Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 32: You Need Me

Late at night, in the hunter’s cabin.

The flames in the fireplace crackled, licking the logs and bringing out the unique, cool aroma of pine. The old hunter went on his usual night patrol with his crossbow. He typically patrolled from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., always bringing back pheasants and rabbits—of course, he never shared his game.

Now, only Nol and Teest remained in the hunter’s cabin. After guessing the existence of the “archive”, the cozy cabin acquired a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

Teest sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace, casually throwing pinecones into the fire. The flames danced wildly over the pinecones, and the crackling became more intense.

It was their fifth night in the cabin.

The burly man hadn’t shown himself since his defeat. The team of four had split up. The married couple secretly looked for the burly man while Teest and Nol searched for the white wolf. Days passed with no results. Nol had encountered the shadow wolf a few times, but luckily, they always managed to escape.

As the days went by, the mood didn’t lighten. Surviving fourteen days would complete the mission, and the Eternal Church surely wouldn’t sit idly by. The burly man must be plotting something.

Nol spoke less and often stared into a corner, lost in thought. He barely ate and only pretended to eat when the old hunter was present. He also didn’t sleep at night. When Teest and the old hunter went to sleep, he’d get up to craft his magic.

‘Such a peculiar situation,’ Teest thought. Although Nol was unharmed, he seemed drained, as if some vital force was continuously being sapped from him.

Now, Nol sat silently, looking at the flames, but not as if he were really seeing them. His eyes looked as though they had been replaced by a puppet witch, beautiful but with a deadened hue.

“I think the old hunter will be fine. You don’t need to worry about your neighbors.” Teest adjusted the burning logs with tongs. “The Eternalist surely doesn’t want us to know about the ‘archive’, so he has no reason to harm the hunter.”

“I know,” Nol whispered.

Teest continued, “That couple is interesting. Are all you folks from another world like that? I mean, they seem more like comrades than spouses.”

Nol finally looked at him. “A good spouse is always a good comrade… but not everyone’s the same. My parents, for example…”

Teest stopped fiddling with the tongs, making the room go silent.

“…are different,” Nol continued, seemingly unable to stand the silence. “They are reserved, not expressive. But they never missed an anniversary. They’d always buy a cake, even taking time off work.”

“That’s nice.” Teest smiled. “In my family, whenever they got the chance, my parents would act all lovey-dovey, always together, completely disregarding how their child felt.”

The fire illuminated the room, reflecting Teest’s bright and genuinely sincere smile.

Perhaps touched by this sincerity, Nol continued without thinking, “I was always busy with work and didn’t get to see them often. They never complained… I’m their only child; I should’ve spent more time with them. Even if I couldn’t visit, I should’ve called more often… I…”

“So you hope this world is an illusion,” Teest whispered. “That way, you could just wake up from this nightmare and return to your family, right?”

Nol didn’t reply.

Teest set down the tongs, shifting on the fur rug to sit next to Nol.

“I don’t really understand your ‘game company’ that you talk about. But I guess you have a stronger connection to this world than others,” he said with a smile. “You said you know more, and those who know more always carry a heavier burden… especially kind-hearted people like you. You feel guilty towards those who remain in the dark.”

“Guilt?” Nol mused.

Teest grabbed Nol’s cold hand, holding it firmly. Nol just watched him silently, the same way he watched the flames earlier.

“Yes, you feel guilty towards your compatriots and this world.” Teest tightened his grip. “But you don’t need to feel that way for me—I don’t need you to bring me home, relieve my pain, or guide my way.”

His voice softened, sounding almost seductive, like the devil tempting a mortal.

“I am the sinner of this world. No matter what you’ve done, I have no right to judge you… You don’t owe me anything, okay?”

Nol twitched his lips, showing a smile that was almost not a smile. “Are you tempting me, Teest? Trying to make me dependent on you mentally?”

“Hey, then you’ve misunderstood me.” Teest released Nol’s hand. He pointed two fingers at the hollow of Nol’s neck, precisely at the artery. “I swear I’m not hinting at anything. This is pretty clear, honey.”

“…Go on,” Nol said. He grabbed Teest’s wrist and, a moment later, released it as if scalded.

Teest withdrew his hand, his smile growing sweeter. “I want your knowledge, your wisdom. You need me too—to maintain sanity, one must have room to breathe.”

“I am your only respite.”

While speaking, Teest’s gaze shifted downwards. It gently slid over Nol’s collarbone, chest, and waist, eventually resting on a small letter opener in Nol’s pocket.

Teest stared at the dark fabric, his voice sticky and intimate, like a lover’s whisper. “I know you’re smart, so it wouldn’t be strange for you to leave me at any time. I just hope I can stay by your side longer…”

Nol didn’t respond.

“…I can’t hurt you; I can protect you, so you’re not alone. Other than life, loyalty, and love, I can give you everything you want.” Teest looked into Nol’s eyes, sounding almost tender.

‘Well,’ Nol thought, ‘at least this Mad Monk is straightforward.’

Nol doubted that the Mad Monk understood “love and loyalty”. But then again, Nol really didn’t have the energy to nurture friendship anymore, especially with this unpredictable lunatic.

Being overtly kind was a form of burning out, and he was close to being extinguished.

Teest might be right; they needed a simpler, more brutal, and more practical relationship.

Nol knew that Teest was tempting him, but he did need someone—someone to relieve him of the guilt he felt. Otherwise, in time, his sanity would be consumed by accumulated emotions.

Time flowed leisurely. Teest waited silently with a smile, awaiting Nol’s response.

“You want to maintain the engagement, and then we use each other,” Nol summarized. “It’s a deal, right?”

“Yes, yes,” Teest said happily. “To show sincerity, I’m willing to throw in a bonus. Honey, what can I do for you? Hunt polar bears, catch the shadow wolf, or—”

“Hug me,” Nol said.

“…What?”

“I want a hug,” Nol calmly repeated. “Just a hug, until I say ‘stop’.”

Teest was silent, staring at Nol for a full half-minute before finally opening his arms and gently embracing him.

‘So warm, suffocatingly warm,’ Nol thought.

He buried his face in Teest’s neck, holding onto that silver hair as if it were a lifeline. He felt the heartbeat, the rhythm of breathing, the warmth. From Teest’s neck, he caught a faint scent—the sweet, bloody scent of a monster’s blood, mixed with Teest’s own.

It was a sense of ironic reassurance.

Teest felt the dampness on his shoulder, which he guessed was probably tears. But Nol’s body didn’t tremble due to sobbing; he was still and cold, as always.

After a moment’s hesitation, Teest lifted his hand and gently held the back of Nol’s head, running his fingers through Nol’s silky hair, patting his back.

That letter opener was still in Nol’s pocket, and Teest knew it. It was so close, and Nol was defenseless. Maybe he should take it… always being in control. That was the Mad Monk’s rule.

Technically, this wouldn’t breach their deal, he thought absentmindedly. Nol had already agreed to the engagement.

But just now, looking straight at him, Nol’s eyes were faintly alight with that blue fire. Teest really liked their color.

After some consideration, Teest just sighed. He lifted his other hand and wrapped it around Nol’s waist. After that, he did nothing and said nothing.

Nol never said “stop”.

The lich’s breath became fainter and quieter, and Nol fell asleep just like that.

In this regard, Teest wasn’t too surprised. Nol had been tense non-stop for so many days; it was time to relax a bit.

Teest carefully let go of his embrace, pondered for a few seconds, and moved the pillow next to the fireplace. It was warmer there, and Nol didn’t feel as cold to the touch. After some brief adjustments, the two of them lay next to the fireplace.

As for the old hunter’s goodwill… no matter. Anyway, deducting points from zero was still zero.

“Goodnight, Nol.” Teest yawned and muttered quietly.

……

“No good. I still can’t smell anything. That burly guy must have specifically masked his scent.” Dr. Zhu, supporting Officer Luo on her shoulder, moved through the snow.

Rosen’s head constantly scanned from side to side, wary that the shadow wolf could jump out at any moment.

“We can only search slowly. Tailing is always this tedious,” Officer Luo said in a low voice while fidgeting with the wolfkin’s ears.

Julie twitched her ears. “Mm, if we can’t find it by 2, we’ll go to sleep.”

In this godforsaken place, it was essential to keep up one’s strength. They were different from real players. If they messed up at a critical moment, they might not get another chance. To keep themselves awake and alert, the two would chat from time to time.

“Do you have any impression of that Xu Yue?” Rosen suddenly asked.

Julie shook her head. “The neighbors who I have relationships with are families with old and young. But now that you mention it… Xu Yue once spoke in the homeowner group chat. He changed his username from the unit number to his real name. I remember him quite clearly.”

“Eh, I don’t pay much attention to that homeowner group,” Rosen replied.

“Why? Do you think he’s suspicious?”

“It’s not exactly that he’s suspicious, but generally speaking, ordinary people wouldn’t think of using living people as human shields,” Officer Luo said. “I know game players can have some quirky tactics, but this isn’t a simple game. Thinking of such a strategy already feels a bit…”

He inhaled sharply, changing the subject. “I’m more concerned about Teest. There’s something off about him. With that look in his eyes, I’m sure I’m not mistaken—that kid doesn’t even bother pretending in front of me.”

‘Indeed,’ Julie thought resignedly. In many ways, Officer Luo couldn’t influence Teest.

“You think he might have a bad influence on Xu Yue?” Dr. Zhu guessed.

“Yes, in a place like this, people’s moral standards can easily waver.”

Rosen smiled wryly. “Xu Yue is an outsider. I don’t know what he’s seen, but his mental state clearly isn’t right—he’s under too much stress. If this continues, he’ll break down.”

“Well, Xu Yue’s sense of justice is too strong. If he were only looking out for himself, he could hide in the hunter’s cabin for two weeks without searching for the white wolf. Think about it; the shadow wolf can’t get in, and that evil cult player probably can’t beat them.”

Dr. Zhu said, “In the end, he didn’t need to care about us… Maybe he feels responsible because he works at that game company.”

Officer Luo laughed. “What I can’t stand the most is this. Good people always have a harder life than the wicked.”

“If you have no objections, once we clear this instance, we can invite Xu Yue to join us. But first, we need to find that cult player. Actually… Shh!”

Julie suddenly stopped, crouching down and alertly turning in a certain direction. Rosen nodded, threw a few concealment spells around, and readied an attack spell in his hand.

Both of them carefully moved through the darkness towards the depths of the forest.

The skies in the instance were always gloomy. There was no sun during the day and no moonlight at night. Thick clouds continuously poured snow towards the ground, but strangely, the snow accumulation remained at a consistent depth.

Julie stepped over the thick snow crust, and through the darkness, she saw the source of the scent—

The old hunter stood deep in the forest with a crossbow in his left hand and a bag of herbs in his right. The scent from the herb bag was pungent, identical to the smell of Nol’s snow boots.

About ten steps away from him, a white wolf stood quietly.

It was a beautiful wolf with golden eyes and fluffy white fur that seemed to shimmer. It gracefully stood on the snow, looking like a winter forest sprite.

At that moment, it tilted its head, gazing at the old hunter nearby.

The white wolf seemed to ponder something for a few seconds, and then it made its move—lowering its body, it lunged at the hunter.

Julie instinctively wanted to rush to help but was held back by Rosen.

“Something’s off,” she said.

As she spoke, the white wolf had already reached the old hunter. It panted and nuzzled against him affectionately, its tail wagging nonstop.

“You idiot! You idiot!” The old hunter crouched down slightly, vigorously rubbing its head. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from this scent? Not even if I’m here. Listen—not even if I’m here!”

The white wolf seemed not to hear, only affectionately licking the old hunter’s face. Its teeth were severely worn out, showing its age.

The hunter picked a clean rock and took out some processed wild chicken and deer innards from his backpack. He carefully laid them on the rock. “Eat… Come on, eat. Eat more.”

The white wolf took the clean piece of chicken, dragging it in front of the old hunter, and then hopped to the side of the innards, munching eagerly. Its tail wagged gently the entire time, looking extremely happy.

The old hunter just watched. He held up the piece of chicken while his expression gradually shifted from tender to sorrowful. There seemed to be some tiny reflections in the hunter’s eyes, but Julie couldn’t see clearly—in this freezing winter night, tears wouldn’t flow.

Having eaten its fill, the white wolf joyfully rolled around in the snow. It cleaned its claws and mouth with the snow, then went back to the old hunter, affectionately rubbing against his leg and even attempting to stand up and pounce into his arms.

“My friend…”

The hunter caressed the warm fur of the white wolf, his voice trembling a bit.

“I can’t hurt them. I can’t even hide my true thoughts from them. This is my fate… Even if I could tell a single lie—do something against my will just once—you have no idea how much I wish I could keep them in the cabin, hold out to the very end… Now they’re searching everywhere for you. I feel like I’m about to get you killed, my friend…”

The old hunter slightly bent down, hugging the white wolf’s head. He hugged with much force and sheer desperation.

It seemed the white wolf sensed his sorrow, and it calmed down, allowing the hunter to hold it quietly. Gradually, the old hunter’s back began to tremble. The white wolf turned its head and gently licked his face.

Its tail kept wagging gently.

---

The author has something to say:

In this chapter, the two completely broke the line of friendship development. You know what’s left to develop, right? (said in a suggestive tone)

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>