Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 30: Virtual or Reality

The sky grew darker, and spending the night outside in the cold winter was perilous. The couple couldn’t get close to the hunter’s cabin, so they simply found a nearby cave to stay in.

Nol and Teest hunted some deer, wild chickens, and rabbits. They left half for the couple and dragged two deer back to report.

“We got the deer.” Nol smiled at the old hunter.

To win the old hunter’s favor, Teest skinned the deer and portioned the meat before bringing it back. The old hunter rolled his eyes, inspecting the chunks of meat and deer skins. After a while, he scolded, “Where’s the deer blood? Both of you, imbeciles.”

His tone was harsh, like a father reprimanding his son.

“Cutting the meat in such large pieces makes it hard to dry! And the deer skin… It smells too gamey when brought inside. Where are the bones? Surely you didn’t throw them away? Idiots, both of you. You understand nothing!”

Nol’s smile twitched slightly. Should I just summon the bones to dance in front of you?

The old man’s temper was unbearable. Logically, the hunter should at least provide them with basic instructions. Yet, not only did the old hunter not guide them, he barely spoke a word unless it was to scold.

Recalling the misfortunes of other hunters, Nol swallowed his anger. “Sorry, we’ll be more careful next time.”

“What next time? You’re staying here again tonight?” The old hunter coughed. “Damn, so annoying.”

Nol, Teest: “…”

Teest maintained a smile but quietly clenched his fist, causing his knuckles to crack.

Luckily, the Mad Monk’s self-control exceeded his malice.

Late at night, after eating the deer stew Teest made, the old hunter went out with his crossbow. The moment he left, the atmosphere inside the cabin became several times more relaxed.

“For some reason, the old guy seems prejudiced against us.”

Teest slumped into a chair near the fireplace and looked like he was about to melt from the warmth of the fire. “I wonder what reward he’ll give us based on his fondness? We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t slap us.”

“I doubt it would come to that.”

Nol sighed. He was sitting cross-legged on a fur rug, engrossed in a history book.

The old hunter couldn’t be that bad; after all, he had given them boots suitable for snow. Otherwise, he could’ve just let them freeze their toes off.

At the moment, two pairs of boots are drying in front of the fireplace. Old Hunter also stuffed the boots with herbal pouches that have antibacterial and moisture-absorbing properties. As the flames heated them, a rich medicinal aroma wafted through the room.

“He seems to hate us staying in the cabin. Perfect, tomorrow we’ll…”

Mid-sentence, Nol realized Teest had dozed off.

…Indeed, he was the unpredictable Mad Monk. He probably hadn’t had a regular schedule. Given the tough environment, he was probably on edge. Nol covered Teest with a fur blanket.

The flickering firelight illuminated Teest’s face, dancing over his long hair. For a moment, Nol admired his companion’s good looks. Many players designed their characters to be handsome or beautiful, but Teest’s appearance was natural. What kind of family did he come from?

After settling Teest, Nol returned to his book. The only sounds were the rustling of pages and the crackling of wood.

He’d been catching up on this world’s history, comparing it to his memory of the game’s setting.

This continent, called Tahe, hadn’t yet understood the concept of planets.

After a long dark age, war broke out in Tahe. After centuries of strife, the era known as the Evergreen Age began, signifying peace. The history mirrored the game’s setting, except for religious aspects.

The Temples of Life and Eternal Church seemed to exist since the age of strife. They flourished and left numerous records. There were various other religions, but they faded into history.

The main storyline of Tahe was set around the 496^th year of the Evergreen Age. The last time Nol checked in Whitebird City, the current date was August 7, 723, meaning he woke up more than 200 years after the game’s setting.

During these 200 years, countries that were once peaceful had conflicts, and the continental borders had shifted considerably.

The Kingdom of Gemino was originally one of the three major nations in the setting. It borders the Desolation Islands, which was ruled by the Demon King, on its west side and was under constant attack from monsters. Seeing the king doing nothing, Gemino split into two countries, East and West.

More than the shifts in the world map, Nol was more concerned about the “Demon King”.

The owner of the item shop in Whitebird City once mentioned that two hundred years ago, the dragon-blood hero Drake went to subdue the Demon King and has since been missing without a trace. Historical records also frequently mentioned the “Demon King.” Books on the Demon King weren’t detailed, only noting that he dwells across the Endless Sea. No one had ever successfully defeated him, so there wasn’t much information.

People only knew that the Demon King’s power corrupted the land, causing everything to decay and die, making him the nemesis of all living things. Even the Eternal Church, which venerates death, didn’t get along with the Demon King.

…This setting seemed very clichéd, and Nol couldn’t quite figure it out.

He was only sure that in his “Tahe World” game, there was no such thing as a “Demon King”. The enemies the players faced were just crazed monsters or evil humans with ambitions.

“Desolation Islands”—just by its name, it shouldn’t be in a casual game.

The players and neighbors trapped here, the missed two hundred years, the suddenly appearing gods and a Demon King… there were too many unknown puzzles. Nol decided to prioritize the most important one.

He needed to first figure out if this place was a game or reality, as it was directly related to their plan to go home.

Organizing his thoughts, Nol put down the book and decided to spend the remaining time studying magic.

Now, he could save on sleep, as the rules of the “advanced undead ” were waiting for him to explore.

……

Teest quickly woke up, as he never slept deeply. He noticed the blanket on him and smelled the peppered meat soup.

Nol filled an iron cup with soup and warmed it by the fireplace. Seeing Teest awake, he looked up with a smile and threw the paper filled with writings and calculations into the fire.

“We don’t have milk here. Drink some soup before heading out. Your shoes are dried and over there,” Nol said, taking a cup for himself. “It’s been exactly two and a half hours. The old hunter should be back soon.”

Teest looked at him for a while. “How did you know I wanted to go out?”

“Because we didn’t find any clues during the day,” Nol replied with a mysterious smile. “The night might hide more secrets.”

…Sorry, he actually knew that the white wolf would only come out at night! But it was hard to explain. If the player’s affinity with the hunter was high, the hunter would provide this clue. Since they couldn’t rely on the old hunter, Nol had to step in.

Fortunately, Teest was smart, so he wasn’t too concerned.

Teest took a couple of sips of the soup and exhaled. “Not bad. I was planning to stay up.”

The two were on the same page.

Woken up in the middle of the night by Nol, the couple got ready without a word. They made simple preparations and ventured into the dark.

The wolfkin Julie and Nol joined forces. The four of them conducted a wolf census in the vicinity—two pinpointed the wolf’s location.

Nol set up a skeletal trap, and Julie tackled it, pinning down its neck. Under the intimidation of the gray wolfkin, those wolves barely whimpered.

There were brown, gray, and even a few black wolves, but no white wolves. To ensure the white wolf didn’t stain itself, they scrubbed every wolf with snow.

“Could it be that the mission’s time is too short and the white wolf didn’t spawn?” Rosen, seated on his wife’s shoulder, stroked his chin in confusion. It wasn’t that he was too lazy to walk; when Officer Luo stepped into the snow, her short legs were mostly buried. Julie was worried he’d get lost.

“It’s probably bad luck,” Nol replied, sounding disheartened.

This was supposed to be a fun and peaceful game instance.

Players would enter, search for the white wolf’s traces in a vast snowy forest, and enjoy the wonderful snowy scenery out of season. They could taste the delicacies of the snowfields and watch the unique animals of the cold regions.

Enthusiastic hunters would share legends and assist players in completing tasks. If they unfortunately encountered the shadow wolf, players would just black out and find themselves outside the instance.

Now? NPCs who entered mistakenly were brainwashed into becoming the hunter. And if they were caught by a shadow wolf, it probably wasn’t as simple as “black out and get kicked out of the instance.”

The shadow wolf surely hovered around the white wolf. The fact they didn’t encounter the white wolf right away might be a good thing. Nol was more concerned about the lurking Eternalist. If possible, he wanted to catch that person first.

“Should we look elsewhere?” Thinking of this, Nol suggested. “We still have time. I’d like to see the relics of where humans once lived.”

Maybe this could pique the curiosity of the Eternalist and lure them out.

“Good idea.” Teest’s gaze wandered around constantly. He was obviously considering the same thing.

For a brief moment, Rosen showed a troubled expression. He glanced at Julie, who first shook her head, then nodded.

“I’ll lead the way,” Julie said calmly. “I’ll take you to the biggest ruins.”

Upon arriving at their destination, Nol seemed to understand Rosen’s dilemma.

Here, the site was located next to a rocky hill, with several logs scattered around, indicating there once was a small community. Around the cave, there were even three or four collapsed tents.

The lost people had made weapons out of stone and built stoves and tables using mud and bones. On the table was a bowl carved out of wood, with its remnants of soup long frozen. Large animal skins were spread on the stone beds, with three frozen corpses lying on top.

A man and a woman clung to each other face-to-face, with a four- or five-year-old child between them. The three were emaciated, their faces showing twisted pain. Their bodies were pale like stone, almost blending in with the stone bed.

They clung tightly to each other, fingers digging into each other’s skin. The extreme cold had preserved every detail of their bodies, from the child’s thin face, the woman’s swollen right arm, to the terrifying bite mark on the man’s leg.

The walls of the cave were inscribed with words, which later turned into blood writing. It started with pleas and prayers but ended with curses of despair. Compared to this place, the Dragon Tomb Garden seemed so peaceful.

Nol stood still, already chilled by the cold wind, but now he felt like the cold had penetrated his soul. Those curses seemed like sharp arrows, piercing him from head to toe.

‘It shouldn’t be like this,’ Nol thought, bewildered.

Not long ago, he approached challenges with a puzzle-solving mindset. The plight of the trapped was tragic, but it was just fragments of a story. Now, this scene violently invaded his mind.

Is this your world? A tiny voice whispered in his heart.

All this happened because you didn’t give the hunter a fixed personality, just as you didn’t name the master of the lich. Your neighbors, your kin, the locals… everyone is suffering, dying in the world you created.

Can this world still be called a “game”? 

No, it must be a game. It cannot be real. It absolutely can’t be.

“This is not a place where a village can thrive. Too few resources, harsh weather, and people who come here are almost unprepared,” Rosen murmured, lifting his torch higher to brighten the space.

“Actually, considering the circumstances, they did relatively well. They had a somewhat normal life for a while and left in a dignified manner.”

Julie gently touched the corpses and sighed. “The others had it worse. I don’t recommend you look… Some preferred to eat their family and friends rather than die of cold and hunger.”

Nol didn’t reply. In the dark cave, he felt like he was about to be swallowed whole.

“Brother, are you sure you’re okay? Don’t force yourself. Even us police need counseling when faced with such scenes.” Rosen walked towards Nol while casting a discreet glance at Teest.

Teest looked at the scene indifferently, unfazed, as if the family on the bed were genuinely stone statues. Compared to the tragic scene, he seemed more interested in Nol.

In the darkness, those golden eyes kept staring at Nol, not moving for a second.

“I’m fine.” Nol took a deep breath after half a minute. “You chose this place not just because it’s more… peaceful, right?”

Rosen hummed in agreement. He walked over to a part of the cave wall, tiptoed, and pointed to the densely written words: [Look here.]

According to the records on the wall, six people initially arrived. One of them unfortunately became the hunter, but he seemed more temperate than other hunters—he had a brief conversation with his family, who came to recognize him.

The hunter said he couldn’t provide them with supplies or help. He could only offer these conveniences to the “players”, for the “players” were his real family.

“I thought I misunderstood at first, but now it seems that the word refers to ‘players’,” Rosen moved a few steps and pointed to another spot. “Look at this.”

The record was shorter this time.

The master of this place found a white wolf. The white wolf was docile and wouldn’t attack humans, making it perfect prey. When a white wolf was hunted, another one would appear the next day—equally docile and white, but possibly of different age and size.

“It seems that not only hunters have been replaced by cycles, but they are really well-prepared.”

Teest spoke with a light tone. “After all, the white wolf is just an ordinary wild beast. With so many wolves here, catching one, dyeing its fur, and brainwashing it is much easier than dealing with humans.”

Nol punched the stone wall. His flesh was damaged but quickly healed, leaving only cold blood stains behind.

“Shh…”

Seeing this, Teest took two steps closer and supported Nol from behind. He stood between the couple and Nol, blocking Rosen’s view.

Nol let him hold him.

He had a false heartbeat, but his body was extremely cold. Teest’s hands felt as hot as flames. Through the thin fabric, Nol almost felt burned by those hands.

“Don’t be so upset,” Teest whispered, his voice almost bewitching. “The past is the past. You still have time to save your neighbors. Save that punch for the Eternalists.”

‘But this is no longer about the neighbors,’ Nol thought. Even so, he managed to force a wry smile.

He then turned to Rosen and Julie. “I’m sorry, I lost control a bit.”

“The smell of blood!” Rosen was about to reply when Julie suddenly spoke up.

Teest instantly activated a skill to remove their auras, followed by Nol’s invisibility—after the upgrade of the dragon-skin notebook, he no longer cared about conserving invisibility space. To outsiders, the four of them seemed to disappear on the spot.

Julie set Rosen on her shoulder and nodded silently to the two men. Rosen clenched his teeth, casting an AOE wind spell. The group moved silently on the snow, leaving no footprints.

The scent of blood came from a giant polar bear.

This bear could reach a height of four meters. Although it was huge, it was very agile. At this moment, it was fighting a large black wolf and was clearly losing.

The giant wolf was nearly three meters tall, pitch black to the point that its fur details were indiscernible. From their distance, they could only see its glowing red eyes, and its blood-covered fangs, tongue, and claws.

It was the Shadow Wolf, a symbol of disaster.

Its shadow seemed alive, entangling the polar bear like a fishing net, rendering it immobile.

The Shadow Wolf easily tore through the thick bear skin. With each bite and claw, blood spurted. The polar bear’s continuous howls made it sound like a helpless lamb. The worst part was that the Shadow Wolf seemed to be playing more than hunting—after feasting on the softest belly meat and organs, it left.

It didn’t run away, but instead jumped effortlessly, merging into the shadows of the trees.

The one-sided hunt lasted less than five minutes.

Nearby, the group remained still. As the bear’s corpse began to freeze, Officer Luo couldn’t hold back anymore.

“…Damn, bullets probably can’t penetrate that thing’s hide,” Rosen murmured.

“Nol said this is a plot boss. It’s not meant for you to defeat.”

Julie spoke casually, but her tone was serious. “We should find the white wolf quickly. If this creature can move through shadows, it’ll be hard to detect and defend against.”

“You two,” Teest cleared his throat, “I think you spoke too soon.”

Something warm and pungent dripped onto everyone’s heads, translucent with a faint hue of blood.

Teest pulled Nol close while Julie grabbed Rosen, and they retreated in opposite directions. The Shadow Wolf missed its bite, its lower half still tucked within the shadow of a huge rock.

It bared its teeth at them, exhaling a mist full of the scent of blood.

Nol deactivated his invisibility, directly invoking the Dragon’s [Bloodline Suppression]. The Shadow Wolf whimpered, freezing in mid-air.

Teest wanted to draw his sword, but Nol stopped him. “Run!”

Although the Lich Valdorlock’s strength adjusted according to player strength, the lich was designed for players to defeat, while the Shadow Wolf was designed to defeat players.

“Can this thing be stronger than a dragon?” Teest asked while running.

“Impossible. There’s basic logic in species strength,” Nol said. “But it’s a special monster, definitely at least twice as strong as the lich.”

“Brother, give me a comparison I can understand,” Officer Luo said while catching wind on Julie’s shoulder.

Nol replied calmly, “A bite from the Shadow Wolf is like an ordinary wolf biting a mouse.”

“Tsk.” Teest suddenly hit the brakes.

Nol tensed up, wondering if Teest was about to lose it again. But he soon saw the reason—

“We meet again.”

A tall figure in a cloak blocked their path. He held a long sword, layered with multiple protective barriers.

“The skull mask from last time isn’t here? …A dwarf, wolfkin, mage. Ah, I see. So, the one who wielded the sword last time was you.”

He raised his right hand, pointing the blade directly at Teest. “Tell me where the candle is, or I’ll give you a taste of hell.”

Nol clenched his teeth, taking a step forward. “Have you lost your mind? The Shadow Wolf will be here any moment, and it’ll tear apart every living thing—”

“Except for me.” The tall man laughed.

The next second, the Shadow Wolf leapt out from his shadow, lunging straight for Nol.

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The author has something to say:

The ordinary wolves around: In the middle of the night, a bunch of freaks break into our home, pin us down, and give us baths one by one. Any ideas, everyone?

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Regarding the confusion in the last chapter about the number of players in the instance… I have probably three things to explain!

① Do not believe the nonsense of the Eternalists.

② Do not believe the nonsense of the Eternalists.

③ About whether Teest is considered a player… You can think of him as an offline player? He’s still a player, can level up, take on quests, and get rewards… but that’s pretty much all he can do.

The same goes for the people in Nol’s community (those with incomplete player rights).

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