil around the Vatican. According to the
existing clues, the disaster of the new moon is very likely to be
related to the Devil. We need to crack the disaster of the new
moon first… One leading into another, a typical task chain. ‖
The problem was back to the disaster of the new moon. Now,
the clues about the disaster of the new moon were still
incomplete, and they could only boldly guess that it had
something to do with demons - according to Qi Leren‘s
understanding of the Nightmare Game.
―Well, I‘ll stay awake on the night of the new moon in two days.
With the [Demon Etiquette] skill card I got in the Castle task, if
there is a demon at that time, I can make it think I‘m an ally
and maybe I can get some unexpected clues,‖ Qi Leren said,
though he was actually a little scared. After all, in the
Nightmare Game he had died to the demons‘ attacks on the
night of the new moon.
―I remember that that skill needs a demon crystal,‖ Su He
recalled very clearly.
―This… I have one.‖ Qi Leren took out a piece of a demon
crystal. After the Slaughter Secret Society undercover mission,
the remaining demon crystals hadn‘t been confiscated, and the
Court generously left them to him.
Su He picked up the demon crystal and observed it. He
suddenly laughed. His smile was as warm as spring water in
the warm sunshine: ―This is a succubus crystal.‖
Qi Leren who was seen through at a glance: ―…‖
Su He returned the demon crystal and paused when he
retracted his hand: ―Look down.‖
Qi Leren bowed his head without knowing why. Su He parted
his hair with one hand, and picked out a blue and white petal
from his hair with the other hand, which must have gotten stuck
when he was sleeping in the tree stump. The petal was
pinched between Su He‘s slender fingers, delicate and soft,
and looked broken when touched.
―This flower is really beautiful,‖ Su He laughed, looking into Qi
Leren‘s eyes.
―Ah… Well, it‘s pretty good,‖ Qi Leren just said.
Ning Zhou‘s eagle had played around enough and finally flew
back on its wings. It righteously stood on the handle of the
basket, cocked its head and looked at the group. When it saw
the petal in Su He‘s hand, it suddenly flapped its wings and
squawked twice. It pecked away the petal, took it, and flew to
Ning Zhou‘s shoulder where it threw it into his hair.
Qi Leren looked at the petal in Ning Zhou‘s hair and his
expressionless handsome face that was obviously confused.
He couldn‘t help laughing and, infected by his laughter, Dr. Lu
also laughed. Finally, Su He looked at them laughingly, and his
beautiful eyes were gentle.
In this warm afternoon sunshine, joy and happiness infected
everyone. For a short time, they could forget the pressure of
the nightmare and spend their time happily under the flowers
and sunlight. Unfortunately, relaxed and happy times are
always short. After lunch and rest, the four people continued to
search for clues about the night of the new moon and did not
return to the Lord‘s castle until nightfall.
After dinner the group of people returned to the library, looking
for clues suspected to be related to the night of the new moon.
Some of the witnesses‘ notes had already been read, and the
contents were similar. No one could write down what they had
met, because they had disappeared forever before they put
pen to paper…
While everyone was searching hard, Su He, who was sitting at
the table, suddenly asked a creepy question thoughtfully:
―Have you noticed? Today, we walked all day in the Holy City
and we didn‘t meet any young people under the age of twenty.
None of them.‖
Su He adjusted his sitting posture, supported the side of his
face with the back of his hand, and asked, ―So what does the
little girl we saw suggest?‖
 Chapter 123: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XIII)

Su He‘s words made Qi Leren realize what the strangeness

he‘d vaguely felt all day was. There were no minors in the city,
from guards to ordinary residents, and the youngest was over
twenty years old. Connecting that to the history of the city
being closed for more than twenty years… Were there no
children born since then?
But then… where had the mysterious blonde girl come from?
It seemed that she really wasn‘t a human being, but a demon?
With such doubts, the group asked the servants in the castle,
and some of them admitted that no babies had been born
since the Holy City was closed more than 20 years ago, but
because the Lord had forbidden them to discuss this matter,
they hadn‘t mentioned it before; but there were several
servants, and their reaction gave them a strange feeling.
―Maybe I‘m being arrogant and should stop talking, but hey,
there must be something more to this, right?‖ asked Dr. Lu,
who had just returned from speaking with a maid.
That was indeed the case. The group asked the Lord the next
morning, and the Lord‘s reaction was equally intriguing. When
asked why it was forbidden to discuss the matter of there being
no newborns, the Lord and his wife turned pale but refused to
answer.
The group who couldn‘t get clues from the Lord had to
continue searching for needles in a haystack, while discussing
how to deal with the upcoming night of the new moon. Qi Leren
tried to insist on using Demon Etiquette to disguise himself as
a demon and find out, but Ning Zhou and Su He both rejected
it.
―No way,‖ Ning Zhou simply refused. ―We‘ll go together.‖
Su He‘s reason was more sufficient: ―If you‘re worried about
our safety, there‘s no need at all. The main world tasks have
fewer restrictions on fields. I can let my field interfere with the
real world and completely prevent you from being discovered.‖
With this, Su He snapped his fingers, and Qi Leren vaguely felt
that he seemed to be covered with something invisible. He
looked at himself and found that, strangely, nothing had
changed.
A maid came from the other end of the corridor, coming
towards the four people who saw that she was about to hit Qi
Leren, but she looked ahead as if she didn‘t see him and Qi
Leren quickly took a step back. She didn‘t look at him and went
straight on, further into the corridor.
―She really didn‘t notice me. Are we invisible to other people?‖
Dr. Lu asked, poking his arm curiously.
―Yes. When a person‘s field interferes with reality, it will have a
certain impact on reality. Hiding yourself is only one of the
functions, but this degree of disguise is useless against others
with fields,‖ Su He explained.
―No wonder you said that only field levels can compete with
field levels,‖ Dr. Lu nodded and said happily. ―That‘s good. We
can wait for the night of the new moon, then go out and
investigate. Maybe we can finish the task in a single night.‖
Although Qi Leren wasn‘t so blindly optimistic, with Ning Zhou
and Su He around, he was quite confident that this task
wouldn‘t result in the same end he‘d had with the ―Nightmare
Game‖.
The next few days were calm, and the group looked for clues
and waited for the night of the new moon to come. Finally, this
day arrived.
Qi Leren woke up and looked at his watch. It was 20:15 in the
evening, with nearly four hours left before the zero hour. He‘d
been sleeping from noon until now so that he now had full
energy. He didn‘t think he would feel sleepy again during the
night. Ning Zhou wasn‘t in the room. He didn‘t know where
he‘d gone. The quilt on his bed was neatly folded, so it didn‘t
seem like he‘d napped during the afternoon.
After getting up and washing up, Qi Leren sorted out his skill
cards. The S/L skills and Rain-Day Laundry skills had cooled
down, the Primary Fighting skills could be used at any time,
and Demon Etiquette wasn‘t equipped, as there were only
three card slots.
Out of the room, the corridor was quiet. Every night of the new
moon, the castle‘s servants would finish the day‘s work early
and drink the draught that would let them sleep through the
night, so the Lord‘s castle was a little scary at this moment,
and this strange atmosphere made Qi Leren feel
uncomfortable. He didn‘t know where everyone else was, so
he went outside of Dr. Lu and Su He‘s room and raised his
hand to knock.
―Hey, Leren, here!‖ Dr. Lu emerged from the end of the corridor
and greeted him briskly.
―You‘re up. Where‘s Su He?‖ Qi Leren walked towards him as
he spoke.
―I don‘t know, maybe in the library?‖ Dr. Lu said with lack of
interest.
―Did you see Ning Zhou?‖ Qi Leren asked again.
Dr. Lu shook his head, then suddenly remembered something
and said, ―By the way, I just thought that that memento brooch
might be useful. Show me.‖
With an ―oh‖, Qi Leren took out the brooch from the item bar.
The brooch was still slightly hot, but it seemed to be hotter than
before…
Holding the brooch, his hand reached out to Dr. Lu‘s open
palm and Qi Leren‘s eyes followed the brooch carelessly. Just
as he was about to hand it over, he saw Dr. Lu‘s eyes.
That was a pair of familiar eyes - round and always shining
when they saw something delicious - but at this time, strange
greed and excitement flowed in those eyes, which were by no
means Dr. Lu‘s eyes!
Who was he? Who was this man?!
Qi Leren suddenly clenched the brooch and put it back in his
item bar. He stepped back and pointed his dagger at the other:
―Who are you?‖
―Dr. Lu‖ gave a loud cry and looked at him with his head tilted
crossly: ―I really despise you, you…‖
The door behind the Qi Leren suddenly opened and Dr. Lu
yawned as he came out of it. He saw Qi Leren, who was
standing at the door, and muttered, ―What time is it? Did I
oversleep… What?‖
Dr. Lu looked at the person who looked like him a few meters
away: ―I must have not woken up…‖
He pinched his thigh and cried out in pain: ―It‘s not a dream!
What‘s going on here! Who are you!‖
The fake ―Dr. Lu‖ snorted testily, turned around, and ran to the
end of the corridor and out of sight. Qi Leren didn‘t catch up
after two steps, so he had to give up and come back.
Dr. Lu stood at the door looking distraught: ―There‘s a monster
pretending to be me… God, if it pretends to be you I‘ll be
fooled! It‘s terrible, it‘s terrible.‖
―It shouldn‘t be interested in you, it just wants the memento
brooch,‖ Qi Leren inferred. The monster pretending to be Dr.
Lu just now was obviously aiming for the brooch in his hand. It
had been vivid in both appearance and tone. If he hadn‘t seen
that the monster‘s eyes were wrong…
What was worse was that this monster didn‘t even trigger the
―Rain-Day Laundry‖ skill. He didn‘t know whether it was the
error probability of this skill or if its malice wasn‘t enough to
trigger the skill‘s sensor. At present, it seemed that this skill
only warned of fatal dangers. Maybe this monster only wanted
to get the memento, not kill him.
―Let‘s go and find Ning Zhou and Su He. This thing isn‘t safe
with me.‖ They didn‘t know that something was coveting this
brooch before so the keepsake had always been kept by Qi
Leren, but now that he knew it, he couldn‘t take the risk and
should give it to a more reliable person.
The two quickly left the corridor, headed for the library as the
most likely place. Oil lamps were burning in the castle along
their way, which should be from the special instructions given
by the Lord when he‘d learned they were going to go out on
the night of the new moon.
The main world of the Nightmare World was still set in the
Middle Ages, and there was no power equipment for
sustainable power generation. Only the Twilight Township had
skewed the science and technology tree because of the demon
crystallization energy, entering the electrical age ahead of time.
Qi Leren took Dr. Lu to the library. As soon as the door
opened, he saw the back of Su He, who was picking books off
the shelf. ―What happened? You look anxious.‖
Seeing Su He and his calm figure in the candlelight, their
hanging hearts finally relaxed, and Dr. Lu said first, ―You‘d
never guess, just now Leren met a monster that had taken my
appearance!‖
Su He pushed the newly taken book back onto the shelf and
motioned for the two to sit down. He poured two cups of tea for
the two, and the two who were still afraid drank the hot tea and
began to feel calmer.
Qi Leren told the story once again, emphasizing its ability to
transform: ―…It was really very similar. If it wasn‘t for his eyes
when he saw the brooch, I definitely wouldn‘t have seen it.
Even my perception skills didn‘t give an alarm. It should want
this brooch.‖
―There is a possibility, arguably, that since holding the field
memento allows one to freely enter and exit the field, it may
want to escape? It‘s likely that it‘s been eyeing you, you must
be careful,‖ Su He guessed.
―Let‘s leave it with you for safekeeping. It seems that this thing
is a key item.‖ Qi Leren insisted on giving it to Su He.
―Yes, it‘s not so easy for it to deceive me,‖ Sue said with a
smile, coming to stand before Qi Leren and holding out his
hand.
―Yes, it can‘t fool you.‖ Qi Leren felt better at the thought of
handing over this burden.
Once again, he took out the memento brooch from the item
bar. It was still hot, hotter than before, and it seemed to burn
his palm…
Qi Leren suddenly seemed to have pressed the pause button,
and the hand holding the memento brooch also paused.
It was not easy for one to deceive Su He, but it was not difficult
for one to be deceived.
So how could he prove that the Su He in front of him was really
Su He himself?
 Chapter 124: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XIV)

Qi Leren‘s hesitation fell on Su He‘s eyes. He looked at him in

consternation, and a little injured look appeared in his eyes,
making Qi Leren feel ashamed: ―Are you doubting me?‖
Qi Leren had a cramp in his stomach and did not dare to look
Su He in the eye, but still insisted: ―Sorry, I need some proof…
Please answer me, where was the first time we met?‖
If the monster was pretending to be Su He in front of him, he
may have watched them since they entered the Holy City, so
he had to ask something that it would never know.
Su He looked at him deeply, showing a hint of melancholy
under the faint candlelight next to his beautiful face, which was
then concealed by the gentle smile in his eyes: ―In the hospital
that was your Novice Village, I disguised as an ordinary player
and completed the task with you.‖
With his judgement proven wrong, Qi Leren swallowed his
saliva and blushed awkwardly: ―I‘m sorry! I‘m sorry! I thought
you were the monster…‖
Dr. Lu, who was nervous on the side, also breathed a sigh of
relief: ―It scared me to death. I really thought you were the
monster just now.‖
―It is a good thing that you should have such vigilance, it will let
you avoid the tragedy caused by credulity in many cases.‖ Su
He smiled and blinked at Qi Leren again. ―Now you can give
me the memento.‖
The ashamed Qi Leren had no face here. He turned his face
and handed the brooch to Su He…
A knock came on the door, and a gentle and familiar voice
came from outside. It was Su He who said, ―I‘m coming in.‖
―……‖
―!!!‖
―?!‖
Qi Leren jumped from the chair like he‘d been given an electric
shock, the brooch was put away again, and the dagger was
stabbed out - the ―Su He‖ in the before him shoved himself
back in the chair, avoiding the dagger‘s attack, a stack of
books was overturned, the teacup was overturned, and the
sound of the chair sliding on the floor completely filled the
library.
Hearing the movement inside the door, Su He, who stood
outside, flung open the door, stretched his right hand forward,
and opened his fingers in the void - Qi Leren and the monster
who were fighting felt their bodies sink, especially the standing
Qi Leren, who found himself thrown to the ground.
It was so heavy, it felt like he was weighed down by a few
hundred pounds and couldn‘t get up at all!
The weight on his body suddenly disappeared again, and Qi
Leren drifted uncontrollably and was placed in the chair to the
side in good condition. He looked at the sluggish Dr. Lu, but
the monster disguised as Su He had changed his appearance,
and turned out to be the little girl with golden hair! She was
also pressed to the ground by the terrible gravity. The
complicated and beautiful dress skirt was heavily attached to
her back as if wet, which made her unable to move. She said
in a forced voice: ―It is worthy of… a field level…‖
Su He‘s hand that was stretched out in the air slowly lifted and
the suppressed blonde girl floated up. The scattered blonde
hair blocked her face. She suddenly gave a strange laugh:
―Fortunately… I didn‘t come in person…‖
With that said, her body exploded with a loud noise and turned
into a mass of gray smoke. In the fog, a blue-black butterfly
struggled to flap its wings, fell to the ground under the pressure
of horrible gravity, and turned into a mass of burning flame.
Su He frowned and said regretfully, ―It‘s a pity that she wasn‘t
the host body. She was almost caught.‖
―My God, I almost fell for it, but this guy is too unlucky. He just
happened to hit the right button twice…‖ With that, Dr. Lu, who
was in shock, turned his head and looked at Qi Leren. ―It‘s like
she was your sister, she had the same horrible strain of luck as
you.‖
―…Shut up.‖ Qi Leren said depressedly.
This mysterious little girl should be the same person, or the
same thing, as the one he‘d seen on the terrace, and she was
probably a demon, but how had she known about his first
meeting with Su He? How could she possibly know?
Qi Leren searched his memories, and finally he realized a
possibility.
On the first night when he‘d come to the Holy City, he‘d met
the little girl on the terrace. She said, ―Let‘s dream together.‖
That night, he‘d dreamed of the past… almost fast-forward his
experience after entering the Nightmare World, until cutting off
at the panic from the Castle. Now that he thought about it,
―she‖ appeared on the terrace not only to scare him, but rather
to spy on his memory. But why had his dream come to an
abrupt end when he was about to see his laptop? Had he
consciously stopped her in his dream, or was it because…
Qi Leren was a little afraid to think about it.
Dr. Lu was giving Su He a run down of what happened just
now. Qi Leren added a few words. After Su He finished
listening, he smiled calmly and looked at Qi Leren slowly: ―If it
were me, I would let you continue to hold the memento, and
then take good care of you.‖
Qi Leren‘s face felt a little burnt. Su He‘s voice was soft and
sexy, just like a man broadcasting on a radio station in the
middle of the night. What was more frightening was that he
was still very good-looking. Not being fascinated at this time
could only prove that his sexual orientation was very firm.
―I… I‘d better keep the brooch for you,‖ Qi Leren said, staring
at his tea because he was a little afraid to look at Su He.
―No, anyway, we will act together later, and maybe we‘ll need
to fish her out with this thing…‖ Su He said.
―All right.‖ Qi Leren was now scared of this invincible monster.
―Since we‘re all here, let‘s act together. Speaking of it, where is
Ning Zhou?‖
Ning Zhou, who was being remembered, was standing alone in
the cold night wind. He stood at the top of the castle with his
arms crossed, monitoring everything around him. The eagle
hovered in the moonless night sky and flew in the wind. Unlike
an ordinary eagle, the eagle had excellent night vision and
could see its prey move from thousands of meters away.
Nothing unusual, nothing at all.
There was silence around the castle. Looking from the top of
the castle, no household had lit a lamp. Even the oil lamp on
the main road had gone out, and the whole Holy City was
shrouded in horrible darkness.
Although the disaster of the new moon would start at midnight,
he was worried that there would be an accident. Ning Zhou
had waited here since nightfall…
The eagle hovering overhead let out a loud cry, and a longbow
appeared in Ningzhou‘s hand. He pulled the string and the bow
bent, pointing to the direction in which the devil‘s energy
appeared.
On the castle terrace, a group of blue-black butterflies gushed
out wildly and flew into the endless night sky in the night wind.
Their butterfly wings were inlaid with sapphire-like color blocks,
as if pairs of devil‘s eyes were blinking. The night messengers
fluttered gracefully in the wind and fled.
Dark arrows shot out in the moonless night, and the sharp
arrows disappeared into the darkness with the crisp sound of
surprise when the bowstring was loosed. The dancing
butterflies were broken by strange forces, falling heavily and
burning brilliantly, and they all swirled like fireworks coming to
an end. In the burning butterfly rain, a sweet little girl‘s light
laughter sounded:
―Don‘t be impatient, I‘ll come to you soon…‖
The voice dispersed, and those blue-black butterflies seemed
to be a beautiful dream in the night, disappearing in an instant.
 Chapter 125: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XV)

When he saw the large flock of butterflies flying out of the

castle, Ning Zhou realized his carelessness. His attention was
focused on guarding against demons sneaking into the castle,
but he hadn‘t expected one to lie in ambush for a long time,
and it was hidden so deep that he hadn‘t felt the demon‘s
energy when he‘d patrolled the castle before.
The eagle returned to the pet bag and Ning Zhou quickly
walked down from the top floor, making crisp clicks on the
quiet stone spiral staircase. He went to the room first and Qi
Leren was no longer there. The quilt was neatly folded, so he
should have left after waking up.
No one was in the dining hall, no one was in the lounge; not
only Qi Leren, but also Dr. Lu and Su He had disappeared, and
the castle was eerily quiet. Ning Zhou searched all the way
down and finally came to the door of the library…
Pushing open the door, the man he was looking for sat at the
table happily talking to Su He. The latter seemed to say
something funny, and he burst out laughing. He was a happy
person who was different from himself. He was not nervous,
worried, anxious, awkward, but simply happy, yet he had
hardly seen such a relaxed and joyful expression on his face.
He had seen a lot of smiles from Qi Leren, gentle, pleasant
and bitter… But in front of him, even if he smiled brilliantly, it
was always mixed with a little caution. Why? Why did he never
smile so much in front of him?
―Ning Zhou!‖ Qi Leren suddenly stood up from his chair, took
two steps forward, and stopped again. The familiar careful
expression reappeared on his face. He seemed to have a full
stomach of questions to ask, but in the end he swallowed them
back forcefully, showing only the most common concern. ―I
couldn‘t find you anywhere just now. Are you alright?‖
Ning Zhou nodded. Although he wasn‘t didn‘t have the Silent
Mediation skill card equipped because this was a team effort,
he was still used to being silent, and his eyes passed over Qi
Leren‘s shoulder. He saw traces of a chair dragging on the
floor. The last time he‘d been in the library, there was no such
skid mark. The books on the table were also messy. What had
happened just now?
Behind the long table that was nearby, Su He met his eyes and
smiled at him. It should be a friendly smile, but Ning Zhou
instinctively couldn‘t like him. It wasn‘t that he had any opinions
about this Su He person. Su He was a very easy person to get
along with, gentle and kind, knowledgeable and talkative, but
they were completely opposite individuals, and it was already
the best state for them to be able to stay peaceful.
―Qi Leren, don‘t go there yet,‖ Su He called Qi Leren back.
Qi Leren remembered that he‘d just had two dangerous
situations in succession. He couldn‘t help but feel a sudden
moment of doubt that made him look straight into Ning Zhou‘s
eyes.
The dim candlelight was reflected in his eyes and the beating
flame seemed to be a burning ice fire, but it happened that it
was precipitated in inorganic blue, and all the extreme
emotions were rationally covered with ice and snow, leaving
only extreme restraint, as if even the self had been destroyed.
There was no mistake, these were Ning Zhou‘s eyes.
―It should be Ning Zhou,‖ Qi Leren said diplomatically, despite
his character of never drawing quick conclusions. ―Besides,
didn‘t that monster run away just now?‖
―That‘s not necessarily true. Maybe it‘s still lurking nearby?‖ Su
He said lightly.
Even when he doubted Ning Zhou, Su He‘s tone was peaceful,
without personal feelings or prejudice, as if only stating a
logical possibility.
―However, Mr. Ning Zhou is from the Holy See, so he‘s easy to
identify. The demons can‘t use the magic of the Holy See,‖ Su
He said.
―…Ning Zhou isn‘t very good at it,‖ Qi Leren said with a lack of
confidence.
Ning Zhou didn‘t speak, but the knife fixed with leather straps
on the outside of his thigh was drawn out and the holy light
spilled out, dispelling the doubts of the three men. Qi Leren
breathed a sigh of relief after having doubted him. Even if the
reason was logical, it would always make one feel guilty when
the misunderstanding was eliminated. Qi Leren was no
exception, but he was too embarrassed to say anything, so he
nervously turned over the book in his hands.
Dr. Lu, holding his forehead and drinking tea, just needed his
Free Wifi skill to reduce his sense of existence.
―It will be 0:00* soon, let‘s confirm our plan of action. Don‘t
worry, the monster won‘t hear our conversation now.‖ Su He
opened his gorgeous pocket watch and confirmed the time.
*{E/N: Midnight}
The serious matter of discussing their actions commanded
their attention and they listened attentively to Su He: ―After
zero, I‘ll use my field to partially interfere with reality to ensure
that we won‘t be noticed by other people or things, but you
can‘t stray too far from me. If you exceed five meters, you‘ll
probably lose the stealth effect.
"We should be able to find many clues tonight, and there may
be fights. I don‘t think the shapeshifting demon will give up
easily,‖ Su He said.
Ning Zhou still didn‘t know what had happened just now. Qi
Leren whispered what happened to him: ―…It wants your
mother‘s memento brooch, maybe you want to take this brooch
and escape from the field?‖
After hesitating, Qi Leren still took out the memento brooch:
―Otherwise, you should keep it. After all, this was your mother‘s
possession…‖
―It‘s too late to give it to Mr. Ning Zhou now… In fact, if you
know its purpose, it‘s easy to guess the means to use it. It‘s no
longer feasible to pass off something else as the memento,
and you shouldn‘t give it to others. Keep it, the best way to
ensure that no one gets the field memento is for them to have
to force us to hand it over,‖ Su He said slowly, with his hands
folded on the table.
―Force?‖ Dr. Lu muttered and asked consciously, ―You don‘t
mean like taking me hostage, do you?‖
―That‘s a possibility. We‘ll adapt to it when the time comes,‖ Su
He said with a smile.
―…‖ That was too casual. Qi Leren and Dr. Lu looked at Su He
silently. Did he want to draw such a stroke?*
*{E/N: want to have such a thing happen}
Su He said calmly: ―Don‘t worry, what we have to face is only
an opponent who won‘t confront us head-on. It‘s deliberate and
careful, but only because it‘s weak, so be confident. This time
we‘re the hunters.‖
Su He‘s words made Qi Leren suddenly enlightened. Yes, he
used to react to the enemy from the angle of being weak.
Every time he was afraid of any accident, but this time it was
different. He‘d brought his teammates! In front of his
teammates who‘d brought their own abilities, an opponent who
wasn‘t of a field level was destined to be crushed.
Su He said softly, ―But I still have to make a little preparation…
Well, I have an idea to try.‖
……
……
……
Even though in Nightmare Game, Qi Leren had died quickly on
the night of the new moon, this time he was full of confidence.
As time went by, Su He‘s pocket watch on the table moved
steadily with the crisp mechanical sound. Finally, the hour
hand and minute hand overlapped on the Roman numerals XII.
He picked up the pocket watch and smiled calmly at the three
people: ―Let‘s go.‖
The world after zero seems to be no different from before. The
four people walked all the way from the Lord‘s castle to the
bustling area of the Holy City. It was dark and silent, with no
moonlight and no lamps. Without any night vision, Qi Leren felt
like he would miss something: ―Can‘t you light a lamp?‖
In the dark, the eagle hiding in the pet bag flew out, let out a
mocking cry, and flapped its wings to fly into the night,
exploring the road ahead.
Dr. Lu was worse than Qi Leren, and he took Qi Leren‘s
clothes in hand for fear that his feet would send him into a
violent fall.
―I‘m afraid I can‘t. If a light is on, people in the distance will
have a very strange effect when they look here… It would be
like there‘s a black hole with a radius of five meters surrounded
by light,‖ Su He said.
Imagining the picture is a bit intoxicating. What was the
difference between stealth and invisibility? They kept walking
honestly in the dark.
In the darkness, Qi Leren‘s eyes gradually adapted to it, and
he could faintly see the outline of his companions under the
starlight. Unfortunately, he was too busy looking at the others
that he didn‘t pay attention to his feet. He kicked a raised stone
and immediately tilted forward with an unstable center of
gravity. He thought he was going to fall flat on the ground, but
he was caught by another.
―…Thank you,‖ Qi Leren thanked sullenly as he was pulled up
by his arm.
Ning Zhou let go of his hand in silence.
―If you‘re worried about tripping, you can hold onto me,‖ Su
He‘s smiling voice sounded in the dark.
Qi Leren hesitated, but before he said anything, Dr. Lu beside
him cried happily: ―Good, good! I‘ve stumbled twice just now,
it‘s too dark to see at all!‖ Saying this, he happily took Su He‘s
arm.
A warm hand grasped Qi Leren‘s wrist. He turned towards it,
and only the outline of Ning Zhou could be seen in the dark. He
was looking ahead as if the person he was holding had nothing
to do with him.
―Watch your step,‖ He said.
―Oh… Um,‖ Qi Leren answered twice. The temperature on his
wrist permeated his skin into his blood, and it was transmitted
to every corner of his body by his beating heart. It was another
person‘s temperature, which came from a very different
individual. They had different living experiences, different
personalities, hobbies, and different religious beliefs. They
weren‘t even from the same world, yet they‘d met and even
fallen in love with each other…
Qi Leren clenched his sweaty palm tightly and quietly felt the
temperature on his wrist. He didn‘t speak and didn‘t dare to
move.
Why?
The person holding him was no longer the dream lover whose
gender had been misunderstood by him, but his heart was still
beating for him.
It shouldn’t be like this, he thought with joy and despair. It
shouldn’t be like this.
 Chapter 126: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XVI)

Ning Zhou‘s talking eagle circled far ahead and then returned
to its master.
―There‘s movement ahead,‖ Ning Zhou relayed after being told
by the eagle.
In the darkness, only some buildings could be seen vaguely
ahead. The rich black blinded their vision, and they couldn‘t
help but feel fear because of the darkness and the unknown.
Ning Zhou looked forward, and on the other side of the street
several figures were staggering. Although his night vision was
good, he still couldn‘t see clearly. The eagle on his shoulder
flapped its wings again and flew there in the dark.
―It‘s demons,‖ Ning Zhou said coldly.
Sure enough, as in Nightmare Game, demons began to appear
in the Holy City after the night of the new moon began. At that
time, Qi Leren had been attacked by these demons and died,
but this time he wouldn‘t repeat the same mistakes.
―Don‘t worry, they won‘t find us,‖ Su He said, and walked on.
This group of solitary demons walked in the dark streets,
wobbling, and seemed to have no mind or thoughts. Qi Leren
observed them closely. Although the darkness made him
unable to see their appearance clearly, he could see that they
were walking slowly like zombies.
As a group of people walked into the market area of the Holy
City, the number of these demons increased. They had no
organization or discipline, but they followed strange
instructions and wandered here… Waiting…
―Are the Holy City‘s residents ok? Will these demons attack
humans?‖ Dr. Lu asked nervously.
―There are no humans,‖ Su He‘s voice sounded in the dark.
―Now, there are only demons left in this Holy City.‖
A chill climbed from his foot to the back of his neck, and Qi
Leren couldn‘t help but feel disturbed. Although he knew that
the Holy City would be full of demons after zero, he didn‘t
expect that these demons… were the residents living here?
―Why is this? Do the residents here know that they‘ll become
demons? And then, if you don‘t sleep…‖ Qi Leren remembered
the previous residents who disappeared on the night of the
new moon, and a more terrible guess welled up in his mind.
―Once you fall asleep on the night of the new moon, you will be
transformed into a demon after zero. If you stay awake,
then…‖ Su He paused and said slowly, ―…You‘ll become the
demons‘ prey.‖
As if to confirm Su He‘s conjecture, there came the sound of a
door in the street ahead. The door of the roadside house
opened and a young man screamed as he rushed out: ―No,
demons! Don‘t come near me!‖
Behind him, two strange demons staggered after him.
As he escaped from the house, the demons wandering
aimlessly in the street were awakened. This group of irrational
monsters roared excitedly and chased him in the direction of
the four people. The young man ran away crying. In the dark,
he tripped, got up, and continued to run, but the greedy
predators behind him were getting closer and closer, about to
catch him in the next second…
Qi Leren felt the hand on his wrist loosen, and when he turned
to look, Ning Zhou had already rushed out.
―Don‘t kill them! They‘re living people!‖ Qi Leren shouted.
Ning Zhou didn‘t kill them. He hurriedly took the young person
who‘d fled, kicked away the demons who had pounced on him,
carried the adult man in one hand, and grabbed the roof of the
nearby house with one hand to pull them both up. More
demons were alerted and they rushed towards him crazily…
There was a short melody in the dark, but it wasn‘t beautiful.
Instead it made one anxious, but in this strange melody, the
originally crazy demons calmed down. They stood there
blankly, and after standing still for a while, they continued to
wander in twos and threes, turning a blind eye to the two living
people.
The sound of this melody was too strange. Could it be the little
blonde girl? Qi Leren stared in the direction of the sound,
where it was immersed in pure darkness, and vaguely saw
several figures coming towards them.
Three people in cloaks came to Ning Zhou, one of whom was
still playing a flute. The front man looked up at the two people
on the roof and said in a hoarse and erratic voice, ―Foreigner,
please give him to us.‖
The frightened young man knelt on the roof, shivering, and
shouted with a broken voice: ―No, no, no, don‘t hand me
over… I want to go home, I want to sleep…‖
―We will send you home, you will sleep safely until dawn, and
then you will forget this matter. Come on, we‘ll send you
home,‖ the cloaked man said.
―Who are you?‖ Ning Zhou asked. He was wary about these
three people wearing cloaks because he felt that these people
also had strong demon energy.
Qi Leren became nervous and took a step forward only to be
dragged back by Su He: ―Wait, let‘s see what this group wants
to do first.‖
The cloaked men were silent for a moment, and two of them
talked in a low voice. Finally, they said, ―You can call us the
night watch.‖
―Demons?‖ Ning Zhou coldly asked.
The demon under the cloak smiled bitterly, took off his hood,
and showed a ferocious mutated face: ―Yes, but we are lucid
demons.‖
The young man saved by Ning Zhou shook even harder, his
teeth rattled in the shaking. He seemed likely to faint at any
moment.
―On this night of the new moon, all those who fall asleep will
become demons, while those who are awake… will become
the targets of demons. Although we‘re standing here now, we
can walk and talk, but in fact we are also sleeping. It can be
said that we‘re ‗sleepwalking‘. On every night of the new moon,
we look for the living who haven‘t fallen asleep while we
sleepwalk and save them before the demons eat them. We let
them forget all this, and then sleep peacefully. Foreigner,
promise me to keep this a secret like we do,‖ the cloaked man
said huskily.
―Why don‘t you tell people? Aren‘t you letting this kind of thing
continue?‖ Ning Zhou asked.
Within the faint flute music, a ferocious yet sad smile appeared
on the night watchman‘s mutated face.
―The crimes committed by people in ignorance can be forgiven
by God. Every night of the new moon, these people who fall
asleep take off their clothes in their dreams, become cannibals,
hunt their own kind everywhere, then clean up all traces before
dawn, put on the cloak of human beings again, and wake up
safely… This night has passed for eight years without incident.
If one day, this hypocritical peace is broken and innocent
people know that they were eating people, then the city will
really be finished. They… Us, anyone will fall into hell and will
no longer be redeemed.‖
Eating people… Once again, Qi Leren remembered the young
man who recorded all this in his notebook. Did he end up being
eaten by demons? Thinking again about the knock on the door
he had heard that last time… the people who appeared in his
home that night were probably only his relatives who had
already fallen asleep.
Qi Leren felt a tumult in his stomach, as if it were burning. He
covered his stomach and tried not to imagine the bloody and
cruel picture.
The young man saved by Ning Zhou let out a cry of despair
and threw up on the roof. On every night before this night, he
slept like the bloody demons and greedily attacked the living.
He couldn‘t help thinking of one day many years ago, when
he‘d spent the night of the new moon safely in his dream, he
woke up feeling happy and satisfied physically and mentally,
as if he had had a beautiful dream. On that day, the old woman
next door who‘d watched him grow up had disappeared in the
disaster of the new moon…
That kind smile reappeared on the demonic face of the night
watchmen: ―Look. Knowing that you‘ve eaten people is far
more terrible than the eating of people itself.‖
 Chapter 127: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XVII)

―I see,‖ Su He whispered, walking with the two others in the

direction of the night watchmen.
The strength of the field brought the night watchmen into the
illusory range, revealing Su He‘s figure to the night watchmen.
The night watchmen finally realized Qi Leren and others‘
presence and looked at them with surprise and vigilance: ―Who
are you?‖
―We‘re with the one you just called a foreigner, investigating
the cause of the disaster and trying to end this nightmare,‖ Su
He said.
The watchman looked at them carefully, and they were looked
at by this deformed strange face. Qi Leren felt very
uncomfortable, not because their eyes were full of malice, but
because these ferocious and horrible faces were
uncomfortable to look at.
―I know that you passed from the outside world through the fog
to come here, maybe you‘re the key to end all this. If you want
to know, okay… This disaster started eight years ago…‖
The hoarse voice of the night watchman sounded in the dark,
telling the story of the disaster of the new moon.
More than 20 years ago, the Holy City was invaded by
demons. It wasn‘t known what happened after that, since the
whole city was surrounded by fog, but the demons had
disappeared and the Holy City was restored to calm. The
residents who survived the event found that they could never
walk out of the fog, and no matter how far they walked in the
fog, they would eventually return to the Holy City.
Since then, no woman had become pregnant and no babies
had been born. The city had grown old alone in the fog…
It was not until a night of the new moon eight years ago that
the nightmare began.
―At least one in ten people disappeared that night. No one
knew what had happened, and the whole city fell into a panic.
On the next night of the new moon after that, another group of
people disappeared… Slowly, we found the rule. Whenever the
night of the new moon comes, we must never be awake before
the sun rises, otherwise we‘ll disappear. After that, people
gradually got used to this kind of life. Whenever the night of the
new moon came, they would drink sleeping draughts to ensure
that they slept until dawn, and the amount of people
disappearing began to decrease. But there were always
accidents… For example, the one who almost became food for
the demons just now. ‖
The young man who was still sitting on the ground shivered,
hugging his head and trembling as he sobbed. Knowing the
truth of the disaster of the new moon had put him on the verge
of collapse. As long as he thought that he might have eaten the
living even once, he fell into fear of not going to heaven.
―I‘ve been sleepwalking since I was a child. I sleepwalked once
on a night of the new moon, but it was strange that during this
sleepwalking, I was awake, and I ‗saw‘ my wife take off her
pajamas, and her body slowly turned into that of a demon. At
that time I was scared crazy, but when I looked at myself I saw
that I had also become a monster, and I followed her out of the
house…‖
―That night, I saw a Holy City that was like hell. My wife and the
demons searched for and chased prey together. They found a
living person who hadn‘t fallen asleep, attacked him crazily,
and ate him. I‘ve never seen such a cruel and barbaric scene
in my life. A group of people eating a person like mad dogs.
They plucked bloody meat from the screaming living person
and chewed it greedily, as if it were food given by God. I tried
to stop this atrocity and pushed my wife away. She bumped
into the wall and woke up covered in blood.‖
A tearful smile appeared on the strange face of the night
watchman as he repeated: ―She woke up.‖
Everyone was silent, and even the sobbing young man held his
breath and forgot to cry. In the deep darkness, the horrible
night watchman whined: ―She turned back into a human being,
watching the demons screaming in the dark. I approached her,
trying to protect her, but to her eyes I was the demon. She
wouldn‘t listen to me at all, just screamed and ran away. That
group of terrible, inhuman beasts jumped up… I roared,
struggling to fight with them, and I wanted to wake up at this
moment, even if I died with my wife… I hit the wall with my
head, again and again until my skull cracked, but I couldn‘t
wake up. I was trapped in a nightmare. This dream is too long
and too desperate…
"The demons had a good meal. I don‘t want to admit that I was
as hungry as them. I used my last human dignity and reason to
compete with them for my wife‘s flesh and blood. Before the
sun rose, they returned to their homes in an orderly manner,
and some demons even spontaneously cleaned up the traces
of their hunting, washed away their blood, and woke up to
meet dawn in bed as if nothing had happened. Bleeding out, I
lay on the ground waiting to die. As dawn rose in the east, my
body changed back to human and all the wounds healed. What
happened on this bloody night could only be borne by me
alone. After dawn, the neighbours who had eaten my wife
recovered their human appearances and asked with concern
how my wife and I had slept last night. They didn‘t know that
they‘d just killed her a few hours ago. I couldn‘t even say it! I
couldn only stay in hell in silence, alone, in hell!
"Susan, my wife, had become a person who disappeared in the
disaster of the new moon, forever.‖ The night watchman who
witnessed all this had chosen to keep it a secret.
―Later, I saved a few living people, one of whom was a
pharmacist. He prepared a draught that can make people lose
a short period of their memory and mixed it with the sleeping
draughts. We let the people we rescue choose whether to join
us or drink the draught and forget all this. Most of them chose
to drink the draught and forget this horrible experience. Those
who choose to stay will become one of us and keep this secret
together. Together, we study the method of lucid sleepwalking,
the cause of the disaster of the new moon, and how to
appease this group of demons who keep hunting the living.
The more you insist, the more desperate you are…
"This city, once full of devout believers, may have no souls left
to go to heaven.‖
There was a spasm in his stomach, and Qi Leren pressed his
hand on his abdomen. The confused and desperate narration
of the night watchman drew him into that same horrible feeling.
Sleeping people became demons, killing the waking people
who knew the truth. In order to protect more people, they could
only cover up these crimes and keep their mouths shut. On this
evil night, this tragedy had been repeated for eight years,
which is so long that it was desperate.
They desperately kept the secret that would have made
everyone fall into hell, but it was too late. In the first few
disasters of the new moon, too many people had committed
unforgivable crimes. What was even more frightening was that
no one knew whether they were innocent or not, and those
who knew the truth always thought about their missing
relatives and friends, and questioned whether they once
mourned those who were in their stomachs.
―Take it and let him drink it.‖ The night watchman threw a bottle
of medicine at him and Ning Zhou caught it and handed it to
the man kneeling on the ground. Trembling, the man took the
draught, so panicked that he couldn‘t open the bottle after
several times. He bit the cork with his teeth and drank it without
question.
The man who‘d drank the draught sat on the ground absently,
looked at the silver cross embroidery on Ning Zhou‘s gloves,
and murmured, ―Can God forgive me? Can I still go to
heaven?‖
The medication had begun to work, tiredness welling, yet he
looked up at Ning Zhou with desperate eyes full of tears.
Ning Zhou‘s fingers curled and the feeling of grief swept over
him. He recalled Maria on her deathbed, leaning against her
pillow, holding his hand, tears flowing in her blue eyes.
―I have to go back…‖ she had said angrily. ―Once I die, the
power there will be completely out of control. If there are
demons lurking there, everything will be done for.
"But I can‘t go back. In the past thirteen years, I‘ve tried every
means to open up that dead field. But it‘s dead. It‘s no longer a
door that can be opened and closed at will, but a locked door
that cannot be opened without a key… Behind that door, what
evil forces have begun to move?‖
Maria, whose face was gaunt with sickness, shed tears silently:
―My self-righteous salvation may be the greatest evil. You
must… You must save them… Promise me…‖
Half kneeling in front of the bed Ning Zhou had taken her hand
and nodded wordlessly.
Eight years later he‘d really come here, but the Holy City that
Maria had guarded with her life was already a hell on earth.
―In the name of God, I forgive your crimes and give you peace
of mind.‖ Ning Zhou‘s hand was on the man‘s forehead and the
white gloves gave off a faint light.
The man smiled happily and closed his eyes slowly.
With his deep sleep, his body began to change: his face
twisted, his body swelled, and the clothes he wore were torn.
He let out a low roar and opened his inhuman eyes.
The sound of the night watchman‘s flute soothed his appetite.
He jumped off the roof, fell heavily on the ground, and then
walked into the distance, returning again to the demon‘s side.
The leading night watchman sighed heavily and whispered,
―Sometimes even we doubt whether we‘re saving mankind or
demons. Or maybe we‘re just saving ourselves.‖
 Chapter 128: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XVIII)

{cw: helminthophobia}
The atmosphere was stagnant in the dark, and the night
watchman‘s exhaustion and confusion was truly written all over
him. His deformed body was bent, seeming as though it was
about to be destroyed by the weight of his soul.
The truth of the disaster of the new moon was so heavy that
this Holy City, once known as the ―hometown of God‘s
brethren‖, had fallen into sin. No soul was left pure white or
innocent.
The night watchmen were still struggling in vain for the ignorant
residents - they couldn‘t tell the truth, which would destroy the
Holy City‘s last remaining peace and plunge the city into
despair and sin, but if they didn‘t tell the truth, they couldn‘t
persuade everyone to stay awake on the night of the new
moon, and as long as one person fell asleep… the
consequences would be like a hungry wolf getting into the
sheepfold, and after dawn, the whole city would be a hell on
earth.
Therefore, they could only choose to guard silently, make
humble efforts, persist desperately, and try their best to make
everyone who woke up forget this nightmare.
Qi Leren took a deep breath and the cold air entered his lungs,
suppressing the discomfort in his stomach. A gloomy cold
spread from his lungs throughout his whole body, making him
feel like he was in a refrigerator.
Su He‘s cold and gentle voice sounded: ―The disaster of the
new moon couldn‘t have started suddenly without warning.
Please recall, did anything special happen eight years ago?‖
The night watchmen shook their heads.
―We‘re also exploring the cause of the disaster in the new
moon, but there‘s been no evidence so far… There is only a
suspicious rumor that eight years ago, the Lord‘s wife gave
birth to a baby girl.‖
Qi Leren instantly got an inkling. Eight years ago, a baby girl?
The blonde girl who tried to trick the memento brooch out of his
hand happened to be seven or eight years old, so…
―About the baby girl, tell us about her,‖ Ning Zhou suddenly
said.
Qi Leren looked at him with puzzlement. Although the night
was too deep for him to be able to see Ning Zhou‘s expression
clearly, there seemed to be a vibrato in his usual cold tone just
now. What was he worried about?
The night watchmen looked at each other. Finally, the leading
night watchman said, ―We‘ve never seen the baby girl. This
rumor came from the Lord‘s castle. It‘s said that the Lord‘s wife
was pregnant eight years ago. At that time, no newborn had
been born for 13 years. It was even rumored here that there
would be no more human beings born. If one was born, they
must be a demon. Therefore, the Lord and his wife concealed
this matter and only the closest servants knew of it. The maid
who was ordered to take care of the child revealed it to her
relatives because she was afraid. Later, the child was born on
the new moon. From that day on, the whole city fell into a
nightmare, and the maid disappeared with the new moon…‖
―Has anyone seen this little girl in these eight years?‖ Qi Leren
asked.
―Occasionally, some people say that they‘ve dreamed of a little
girl with blue eyes, long golden curly hair tied into two braids,
and white roses in her hair. She looks dignified and holy, just
like the portrait of the Virgin in the Vatican,‖ said the night
watchman.
Blonde hair and blue eyes, a portrait of the Virgin Mary… Qi
Leren‘s mind flashed to the figure of Maria in Ning Zhou‘s half-
field…
Ning Zhou went to the Vatican at the age of thirteen because
Maria had died that year, just eight years ago.
Was this really a coincidence?
Qi Leren once again looked at Ning Zhou in the dark. Perhaps
at this moment, only he understood his inner worries and fears.
This field originally created by Maria to protect the Holy City
had now become a hunting ground for demons, and the most
terrible thing was… They couldn‘t be sure if Maria‘s dead soul
had returned here, but had been polluted by demons‘ energy
and become evil.
If it had, it was the most ruthless mockery of fate for a pious
holy nun.
―Dream…‖ Su He muttered to himself.
Dream? Come to think of it, everything that was happening
here was related to dreams. Even the little girl would peek into
his memory from dreams…
―The Witch of Nightmares? My friend and I have studied the
data of the human world‘s first demon invasion. At that time,
the old Devil King‘s most trusted witch was called the Witch of
Nightmares, as she was good at manipulating dreams. If she
didn‘t die in the disaster 22 years ago, she must have fallen
asleep then awakened eight years ago. It makes sense,‖ Su
He said slowly. ―I‘m afraid the cause of the disaster on the new
moon is that she‘s polluted this dead area created by the Holy
Nun and is slowly recovering her strength until she can escape
from here, or…‖
Su He looked in the direction of the church grounds, eyebrows
furrowed.
Dr. Lu suddenly covered his lower abdomen and said with a
pale face: ―My stomach hurts…‖
Qi Leren, whose stomach had also been feeling
uncomfortable, was also suffering from stomach pain. Cold
sweat dripped down from behind and instantly soaked the
clothes on his back. There was something there, as if
something was rolling in his stomach!
Dr. Lu spat out a mouthful of blood. In the blood, a blue-black
butterfly that had grown from a pupa was hatching from a
chrysalis. The soft butterfly wings stained with blood quickly
became dry in the wind, and it fluttered its wings and flew.
The Witch of Nightmares? Thinking about it, when she
pretended to be Su He in the library, she had poured tea for
him and Dr. Lu. At that time, they drank it without worry and the
Rain-Day Clothing skill hadn‘t been triggered.
Qi Leren, who had no time to dwell on it, took out the holy
water Ning Zhou had given him a long time ago and drank it
down. The stomach acid and blood fumes in his stomach
settled slightly, but it still had him in a cold sweat. He didn‘t
know when Ning Zhou had rushed to him from the roof and
held his shoulder to check the situation. Qi Leren handed him
one third of the remaining holy water: ―To Dr. Lu.‖
The butterfly hatched from Dr. Lu‘s stomach flapped its wings
in the night. A childish laughter came from the butterfly and
said in a sweet voice: ―It‘s useless, even if the holy water can
temporarily suppress it, you two will die in an hour because of
the toxins.‖
Dr. Lu was in enough pain that he nearly lost consciousness.
He used ―Doctor‘s Orders‖ once on himself, but his skills had
no effect on this strange witch poison-medicine. Qi Leren‘s
condition was a little better, but he was also shaking and
unable to stand. If Ning Zhou hadn‘t been holding him, he
would have already fallen down.
―Isn‘t it painful? This kind of pain will get worse and worse as
time goes by, until you can‘t even breathe. It‘s really pitiful.
This feeling of slowly dying may be more painful than being
eaten alive.‖ The Witch of Nightmare‘s voice was still innocent
and sweet, but her tone was full of grim malice.
The night watchman roared, ―Is that you?! The one who made
all this!‖
The butterfly gradually changed into the outline of a little girl,
and she giggled and said, ―Oh, I remember you, you really are
a poor worm. Whenever I see you trying your best to maintain
this false peace, I can‘t help but want to laugh. Thanks to you,
those ignorant fools have continuously sent me the power of
dreams for the past eight years.‖
The Witch of Nightmares clapped her hands and praised the
night watchman. The crisp applause made the night watchman
roar and he went forward to fight with the phantom without
thinking, but the witch‘s butterfly spread its wings and flew high
above the air: ―I hate places with lots of people. It seems you
can endure for a while. I‘ll give you the antidote in exchange for
you bringing the field memento you hold to the old site of the
Vatican.‖
―Sorry, madam, we don‘t believe a demon‘s promises,‖ Su He
said lightly.
―I have no interest in your lives, but if you need a promise, well,
I‘ll give you a devil‘s contract.‖ The witch‘s butterfly flapped its
wings, and the blue spots scattered from its wings and
changed into a blank sheet of paper with a contract written on
it.
Ning Zhou glanced at it. The contract required that the Holy
Nun‘s field memento be exchanged for two antidotes, and the
witch promised not to harm the contractor on the way to and
from.
Su He turned his back to the witch and mouthed: Promise her.
―I‘ll bring the memento,‖ Ning Zhou said coldly.
―I can‘t agree to that. I don‘t want to be given something by the
Holy See,‖ the witch‘s voice became cold and disgusted.
―Then let me bring him,‖ Ning Zhou said to the witch.
The witch‘s butterfly paused for a moment, then slowly flew to
Ning Zhou and circled around him: ―You remind me of
someone… Okay, but this gentleman who controls the field
must stay here and must not leave here until the contract is
fulfilled.‖
―Fine,‖ Su He said lightly.
After adding the contract amendment, the transaction was
established.
Although Qi Leren‘s pain was so great that he‘d lost the
strength to speak, his brain was still awake. Everything was
going according to their plan. Although the poisoning exceeded
their expectations, they had planned to let the witch take one
person away and then wait for her to offer to exchange
hostages with the field memento. The poisoning was painful,
but taking risks would make the witch let down her guard.
―Come on, follow me.‖ The witch‘s butterfly flapped its wings in
the night and the blue butterfly scales gave off faint
fluorescence, floating like powder in the night.
Ning Zhou put Qi Leren‘s arm around his shoulder and led him
forward.
In the heavy night, the pain beat on the body wave by wave,
suffocating him from pores to bone marrow. He tried hard to
stride forward, but his strength was gradually lost from the
pain. He almost fell down from his legs giving out several times
as Ning Zhou pulled him along.
―I can carry you,‖ Ning Zhou‘s voice sounded in the dark.
Qi Leren shook his head. At this time, when he didn‘t even
have the strength to embrace Ning Zhou‘s neck, he still wanted
to say that he was walking. In fact, it was simply Ningzhou
carrying him forward.
As he was holding him Ning Zhou paused, and the pain made
this short moment become infinitely long… He hugged him
against himself and strode forward.
The world was quiet with only one person‘s footsteps. Qi Leren
trembled in the severe pain, struggling to keep breathing, and
his will became fragile because of pain. Finally, he abandoned
rationality and logic, leaving only pure instinct.
In the dark, memories rolled in pain, and Qi Leren remembered
the cold and damp hole in the Witchcraft Sacrifice. At that time,
he had just been rescued from the lake, so he was cold and in
pain as he was held by Ning Zhou and carried forward step by
step.
That dark road was full of his innocent sweetness and shy
snickering, so warm, so gentle, and so joyful.
When the past and the present overlapped, he suddenly
discovered that the mood at that time was no different from
that of today.
Pain blurred his line of sight and his thinking was replaced by
absurd imagination. He looked intently at the starry sea above
his head, the eternal wilderness and the vast expanse. They
seemed to be in a long river of time, and there was no future
without the past. In only this short island of time, they were
pulled by the net woven by the goddess of destiny. The two
from different worlds met at that moment, were soaked by joys
and sorrows, and sprouted feelings that they dared not admit.
 Chapter 129: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XIX)

On this dark road, the witches‘ butterfly showed them the way
while the demons they passed seemed to be unable to see
them, turning a blind eye to their coming and going.
The former site of the Vatican was just ahead, and the witch‘s
butterfly hovered around them: ―Let‘s stop here.‖
Ning Zhou put Qi Leren down, letting him lean on himself, and
took out holy water to have him drink. Although the power of
holy water couldn‘t relieve the witch‘s poison-medicine, it could
alleviate the pain. Qi Leren swallowed a few mouthfuls and the
cold holy water made the burning feeling in his stomach better,
but it still hurt as if he was on fire.
Ning Zhou helped him dry the water stains on the corners of
his mouth. In this very close distance, in this very dark night, Qi
Leren actually couldn‘t see Ning Zhou‘s appearance, but his
eyes seemed to reflect the starlight in the sky. He was like the
first person who looked up at the night sky, who fell at the first
sight.
―I‘m fine,‖ Qi Leren squeezed two words from his throat.
But these two words were hoarse and unconvincing, yet they
were extremely firm because the plan was about to be
realized.
The demon enchantment they discovered when exploring the
former site of the Vatican earlier was still there, and the former
site of the Vatican is behind an inaccessible barrier.
At this time they were just outside this barrier, and the witch‘s
butter was dancing and flapping its wings as it flew inside.
The world hidden behind the enchantment seemed to be
rippling, and in the deep black, it seems that someone was
coming towards them…
Nearby, in the dark, she was slightly glowing, golden.
As she got closer and closer, her appearance gradually
became clear. She was a seven or eight year old girl with
beautiful golden curls and white roses on her clothes. She
walked lightly down the steps to them and Qi Leren could see
her face through the layer of the demon enchantment.
She was so much like… No, she was exactly like Maria as a
child.
But her blue eyes were not as gentle as Maria‘s. Even as they
were pulled by a playful smile, they were as gloomy as a
nightmare.
―This is the face… Well, it‘s interesting and incredible.‖ The
Witch of Nightmares behind the demon enchantment cocked
her head and stared at Ning Zhou innocently and maliciously.
―It‘s so interesting that that woman‘s child came back here and
brought me what I wanted.‖
Ning Zhou‘s hand went to his knife and the cold blade was
pointed at the Witch of Nightmares.
―Ah, don‘t be angry, this kid still needs my antidote. Come and
exchange it under the guidance of the contract.‖ The Witch of
Nightmare‘s tone was full of greed and excitement.
Qi Leren took out the field memento and Maria‘s brooch was
slightly hot. At this moment, he felt uneasy, even though Su He
had promised repeatedly… But he was used to the fact that
there would always be accidents at the critical moment, so he
was always uneasy.
The contract paper was suspended between the two people,
the brooch floated up, and the two antidotes in the witch‘s hand
also floated up. Under the power of the contract, they drifted
toward each other, passed through the demon enchantment
safely, and landed in each other‘s hands.
The Witch of Nightmare‘s gave a pleasant laugh: ―This is it, this
is it! Hahaha, I got it, My Lord, I got it!‖
She ran to the depths of the Vatican as if the wish she had
hoped for for many years had been fulfilled and she‘d gone
mad with it. She held the field memento and made a pilgrimage
to the front of the temple protected by the enchantment of the
Holy Nun.
The Witch of Nightmare‘s surge of emotion had her look up at
the broken temple in the distance, this was the place where
she hadn‘t set foot for more than 20 years, protected by the
faith of the Holy Nun. Even in the eight years after her death,
she still stubbornly blocked the Devil‘s remnants.
But as long as one had her field memento…
―That damned, damned Maria, she lied to you, she is
unforgivable!‖ The Witch of Nightmares raised Maria‘s field
memento before the holy enchantment, and she expressed her
longing for nothingness. ―My Lord, am I like her now? Only I…‖
At the moment when the field memento touched the
enchantment, the secret technique attached to the memento
was triggered and horrible black flames suddenly burned from
the Witch of Nightmare‘s hand. She let go in astonishment but
it was too late. The black flames that devoured everything
quickly swept over her body, and the fire from hell completely
engulfed her.
Before she could even let out a scream, she was burned to
ashes by the absolute power and the frantic demon energy
seeped into the ground, causing waves of tremors in the earth.
The vicious game of the Witch of Nightmares had ended. The
dawn was coming and the nocturnal demons controlled by the
witch‘s power slowly walked towards home. Now the cycle of
terror would be ended forever.
Outside the former site of the Vatican, the ground was still
shaking. Qi Leren had already drunk an antidote and the pain
had fully disappeared from his body, leaving only a sticky cold
sweat. When pain is over, in order to protect themselves,
people‘s memory quickly forgets the physical torture and only
feels unreal when recalling the pain.
―I‘m fine,‖ Qi Leren said, standing up straight and wiping the
cold sweat from his forehead. ―We need to send the other
antidote to Dr. Lu quickly.‖
Ning Zhou responded lightly, looking at the disappearing
demon barrier. Behind the barrier was a deep darkness. There
was something calling him.
―If there‘s nothing wrong with Su He‘s plan, the Witch of
Nightmares should be dead and this enchantment is gone.‖ Qi
Leren couldn‘t feel the demon energy that had come from
depths of the Vatican a few seconds ago. Naturally he didn‘t
know the Witch of Nightmare‘s situation, and he was a little
worried. At this time, the whole hill where the Vatican was
located was slightly shaking, as if there was a terrorist
operation raging inside, which gave an ominous feeling.
―She‘s dead.‖
―After that, there will be no more disasters.‖
―Hmm.‖
―But the task reminder still hasn‘t appeared. It seems that
according to the goal, the Dream of the Holy Nun must be
ended… The memento representing destruction is inside,
right?‖ Qi Leren asked again.
NingZhou nodded his head.
Qi Leren instinctively felt that Ning Zhou was in a bad mood
and he was a bit nervous, so many words choking on his lips
that he couldn‘t open his mouth. He wanted to comfort Ning
Zhou, but he didn‘t know where to start. He wanted to
encourage Ning Zhou, but he felt that his words paled.
But at least at the moment, he was sure that Ning Zhou was
different. For him, he had exceeded the limit of what could be
called a friend, but he couldn‘t give him a sensible and rational
position.
He couldn‘t say it, couldn‘t say anything, even if it exposed it
only a little bit, it was blasphemous to Ning Zhou‘s faith.
―I… I‘ll give the antidote to Dr. Lu,‖ Qi Leren flinched timidly. He
took a step back and was ready to leave, but just after two
steps, he turned back regretfully. ―Wait for me and let‘s go into
the Vatican together when I get back.‖
No, that wasn‘t it. That wasn‘t what he meant.
―Or… would you like to come with me?‖ Qi Leren looked at
Ningzhou hopefully and summoned up the courage to ask.
Ning Zhou, standing in the dark, was illuminated by the faint
light of the stars, andhis figure seemed to melt in the dark.
He waited for a long time but didn‘t receive an answer. Qi
Leren‘s unreasonable nose was sour, and he didn‘t want to
turn around or leave. Even if he knew it was only for a short
time, they would meet again soon, it was just for a while. It
would be fine in just a little while.
Qi Leren forced a smile and shouted: ―Then you stay here, I‘ll
be right back. You have to wait for me! You must wait for me! ‖
Finished saying that, he ran towards the road they‘d come
from.
The earth still trembled and mourned and the cold night wind
blew on his face, drying the sweat. His heart beat faster and
faster with his footsteps. There were no human beings or
demons in the empty streets, only his footsteps passing
through the silent night with his memories.
As he ran, he thought back. He recalled his hugs, his kisses,
and the burning temperature of his skin.
What made him think he was indifferent?
The destination was getting closer and closer. It was a long
way to come, but it was so short when he was going back. The
night watchman has left. Qi Leren stopped, panting, and
handed the antidote to Su He standing in the middle of the
road: ―The Witch of Nightmares is dead. This is the antidote.
Give it to Dr. Lu.‖
Su He didn‘t hurry to take it. He asked with gentle surprise,
―Why are you crying?‖
Qi Leren wiped his face blankly, and the faint but bright
starlight reflected in the water marks between his fingers.
 Chapter 130: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XX)

―Because it hurts too much,‖ Qi Leren replied seriously. ―But it

doesn‘t hurt now. It doesn‘t hurt after drinking the antidote.‖
―Really, that‘s good.‖ Su He sighed softly and took the antidote
to give to Dr. Lu.
―Please look after Dr. Lu, I‘ll go back to find Ning Zhou,‖ Qi
Leren said.
Su He shook his head: ―Well, you should send Dr. Lu back to
the Lord‘s castle first and I will go to the old site of the Vatican
first. If Ning Zhou is in trouble, I‘m always more experienced
than you.‖
The ground was still shaking slightly. With the death of Witch of
Nightmares, the demon energy she had accumulated for so
many years seemed to be going out of control. Qi Leren was
very worried that her former companion would be in the former
site of the Vatican and regretted that he hadn‘t bring insisted
on Ning Zhou coming back with him - although he knew that
Ning Zhou would definitely choose to stay there just in case -
but if Ningzhou met any danger…
―Okay, you go first, I‘ll be right there,‖ Qi Leren agreed.
Su He smiled at him and said, ―Don‘t worry, it will be over
soon.‖
Qi Leren helped Dr. Lu, who was still unconscious: ―Yeah, it
will be.‖
Su He nodded to him with a smile, then turned and walked into
the darkness.
&&&
The night wind blew quietly through the branches and leaves
and the site of the Vatican, which had been closed for more
than 20 years, was as quiet as sleeping in a grave.
Ning Zhou went up the stairs, walking the same steps Maria
had taken so many times, and headed for the church at the
highest point.
Along the way the earth continued to shake, and it became
more and more frequent. The scattered demon energy
rampaged under the earth‘s surface, awakening the sleeping
birds.
A gust of wind blew and a large number of dead leaves and
fallen flowers swept past Ning Zhou. The eagle‘s voice came
from overhead and it circled and landed, throwing a small
piece of blue and white petals in Ningzhou‘s hair. Ning Zhou
picked off the petals. The blue and white petals should have
been blown from the Garden of the Holy Tomb. He deeply
remembered that the petals had fallen on Qi Leren‘s lips as he
slept, and the memory soaked in the afternoon sunshine was
as gentle as a dream… He touched the eagle‘s head and
moved on.
He had never been here before, but when he walked here, his
heart was filled with an unwarranted kindness… and a strange
fear, as if this was both his holy land and his hell.
The Witch of Nightmares had died not far away and the
memento brooch had fallen to the ground. Ning Zhou picked it
up. The one-time trap attached to it had been used up, and the
debris and ashes on the ground proved it all.
It was just a simple trick, but sometimes winning is as simple
as that.
Ning Zhou touched the ward in front of him. This ward set by
his mother still dutifully protected the deepest secrets of the
Vatican even after she‘d left more than 20 years ago. Although
it had begun to become fragile because of the erosion of
demon energy over so many years, it had still blocked the
footsteps of the Witch of Nightmares.
The field memento was once again raised in front of the
enchantment of the Holy Nun. Golden ripples flowed away
from the brooch and slowly spread out. The enchantment of
the highest church of the Holy See began to blur and finally
disappeared.
Further down was the cathedral that has been isolated for
more than twenty years.
Ning Zhou looked up at the half of the churches that had been
turned to ruins, where Maria had killed the Devil.
The black bird on his shoulder let out a cry and NingZhou
turned around. From the distant stairs came the sound of high
heels on the stone steps, getting closer and closer.
Someone was coming.
The blade rubbed the scabbard as he pulled it out. Ning Zhou
stood on the steps and waited quietly for the person to come.
The demon‘s energy, which was left unchecked by the other,
came flooding in from the deep night, full of evil thoughts from
hell.
A woman wearing a black veiled hat and a black evening dress
walked at an elegant pace, and the evening dress inlaid with
pearls and precious stones shone brightly in the night. She
pushed back the brim of her hat and behind the black veil was
a face with delicate makeup and her eyes flashed with
demonic brilliance, which was quite different from the ordinary
village girl from that year.
―Long time no see,‖ Isabel nodded slightly to Ning Zhou.
Ning Zhou looked at her with a complicated mood.
Deep in the underground palace, Isabel had volunteered to
become a witch of the Devil of Fraud and walked onto the altar.
However, after more than half a month, she appeared in front
of him again but was no longer the ordinary human girl.
The raging demon energy was fueled by numerous killings.
She had become a witch completely.
The most terrible thing was, how had she crossed this closed
field and come to him? She couldn‘t have a field memento, so
she couldn‘t enter Maria‘s field by herself unless…
―To introduce myself again, I am Isabel, the Witch of Jealousy.
At the order of my Lord, I came to compete with you.‖ Isabel,
wearing black silk gloves, lifted her skirt and graciously bowed
to him.
A holy light shone on the knife and Ning Zhou looked
expressionlessly at the Witch of Jealousy: ―Ning Zhou, the
exorcist of the Holy See, is the one who will kill you.‖
In the dark and silent site of the Vatican, the power of faith and
the power of evil suddenly collided in the void and a raging
billow of air broke out, where the trees fell and the stone steps
broke.
The witch smiled lightly: ―I won‘t let you pass.‖
&&&
After settling Dr. Lu in, Qi Leren immediately left the Lord‘s
castle and hurried towards the former site of the Vatican.
Residents who had been transformed into demons had been
restored to their original state. After dawn, these demons
would end forever. The night watchmen had also restored their
human identities. From now on, they wouldn‘t have to struggle
on every night of the new moon - they had been freed, forever.
As long as they got Maria‘s memento of destruction, they could
reopen this field and let the people who had been trapped here
for more than 20 years ago leave.
In the quiet night, Qi Leren‘s footsteps went faster and faster,
and at last he started to trot all the way and soon came to the
former site of the Vatican, but Ning Zhou had disappeared and
Su He was not here.
Shining his flashlight on the road ahead, Qi Leren walked
along the steps to the higher buildings.
The ground was still shaking intermittently, so Qi Leren had to
be careful with his steps so as not to fall.
The mountain stone path had broken in front of him into a pit
with a shocking width of more than ten meters, and the
surrounding trees had fallen down. It looked like there had
been a fierce battle here and Qi Leren‘s heart went into his
throat. Judging from the trees, this was not a remnant left by
the demon invasion more than twenty years ago, but was
fresh. Although it wasn‘t clear whether Su He or Ning Zhou had
a conflict with people here, there must be danger ahead.
The space seemed to be distorted ahead, and the deep
darkness could not be illuminated by the flashlight. There were
no figures, no sound, only pure darkness, frightening and
disturbing.
The road was also broken and the Qi Leren hesitated, circling
another stone staircase, and soon he came to the cathedral at
the top of the hill.
Under the starry sky, this broken church was still majestic. The
round stone terraces and all the stone pillars along the road
have been broken, but even so as he passed through, he
found that these broken walls still exuded holy and solemn
beauty.
Along the way, there were all kinds of angel sculptures, some
having lost their heads, some having had their wings cut off,
and some even having only their legs. They surround the
center of the square where there was a disk with a diameter of
four or five meters, which seemed to be the base of some giant
sculpture. However, there was no statue that should exist on
this base, and there was no statue wreckage around it. It was
like it had disappeared into thin air, making this group of angels
around it extremely lonely in the night.
Going further, half of the church had been destroyed. The front
hall was almost completely destroyed. Even the dome had
disappeared. After the wind and rain, it had become covered
with weeds and shrubs. Qi Leren walked carefully on the
weeds, passed through the rows of stone pillars, and came to
the stone door of the main hall.
These were two doors that could be pushed away from the
center, almost ten meters high. The exquisite reliefs on the
doors had been covered with moss, but it was still faintly clear
that the reliefs were about the magnificent scenes of wars
between angels and devils in heaven.
Behind this door, what could be there?
Qi Leren‘s hand had been placed on the door. His heart beat
faster and his breath was short. He retracted his hand and
adjusted himself.
[S/L Data], [Rain-Day Clothes] and [Primary Fighting Skills]
have been equipped.
If there was a battle later and S/L skill entered cooldown, he
also had the [Countercurrent Sand] item. This exquisite
hourglass item could reset the cooling time of one skill card at
will. If he still couldn‘t defeat the enemy by then… He also had
the Easter Egg.
There was no need to be afraid, the Witch of Nightmares who
was polluting this field was dead. If she still had allies, they
should have stopped him on the road.
The ground shook again and this time it felt stronger than
before, as if the church was the source of vibrations. What had
happened inside, and what would happen if the earthquake
continued like this? He couldn‘t wait any longer…
Once again, Qi Leren put his hands on the cold stone door and
pushed forward hard.
Save completed.
To his surprise, this giant door was not as heavy as he
imagined. Under his touch it opened almost automatically,
fresh air swept forward, his flashlight lit up the marble floor,
and Qi Leren looked at the starry sky exposed by the huge
collapsed wall of the church. He took a step toward the
darkness ahead with his dagger.
A light suddenly lit up in the deep shadows, as if lit by the hand
of God.
The darkness was dispelled and the light in front of him
became more and more bright until finally it was as bright as
day.
Qi Leren looked at the temple in front of him for a while in wait,
just in the deepest part of the hall. A huge Maria held a sword
high, piercing the flesh of a ferocious roaring black dragon,
crucifying it in front of a giant cross.
This shocking scene showed the tragic battle that had occured
here many years ago, but this was not the reason why Qi
Leren was stunned. After a moment of shock, he looked at the
throne belonging to the Pope under the huge cross.
On the throne decorated with reliefs and gems, Su He leaned
on one hand and looked on at him with a smile.
His expression is still peaceful and gentle.
Except for those red, evil eyes.
 Chapter 131: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXI)

Save countdown: 30 seconds, 29 seconds, 28 seconds…

As time passed, Qi Leren stared at the familiar yet strange
man on the throne. His mind was blank. He couldn‘t think, and
he didn‘t dare to think. The unspeakable fear that had been
hidden deep in his heart for a long time was confirmed at this
nightmarish moment - he had opened the door of the
defenseless shelter and invited the polite devil standing outside
to come in.
If everything from when they had first met wasn‘t a
coincidence, how many secrets had he inadvertently revealed?
Qi Leren was so desperate that he couldn‘t even think about it.
Twenty seconds, nineteen seconds, eighteen seconds…
―Good evening, Leren, why don‘t ask my name?‖ Su He asked
softly from the throne.
Qi Leren closed his eyes painfully. If Su He was a demon, he
was definitely not an ordinary one. He had deliberately used
him to come to this where the Holy Dun killed the old Devil
more than 20 years ago, and what he sought was by no means
an ordinary thing.
Qi Leren asked hoarsely: ―Power or Slaughter?‖
Su He smiled lightly and said meaningfully: ―I‘m the one you
missed.‖
―Impossible, the Lord of Fraud is a woman…‖ Qi Leren retorted
with shock only to realize instantly.
In the Witchcraft Sacrifice task, both he and Ning Zhou had
been forced to appear as another gender. If the Devil of Fraud
had also appeared in the task he would probably have been
like them, as it would be fun for the Devil of Fraud to hide his
gender… Qi Leren suddenly remembered the voice he‘d heard
vaguely in the underground palace: ―Because it‘s very
interesting. It‘s so interesting to watch you cheat and kill each
other because of despair, fear, and jealousy.‖
That gentle and beautiful voice made him feel cold all over. He
had never heard this voice, but the tone had felt familiar. Now
that he thought about it, he hadn‘t recognized the source of this
female voice, but the tone and the habit of speaking were
clearly….
―Now, do you understand?‖ Su He asked with a smile.
He understood. Everything was clear. Ever since Su He had
first appeared in the Novice Village, he had noticed his
abnormality. The so-called Novice Village bug was not only the
killer, but also a laptop loaded with the Nightmare Game. But
at that time, Su He had no evidence. He‘d just watched him
and waited patiently for him to reveal his flaws.
The Witchcraft Sacrifice was a temptation which had made him
carry out a task under the Lord of Fraud‘s nose, but still he‘d
found nothing. No, maybe he‘d left some marks on him. And
then he was parasitized by the seed of slaughter with an
abnormal growth rate, which may have been coincidence or
may have been inevitable.
Castle Cry was a trap that had been set in advance. Isabel
interfered with the copy‘s history according to his command,
and the ignorant Qi Leren had showed his biggest flaw - the
laptop had appeared, then Su He followed, and then the
computer disappeared mysteriously, perhaps in the hands of
Su He, perhaps by a certain force intending to hide the secret
of the computer from Su He. However, in the Castle Cry, Su
He had become 100% sure that it was Qi Leren.
He had been gentle and considerate, patiently dormant, and
had presented himself properly. Finally, he‘d received the
invitation as he wished and entered the Holy City, which had
always been sealed to him. Maybe at first he was just a little
suspicious and curious, but in the end he got a surprise.
Really, it was a perfect scam.
―It‘s so funny, the incredible expression worn by a blind,
ignorant human at the moment when they discover the truth…‖
the voice belonging to Su He echoed in the hall. Under his
gentle eyes, everything was just his playthings. Qi Leren
shuddered.
Qi Leren suddenly didn‘t want to ask any more questions. He
didn‘t want to know his calculations, his purposes, and what
kind of person the real Su He was.
His time was running out.
Three seconds, two seconds, one second… The countdown
for the skill‘s cooling was 0:59:59.
―Time is up.‖ The corners of Su He‘s mouth hooked upwards
as he looked at him happily. ―From what I know about you,
you‘ll save before pushing open this suspicious door. You
didn‘t even think about resisting it. It‘s not like you.‖
Qi Leren‘s breath hitched. He knew that his strength was very
different from Su He‘s. As long as Su He used his field, he
would be crushed to death in front of him like a worm, but what
if… What if Su He was careless?
It was a gamble, but what other choice did he have than to
accept his fate?
Most importantly… If he died…
―Where is Ning Zhou?‖ Qi Leren asked.
―Isabel‘s with him. Although she‘s only been the Witch of
Jealousy for a short time, I gave her some extra preferential
treatment. A small cup of Devil‘s blood makes such a powerful
witch that surely even her friends would look at her with new
eyes,‖ Su He said.
Isabel? She was here too? How did she get in? It must be that
Su He had hidden demons in his field and brought them into
the Holy City.
Qi Leren‘s heart was getting heavier. What should he do?
Exactly what was there to do? Keep stalling? However, even if
he prolonged it, the situation wouldn‘t get better. Even if Ning
Zhou defeated Isabel, he couldn‘t be an even opponent for the
Devil of Fraud.
No matter how he thought, there was a dead end ahead.
No, think again, calm down… He had to at least figure out the
purpose of Su He‘s chess game so that he could leave some
glimmer of chance for Ning Zhou.
Qi Leren tried to stay calm, looking at the huge statue of Maria
holding the sword she had stabbed into the black dragon. The
sword on the statue of Maria was not made of stone, but
instead was a huge metal sword reflecting a sharp arc of light.
This should be the real sword Maria had used to kill the Devil,
that was, it was this field‘s memento of destruction.
Just pull it out and cut open the field, and the task could be
completed.
―That‘s Ms. Maria‘s sword. It has a holy and dazzling power.
Unfortunately, Devils can‘t touch it… I should thank her for her
dedication and sacrifice in changing the rule over the demon
world.‖ Su He stood up and held out his hand toward the black
dragon.
The space before his hand twisted and the black dragon‘s
chest suddenly lit with a deep red light, and a burning flame
burst out of its chest and flowed back into Su He‘s hand.
The flame went out, leaving a palm-sized ruby with bright red
flowing inside it, as if it were blood.
Apart from the seed of slaughter, Qi Leren had never been
able to feel demon energy, but he couldn‘t help shivering when
he saw that ruby.
That was a kind of evil and overbearing power, which is
disturbing and fearful.
―What is that?‖ Qi Leren whispered.
Su He held the ruby in his hand and looked at it with great
interest: ―It has many names. You can call it a higher form of
devil crystallization or a collection of the evil in this world, but I
prefer a name that‘s easier to understand. In hell, it represents
one third of the kingship.‖
Qi Leren swallowed his saliva. One third? Where were the two
remaining thirds?
―There are a lot of things I know very well, so it doesn‘t matter
that there‘s a lot I don‘t know. I never ask questions, I simply
enjoy the fun of solving puzzles. However, I originally thought
you knew a lot. Although I don‘t know where you got the clue to
enter the Holy City, it turns out that you only know a little about
it after repeated trials. You‘re really very careful,‖ Su He said
lightly.
The unsettling feeling struck again. Although he already knew
what dangerous struggle he might be involved in, the feeling of
being a pawn became more and more vivid at this moment.
He can‘t wait for his death any longer, but he would die either
way. He still had the Easter Egg. As long as his body stayed
intact, it could be resurrected in seven days, but… What could
he do about Ning Zhou? Even if he could defeat Isabel, then
take down Maria‘s sword, cut her field, and finish the task, so
long as Su He has the heart to kill him, he couldn‘t survive.
Unless he could really kill Su He while he was being careless,
but was this possible?
The gap in the strength of the field made Qi Leren so
desperate that he even lost his desperate courage.
―Qi Leren,‖ Su He called his name.
Qi Leren raised his head and looked at Su He stepping down
the throne‘s steps. He looked at him commandingly, and his
scarlet eyes seemed to be filled with thoughtful interest.
―I‘m curious, will a person who has experienced countless
deaths still be afraid of death?‖ Su He asked.
―…They will be. No matter how many times, people are
extremely afraid when they go to their death. This is engraved
in their genes, so as long as there‘s a choice, people always
want to live,‖ Qi Leren tried to answer calmly.
―Human beings‘ desire to survive is really interesting, but it‘s
this kind of power that will give birth to incredible miracles.‖
The Devil King standing on the high platform smiled at him, cut
his wrist, and the bright red blood flowed into a goblet - the
same goblet he had used when they had a picnic in the
Garden of the Holy Tomb.
It‘s just that what was in the cup now was no longer sweet
wine, but sinful temptation from hell.
―For demons, ‗to do aught good never will be our task, but ever
to do ill our sole delight‘. If someone has a firm soul, seduce
him, torture him, and destroy him until his pure white soul is so
dirty it falls into hell… But if you can‘t, then fear it and destroy
it.‖ The Devil who enjoyed toying with people raised the goblet
toward him and gently asked, ―Now you have a choice: Would
you like to be born of betrayal or die of martyrdom?‖
—–
The author has something to say:
PS: ―To do aught good never will be our task, But ever to do ill
our sole delight.‖ -Paradise Lost.
 Chapter 132: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXII)

To be or not to be?
This is really a simple choice.
But at that moment, this choice was extremely difficult.
Qi Leren slowly closed his eyes. He couldn‘t reveal his
emotions. At this moment, his heart was beating so fast that an
emotion that could be called ecstasy surged in his mind.
He had a great opportunity.
Originally he didn‘t even have one in ten thousand possibilities,
but now, he did.
He needed acting ability, 200% acting ability, just like when he
played Red.
Qi Leren took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
Those brown eyes revealed the human struggle. He moved his
lips, as if he wanted to question Su He about why he did this,
but in the end the bitter accusations all turned into a trembling
in his eyes. His eyes, his expression, and his shaking fingertips
were filled with the desire to live.
For a moment, Su He almost thought he was going to give in,
but he shivered suddenly, took a step back, and looked at the
closed stone door. He seemed ashamed of his weak will, so he
wanted to look in the direction he had come, wanted to escape
and ask for help, but he knew that he couldn‘t escape his fate.
Finally, he only turned around in despair, shame, and
helplessness, and looked at Su He again.
They stared at each other for a long time. The Devil‘s scarlet
eyes were only interested in observing the human, while the
observed humans had too many emotions, from resistance to
struggle, from hesitation to compromise, and finally it turned
into deep despair and he began to cry.
Those beautiful brown eyes closed, and when they opened
again there was only an empty desire to live.
The Devil smiled and looked at him with encouragement, but
he stopped looking at the Devil. He was still suffering for his
weakness, so he didn‘t dare to look at him.
Trembling, he took the first step towards his journey.
Descent begins with this small step.
After this step, there was numbness, compromise, and
submission.
He had come to the Devil King, quietly looking at the goblet
filled with the Devil‘s blood in his hand. If he drank this cup of
the Devil‘s blood he could gain great power, but at the same
time would degenerate into a demon.
The human being lured by the Devil King took the goblet with
both hands. The blood in the goblet was like wine. He stared at
the red liquid his Adam‘s apple rolled.
The Devil smiled.
The goblet tilted, the glass pressed on his lips, and the bright
red liquid was about to catch his lips, but another transparent
liquid rolled down from his eyes first. The humble man‘s brown
eyes gazed at the Devil, wept silently, and silently swallowed
the temptation from hell.
The moment the blood flowed into his mouth, the
transformation had already started. His brown eyes became
scarlet and the devil sigil climbed over his cheek from his
earlobe, leaving a thorn-like mark. Black wings sprouted from
his back and pierced his clothes. They were as beautiful as a
black swan‘s, like an angel who had fallen from heaven.
The new demon held the empty goblet in his hand and his
blood-red lips parted slightly, looking at his master.
―You look like an naive and innocent lover, beautiful but so
enjoyable to see destroyed.‖ The Devil King leaned down,
kissed the forehead of his beloved demon in reward, and
whispered softly, ―From today on, your name is ‗Depravity‘.‖
The devil‘s blood slipped from the new ―fallen‘s‖ lips, and the
viscous scarlet liquid flowed down his chin and fell to the earth.
At the moment when the blood fell to the ground, a violent
explosion engulfed the two people who stood opposite each
other, and they vanished in an instant.
&&&
In the scenes where reality and illusion were interweaved,
countless illusions passed by the two people pitted in combat -
demons crawling in the lava of hell growled, blazing angels
falling from heaven prayed, and the holy light and the demonic
energy intertwined together, overturning large areas of trees
and even distorting this space, making the two people fighting
seem to be in another time and space.
The land under the Witch of Jealousy‘s feet had turned into a
burning hell where countless demons hatched from evil and
were shot through by the unreal blazing angels one by one.
The witch looked at Ning Zhou with red eyes hidden behind he
black veiled hat, with a smile on her mouth: ―Are you in a
hurry? Are you worried? Is it for Qi Leren? I remember him. He
gave me my sister‘s things in the underground palace. He is
really a kind and good man. I should thank him…‖
―He has a pair of beautiful eyes, brown, but my Lord thinks red
eyes are more suitable for him.‖ The Witch of Jealousy‘s
scarlet eyes flashed, maliciousness pouring out from her
painted red lips, ―As long as they drink the blood given by my
Lord, ordinary human beings can easily become demons just
like me and get unimaginable power. You see, you‘ve been
studying hard in the Holy See for so many years, but I‘m tied
with you. No one can refuse the temptation of strength, no one.
"He‘s going to betray you, poor knight, he‘s going to betray
you!‖ The witch laughed madly, shrill laughter with hysteria.
Ning Zhou, who was intercepted by another demon, waved off
the giant demon and landed lightly on a rock in the hellish lava.
He said coldly to the witch, ―You‘re jealous.‖
The witch‘s laughter came to an abrupt end and the smile that
died on her mouth slowly turned into anger: ―What do you
know?‖
At this moment, the Witch of Jealousy perfectly interpreted the
appearance of jealousy. She stepped forward on the lava and
said sharply in a distorted voice: ―You don‘t know anything! I
was so careful, so I walked on the edge of the cliff with every
step and climbed out of hell little by little, just to see him again.
I tried my best to reach what I am today, but it happened that
some people are so lucky that they could easily ascend to
heaven. He likes him, praises him, seduces him… Why, why is
my Lord so fond of him?!‖
The witch‘s anger triggered the illusion of hell and the lava
turned into flames and shot at Ning Zhou. The two knives in
Ning Zhou‘s hands crossed and he stood in front of her, but he
rushed past regardless - the magma was split by holy light and
his sharp knives passed through the furious lava and appeared
in front of Isabel.
The angry witch smiled grimly and raised her sword to stab
him.
The angels and demons in the false image collided together
and a magnificent disillusionment broke out from them.
Suddenly the boiling magma died down, the shaking earth died
down, and even the surging night wind died down.
Among the hills where the Vatican was located, there were
only sacred songs and music coming as if from nowhere under
the bright starry sky, compassionate and holy.
Blood flowed down the tip of the thin sword, trickling into the
fertile soil, and the two people who were so close that there
was almost no distance between them stood motionless, then
suddenly separated.
The thin sword had pierced Ning Zhou‘s abdomen, but the
short knives had penetrated the witch‘s chest.
More and more blood flowed down.
Isabel‘s black veiled hat had fallen to the ground, revealing her
dim scarlet eyes. Covering her chest, blood streaming through
her fingertips from her beating heart.
She seemed shocked, but the surprise gradually turned into
self-mockery and loneliness. A gust of wind blew and she
slowly fell down, looking at the night sky with her eyes empty.
"It‘s too late…‖ the Witch of Jealousy murmured. ―Even if you
go there, it‘s too late. He doesn‘t belong to you… You‘ve lost
him…‖
Ning Zhou stepped forward and came to her. Blood flowed out
from his abdominal wound, but he didn‘t feel it.
Blood was trickling from Isabel‘s mouth. She looked him in the
eye and asked dreamily, ―Do you know the taste of jealousy?‖
The bloody knife hung over her head, and the blood trickled
down the blade and fell on her forehead.
The witch looked into his eyes and showed an understanding
smile: ―Ah, that‘s the taste.‖
The knife fell and pierced the witch‘s head, and her demon
crystal was broken in the holy light.
The demons condensed from rocks disintegrated, and the
illusion of the dying demons screamed silently and dissipated
in the night sky. The space dominated by the witch was
gradually restored to be in line with reality. The ghostly angels
stayed in the void for a while, bowed to the broken church on
the top of the hill, and then disappeared into the night of the
new moon.
Ning Zhou coughed softly, but the movement of the lungs
disturbed his abdominal wound, making the blood flow faster.
He leaned partially against a half-fallen tree, took a deep
breath, and bandaged himself with a straight face.
After only doing the simplest medical treatment, and even
having no time to clean up the demon energy that had infected
his body through the wound, Ning Zhou hastily put on his
clothes and ran towards the church on the top of the hill.
White gauze was quickly dyed red, but Ning Zhou‘s training
had accustomed him to being injured and he numbly adapted
to this degree of pain. He had to go quickly, quickly…
There was an earth-shattering noise and the church on the top
of the hill began crumbling.
Ningzhou‘s footsteps stopped, and his heartbeat seemed to
stop with the explosion.
As his chest stuttered, blood gas rolled up from the depths of
the throat and Ning Zhou spat out one mouthful of stagnated
blood. The pain that he should have been used to was
overpowered by the feeling of his heart breaking. He wiped the
blood from his mouth, dyeing the silver cross embroidery on
his gloves red with blood.
God, if I am guilty, please let all the harsh punishments come
on me, even if I have to pay for it in hell for all eternity.
Please, bless him and let him be safe.
—–
The author has something to say:
Although the author thinks that the plot is quite clear, there are
still many girls who don‘t understand it. Simply put: Su He is
the Devil of Fraud, male (three years ago, he appeared in the
appearance of a woman during the Witchcraft Sacrifice). His
status has changed from before, but he was originally a player.
There are witches and demons like Isabel under his hand, and
there will be other devils/witches acting under others outside.
The master of the Witch of Nightmares (the little girl who was
like Maria) is not the Devil of Fraud, but the old Devil.
The Nightmare World is equivalent to another real alien world.
It is not surprising for either NPCs or human beings to become
Devil Kings. For example, it is also possible for someone to
aspire to the Holy See and become the Pope after decades of
hard work (provided that they are not dead).
At the same level as Su He, there are also the Devil King of
Power and the Devil King of Slaughter. The relationship
between these three people is not peaceful, and we will talk
about it later; It was not them who were killed by Maria, Ning
Zhou‘s mother. It was the old Devil who led the demons to
invade the underworld for the first time more than 20 years
ago. After he died, it was peaceful for more than 10 years.
Three years ago, the text began, and three new Devil Kings led
the demons to invade the human world for the second time.
Is it clear =v=
—–
Editor’s Notes: To take this opportunity to clear some things
up a bit more, so far ―Devil‖, ―Devil King‖, and
occasionally ―Lord‖ have been used interchangably, though
some devils who are of lower rank will appear in part 2. So
among the Devil Kings we have the Devil of Fraud aka Su He,
the Devil of Slaughter who was worshipped by the secret
society in the previous arc, and the Devil of Power who has yet
to appear in any notable capacity. All three of them are
currently at the same level but are vying for supremacy, which
was why Su He wanted the old Devil‘s demon crystal. I would
like to also clarify that despite being called Kings, not all of
them are men.
Details about the old Devil will become much more clear in part
2, but for now all you need to know is that he was the former
supreme ruler of the demons who was killed by Maria. :)
 Chapter 133: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXIII)

Use Countercurrent Sand to reset the cooldown of the S/L

Data skill card.
Save and drink the Devil‘s blood.
Detonate all miniature bombs.
There was a loud roar as a violent explosion blew the tower
deep in the church into ruins.
At the moment the file was loaded, the demon ―Depravity‖
vanished and the resurrected Qi Leren returned to the state of
when he had archived. Now he had no longer drunk the blood
of the Devil and was still a human being!
His fragile human body appeared in the center of the explosion
and was immediately thrown out by the billow of air, fell heavily
on the ground, and even rolled several times before stopping.
There were some surface burns, multiple fractures, and
countless bruises and contusions, but these injuries couldn‘t be
judged as fatal injuries. There was no second reading of S/L
skill and there is still dust and smoke in front of him. Qi Leren
coughed in a heartbreaking way, and the blood accumulated in
his chest gushed out from his mouth, filling his mouth with the
taste of iron.
It hurt so much, it hurt so much, even breathing had become a
kind of torture, he felt truly terrible.
At present, his vision was blurred red with hot blood. Qi Lereen
used his single intact right hand to hold the dagger, bringing it
toward his chest.
This body had lost its combat effectiveness, so he had to load
again.
Before the knife‘s tip could touch his chest it was stopped by
an incredible force, and Qi Leren suddenly shivered and
looked into the smoking chaos in disbelief.
In the smoke after the explosion, a figure was coming down
from the ruined throne.
The dust and smoke gradually dispersed, and the safe and
sound devil came to him with elegant steps. He said
approvingly: ―Perfect acting skills, precise psychological grasp,
unexpected attacks, in order to have me lower my guard you
even drank the cup of blood… The only regret is that
everything you carefully prepared still can‘t smooth out the
distance in strength.‖
Su He stopped in front of Qi Leren and looked down at him
gently and pityingly.
As time went by, Qi Leren‘s hand holding the dagger could not
move, and the S/L skill‘s countdown was running out.
Qi Leren stared at him, but his trembling hand was too late to
send the dagger into his heart. The Devil King looked at him
with a smile and watched him step into the abyss of despair.
Five seconds, four seconds, three seconds, two seconds, one
second… The countdown for the skill‘s cooling was 0:59:59
―It seems that time‘s up.‖ Seeing the light of hope in Qi Leren‘s
eyes dim, Su He leaned down and gently took the dagger from
his hand.
Qi Leren looked at him coldly and he realized that he was
about to die. Although Su He‘s expression was still gentle, his
repeated attempts to thwart him had angered him, and the
Devil of Fraud refused to accept the worm‘s deception.
―Since the save hasn‘t been loaded it means that your current
injuries aren‘t fatal, but if just little more is done, you will bid
farewell to this world, Leren.‖ Su He played with Qi Leren‘s
dagger and looked at him with a cold smile. ―I‘m very curious.
When you really face the test of death, what will your choice
be?‖
The sharp point cut his throat and the blood flowed out. This
degree of pain was not worth mentioning compared with the
current pain all over his body, but Qi Leren knew that this injury
would be fatal.
Foaming blood would quickly block the respiratory tract, and it
would become more and more difficult for him to breathe. If he
was not treated, he would die of suffocation or excessive blood
loss in a few minutes.
Su He stood up and put another goblet full of blood a few
meters away: ―Now, you can choose.‖
Breathing was difficult. No matter how hard he tried to inhale, it
was more and more difficult to get enough oxygen into the
trachea blocked by blood foam. Blood was constantly lost,
oxygen was constantly decreasing, and his consciousness was
becoming blurred.
Death was coming, and Qi Leren almost saw the grim reaper
hovering over his head. It held the scythe and raised it high…
He didn‘t want to die, he didn‘t want to…
No, he wouldn‘t die. He had the Easter Egg!
But if he easily gave up struggling and accepted death, would
Su He believe it? What would he do if he saw through his fear?
Must… Do it again… Again…
The desire for survival once again surfaced in Qi Leren‘s eyes
and his vision blurred. He tilted his head and looked at the cup
of bright red blood a few meters away. His bloody lips moved
slightly, longing…
The Devil King watched with great interest as the dying man
ignited the last strength with his will. He rolled over and
dragged his body forward with his single intact right hand. He
lost more blood. His cut throat and injuries dragged out a
shocking trail of blood on the ground, which showed how
strong his will to survive was at the moment.
It was only a few meters away, but he‘d exhausted all his
strength.
By the time he reached his destination, the weak human was
already dying. He used the last of his strength to hold the
goblet, but his trembling hand kept shaking the scarlet blood in
the cup…
He cried, and his broken trachea made his cry like a
nightingale‘s whine, so despairing and pitiful.
The Devil liked this sound, watching a strong soul lose its
bottom line and become corrupted and dirty. He was struggling
to resist, yet he still succumbed to his own desires.
It really was amusing.
With a clear and crisp sound, the goblet fell heavily at the feet
of the Devil King, spilling blood all over the floor.
The Devil King accidentally looked at the dying human being
and saw his unyielding eyes. He was speechless as blood
seeped out along his throat. He tried to pull up the corners of
his mouth, showing him a mocking smile.
-Go away.
He growled silently.
In the blood on the ground, the handsome Devil smiled. ―I
didn‘t expect you to really do this for him. Humans are
obviously so weak, but they‘re always unexpected. This is
probably what makes them so interesting.‖
Qi Leren struggled to roll over and lie on his back on the ruined
floor.
His cut trachea was bleeding continuously, and the dying Qi
Leren looked at Su He in the distance as Su He looked at him
in return. After a moment, he came towards him but stopped in
the middle.
―What is it?‖ Su He said, turning his head.
Within the shadow in the corner, a vague unfamiliar figure
appeared and bowed slightly to Su He: ―I‘ve come to convey
my King‘s instructions, the ‗goldfish bowl‘ has raised an alarm.
It‘s very likely that it will escape again. Please go back and
preside over the overall situation.‖
―It seems that my holiday is coming to an end.‖ Su He said
faintly, ―Tell Power for me, I will force myself to leave this task
and go back now. By the way, I‘m bringing a big gift to her.‖
The shadow bowed again. The special connection between
Devil King and Devil King could not last long in the Holy Nun‘s
field, and it quickly disappeared silently back into the shadows.
In the cold air, Su He‘s deep voice came, mixed with mocking
emotion: ―…That woman.‖
Qi Leren could hardly see anything. The cloak of death had
covered his eyes, the air was growing colder and colder, the
chill slowly rose from the ground, and he was dying.
He heard Su He‘s footsteps stop beside him, and then the
rustle of fabric. He seemed to squat down and gently parted
the hair on his forehead.
―I originally wanted to play with you for a while longer, but
unfortunately the game has ended early. Your best friend beat
Isabel and is on his way, but calculating the time, he probably
won‘t see you one last time. It‘s a pity that I can‘t see his
expression when he gets here,‖ Su He‘s gentle voice rang in Qi
Leren‘s ears as he lay dying.
―For your courage and perseverance, I‘ll allow you to rest
here.‖ A kiss as light as nothing fell on Qi Leren‘s forehead. A
farewell kiss.
―Depravity‘s appearance was beautiful, but unfortunately, you
did not become it after all.‖
The footsteps of Su He‘s leisurely departure were getting
farther and farther away, disappearing from Qi Leren‘s ears.
Qi Leren was dying.
Glad and anxious.
Although his brain had almost stopped running, he still
understood the dialogue between Su He and the unknown
person. He would hurry to leave here immediately, which
meant Ning Zhou was safe.
Great… Great… Really, great.
He could be resurrected in seven days, as long as the news
was conveyed to Ning Zhou…
Qi Leren, who had difficulty moving a finger, squeezed out the
last strength from his body and wrote a 7 with his bloody finger
trembling. He also wanted to write another word, ―days‖, but for
all his effort he couldn‘t make his finger move again.
Qi Le people closed his eyes in exhaustion, his breathing
halted, and his consciousness sank into chaos because of lack
of oxygen. Even the pain became slow and psychedelic, as if
his soul had begun to gradually break away from this scarred
body.
He absently thought, there was only the one number, could
Ning Zhou understand what he meant?
After 7 days, he could be resurrected in 7 days, just wait for 7
days…
Memories began to flash in his mind like fragments, like film
pulled out from a camera, and then suddenly it fixed on a
certain one. At that time, he was absent-minded because he
was thinking about the task clues, and Su He was explaining
the meaning of numbers to Dr. Lu: ―Numbers are very
interesting in the Nightmare World. Many numbers have
special meanings. For example, 4 stands for luck and 7 stands
for…‖
―I love you.‖
He‘d made an unforgivable mistake.
Qi Leren desperately struggled to keep breathing, but the
blood foam stuck in his throat prevented him from inhaling air.
He opened his eyes wide and tried to erase the numbers
written in blood.
He tried his best to squeeze out the last bit of strength from his
nerves, bone marrow, and every organ that was about to stop
working, to erase this number, but there was nothing he could
do.
He couldn‘t move, he couldn‘t move at all.
Tears of remorse flowed out of the corner of his eye and he
cried. He hadn‘t in the face of the Devil‘s performance, nor in
the face of fear of dying, but now it was really out of control.
This desperate fear even exceeded his fear of death itself and
his consciousness that is about to dissipate was shouting,
struggling, and repenting. He couldn‘t imagine, couldn‘t bear to
think of Ning Zhou seeing this message - this simple number. It
could be the last straw to destroy Ning Zhou.
The world slowly sank into the dark abyss of death.
He remembered the difference from a few hours ago. At that
time, it was so dark that he had only dared to ask Ning Zhou if
he wanted to go with him. His timid heart made him even afraid
to wait for Ning Zhou‘s answer and he‘d said goodbye in a
hurry. He‘d always thought they would meet again, so he said:
I‘ll be back soon, you have to wait for me! You must wait for
me!
How naive and how stupidly self-confident in front of reality,
fragile and ridiculous, vulnerable.
At the last moment before the collapse of his consciousness,
Qi Leren saw the Garden of the Holy Tomb.
At that time, he‘d woken up from the stump covered with fallen
flowers and followed Dr. Lu to the place where Su He was. As
he walked, he‘d turned his head and saw Ning Zhou.
He‘d stood by the broken tree and looked at him from a
distance.
So restrained, so distant, but so gentle, there were too many
emotions floating in his blue eyes, just like the sky and the sea
that contained everything.
He‘d suddenly wanted to ask Ning Zhou, how many times had
he looked at him like this? And how many times had he missed
returning it?
Ning Zhou was always so lonely and silent. All his pains were
buried deep in his own heart, without words.
If he hadn‘t looked back, he would have never seen such
tenderness.
He would never have known how deep this repressed love
was.
Just a little bit like infinity.
&&&
Through the broken stone columns and countless broken
statues, Ning Zhou walked forward without looking away and
finally came to the front of the cathedral.
The first half of the church had been seriously damaged, with
solemn and historical writing under the starry sky.
Ning Zhou briskly walked to the depths of the hall, looking at
the two huge stone doors.
The earth was still shaking and destruction had played the final
movement.
Ning Zhou took a deep breath, and his abdominal wound was
burning and generally painful. He drew a cross on his chest
and then pushed back the stone door.
The huge Maria and the stabbed dragon would have occupied
most people‘s field of vision, but Ning Zhou‘s line of sight
chased the familiar figure lying on the ground amidst a
shocking pool of blood.
His heartbeat stops at this moment, and whether heaven or
hell, it didn‘t exist at this moment.
He didn‘t know how he came up to him and knelt down there.
Open brown eyes looked ahead emptily, and there were wet
tears in the corner of his eyes. His blood-stained fingers were
stopped on a reddish-brown number.
At the moment before he died, he was saying—
I love you.
Deep in the dark hall, there came the cry of desperation and
collapse. Witnessed by the remains of Holy Nun and the Devil,
a devout believer finally admitted his love that was not allowed
by his God.
But it was too late. At the moment when he‘d received his love,
he‘d lost him forever.
 Chapter 134: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXIV)

The night was heavy and all was silent.

The shaking of the earth hadn‘t stopped, and it was getting
stronger and more frequent.
This field, which had been dead for many years, was slowly
collapsing, just like his world.
Holding Qi Leren‘s body, Ning Zhou walked on the stone stairs
of the former site of the Vatican and went down step by step,
from the cloud to the ground, from heaven to hell.
The night wind brought back memories. Once, those dull and
tiny joys were buried in countless pains and hesitations.
However, when death filtered out the impurities like gravel from
sand, what remained was the sweet taste that made one feel
excited.
But before he could even taste it carefully, he had turned to the
final chapter of this surprise tragedy.
The Garden of the Holy Tomb was just around the corner.
In the corner of the cemetery, the huge tree stump with a
diameter of more than two meters had already been hollowed
out, and the remaining wood ring was covered with grass and
blue and white fallen flowers, like a natural bed.
They‘d come back here, the place he had used to take a nice
nap, and where he had looked at him so warmly.
This time, he would sleep for a long time, and he would wait for
a long time.
Maybe a part of his soul would stay here forever, with him who
had died forever.
He carefully wiped the blood from Qi Leren‘s face and hands.
Once white and beautiful, his pampered hands were full of
burns caused by the explosion and there were scars that had
healed over from underground lake so long ago. From
countless details, Ning Zhou had already outlined what
happened in the church.
Isabel served the Devil of Fraud and her appearance could
only represent one thing - the Devil of Fraud has entered this
field, and his identity was beyond doubt.
The Devil had seduced his lover, but he‘d refused.
The spilled Devil‘s blood in the church quietly told everything.
Betrayal or death.
He‘d chosen death.
Why? Ning Zhou asked silently, Why choose death?
He‘d clearly told him that living was always the most important
thing.
He would rather see him drink the Devil‘s blood and be
destined for hell. At least he could live. He could also hide this
love that is not blessed by God in his heart, and draw a perfect
full stop for everything. Anyway, for these unbelievers from
different worlds, the positions of justice and evil weren‘t clear,
were they?
Maybe in the future, they would face each other because of
their positions. He was willing to give up his life with his own
hands to repay his sacrifice to him again and again.
Yes, he had chosen to die.
The night wind was cold, blowing petals off the branches of the
surrounding trees, and the blue and white fallen flowers fell in a
swirl. Just like that day when he‘d slept quietly in the warm
afternoon sunshine, but this time, he wouldn‘t wake up again.
The eagle quietly landed on the edge of this natural bed. It
cocked its head, looked in puzzlement at Qi Leren who slept
there, jumped to his side, rubbed his cold face with its beak,
and then came to Ning Zhou‘s shoulder and rubbed his face.
The same cold, the same silence. The eagle whined, flapping
its wings and flying away.
Ning Zhou had never felt so cold. Even when he was in that
country where there was snow and ice all the year round, it
had never been so cold, so cold that he couldn‘t weave a ring.
When this grass ring was woven and formed, Ning Zhou knelt
down slowly by the stump and took Qi Leren‘s hand, just as he
had done many times in his dreams.
But outside of these dreams, there was only this reality that
was a thousand times more cruel.
He proposed to his dead lover, willing to spend the rest of his
life to hold to a love that was not allowed by God, even if he
would fall into hell after death and sink forever.
The wounded hand was as cold as ice, and the coldness of
death had frozen his heart along the blood vessels. There
seemed to be a wound that would never heal, and this wound
would accompany his every heartbeat and accompany him
through his life.
He put the ring on him instead of kissing his lips. Instead, he
kissed every wound on his hand. He was as pious as he would
be kissing the cross. All the hesitation, jealousy, disobedience,
pain, and love that he‘d once dared not admit were melted by
the cruel death and turned into countless sharp arrows, which
shot through his heart one by one.
The cruelest torture in the worldwais no match for the pain and
suffering of this moment. And this despair would continue until
he walked into the abyss of death.
In this decaying rotten stump under the unchanging starry sea,
his lover was sleeping. The Milky Way rose above his head
and fell to the west. The world gradually brightened and the
stars were annihilated, the east gradually turned white, and
dawn would soon arrive.
But maybe, it would never come.
&&&
The eagle hovered in the dawn wind.
After being sent back to the castle, he has been unconscious
until now. Dr. Lu ran all the way to the old site of the Vatican.
He couldn‘t find any of his companions and wandered around
at a loss.
The eagle flew down from the sky and led Dr. Lu to the
direction of the Garden of the Holy Tomb at the foot of the
mountain. The nervous Dr. Lu followed it and came all the way
to the place where they had had a picnic only a few days ago.
In the corner of the garden, he saw Ning Zhou. He stood in
front of the broken stump with his back turned to him, and his
back seemed to melt in the morning sun.
Delighted, Dr. Lu ran to him: ―Ning Zhou! Ning Zhou! I finally
found you. Why are you here? Where‘s Qi Leren? Where‘s Su
He? Last night…‖
His footsteps slowed down and his voice came to an abrupt
end. Dr. Lu stared at the stump covered with grass and fallen
flowers and his face instantly turned pale. He walked beside
Ning Zhou as if sleepwalking, looking at the lifeless face of his
former friend and the blood on his clothes. His mind went
blank.
Dr. Lu held out his trembling hand, but as soon as he touched
his cold neck, he took back his hand like he‘d been given an
electric shock and began to cry.
He realized that his friend would never come back.
The sun rose and dispelled the darkness of night, but the two
people bathed in the warm sunshine did not feel the heat at all.
Time passed quietly and the funeral began and ended in
silence. Ning Zhou couldn‘t even give a eulogy for him,
because his lover was a non-believer.
But it was such a carefree non-believer that this devout
believer had met briefly in this world, fell in love with quietly,
and then been left by silently. The last words were ―you must
wait for me‖ with a smile before he‘d left, and then ―I love you‖
written in blood. Abandoning this body, their souls would
neither meet in heaven nor in hell. They were not even people
of the same world.
The dead were dead, but the living have to spend a long life
remembering the cruelness of a love that had never started.
Dr. Lu‘s crying gradually quieted down, leaving only sobbing
again and again.
The ground was still shaking, and it was becoming more and
more frequent. The shaking earth had plunged the whole Holy
City into panic. Even in the former site of the Vatican far away
from the residential areas, they could vaguely hear the noise.
After standing for so long like a sculpture in front of the stump,
Ning Zhou finally moved, and Dr. Lu watched anxiously as he
took off the coat of his Holy See uniform and covered Qi Leren
with it. It was then that he discovered that Ning Zhou‘s waist
was stained heavily with blood.
―You… Are you hurt? Let me help you… Help you treat it…‖
Dr. Lu trilled.
Ning Zhou silently shook his head and turned to the corner of
the garden, where vast areas of wild roses were in full bloom,
planted by Maria in those days. After more than 20 years, they
grew tenaciously in the wind and rain.
He picked seven white wild roses. The hard stems covered
with thorns bloodied his hands, but he seemed not to notice
and took off the thorns one by one.
He walked up to him with the flowers in his hand. He slept in a
tree stump covered with petals and bathed in warm sunshine.
His memory couldn‘t help overlapping the past and present,
but this time, he wouldn‘t open his eyes to meet his sight. But
he would always remember the gentleness of that glance.
The pure white roses were placed on Qi Leren‘s body,
separated by the black Holy See uniform, and separated by life
and death.
This really was a great distance.
The sun that had once lit up his life has set, and the rest of his
life would be a long eternal night.
After such a short life, he had lost someone forever.
 Chapter 135: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XXV)

When he walked out of the Garden of the Holy Tomb, Dr. Lu

still seemed to be dreaming. He stumbled to keep up with Ning
Zhou‘s footsteps and looked back again and again, his eyes
red and swollen.
―What happened last night? Is the Witch of Nightmares dead?
What about Su He?‖ Dr. Lu still didn‘t know what had
happened the previous night. He‘d been in a daze since he
passed out from the pain. He vaguely felt that he had been
carried back to the Lord‘s castle. At dawn, he‘d woken up and
there was a note left by Qi Leren on his pillow, saying that he‘d
gotten the antidote and the poison in his body had been cured,
so he had left him to have a good rest.
Dr. Lu had guessed that they were at the site of the Vatican
and had come here as soon as he‘d woke up, but he‘d
received such a terrible news.
―There is no Su He,‖ Ning Zhou‘ s hoarse voice came, filled
with a murderous coldness. ―Only the Devil of Fraud.‖
Dr. Lu froze, a chill spread from his feet, such that even the
bright sunshine couldn‘t make him feel the slightest warmth.
Su He, was the Devil of Fraud?
Dr. Lu suddenly looked back. Qi Leren‘s death…
―Did he… Did he do it?‖ Dr. Lu could hardly say the words.
Ning Zhou nodded his head.
Dr. Lu stumbled, fell to the ground, and cried bitterly.
The details that he‘d once ignored emerged one by one. If Su
He‘s bizarre appearance in the Novice Village could be
explained by the bug in Novice Village, then why did he
suddenly appear in Castle Cry? He had talked to each of the
two people alone, why was that? Since then, Qi Leren had
been wary and alert to Su He, seemingly for no reason. What
was that reason?
He‘d never thought about it.
When Qi Leren had come to invite him along on the Dream of
the Holy Nun task, he‘d happened to bump into Su He, who
came to say goodbye to them… If all this was not a
coincidence, but a deliberate plan by the Devil of Fraud… Then
his role in this tragedy was as an accomplice who had pushed
Qi Leren to his death.
―Let‘s go,‖ Ning Zhou said in a low voice, walking towards the
highest church of the Vatican.
The time left for him was running out. This long-dead field was
losing its balance. If it was allowed to continue, it would
collapse into a black hole and destroy the whole Holy City.
Before that, he had to break this field and release the people
trapped here.
Returning to the church, the half-destroyed building was
magnificent under the sun, and the damaged angels in the
square surrounded the disk with a diameter of four or five
meters. Now Ning Zhou knew what it was. It was the Vatican‘s
statue of Maria, and Maria‘s will had revived it, holding high her
sword of judgment and killing the Devil King.
Once again when he stepped toward the building, his heart,
which had already been riddled with holes, fell into mourning
again. Just remembering the mood when he‘d pushed the door
open the previous time, he almost lost the courage to push the
door open again.
There was no time.
Ning Zhou took a deep breath and the wound on his stomach
ached with pain. He put his hand on the door and pushed it
forward.
The sun shone down through the damaged dome, like a bright
blade of light, cutting the darkness.
Ning Zhou carefully circumvented the rusty blood trail on the
ground, and the wandering soul came to the deepest part of
the hall. Standing before the remains of the black dragon which
had been stabbed through the neck and died by the sword held
in Maria‘s hands, he was filled with disgust.
That sword was the pledge of destruction.
Pull it out, cut open this dead field, and then everything will
end.
This was what Dr. Lu saw when he came to the church-
Ning Zhou knelt on one knee in front of Maria, piously drew a
cross on his chest, and the golden light lit up from him.
Countless bright spots densely covered created the illusion of
a six-winged archangel and the wings curled up behind his
back. As the blazing angel stood, the huge six wings spread
out and became pieces of golden light and shadow.
The illusory shadow of the blazing angel gradually became
clear. Ning Zhou stood up and took a step forward. The
majestic blazing angel also took a step forward and held out
his hand.
The sword inserted in the black dragon‘s neck began to shine,
and the metal sword was inspired by the divine power, was
slowly pulled out from the dragon‘s body, and fell into the
hands of the blazing angel.
An ethereal hymn came from the ruined church and countless
golden and silver spots at his foot surged up like fireflies. The
holy light lit up and the pure white enveloped everything, as if
annihilating all the evil in the world.
The song continued, and the church that had been destroyed
in the war seemed to return to its past brilliance. Dr. Lu, who
was standing at the edge of the stone door, stared at all the
incredible things in front of him. The cathedral in front of him
was intact and countless believers wearing white church robes
were passing by him like running water, walking towards the
depths of the hall.
Just under the cross in the deepest part of the church, a holy
nun with blonde hair and blue eyes was smiling at them. A sad
smile that saw through all the mourning in the world and could
easily heal the pain in people‘s hearts.
But the tears still fell unconsciously.
Dr. Lu looked at Ning Zhou, and the huge archangel behind
him who held the sword in his hand, his eyes lowered in
prayer. Ning Zhou, however, looked at the illusion of the Holy
Nun deep in the hall sadly and sentimentally and walked
towards her step by step.
The blonde Holy Nun smiled at him gently, held his face, and
dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead.
The illusion disintegrated and the figure of the holy nun
disappeared, the countless praying believers disappeared, and
the magnificent church disappeared… The lonely Ning Zhou
stood in the ruined hall facing the huge cross and drew a cross
on his chest.
Blood and tears, life and death, crime and punishment, first
and last, everything came to an end here.
The blazing angel holding the sword opened his eyes. He held
up the sword of judgment belonging to Maria and a brilliant
halo condensed. Even the sun could not compare with its shine
at that moment.
The sword was lifted and swung in the direction of the rising
sun in the east—
The world was silent for a moment, and then the next second
the sky was torn apart, the earth was divided, and countless
fragments fractured from the gaps in the sky like a broken
mirror, falling apart and then disappearing into the air. The
Holy City, which was once hidden in the field of Holy Nun,
finally returned to reality from its temporal space.
The Dream of Holy Nun was overlapping with the Nightmare
World, and the people living in the dream were returning to
reality - a bloody and cruel world ravaged by demons.
The blazing angel who‘d pulled out the sword sighed at the
falling sun. It was not the real sun, but the illusion constructed
by the Holy Nun in her own field. When the field was broken, it
also fell with it.
The blazing angel‘s light was getting weaker and weaker, and
some strange black fog rose from his feet and began to pollute
the holy power. The blazing angel looked at Ning Zhou in
astonishment. He did not understand why the devout believer
suddenly wavered.
The sword of judgment was falling and the huge blade was
gradually shrinking, turning into a sharp sword that pierced the
ground in front of Ningzhou. He slowly opened his eyes, and
his blue eyes were faintly flashing with crimson light.
Ning Zhou painfully covered his face and grasped the sword of
judgment inserted in the ground. The power from Maria poured
into his body silently, calming the restless demon energy.
When he opened his eyes again, the red colour of his eyes had
disappeared without a trace.
The blazing angel summoned by faith dissipated, his golden
figure gradually turned into nothingness and the beautiful
wings behind scattering and falling, like dandelions blown away
by the wind. Gold, silver, sporadic pieces of black, and
countless feathers flew to the earth in the wind. Among them, a
black feather whirled in the air, colliding with a small blue and
white fallen flower, and the petals were pushed by the black
feather, riding the wind again and flying farther away.
It fell slowly and floated into the quiet Garden of the Holy
Tomb.
Under the warm sunshine, the blue and white petals whirled
down and gently kissed Qi Leren‘s cold lips.
Gentle as a lover‘s kiss.
[Player Ning Zhou has completed the task The Dream of the
Holy Nun. The task completion rate is 117%. Obtain special
task clues and reach the Purgatory deep in the Underground
Ant City within 30 days for the next task to auto-trigger. If it
becomes overdue, it will be regarded as giving up the task.]
[The reward is 90 survival days, and the unexpected factors
interfering with the task progress have given an additional
reward of 10 survival days.]
[Data synchronization countdown, ten, nine, eight…]
―Cancel the transfer,‖ Ning Zhou whispered.
The beam wrapping around him disappeared. He would be
transferred back to his residence after the original mission was
completed but, since the mission was in the main world, he
could also cancel the transfer and go back on his own.
Dr. Lu, surrounded by the transmission beam, said eagerly:
―Then I won‘t go either… Cancel the transmission!‖
Transmission cancelled.
―Aren‘t you going back?‖ Dr. Lu asked in a low voice.
Ning Zhou shook his head and looked ahead with dim eyes.
The illusory sunrise had fallen, the real sun was hanging in the
sky, and the fog outside the Holy City had dispersed. Those
wandering demons would soon find their way here. The
residents of the Holy City had been at ease for too long and
they didn‘t even know how horrible the outside world was now.
They were sheltered by the wings of the Holy Nun for twenty-
two years. But they don‘t know that their peace could no longer
be maintained and that the false peace will eventually be
broken. Those who were used to this peace were vulnerable to
reality.
―I need to contact the Holy See‘s headquarters, evacuate and
transfer residents… and I must catch up with the Devil,‖
NingZhou said, walking towards the outside of the church.
Dr. Lu followed in his footsteps and looked at his back. He was
speechless.
They walked down the steps of the old site of the Vatican and
stopped when they passed the Garden of the Holy Tomb. Dr.
Lu thought Ning Zhou would walk in, but he didn‘t.
The gold and silver rays of light that had been hovering over
the church slowly lowered, shrouding the Garden of the Holy
Tomb as if it had been wrapped in a golden enchantment. The
eagle flew out of the garden, a small branch of blue and white
petals in its mouth, and it dropped these into Ning Zhou‘s open
hand.
Ning Zhou quietly looked at the petals and slowly clenched his
palms.
He turned away without saying a word.
He was ready for any trial. Even if he would suffer forever in
the fire lakes of hell after death, he would bravely tell his God
that he loved this person, no matter right or wrong, no matter
life or death.
Leaving the site of the Vatican, they walked through the busy
streets. The vacant residents didn‘t know what had happened.
They talked loudly about last night‘s night of the new moon.
Sporadic conversations drifted into Dr. Lu‘s ears and he
suddenly shed tears.
―Roy is dead. God, he killed himself. What happened last
night?‖ ―Suicide? Isn‘t the night of the new moon supposed to
make people disappear? Why did he kill himself? People who
commit suicide can‘t go to heaven!‖ ―He said in his suicide note
that he was going to Purgatory to clear his sins. Did he do
anything?‖ ―Poor Roy, he has been depressed since his wife
Susan disappeared a few years ago…‖ ―I just saw the sun fall!
What the hell is going on here?‖ ―It‘s said that the fog outside
the city has disappeared. Can we go out?‖ ―Really? Great! We
can go out!‖ ―Thank God, we‘re free!‖
These people who knew nothing about the filth and sacrifice
were singing and dancing, simply feeling hope and happiness.
They were so happy, their faces filled with happy smiles that
made the whole world bright.
In this happy ending, two people passed through the joyful
crowd in juxtaposition, one walking dead and the other in tears.
The wind was blowing. The gentle wind blew over every
treetop, and the crumbling petals were blown off and sprinkled
on the ground in a swirl.
In the Garden of the Holy Tomb, protected by an enchantment,
there are many blue and white fallen flowers covering the
grass on the ground.
Qi Leren, who slept quietly in the tree tomb, wore a black
Vatican uniform, and those fallen flowers favored him, kissing
his cold and pale cheeks again and again. He would sleep
here and slowly decay over time, until he turned into bones - if
there was no accident.
[Easter Egg: Players who hold coloured eggs will be
resurrected and have all skills and items returned after seven
days if they die with their bodies intact. If the player holds other
resurrection items or skills, the order of using an Easter Egg is
last. 0/1 usage times remain.]
Countdown to resurrection: 6 days, 17 hours, 32 minutes, and
58 seconds.
 Chapter 136: Goodbye, Neverland (Extra)

{cw: religious homophobia}

Would you fall in love with such a person? You have the same
sex and different beliefs. It is a sin to love each other.
For the former Ning Zhou, this was unthinkable.
But fate had played a cruel trick on him, making absurdity
become reality.
Neverland was in a world of ice and snow. The shortest day
had not yet arrived, but the coldest time of the year was almost
over. Ning Zhou, who had just stepped out of the spiritual
barrier, knelt on the glacier in exhaustion, and the hot tears
that had just flowed out of his eyes froze into ice. Neverland
was just around the corner, but it seemed as if he would never
reach it.
In the face of the coldness of death, he had finally put aside all
his hesitations and concerns and shouldered his guilt, even if
he would fall into hell after death and bear the punishment of
eternal fire.
Ning Zhou slowly stood up from the glacier, watching the bright
lights that were like the eternal kingdom of heaven was on the
ground. Amidst the ice and snow the Vatican stood on the ice
sheet, majestic, holy, and ethereal.
He knew that this was the last time he would see Neverland.
Ning Zhou walked down the glacier and walked into the
Vatican with awe.
Through the row upon row of buildings, the noise of the world
rang again in his ears. Several children ran past him laughing
and frolicking. Because they ran too fast, they almost ran into
Ning Zhou. Ning Zhou took a step back, avoided the children,
and watched them run away laughing.
Ning Zhou could hardly remember what he was like when he
was as small as them. He was thirteen years old when he‘d
come to the Vatican, and Maria had just died. According to her
last wish, he was sent here by his teacher Arnold and met the
Pope for the first time.
He was a kind old man, his eyes were full of wisdom
precipitated by years, and he had taught him a lot of things, not
only the knowledge of survival, but also the truth of life. It could
be said that after Maria died, it was this wise old man who had
shaped his personality. In Ning Zhou‘s eyes, he was not only
God‘s speaker on earth, but also an elder whom he respected
from the heart.
But today, he wanted to tell the old man who had raised him
that he was in love with someone whom he was not allowed.
Ning Zhou passed through the city of ice and snow without a
face. In order to welcome the residents of the Holy City who
would come here soon, this polar city was expanding. It was
like the projection of the divine world onto the living world, full
of prosperity and warmth everywhere, far away from all the
evils in the world, just like the home he dreamed of.
But after everything, he was going to leave this pure land, and
from then on he would wander in the wind and rain all his life.
Stepping into the border of the Vatican, bathed in the power of
ethereal and holy power, Ning Zhou‘s abdominal wound once
again burned with pain, which combined with a stabbing pain
all over his body. He frowned and strode forward regardless of
the pain. Through the huge snowy square, countless ice
sculptures silently guarded the heaven on earth, soaking in the
cold air together with the guards patrolling back and forth.
Ning Zhou looked toward the deepest part of the Vatican, a
magnificent cathedral, where the Pope was standing as he
completed a prayer alone under the huge cross, the Canon
spread out on the podium at his side. Gold and silver points of
holy light were faintly visible in the cold, fluttering up and down.
Ice benches ran on both sides and in the middle was an aisle
covered with gold and red carpet. Ning Zhou walked along it
towards the Pope and looked up at him from the base of the
stairs.
The Pope turned around and gazed at Ning Zhou kindly: ―A
few days ago, the will of the blazing angel returned to the Holy
See and told me that your faith was shaken. Son, tell me what
happened?‖
Ning Zhou bowed to him and said calmly, ―Under the crown of
the Pope, I… fell in love with someone.‖
―You are embarrassed about this.‖ The Pope saw through his
heart.
Ning Zhou replied honestly: ―Yes. The person I fell in love with
is a man like me. He comes from another world and is an non-
believer.‖
The Pope‘s voice suddenly became severe and solemn: ―The
Lord said, ‗Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind:
it is abomination‘; If a man sleeps with a man, just like a
woman, they have done an abominable thing and so they must
be put to death, and the sin should be attributed to them. You
know this is a sin, and if you blindly obey these rebellious
feelings and desires, you will be punished by eternal fire.‖
―Yes, I understand,‖ Ning Zhou calmly replied.
―Then repent. God will forgive sinners who are willing to repent.
Tell me, are you willing to repent?‖ the Pope snapped.
Ning Zhou raised his head and looked him in the eye: ―No, I
cannot repent under the crown.‖
The Pope was silent for a long time, and the high crown on his
head and the red vestments on his body seemed to overwhelm
the old man. He said wearily, ―Your mother chose to entrust
you to the Holy See before she died, not to let you go the same
way as her. You kept the last name of your foreigner father, the
name your mother gave you, and… a heart lost for love like
hers.
"Ning Zhou, my child, I give you one last chance: give him up
and confess to the Lord.‖
Ning Zhou closed his eyes and a wind seemed to blow past
him. He seemed to return to the Garden of the Holy Tomb in
the afternoon, quietly staring at the lover sleeping in the tree
stump full of petals, watching while every minute and second
his heart was suffering in the fires of guilt, a kind of desperate
pain, yet it happened that he felt the sweetness of sin.
His memories suddenly fast-forwarded and came to an abrupt
end in the Garden of the Holy Tomb at dawn. His lover had
returned there again, but was never to open his brown eyes
again… He suddenly understood that his heart, which he‘d
tried to persuade, cheat, and block, had already fallen into hell.
He was guilty of a crime for which he did not wish to repent.
―I‘m sorry, crown, I can‘t. I tried, but I couldn‘t. He sacrificed
again and again for me, refused the temptation of the Devil for
me, and died because of it. I‘ve failed his life once, and I can‘t
fail his love again. I am willing to accept eternal torture in hell
after death, but please allow me to be loyal to my heart in the
short time when I still live in this world.‖ Ning Zhou opened his
blue eyes and spoke succinctly and firmly.
―Even if you will lose everything the Vatican has given you,
even if you must leave this country forever?‖ asked the Pope.
Ning Zhou lowered his eyes, untied the buckle, put aside the
dagger and the pass order given by the Holy See. He knelt in
front of the cross on one knee: ―I am ready.‖
After the anger reached its apex, it became a deep
disappointment. The Pope came down from the high platform
with a scepter in his hand. The cross-shaped scepter inlaid
with gems pointed to the top of Ning Zhou‘s head: ―The glory
given to you by the Lord will be fully recovered.‖
Ethereal music came from the cold air and the golden light fell
from the sky like raindrops. Behind Ning Zhou, it painted and
wove into the shape of a blazing angel with six wings. He
watched all this sadly, spread his wings silently, flew to the ice
sculpture of an angel in the church, merged with it, and was no
longer inspired by him.
The holy power flowing in his blood was taken out a little at a
time, and the pain of it being torn from his soul made Ning
Zhou sweat like rain in the extreme cold of tens of degrees
below zero, feeling as if he were dying.
The scepter left Ning Zhou‘s head and the Pope sighed, ―Is it
worth it for a dead foreigner?‖
Ning Zhou struggled to stand up, his face pale, but his eyes
were still bright: ―I can‘t deceive my heart. Does love dissipate
when its object dies? No, the Lord said love never stops. From
the day he died and every day from now on, this feeling will be
precipitated by time and memories. The longer it is, the
stronger it will be. I can‘t pretend that I‘ve let go. This would be
the most unforgivable shame.‖
He seldom said so much, but every word came from the
bottom of his heart: ―Under the crown, love should only be
love. I have never lost my piety because of love. I will only be
stronger because of it. It should not be a sin. If it is a sin,
please let me bear this sin and fall into hell after death… I don‘t
regret it.
"I still believe in my Lord, I abide by all the commandments
except that one, and will continue to fight against the Devils.
My heart will always belong here no matter where and when.‖
This was the last sentence Ning Zhou said before he left.
He left everything given by the Vatican and left alone. The
Pope watched his distant back and sighed deeply: ―Those who
fight against the Devils should be careful not to become a
Devil. 'If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also
into you.‘‖
Ning Zhou didn‘t answer again. At this moment, he firmly
believed that he wouldn‘t fall in the current, because his soul
had already docked in his own harbor.
The road to leave his hometown was longer than the one to
enter it. He had lost the power of faith. It was tantamount to
seeking death to trudge through the extreme cold with human
frailty alone. Only a body that had carried out severe training
all the year round could cross the vast ice sheet by its own
strength.
Ning Zhou walked alone in the extremely cold ice and snow.
Under the vast expanse of the starry sky, he recalled the scene
when he‘d passed through the spiritual enchantment of the
Holy See not long ago - while walking through this heavy
enchantment, everyone would be eroded by past memories
and those distractions contrary to faith would be magnified
hundreds of times. If you couldn‘t wash yourself of it here, you
would be lost in the ice sheet forever.
Ning Zhou thought he would get lost here. However, when he
really set foot on the ice sheet under the starry sky, an illusion
he‘d never imagined appeared in front of his eyes.
He saw that the ice sheet was covered with white roses, from
one end of the world to the other, and the overwhelming white
under the pure starry sky seemed to announce that the love
between them was pure.
It was not evil, it was not immoral, it was not unnatural, it was
not perverse - this desire, it was just love.
The deep and remote green aurora danced on the horizon,
illuminating this empty and cold wasteland. From stepping into
the spiritual barrier to finally leaving this white rose sea, Ning
Zhou never saw Qi Leren again, not once.
-He was no longer his distraction, he was his whole world.
 Chapter 137: Extra

Introduction to Extra: When a high school student idol girl

encounters an exorcist of the Holy See who transferred to her
school, the original scientific world seems to suddenly become
unscientific…
Beautiful idol girl: A lovely and beautiful girl like me, of course,
only likes handsome girls!
Handsome girl: Hmm!
Agent: Excuse me?
&&&
Note: This story is an AU (Alternative Universe) story, that is, a
parallel universe, not a story within the same timeline as the
main text. There is no Nightmare Game in this story. Everyone
is living in modern times, including fantastic creatures such as
supernatural ghosts, demons, and blood cults, but they are not
widely known. The story involves the locations and characters
from the Castle Cry copy, but it is different from the story in the
text. Please refer to the text.
Genders are different, genders are different, and genders are
different (important things are said three times). Because of
gender differences and different experiences growing up, the
characters are slightly different from the text.
Qi Leren entered the entertainment industry from an early age
while attending high school, filming and singing, and was a
famous idol and beautiful girl; Ning Zhou is the royal elder
sister* mixed-race exorcist who transferred from abroad for
some reason.
*{E/N: yujie, like the Japanese onee-sama character type}
&&&
The sunshine outside the window was too good, and there
wasn‘t even a cloud in the blue sky.
Qi Leren looked out of the window with her cheeks propped up,
a little absent-minded.
The teacher was giving a lecture on the podium and the
students around her were all keeping their heads down and
taking notes carefully. Qi Leren‘s eyes quietly drifted to the
black-haired and blue-eyed student by the window. She sat
upright and looked at the teacher on the podium, looking
serious and earnest.
Her blue eyes were really beautiful.
Qi Leren‘s thoughts suddenly returned to the day a month ago.
On that day, she‘d flown back to X City overnight the previous
night. It was already after midnight when she‘d gotten home,
so she‘d unfortunately overslept the next day and rushed into
the lecture building as the school bell rang. Although the
school was tolerant of her frequent leave, Qi Leren didn‘t want
to be treated specially because of her idol status, so she would
try her best to observe the school rules.
The bell was drawing to a close, and she was still a corridor
away from the classroom. Qi Leren ran at the speed of the
800-meter women‘s champion in the school sports meet. As
she ran, she thought she might not be late this time. As a
result, at the corner at the end of the corridor, she ran head-on
into someone.
―Ow!‖ The bump was really strong. Qi Leren raised her head
angrily, covering her nose, and glared at the person.
The blue-eyed girl who was hit: ―…Sorry.‖
Who is this? I‘ve never seen her before. Is she wearing fashion
contact lenses? So tall and beautiful!
Qi Leren stared at the person and for a long time she
apologized until the class teacher coughed: ―I‘m sorry, I ran
into you, I‘m sorry!‖
The class teacher accompanying the blue-eyed girl smiled and
said, ―Xiao-Qi, what are you hurrying for?‖
Qi Leren immediately wore a bitter expression: ―…Sorry
teacher, I‘m late.‖
―It doesn‘t matter, you‘re busy with your work, the teacher
understands it, go back to the classroom quickly,‖ the teacher
in charge said, taking the two people with her to the classroom.
Qi Leren walked on the left side of the head teacher and
slowed down after two steps. She secretly looked at the girl
walking on the right side of the head teacher. She looked only
ahead of her, and she could see that her facial features were
more three-dimensional than the average person. With those
sapphire eyes, Qi Leren boldly guessed that she should be
mixed-race.
―Hey hey, I‘m Qi Leren, what‘s your name? Why haven‘t I seen
you before? Did you transfer to this school?‖ Qi Leren put on
her trademark smile photogenic smile and smiled sweetly at
her, and spoke without any of her idol baggage.
The blue-eyed girl gave her a look, turned her face quickly, and
fell silent.
Qi Leren, who‘d failed to strike up a conversation, froze for a
second. What? Someone ignored her? This was not scientific!
Qi Leren debuted at the age of seven, playing the sister of the
self-improving poor hero in a drama set in the Republic of
China. Because the story required crying from beginning to
end, crying deeply and emotionally, and because of her lovable
role and outstanding acting skills, she played the clever and
poor little girl vividly and immediately became the little
daughter in the eyes of the aunties and became a national
sweetheart.
Since then, Qi Leren, who was still a young girl, relied on her
mother‘s contacts as an actress and her own outstanding
acting skills - and probably also her well-proportioned face -
and after ten years, her development route had been well
planned by the management company. From the age of
thirteen, she had changed from the role of poor and lovely
sister and daughter to the route of a youth idol and beautiful
girl, acting on one hand and singing on the other, busy enough
that she needed 48 hours per day. If it wasn‘t for her mother‘s
insistence that she should continue her studies and at least
finish college, she probably wouldn‘t even have the chance to
experience normal school life.
It can be imagined that the campus life of this popular idol, this
beautiful girl, was full of stars, yet Qi Leren had never met
anyone who was nice to her.
To paraphrase the lines of the hero of her recent idol drama:
Very good, woman, you have successfully caught my attention!
―Ning Zhou is a new transfer student. She was in Italy before,
and her Chinese isn‘t very good. Xiao-Qi, you should help her
more and let her integrate into the group as soon as possible,‖
the teacher in charge said.
―Oh, no problem, leave it to me!‖ Qi Leren smartly saluted the
class teacher, which attracted the class teacher‘s tight smile.
The girl named Ning Zhou unnaturally turned away from her
gaze, staying silent as she looked at the distant scenery.
It had been a month, and she was still like this.
Qi Leren, who was pulled away from her memories, sighed
softly and looked at Ning Zhou with increasingly melancholy
eyes.
Ning Zhou was really beautiful and cold, and she exuded an
aura of staying away from strangers. Qi Leren heard that her
classmates would also talk about her privately, saying that she
wasn‘t easy to get along with, and the amount of time she
normally took as leave was comparable to Qi Leren.
Hey, why was she so cold? She had spoken up many times
explicitly and implicitly, but Ning Zhou always ended the
conversation with a ―hm‖ which made the idol girl frustrated. If
it weren‘t for Ning Zhou‘s eyes that were clear of disgust, she
would have almost thought Ning Zhou really hated her.
Qi Leren was resting on her arm and looking sideways at Ning
Zhou. The side of her face seemed to be glowing in the warm
sunshine. It was really beautiful…
Suddenly Ning Zhou turned to look up, and Qi Leren who was
peeking was caught red-handed as their eyes collided in the
air… What happened with ordinary people? Were they
embarrassed and looked away? Qi Leren didn‘t. She kept her
head pillowed on her arm and smiled generously at Ning Zhou,
especially sweetly.
Ning Zhou quickly withdrew her sight, not looking out the
window.
In the warm sunshine, her earlobe was red.
Qi Leren blinked and repeatedly confirmed that she was not
mistaken.
So, in fact, Ning Zhou wasn‘t cold but just shy? Qi Leren was
stunned by this idea and screamed in her heart for a long time,
Ning Zhou! Lovely! She‘s shy! Super cute!
Qi Leren‘s heart was filled with an unprecedented impulse. She
should try harder to strike up a conversation with Ning Zhou
and make good friends with her! The kind where she could
bury herself in her breasts!
When the bell rang, Qi Leren immediately sat up straight, and
the students around them stood up and walked around the
classroom. Several nice classmates gathered around Qi Leren
and chatted with her twitteringly.
―Qi Leren, I heard that you‘re going to release a single again.
Have you recorded it?‖
―When will your new show be released?‖
―Qi Leren, help me ask Su Ying for a signature! The news said
that you‘ll be acting in that show, right!‖
―Are XX and XXX really in love? I think it‘s all just a rumor!‖
All kinds of questions surrounded Qi Leren, these curious baby
girls racing against time to inquire about the entertainment
industry. Qi Leren patiently answered them one by one, and
some inconvenient words had to be vaguely taken out.
Fortunately, the girls were just curious, not asking why.
Compared with them, it was obvious that the students in other
classes and even other grades outside the window gave her a
headache. If she wanted to go out to the toilet now, she
couldn‘t do it without two students because she would be
overwhelmed by the crowd…
This was also the trouble of being a popular and beautiful idol
girl.
Until after school in the afternoon, Qi Leren didn‘t find a chance
to get closer to Ning Zhou. She walked too fast. Qi Leren didn‘t
find a chance to leave school with her, so she had to instead
leave the school with several girls. In the afternoon, the driver
who was in charge of picking her up asked for leave. She
thought about whether to take a taxi home or to walk home.
After thinking about it, the school wasn‘t far from home
anyway. It was currently rush hour, so the road would be too
blocked. It was better to walk.
So Qi Leren put on a mask and walked towards home with her
school bags.
Since the beginning of primary school, Qi Leren had had only a
handful of opportunities to go home by herself. She looked at
the cars blocking the street from one end to the other and the
motorbikes occupying the sidewalk, gave an annoyed tut, and
turned her head and walked into the alley.
Through this alley, one could reach the neighbourhood her
house was in. Qi Leren was happily humming the tune of her
upcoming single that she would be shooting the music video
for tomorrow…
At dusk, the orange-red light fell on the corner of the lane,
which shrouded the scenery in a decadent golden splendor. A
cold wind blew, and the coolness was a little unsettling. Qi
Leren instinctively had a feeling of foreboding. She hesitantly
stopped and looked around - the sunset‘s sudden dimness was
only caused by the shadow of a building, and everything
seemed ordinary.
The exit was just ahead. With an uneasiness in her heart, Qi
Leren strode forward.
There was a cold wind, and the wind mixed with the foul smell
and decay. Qi Leren held her breath and took three steps in
two strides, but the accident did not let her go. Just less than
ten meters away from the corner, the golden sunset was
suddenly swallowed up by a strange darkness, and Qileren
stopped suddenly and looked ahead in amazement.
The residential buildings on both sides of the alley echoed with
the shrill cries of crows, and the daylight around her suddenly
darkened as if she had stepped into an instant night. Qi Leren
looked back in panic, but the road that she had originally come
from had been submerged in the darkness.
What was happening? Was this some strange joke?
Qi Leren panicked and took out her cellphone to make a call.
As soon as she unlocked it, there was no signal at all!
Qi Lered was flustered, using her cellphone to illuminate ahead
as she walked faster and faster, but no matter how far she
went, there was no end to the road ahead. Only the light of the
cellphone illuminated a small section of the concrete ahead,
and there was a mottled blood on the ground…
There was a strange movement in the darkness ahead. Qi
Leren stopped and looked toward it with bated breath. The
flashlight lit up the darkness. In this faint light, there was a
rickety and distorted shadow coming towards her, step by step,
slowly and heavy, as if a cold corpse had been forcibly fished
out of the morgue was posing strangely and stumbling forward.
It entered the range of the flashlight‘s beam and Qi Leren
breathed in a gasp - Was that alive? The limbs were stiff, the
skin was gray, and the eyes were glowing red. It paused for a
second, its head lowered, and the red eyes looked straight in
Qi Leren‘s direction.
The next moment, it opened its closed mouth, showing a whole
row of sharp teeth, and growled at her!
Qi Leren gave a cry and ran away. She bet that hadn‘t tried so
hard when she‘d ran 800 meters in the school sports meet, but
even still the monster that had suddenly become agile got
closer and closer as it chased her, and with a swoop forward it
grabbed Qi Leren‘s calf.
―Ah-‖ Qi Leren fell to the ground, and the monster opened its
mouth and bit her throat.
At this critical juncture, Qi Leren, who had closed her eyes
tightly, heard a gunshot, but the expected pain did not come.
She opened her eyes carefully. The monster holding her down
was covered with frost and the cold seeped into her body. She
shivered, struggling out of the monster‘s hold by rolling and
crawling, brushing the dirt off her clothes while looking in all
directions for the source of the gunshot.
The darkness around her was fading gradually and the sunset
came back from the end of the world, spilling its afterglow on
the earth.
And in the direction of the sunset, there was a tall and slender
figure with a silver shotgun pistol in her hand, looking at her
from a distance.
That figure…
Qi Leren suddenly opened her eyes wide and ran to her
without thinking. The girl took a step back and seemed to want
to leave, but Qi Leren had already cried her name: ―Ning Zhou!
Wait!‖
Ning Zhou didn‘t go away after all. Instead, she was pulled by
the arm by Qi Leren: ―What happened just now? What was that
monster?‖
―…Low-level magic,‖ Ning Zhou said, and went to the monster
who had been shot dead by her gun. She bent over to check it
and confirmed that it was dead. Then she took out a bottle of a
liquid flashing with silver luster from her bag and dumped it on
the body. The body instantly turned into black and dissipated in
the air.
Qi Leren was still immersed in the absurdity of the thrilling
adventure just now, and her mind was full of strange questions.
However, when Ning Zhou was about to leave, she quickly
caught up and held onto her: ―Don‘t go, where did that monster
come from? Why did it suddenly get dark just now? What‘s the
silver liquid in your bottle? Corpse water? Who the hell are
you? Certainly not an ordinary person?‖
Ning Zhou, whose arm was being clung to, looked at the
curious girl with a depressed face. At that time, she didn‘t know
what to do. She could tell her, of course, but it would hurt her,
involving her in something she couldn‘t escape from… What
should she do?
―Oh, please talk to me, I‘m scared to death, can you walk me
back? My house is just a little way away, it‘s very close! Just
be good enough to walk me there.‖ Seeing that Ningzhou
seemed to be shaken, Qi Leren immediately switched to acting
mode and watched Ning Zhou, trying to impress this
mysterious transfer student with what are known as ―puppy
eyes‖.
―…Let‘s go,‖ Ning Zhou gave in.
Qi Leren silently made a victory gesture in her heart and took
Ning Zhou‘s arm happily and naturally - at that moment, she
felt Ning Zhou stiffen: ―Thank you for saving me, Ning Zhou,
you‘re so handsome! I upgrade you to my goddess!‖
And then? Then she succeeded in seeing Ning Zhou‘s ears
turn red again.
It’s so lovely, Qi Leren chuckled in her heart.
On the way home, Qi Leren played the rare dead-end part of
the idol beautiful girl and pulled a lot of information out of Ning
Zhou‘s mouth, which was sparing in words and inaccurate in
pronunciation. What had happened just now was she had
walked into the Nightmare World at dusk, a projection of the
real world that existed in hell. Whenever night fell its power
would become strong, and occasionally someone would go
into the Nightmare World and be attacked by monsters.
She also learned that Ning Zhou is not from Italy, but from the
Vatican. The Vatican was not only responsible for religious
beliefs as she had imagined. There was also a very complex
and huge underground Holy See beneath the surface. Since
the Middle Ages, they had fought with the dark forces.
Exorcists were not simply characters in novels and movies, but
really existed.
At this moment, the person whose arm she was holding was
an exorcist of the Holy See.
It sounded really cool. It sounded cooler than an idol girl!
On the short walk home, Qi Leren‘s worldview had been
scrubbed clean. Sadly, she still wanted to continue to be
washed, but she had already returned to her doorstep. Still
holding onto the girl: ―Eat with me, my parents aren‘t at home
these days. I have no appetite when I eat alone, and I‘ve lost a
few pounds!‖
Saying this, Qi Leren pinched her arm and looked at Ning Zhou
pitifully.
Ning Zhou compromised again.
Qi Leren felt that she had found the trick to deal with Ning
Zhou, she just had to play up this charm and act as the cute
coquettish girl. Ning Zhou was shy and soft-hearted, and had
no idea what to do with this kind of girl.
―Let me see what‘s in the refrigerator. When the auntie comes
to clean the house in the morning, she leaves something for
me to eat later. I just take it out and heat it up at night.‖ Qi
Leren opened the refrigerator and studied it for a while. She
smiled back and reported the name of the dishes present.
―…What would you like to eat?‖
―Whatever.‖
―There‘s no food called whatever! I‘ll tell you what, shall I make
you spaghetti and steak? I‘m good at that! Okay, it‘s a deal! Go
and do some homework and I‘ll cook.‖ Qi Leren kicked Ning
Zhou out of the kitchen, turned on the stereo, and played the
songs off her last album, which were all youthful and relaxed
and made people feel happy when they listened to them -
although Qi Leren was not interested in her own songs at all.
When she heard the melody, she would recall collapsing while
singing and having to leave the recording studio to vomit, but
out of some unspeakably subtle mood, she especially wanted
to play it in front of Ning Zhou now.
This careful choice really caught Ning Zhou‘s attention. She
picked up the album case that Qi Leren ―inadvertently‖ put on
the coffee table. The girl on the cover was wearing a sailor suit
and full of energy, with her hair that was tied into a pair of
ponytails floating up as she jumped. Her pitiable and lovely
drooping eyes became glowing because of her happy smile.
Ning Zhou looked at it for a long time, but she didn‘t even
notice that Qi Leren, who was busy in the kitchen, looked back
at her frequently. She picked up the remote control and turned
on the TV. The image of the song‘s music video immediately
appeared in front of her eyes. The girl wearing sportswear in
the music video was participating in a sports meet and fell
down as she ran, suffering from a cold sweat, but stood up
stubbornly and limped to the end regardless of her bleeding
knee.
That stubborn and tough look… Ning Zhou‘s heart was
suddenly hit, and then she woke up. It was just a music video.
When she looked into the kitchen, she happened to collide with
Qi Leren who was secretly peeking at her. Their eyes were
separated by the transparent glass door. Caught red handed,
Qi Leren covered her eyes with one hand. After a long time,
she opened the glass door and blushed and as she said, ―That
music video was shot blindly! I didn‘t fall when I was running.
Last year I won the 800-meter women‘s championship in the
school sports meet!‖
Of course, winning the championship was due to the fact that
special sports students couldn‘t participate in the school sports
meet.
At the sports meet, Qi Leren was photographed from beginning
to end and made headlines with her win of the 800-meter
championship, so when this music video came out, it was
ridiculed in good faith - Le-mei, you won this 800-meter
championship by beating the previous player, right?
Qi Leren really wanted to promote herself in front of Ning Zhou.
It was naturally a bit depressing to be seen in the music video,
and for Ning Zhou to take it so seriously…
Inexplicably ashamed and resentful Qi Leren pulled Ning Zhou
away from watching the TV: ―Give me a hand, you cook the
spaghetti and I‘ll make the steak! If you don‘t know how, I can
teach you.‖
So one person‘s kitchen became two people‘s, and the sunset
outside the window stretched the shadows of the two people
until they collided with each other unconsciously. When an
elbow touched another person, the two people would stiffen
and casually pretend it hadn‘t happened.
The living room outside the kitchen echoed with the familiar
melody, full of youth and love.
After dinner, Qi Leren invited Ning Zhou to work on homework
together. Whenever she did homework, she always
complained that she could earn money to support herself yet
she still had to study hard and do homework. With how often
she took leave, it wasn‘t easy to stay in the middle ranking.
The price was that she often had to study hard on the set with
her textbooks, and she was so tired that she would never get
up until she was hungry in the afternoon.
When doing homework, Qi Leren‘s mouth didn‘t stop. She
talked to Ning Zhou who didn‘t say a word. Ning Zhou said too
little, and she was almost always chattering: ―My mother has
been very busy recently. She‘s the busiest person in my family.
It‘s normal for her to fly to three cities in a day on press tours
when a movie‘s released. She acts so tired even at her age. I
think she‘ll struggle until she‘s 80 years old. My dad‘s fine, he
isn‘t too busy working at the university. I don‘t see him very
often, even though we‘re his wife and daughter. When my
mother‘s resting, he is not busy. I really want to cover over his
face.‖ At some point, Qi Leren casually asked, ―Where are your
parents? Did they come to X City with you?‖
Ning Zhou‘s writing hand kept moving as she said faintly,
―They‘ve passed away.‖
―Ah…‖ Qi Leren froze, ―I‘m sorry…‖
Ning Zhou stopped writing and looked up at her: ―It doesn‘t
matter, it‘s been a long time.‖
Her blue eyes were so calm, almost empty, as if talking about
something irrelevant, but… why did she feel sad?
No, you haven’t let it go at all, Qi Leren retorted in her
heart. You’re obviously sad, but you don’t want to admit it. Do
you feel that you’re weak? It’s lovely that people have such
strong emotions. They laugh when they’re happy, cry when
they’re sad, and pursue bravely when they like someone.
Because of these feelings, people are able to become real.
A bell came from somewhere far away. Qi Leren took a look at
the time, strengthened her heart to keep Ning Zhou here, and
pretended to learn the time casually as she said, ―Ah, it‘s late,
why do you have to leave? I am alone at home, and with what
happened before… I‘m a little scared.‖ With that, Qi Leren
blushed and asked, ―Can you stay with me?‖
In the face of such a person, such a request, Ning Zhou
couldn‘t refuse. Receiving a positive answer, Qi Leren happily
went to help her find a change of clothes: ―I haven‘t worn these
pajamas yet, the underwear is new, a toothbrush and towel are
ready, and I put them in the bathroom on the second floor. I‘ll
go wash on the first floor.‖
Finished saying that, Qi Leren trotted down the stairs, brushed
her teeth and washed her face quickly, and took a bath while
humming. After washing, she looked at herself in front of the
mirror for a while. After hesitating repeatedly, she picked up a
bottle of girls‘ perfume with a fresh scent from the washstand,
sprayed it twice in the air, and then walked through the mist.
Qi Leren, who walked out of the bathroom, also sniffed her
body nervously. It was light, and it wasn‘t obvious after being
mixed with shower gel. It should be… It should seem quite
natural.
The fragrant Qi Leren walked to the piano in the living room,
pressed it twice, then sat down and played the piano skillfully.
Ning Zhou, who had finished washing, came down the curved
staircase. Qi Leren looked up at her and smiled as she said,
―I‘ll sing you the song from my new single.‖
Ning Zhou nodded silently.
Qi Leren coughed twice: ―This song ‗I like you‘ is dedicated to
the goddess Ning Zhou who is willing to accompany me
through this frightening night. Your blue eyes are as beautiful
as sapphires, I like them very much.
"Everything became incredible, I fell in love with you at first
sight, and the world was instantly sweet. Your smile and your
voice linger in my mind. My eyes only follow you in the crowd,
and my first love suddenly comes… I want to take you out of
your lonely world, I want to accompany you to see all the
beautiful sights, and I am inseparable from you from now on…
La la la la, just like you so much, la la la la, I like you.‖
In the brightly lit living room, the girl who played the piano and
sang presented her a song with countless sweet smiles. When
being watched by brown eyes, the heart always lost its rhythm,
and the heat surging in her chest was so strange and difficult
to control. She was afraid of this uncontrollable thing, but she
just wanted to let it go.
As she finished playing, Qi Leren looked at her eagerly: ―Is it
good?‖
Ning Zhou hard nodded her head.
So Qi Leren smiled: ―I hoped you‘d like it! When I have a new
song next time, I‘ll sing it to you again!‖
Ning Zhou looked at her deeply, and her deep blue eyes
seemed to become gentle under the light.
Qi Leren, who despite not having a teacher had learned how to
pick up a hot chick, jumped with excitement and tried to calm
down, saying, ―It‘s late, let‘s go to sleep.‖
With this said, she took Ning Zhou to the bedroom: ―My bed‘s
quite big, it‘s no problem for two people to sleep in it. If you‘re
not used to it, we can each have a quilt.‖
Anyway, there was no such option as sleeping next door.
Ning Zhou was not used to it. Girls here went to the toilet in
droves and walked in the street hand in hand. Kissing and
touching were commonplace. When she first came, she
thought the girls here were all gay, but later found out that this
was a difference of national customs.
―My friends have told me about having sleepovers with their
girlfriends, but I entered the entertainment industry too early
and the agents are very strict, and I haven‘t had any friends
close enough to sleep with.‖ Qi Leren seemed to be a little
hesitant to look at Ning Zhou, and quickly tried to act cute to
disguise it. ―I‘ll definitely have nightmares tonight…‖
Ning Zhou compromised again, and she found herself
frustrated that she was always easily persuaded in matters
relating with Qi Leren, without any bottom line.
Qi Leren, successful in being allowed to share the same bed
as the goddess, got under the quilt and snickered, so happy
that she couldn‘t wait to roll a few times in bed. But in the face
of the goddess, she had to be careful and reserved!
The dim bedside lamp lit up this square inch. Qi Leren got out
from under the blanket and leaned against the pillow. She
looked at Ning Zhou sideways and said with a smile, ―Let‘s
chat.‖
―…‖ They had agreed to go to bed since it was late. Ning Zhou
felt unbearable condescension, but nodded her head.
Qi Leren was quite good at chatting. She couldn‘t help it, it was
also the actor‘s professional quality to be eloquent. Otherwise,
they would be tongue-tied when being interviewed by reporters
and the other party will be embarrassed. When she was on talk
shows, the atmosphere would be stagnant, and the lethality of
the silence would be huge.
Seeing that the goddess agreed, Qi Leren chatted with her in a
garrulous way, getting closer and closer, and in the end she
had cocked her head and leaned on the other‘s shoulder to
show her her photos.
―This photo was taken when I was seven years old. At that
time, I cried and didn‘t want to go to school. My mother
threatened to make me go to her film set with her if I didn‘t go
to school. Every day, I had to crawl in the mud and hang from
a wire. I cried and said that I would rather go to the shoot, so
my mother took me to her film studio to teach me a lesson. At
that time, she was filming a drama set in the Republic of China.
It was scary watching them shoot a war scene. I was scared. I
thought that the actor brother was really dead and started
crying. The director of the studio next door had just come to
chat with an old friend, looked at me crying pitifully, and said
that the actress who was meant to play the little girl next door
had broken her leg and couldn‘t come, and he discussed with
my mother whether he could borrow me the show. At that time,
I was so naive that I thought I really didn‘t have to go to school
anymore if I did it, so I happily went away with the director and
embarked on the road of no return. The worst thing is that I
have to go to school while I‘m shooting a show. If I don‘t do
well on an exam, I have to ask my tutor to make up the missed
lessons! It‘s mad, there‘s no humanity.‖ Qi Leren chattered at
Ning Zhou, talking about her mother and making angry
gesticulations as she went on.
From the tip of her nose came the sweet smell of girls, mixed
with shower gel and an unknown fragrance, which was pure
and fresh and sweet. Ning Zhou, who was almost never so
close to anyone, instinctively felt her body stiffen and
repeatedly stressed to herself that she was harmless, that she
needn‘t be so on guard or have to fight back. On several
occasions, her line of sight had habitually fallen on her slender
neck, which was so soft that a gentle push would be enough to
stop her from ever singing well again. It turned out that she
was flawed, and she didn‘t have any precautions about
showing them. This naive innocence made Ning Zhou anxious
and subconsciously worried.
―…And you? What was it like when you were a child?‖ Qi Leren
asked in a low voice, she was a little uneasy for fear that such
a question would be too abrupt, but she couldn‘t help but want
to know more about Ning Zhou.
That isn’t a happy memory, she doesn’t want to know, Ning
Zhou thought.
She didn‘t want to know of the endless bloody killings at the
border between the Nightmare World and the human world,
and what it was like to hunt demons alone at the border of hell
since the age of thirteen, and she didn‘t want to know how
painful it was when she ran out of food and fell into the demon
forest and her intestines slipped out of an abdominal wound.
Even when they were sitting side by side, the worlds they lived
in were never the same.
She didn‘t want her to see the filth and darkness hidden behind
the peaceful world.
Ning Zhou was silent for too long, and Qi Leren lowered his
eyes in frustration and realized that her questions had troubled
Ning Zhou: ―I‘m sorry… I‘m too curious…‖
―When I was thirteen years old, I went to the Vatican…‖ Ning
Zhou interrupted her apology and said quietly, ―I‘ve never seen
my father. After my mother died that year, I had no other
relatives who could serve as guardians. Her friends followed
her will and sent me to the Vatican, where a senior who
respected her was my guardian.
"Living in the Vatican was very happy. I‘ve learned a lot of
things and I am determined to be an exorcist like my mother,
fighting demons hidden in the dark. In recent years, the scope
of the Nightmare World is expanding, and the number of
demon attacks around the world is increasing… I was
commissioned by a descendent of a German noble to
investigate the history of his past relative who had lived in
China with her family.‖
Ning Zhou saw Qi Leren looking eagerly at her and wanting to
hear more, so she talked about some modified hunting
demons. Qi Leren listened to her carefully. Ning Zhou said
many words very carefully, with a little accent, but it sounded
so lovely to Qi Leren. The more she listened, the more
absorbed she became, and when she heard some thrilling
thing she would gasp and hold Ning Zhou‘s hand nervously.
The girl‘s hand was small and soft, and the veins were clear.
She found that Ning Zhou‘s hand was different from hers. She
took her palm and looked left and right. She also curiously
touched the thin veins that ran from her palm to her wrist, and
touched Ning Zhou‘s left hand. There was a scar in the center
that looked like a thorn, and she said with distress: ―This must
have been painful.‖
The palm of her hand felt crisp and numb, and Ning Zhou
breathed slowly and withdrew her hand quietly: ―It‘s time to
sleep.‖
Qi Leren was a little regretful but she had to turn off the lights,
depressed at the thought of having to shoot the music video
tomorrow on her day off classes.
The room was dark and the balcony off the bedroom was
open. The wind blew in from outside the screen window,
together with the moonlight. Qi Leren lowered her breathing
and listened carefully. She couldn‘t hear Ning Zhou‘s breathing
at such a close distance. If it wasn‘t for the other person‘s
temperature, she wouldn‘t even feel someone sleeping beside
her.
The hand hidden under the quilt sneaked over and grabbed
Ning Zhou‘s hand. She looked at her with her tilted face that
was turned away from the moonlight. Her facial features were
immersed in the darkness, yet her sapphire eyes were shining.
A smile appeared on Qi Leren‘s moonlit face. She held Ning
Zhou‘s hand, leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek:
―Thank you for saving me today. Goodnight, Ning Zhou.‖
It was too close. When she had neared, Ning Zhou had almost
turned over and stopped her, but the sweet smell of the girl
puzzled her and she didn‘t move until her soft lips pressed to
her cheek.
Qi Leren, who had kissed the goddess, lied back, and the quilt
covered the lower half of her face, which also covered her
hand clutching Ning Zhou‘s.
Strange joy and pain haunted her at the same time. In such a
complicated mood, she breathed another person‘s breath and
gradually fell asleep.
The night was silent and long, but Qi Leren, who had always
slept well, suddenly woke up. She hesitated, rubbed her eyes,
and got out of bed to go to the toilet without realizing that she
was the only one in the big bed.
When she walked to the bathroom, she looked at the mirror
with a yawn. She looked sleepy in her reflection. Just when
she was about to go out of the bathroom, she suddenly looked
back with a start - the toothbrush cup on the washstand wasn‘t
hers!
The sleepiness was washed away at once and Qi Leren
recalled, because the bathroom on the second floor had been
lent to Ning Zhou, she had moved her things to the bathroom
on the first floor, but… Where was Ning Zhou?!
Qi Leren ran out of the bathroom, shouting Ning Zhou‘s name
and searching everywhere. There was no one in the bedroom,
no one in the bathroom downstairs, no one in the living room,
no one anywhere! A slipper fell off as she ran and Qi Leren
suddenly thought of something, running to look at the shoe
cabinet by the front door with one foot bare - Ning Zhou‘s
shoes were gone.
She was gone?
Qi Leren sat down in front of the piano, angry and wronged.
Why did Ning Zhou quietly leave in the middle of the night
without saying a word? Why?
Maybe it was something urgent, Qi Leren thought sullenly,
picked up the slippers she had dropped as she ran, and
walked slowly back to her bedroom.
Once again back to the warm bed, Qi Leren sleeplessly rolled
back and forth. When she was finished shooting the music
video tomorrow, she would have to ask Ning Zhou.
Suddenly, an idea came to Qi Leren‘s mind: Wait, was it
because she snored and grinded her teeth when she slept, so
Ning Zhou left because she couldn‘t bear it?
Qi Leren held her face on both hands, like the frightened figure
in ―The Scream‖. After all that effort to convince the goddess to
sleep in the same bed as her, she had made it unbearable for
her to stay!
Qi Leren, who was on the verge of collapse, tearfully wanted to
pick up her cellphone and turn on the camera. She wanted to
record herself sleeping. How could a beautiful girl who was an
idol sleep so badly? No, she refused!
With the cellphone set to record, Qi Leren lied back in bed,
pulled the quilt up to cover half of her face, and the moonlight
outside the balcony window was still clear. She still
remembered that she had looked at Ning Zhou‘s face against
the moonlight a few hours ago, and she was so curious about
her, but when the tip of the iceberg of her past was uncovered,
she couldn‘t help but feel distressed for her. She knew that the
past Ning Zhou had told her of had been modified. She was
not as relaxed and happy as she‘d said. When she approached
her, the stiff and cold alertness of her body could not deceive
people.
Qi Leren didn‘t know what kind of experiences would make her
develop these habits. Unlike her, this little princess who was
brought up in the greenhouse from childhood and grew up like
a star, Ning Zhou‘s wounds, cold eyes, and precise
marksmanship… All the details implied that she is not a person
of that world at all.
But so what? Couldn‘t different people be friends? She just
liked Ningzhou, loved her dearly, and wanted to make her
happy. She wanted to give her the most beautiful songs and
show her all the bright, warm, and happy feelings. As long as
she could get a little bit of happiness and a little bit of the world
under the sun, she would feel it was worthwhile.
Since childhood, Qi Leren had received a lot of love. Now she
wanted to give her love to Ning Zhou. She wanted her to feel
that being loved was a very happy thing.
Thinking about this, sleepiness surged up again, and Qi Leren
yawned and glanced at the moonlight on the balcony before
closing his eyes.
When she was beginning to drift, Qi Leren felt that there
seemed to be some movement by the bed. She opened her
eyes in a daze and saw Ning Zhou lying down softly with her
back to her.
―Where have you been?‖ Qi Leren murmured dreamily.
―…The bathroom.‖
Liar.
Qi Leren suddenly woke up, but she didn‘t open her mouth to
confront her. Instead, she pretended to answer in a daze,
stretched out her hand and continued to close her eyes. She
could smell that the shower gel on Ning Zhou‘s body had
changed, which wasn‘t the smell of her family‘s shower gel.
Recalling the scene in which she had shot and killed the
monster in the Nightmare World at dusk, Qi Leren knew her
whereabouts well.
The fragrance couldn‘t deceive her of the smell of iron and
blood it masked.
Let’s not expose her, Qi Leren thought. She took Ningzhou‘s
hand and interlocked their fingers. Either way, this time she
won‘t loosen her hand again.
When she was about to fall into a deep sleep again, Qi Leren
felt vaguely as if someone had leaned over and said something
to her, but she was too tired to fully register it before she lost
consciousness.
Ning Zhou should have gotten up at dawn, but her hand was
clasped tightly. As soon as she turned her face she could see
Qi Leren sleeping soundly, with long eyelashes, red cheeks,
and slightly open lips. What do you think is so lovely about
me? Ning Zhou watched quietly for a long time, letting the sun
rise higher and higher.
There was the sound of opening the door downstairs and
someone came in. Ning Zhou, who had excellent five senses,
frowned. These were a woman‘s footsteps. Was it Qi Leren‘s
mother? Was it better for her to avoid them?
But Qi Leren also said that it was normal for girls here to sleep
together…
The bedroom door was pushed open rudely and the woman
with slender eyebrows and a good figure stood outside the
open door and angrily knocked on it: ―What time is it, is your
cellphone not on, do you remember that you have to go shoot
the music video today? Hurry and get up!‖
Chen Baiqi, the agent who killed people in Qi Leren‘s family*,
was about to rush in and pull her up. But when she looked at it
from a distance, there were two people in the bed!
*{E/N: metaphorically, in case that wasn’t clear}
At this moment, Chen Baiqi, a senior agent, was about to
collapse: Qi Leren! Do you still remember that you’re an idol
acting as a role model for young and beautiful girls? Why is
there a wild man! You can’t fall in love before changing your
image! How have you already developed to this step!
The ―wild man‖ sat up from the bed and looked at Chen Baiqi
coldly.
Oh, it’s not a wild man. That’s great… Like hell! Who is this
woman!
With her hair a mess, Qi Leren yawned as she sat up in bed,
looked back at Ning Zhou, and kissed her on the cheek
naturally: ―Good morning, Ning Zhou.‖
Chen Baiqi: ―…‖
―Oh, Chen-jie, this is my classmate. I‘m a little scared of
sleeping alone, so I let her accompany me,‖ Qi Leren talked
nonsense without a hint of shame.
―…Hehe.‖ Chen Baiqi thought: Don’t smile, your parents aren’t
home half the time. How did you sleep before?
The girl named Ning Zhou nodded to her and went to wash up.
Qi Leren took Chen Baiqi to the bathroom downstairs and
explained the situation to her while brushing her teeth and
washing her face. Paranormal, met yesterday, couldn‘t be
spoken of. She had to say that there had been a small incident
with a mugger as she had been walking home yesterday, and
she was just saved by her classmate Ning Zhou. Since she
was a little afraid, she had asked her to please stay for one
night.
Chen Baiqi was skeptical but she couldn‘t say anything, so she
let her quickly wash up so they could go to the studio.
Qi Leren remembered that her cellphone was recording her
last night, and it should have automatically shut down when the
battery had been depleted. No wonder Chen Baiqi came to her
house in such a hurry to catch her in person.
After washing, Qi Leren, who had forgotten to eat breakfast,
told Ning Zhou that there was food in the refrigerator. The
auntie will come to clean up later and she could leave a note
for her. She should just say what she wanted for the evening.
Ning Zhou had the illusion that she lived here.
After telling Qi Leren that she had something to go do, Qi
Leren let out a ―oh‖ in frustration and reluctantly followed Chen
Baiqi to get in the car that would drive them to the shooting
location.
Chen Baiqi inquired about Ning Zhou from beginning to end
along the way, and Qi Leren said all the things that should be
said, but didn‘t say a word that shouldn‘t be said. Chen Baiqi‘s
intuition was that Ning Zhou wasn‘t so simple, but without
evidence she couldn‘t rashly make Qi Leren stay away from
her.
Finally, she sighed: ―Your identity is unusual. You should be
very careful when making friends. If you meet someone with
ulterior motives who enters your room, secretly films you,
eavesdrops on you, and reveals your privacy to the media, it
will be a great blow to your image, especially as your current
image is very sensitive to negative news.‖
Qi Leren knew that Chen Baiqi is good for her and obediently
listened to her instructions.
―Although your last transformation was very successful and
you got rid of the image of a little girl, this transformation is the
key. If you can‘t jump out of the image of a young girl now,
your journey will only get narrower and narrower. You‘ll find
that as you grow older you‘ll be hired for fewer and fewer roles,
and there are always young new faces to replace you. The
audience doesn‘t want to see a 30-year-old actress playing a
17- or 18-year-old girl. Your mother‘s train of thought is very
clear, she will take the time to find a drama for you where she
can play mother and daughter with you - your mother also
fights for you, she never promised to play such an age-
exposing role before - this stunt can drive your popularity, if
you play well, you‘ll play the leading role in the next show, and
when the small screen stands firm, it will develop like your
mother to the big screen. The company is already discussing
your new image and route. When you go to college it will
begin, and then you won‘t be as leisurely as you are now.‖
Chen Baiqi couldn‘t help rubbing her temples when she
thought of how busy she would be in the future.
―I‘ll try my best, Chen-jie, thank you for taking so much trouble
for me.‖ Qi Leren cleverly said that although she was the one
standing in front of the audience, there were countless people
worried about her behind the scenes/ She had gone too far
today and Chen Baiqi had helped her block trouble she didn‘t
know about.
It wasn‘t easy to be an actress. Qi Leren looked at the passing
scenery outside the window and sighed softly.
But it was no harder than being an exorcist. As Qi Leren
thought again, she couldn‘t help smiling at the thought of Ning
Zhou. They would have many opportunities to get along with
each other in the future.

To be Continued in Part II