Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 37: Bad News

For a moment, even the shadow wolf stopped moving.

Jack’s features were quite handsome. Standing roughly two meters tall, he somewhat resembled a famous muscular Hollywood actor. At that moment, his body bubbled up with thick blisters, much like boiling porridge.

His facial features were deformed, muscles melting, streaming down his body, and disappearing the moment they touched the snow.

The muscular facade gradually vanished, and the remaining flesh quickly reformed—

Where the burly Jack had fallen, there was now only a skinny man.

He was undeniably of Eastern descent, with a sleazy appearance with a face full of acne scars, standing less than 1.7 meters tall, slightly hunchbacked. His face twisted in pain while his eyes were rolling frantically.

The cold quickly turned his ears and nose red, while the rest of his skin turned pale. He was still wearing an orange vest typically worn by criminal suspects, glaringly conspicuous against the snow.

With a soft sound, a player’s earring fell to the snow, turning into a pile of powder and then being blown away by the wind.

“It can’t be… Impossible…”

Jack murmured in a daze, looking at his hands and cuffs. There was grime accumulated under his nails, and his cuffs were stained with soup. A scar lay vividly on the back of his hand, with marks of stitches.

He grasped at the air in vain, trying to retrieve an item from his tool bar, but only caught the biting cold wind.

“Status bar! Status bar!”

He croaked hoarsely while his expression became increasingly terrified. The language that came out of Jack’s mouth was no longer a common tongue but a mother tongue very familiar to Nol. There was also a stab wound from a letter opener on his shoulder, a small injury that continued to bleed without any signs of healing.

“…Liang Guanghui?!” From the nearby bone cage, Rosen took a sharp intake of breath.

Jack abruptly turned his head, looking blankly at Rosen. His lips turned blue, and he was too shaken to speak.

Dr. Zhu didn’t lower her voice. “You know him?”

“A buddy of mine caught him. Before we came here, this guy was in the detention center. His case was still in progress.” Rosen stared intently at “Jack”, speaking rapidly.

“Liang Guanghui committed crimes in the north, specializing in killing girls around fifteen and sixteen. He deceived girls who weren’t valued in the countryside to ‘pursue a better life’, and then violated them. Afterwards, he would dismember them and dispose of their bodies. Most of the families of these girls didn’t report the crime or cooperate so it was very difficult. We have found at least five victims so far…”

Nol listened numbly.

His body was icy cold, as if he had become part of the chilling wind. In his drooping right hand, the letter opener “Bad News” was still dripping blood.

…Reality…

…This is reality.

This world is undoubtedly real.

Finally, he thought, his terrifying suspicion had become a reality. The previous abnormalities could be forcibly explained as “changes in the game”. However, now the evidence in front of him was irrefutable.

Not to mention that “Tahe World” was adapted for VR headsets. Even if it were a VR gaming pod, it wouldn’t reproduce one’s appearance and clothing to this extent.

Moreover, such a serious criminal would never be allowed to log into a game. Neither a gaming headset nor a gaming pod would be allowed into a detention center.

The players weren’t trapped inside game characters. They physically arrived in this world and assumed the forms of their characters through some system.

…Are they still on Earth? Why does this world resemble his game so much?

…If even a murderer could be brought here, what exactly is this “game” that players have logged into? Why does it keep them here? And who or what are these bizarre “gods”?

…Who is behind all of this?

To Nol’s surprise, he didn’t even have the energy to collapse anymore. Despair and fear had turned into kindling, atop which anger was slowly igniting.

This was his game, a paradise he had crafted with his own hands. He had poured years of effort and hope into “Tahe”, and now someone had turned it into a pure hell.

These were his compatriots. He had eagerly anticipated the players’ reactions, hoping they’d love this world, explore, relax, and even fall in love. Now they were trapped, reaping only fear.

He would never forgive whoever orchestrated this. He would…

Nol clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. The pain dispelled the rising hatred. Hatred was the enemy of reason, and being the most informed among his kind, he couldn’t let emotions cloud his judgment—

He had the best chance of uncovering the “truth of the world”.

Thanks to this Jack, Nol had realized two things.

First, this wasn’t a game. Until he understood the truth, nobody could easily return home.

Second, if there was nothing wrong with the letter opener, then he, the creator, was special in the eyes of the “system”… Special enough to directly strip players of their privileges.

“Omniscience” and “highest authority” would be his greatest weapons.

From this moment on, his plan might need a slight modification—uncovering the world’s truth would be his primary objective.

Speaking of which, as expected from the “Bad News” letter opener, Nol tightly gripped the tool. This Jack was undoubtedly a malicious letter from reality.

Nol took a deep breath of the cold air. Not a single tear fell this time.

Perhaps this was the first time he had been this calm since arriving in this world.

“Do you need me to hug you again?”

Warm hands gently touched Nol’s shoulders from behind, and the voice of Teest sounded in his ears. In the cold winter, Teest’s breath felt warm and carried the thick scent of pine and blood.

“I’m fine,” Nol said, placing a hand over Teest’s. To his surprise, his own hand was trembling slightly.

“You don’t look fine,” Test replied. “You look like you want to kill someone—I guess you’ve finally confirmed that this world is real.”

Nol remained silent.

Teest chuckled, his fingers grazing the letter opener. The blood on its blade had turned to thin ice.

Teest never asked anything. Nol looked down, appreciating that.

“We should move Liang Guanghui before he freezes to death,” Julie warned. “He surely knows something.”

From a distance, Rosen looked at Nol and Teest, who stood close together.

Teest, taller than Nol, stood behind him, leaning forward, his silver hair cascading over Nol’s shoulders.

He looked like a ghost, firmly attached to Nol.

From this angle, Rosen could see Teest’s face. Although Rosen had seen many kinds of people, he had never seen such emotion on any human face. It was pure joy and curiosity, like a beast sensing another.

“You’re right. Mr. Liang can’t die just yet,” Nol said after a long silence. “Let’s head back to the save point.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack… or rather, Liang Guanghui, with purple lips and a trembling voice, murmured. “I don’t understand… I don’t understand… status bar…”

From start to end, the shadow wolf stared at Nol, never moving an inch.

And in a corner unseen by Nol, the black candle atop the staff opened its eyes. Its eyes shifted subtly, the pupils nearly touching one end of the slit. In the shadow, it silently watched the “Necromancer” standing a few steps away.

……

The flames in the fireplace never ceased, casting shadows of everything inside the room that danced silently.

Liang Guanghui was tightly bound by ropes, with some fur piled on him, barely ensuring he wouldn’t freeze to death. His gaze was scattered, and he looked utterly devastated, clearly not yet recovered from the shock.

Wrapped in fur, he appeared even smaller and frail, a far cry from the intimidating presence of “Player Jack”.

The hunter, accompanied by the white wolf, squatted in a corner, feeling a bit bewildered after the player’s transformation. But having witnessed the methods of Teest and Nol, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Rosen and Julie sat on the bed’s edge, with Rosen’s brows constantly furrowed. To them, this world felt real, and this wasn’t shocking for them. They had been surviving in the snow-covered wilderness for over a month, completely unaware of any game. They always believed this was reality.

But Nol, who “came from a gaming company”, was different. Rosen thought Nol would break down, but after enduring multiple shocks, Nol seemed even more composed. Fortunately, his emotions remained intact—

A few steps away, Nol stood silently, gripping the handle of a letter opener so tightly that, even in the warm glow of the fire, his knuckles remained white.

Teest, having washed his hands with snow water, cheerfully approached Liang Guanghui. “Now it’s time for the ‘interrogation’ phase.”

“Only players can understand the language, and he can’t understand you now. Won’t there be communication problems?” Nol asked.

“I can understand him. That’s enough. I have my ways,” Teest said casually, lifting Liang Guanghui by the collar. The latter seemed to realize something and began to struggle desperately.

“Help!” He cried out in Nol’s native tongue. “This is reality! It’s real! God, I’m one of you. We should unite—!”

“I won’t do anything. I was wrong before. I thought this was a game! I’m willing to go to jail or face execution, just don’t let him take me away… Please…”

Ignoring the pleas, Teest began humming a tune. He dragged Liang Guanghui with one hand while spinning the “Betrayer” between his fingers in the other, its blade glinting in the firelight.

“Damn you! Don’t you have any humanity? Is this how you treat your own kind? I won’t say a damn thing, even if it kills me!”

As begging seemed to have no effect, Liang Guanghui’s voice turned shrill. “Grandpa’s log-off here will be noticed by the Eternal Church. You’ll all die—”

Rosen instinctively moved. Nol shifted slightly, blocking Rosen’s view.

“I’m sorry, Officer Rosen,” Nol whispered, standing directly above a conspicuous bloodstain. “I need information—to interrogate a scum, which might give us a clue to survive. I believe it’s worth it.”

“I’ll take full responsibility. If we get back, you can arrest me.”

Looking into Nol’s blue eyes, Rosen hesitated for a moment.

Nol was well aware of what he was doing, his eyes full of sorrow but determination. Seeing that Rosen had no intention to intervene, he stepped forward, intending to follow Teest.

But Teest stopped.

Holding up his hunting knife and smiling almost sweetly, he said, “Sorry, honey, I don’t like being watched when I’m ‘creating’. Besides—”

He sized up Nol, his smile fading slightly.

“I want to leave a good impression on you, lest you stab me with that letter opener.”

Teest cheerfully added, “You might want to enjoy the beautiful snowy scenery or look at some cute animals. It’ll be good for you.”

“To borrow your own words—leave the rest to me. I got this.”

Without giving Nol a chance to respond, he jumped out of the doorway, taking Liang Guanghui with him to the upper level of the “house cube”.

Nol didn’t follow. He returned to the fireplace, adding a few logs to the fire, and began to calculate something on paper.

The only sounds in the room were the scratching of his pen and the soft crackling of the fire. Perhaps Teest had cast a soundproof spell because it was also silent outside.

The letter opener was set aside, shimmering by the fireplace as if nothing had changed.

……

In the early hours of the morning, Teest returned to find the room empty.

“Teest,” Nol called out from the nearby snowy ground, his voice fragmented by the cold wind. “…Where’s Liang Guanghui?”

He stood quietly in the darkness, having finally put away the letter opener.

“The ‘inquiry’ went smoothly, and the gentleman answered with exceptional sincerity.”

Teest said with a smirk. “But he’s more fragile than I thought. He died so quickly that he didn’t even provide experience points. To be honest, I was quite surprised.”

“It’s good that you got the information.” After a long pause, Nol nodded.

Teest leaned in closely and asked, “Did you have a pleasant evening? It seems like there’s no one in the house. Did everyone go out for a walk?”

“They went back to the real hunter’s cabin first. I was waiting for you here, wrapping things up.” Nol moved behind Teest and carefully closed the wooden door.

Teest looked around and wasn’t too surprised to find that the corpses of the players in the snow had disappeared. Those who died on the snowfield were all transferred around the house. Nol fixed their bodies, and they leaned against the external walls of the cabin, snuggled on each other, as if taking a short rest.

“You tried the ‘letter opener’ again,” Teest stated.

“Yes, the hunter, the couple, and I—we all tried it. Old Hunter even caught a pheasant for me to stab. It was a fulfilling evening,” Nol said with a stern face. “There’s nothing wrong with the knife itself. It only becomes particularly terrifying when I hold it.”

“Those players have returned to their original forms. We’ve… taken proper care of them.”

“What about that poor pheasant?” Teest asked, showing no real concern for those unfortunate beings from another world.

“I injured it, and nothing happened. Then it became everyone’s dinner.” Nol replied absent-mindedly. “I know what you’re about to ask. I won’t stab you with it until I’m sure of the situation… and we’ve agreed on that, haven’t we?”

“You really put me at ease.”

In fact, what Teest wanted to ask was, “Why not try it on that couple? Maybe they’d turn back into humans.” Of course, they weren’t regular players and might perish entirely.

But given Nol’s current mental state… it seemed peculiar. Teest didn’t want to argue with Nol just yet, so it was best not to bring it up.

Stretching, Teest said, “What follows is simple. You continue your experiments here joyfully and just wait for the mission’s time limit to pass.”

“No.”

Nol closed the wooden door and turned around, standing in front of a pile of “physical save points”. Slowly, a smile crept across his face—

“Next, I’m going to destroy the entire instance.”

Teest’s stretching motion froze mid-air.

Behind Nol, a fierce blue flame suddenly rose, engulfing the entire cabin. The silhouette of Nol was starkly outlined by the flames, almost violently striking one’s vision. The blue glow tore through the night, reflecting bright colors on the dark clouds.

Unlike the previous necromantic blue fire, this flame was blazing hot. The wooden houses and bodies melted away like snow, disappearing without even leaving ashes behind.

With the boundless fire behind him and still smiling, Nol’s hair gently fluttered in the night breeze. His blue eyes burned with the same intensity as the flames.

Teest held his breath, an uncommon pause in his thoughts. After a long while, he barely murmured, “Why destroy them? Such a grand gesture might alert the creator of the save points…”

“Because the dead deserve a sincere funeral. Even if that being notices, at most, they’ll target you and me,” Nol answered matter-of-factly.

“Mr. Mad Monk, you once said that you don’t need to be responsible for me. And also…”

“And also?” Teest repeated, gazing intently at Nol.

Nol’s smile widened. “If one is always cautious and only seeks a 100% safe path, is that truly an ‘adventure’?”

That same smile.

Teest couldn’t help but reach out, longing to touch those blazing eyes. They shone so brightly that one would want to encase them in a jewel box.

Halfway through his motion, Teest snapped back to reality, trying to mask his intention. But this time, he was too late.

Nol caught that hand, pulling it close to his own neck. Teest could feel the fake pulse of the lich and… the warmth of soft skin.

Nol tilted his head slightly, pressing his cheek against the back of Teest’s hand.

“See, I have body temperature now,” he chuckled.

Behind Nol, the blue flame grew fiercer. The heat dispersed, melting the snow. In this moonless and starless night, it seemed like the only light source.

Teest remained silent for a long time.

“…Are you trying to tempt me, Nol?” he finally asked.

“Yes,” Nol replied calmly. “Next, I will destroy even more… I need you. Come with me, my knight.”

Teest rarely took a deep breath. He took a step forward, his palm hooking around Nol’s nape. The latter didn’t dodge or hide; he just looked intensely with his burning eyes.

Teest tilted his shoulders slightly, and their foreheads touched.

Their breaths brushed each other’s faces, equally hot.

“I like this temperature.”

The usual smile on Teest’s face disappeared completely. His face was strangely stiff, as if, other than smiling, he was unfamiliar with other expressions.

He didn’t close his eyes, just looking straight at Nol. Those blue eyes were close, still burning intensely.

‘How dazzling,’ he thought.

“I’m yours,” he said.

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The author has something to say:

Hehe, someone’s heart is moved; I won’t tell who it is. (?

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