Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 41: Abnormal

Once the enemy attacked, the hunter’s cabin would be the first target. Before the storm, Nol led the others to the cave of the mountain ruins.

Outside the cave, the snow was flying heavily, but inside, a bonfire was burning, making it warm. The place was somewhat equipped for living, sheltered from the wind, and perfect for hiding.

The last time they visited, the three embracing bodies had vanished. Not long ago, they leaned against the hunter’s cabin save point and, along with other bodies, turned to ash.

Now, the stone bed was occupied by an old white wolf, quietly lying on its pelt, its body rising and falling slowly. Its mouth rested on Old Hunter’s thigh while the hunter quietly maintained his crossbow.

Nol leaned against a blank wall, using a white stone as a pen, calculating something over and over. Rosen and Julie watched for a long time but couldn’t understand even half a symbol.

The black candle tears wrapped around Nol’s left wrist, causing his left hand to vanish into thin air, which created quite an eerie sight.

Rosen turned to his wife and whispered a recap, “So, if Nol uses the letter opener to hurt the shadow wolf, this instance will be destroyed, and everyone will be free.”

“…But Old Hunter and others will lose their memories of the past fifty years. I don’t know if our memories will be affected.”

“Most likely not,” Julie whispered back. “According to Nol, we have incomplete player privileges and won’t be treated like regular NPCs.”

“He doesn’t have much time left,” Rosen said, expressing his concerns. “Even if we don’t kill the white wolf, there aren’t many days left in the fourteen-day limit.”

Click. Nol’s writing hand stopped. The symbols on the rock wall twisted and formed a huge magic circle.

“Mr. Hunter, please try this.” Nol picked up “The Complete Recipe Book”.

“Another test? It’s the fifth one, isn’t it?” Hunter carefully moved his thigh from under the wolf’s mouth. Although he complained, his tone had improved significantly since the beginning.

He cooperatively stood before the magic circle. Nol took a deep breath and cast a spell—

The magic circle’s light had barely illuminated for a few seconds before it started to flicker unstably. In a heartbeat, they exploded into fragments. The cave darkened rapidly, leaving only scorch marks on the rock wall.

Another failure.

‘How troublesome,’ Nol thought. “Erasing the memories of sentient beings from an instance” was clearly not an original mechanism of “Tahe”. It was added later by someone else.

Nol had tried isolating the existence of Old Hunter, backing up his memories, or disguising him as a non-living object. All attempts ended in complete failure—his magic would be disrupted and fail as soon as it started.

Nol had recalculated from various angles, and there was no flaw in his magic itself.

To use a modern-day analogy, it was as if a “higher authority program” detected the NPC’s intent to detach and forcibly terminated Nol’s command.

Although the “Tahe’s” system recognized Nol as the creator, he was still powerless against the newly added rules.

Nol lowered his right hand. Having been constantly calculating for so long, the tips of his fingers had turned even paler, stained by the white stone powder.

“…If it really doesn’t work, let’s give up.”

Old Hunter sighed heavily and sat back beside the white wolf.

“I’m already over seventy and don’t have many years left. Even if I had family and friends before I came here, they’re probably not alive anymore… For the outside world, whether I exist or not doesn’t make much difference.”

“I’m not that important, young man,” Old Hunter concluded bitterly. “Meeting you all and having this adventure at my age, I’m already luckier than all previous hunters.”

“I just want to ask you one question. Please answer according to how you feel, not whether it’s valuable or not,” Nol said. “Hunter, do you really want to keep your memories?”

Old Hunter’s hand paused as he was stroking the white wolf, pressing slightly harder against the soft white fur.

“Do you even need to ask, cheeky brat?” he rasped.

“That’s my reason then,” Nol said with utmost seriousness.

It seemed that he couldn’t directly solve the old hunter’s problem. If there was another way, no, another loophole…

Suddenly, a wolf howl came from outside the cave. The white wolf immediately perked up its ears and stood up.

It was the howl of the shadow wolf.

The shadow wolf always lurked near the white wolf… After a long time, it came looking for them again.

Damn it. Nol knew it wasn’t over. Gripping the Staff of Sacrifice, he was about to rush to the entrance when a massive claw stopped him.

It was Julie’s paw.

“I’ll go with Rosen to deal with it,” Dr. Zhu said. “From now on, we have to part ways. The two of us need to adapt to a real fight in advance—you don’t have to intervene. Just tell us what we need to be aware of.”

Rosen nodded vigorously. “If something goes wrong, we’ll call for help. At that point, you can just help us recover.”

The words “But you might be in mortal danger” nearly slipped out from Nol, but he swallowed them back. After all, who among them wasn’t facing danger?

Nol carefully examined the couple. Their attributes flashed through his mind as he rapidly calculated the various possibilities of the upcoming battle. The shadow wolf had been injured earlier, so it surely wasn’t at full health. If the couple focused solely on defense, the probability of success was more than 10%…

“I understand. Let me briefly explain its mechanics.”

After a dozen seconds, Nol threw several protective spells at the cave entrance, then quickly elaborated, “The shadow wolf is a special creature that exists only in this instance. In principle, it cannot be defeated.”

“According to its settings, the shadow wolf values its life highly. If its health drops to between 50% and 70%, it will retreat on its own…”

……

After the couple left, the cave seemed even more vast. Nol selected another piece of white stone and began another round of calculations. From night to dawn, from afternoon to evening, as the day was about to pass, he couldn’t grasp any new insights.

Indeed, rules imposed by outsiders were hard to counter… If only he had more information…

Wait a minute. Haven’t the couple been gone for too long? Their presence was still nearby, but as Nol decided to step out, there was a sudden tremor. The realism of the environment faded for a moment, and Nol acutely perceived an odd disturbance.

At the same time, a mournful howl from the shadow wolf echoed nearby.

Quickening his pace, Nol rushed out of the cave. On the snowy field not far away, he saw the scarred shadow wolf and the panting couple.

The evening grew darker, and all three creatures on the snow were stained with blood. The shadow wolf’s old injuries hadn’t healed, making its movement cumbersome. Now, with new wounds and blood matting its dark fur, it looked utterly pitiful.

Its health bar was already around 40%.

…Why hasn’t it left? Doesn’t it cherish its life? …Is the decreased realism of the instance related to its core being “overly damaged”?

Just as Nol was about to rush forward, he halted. Reflected in his blue eyes, the shadow wolf quietly turned its gaze to Nol, its tail gently swaying.

……

The shadow wolf had been in deep slumber for a long time—so long that it lost track of time.

It didn’t enjoy sleeping; it loved running through the forests. It loved the feel of the wind through its fur and the sensation of tearing warm flesh with its fangs. It cherished every feeling of being alive.

It was always happy. However, it had a vague sense that something was missing from its joy. This feeling made it howl at the moon, though it wasn’t clear who it was calling out to.

Yet, the shadow wolf was clear about its fate—

It knew that it had to protect the only white wolf.

It wasn’t difficult; the shadow wolf loved the scent of the white wolf. It smelled similar—a familiar and warm scent.

Maybe the white wolf was its kin, the shadow wolf thought. Even if the white wolf was small and fragile, it didn’t matter. As long as the shadow wolf was awake, it would protect it.

It also knew that the “players” with a distinctive scent were annoying. They would kill its white kin, so it had to drive them far away.

But this time, the white wolf was odd. It was always with the despised “players”, yet miraculously remained unharmed. The shadow wolf, not being good at thinking, tried hard but couldn’t figure it out.

Until a recent battle.

It saw the black-haired “player” wielding a knife, killing a larger “player” who had been bullying it. In that moment, it smelled that familiar, comforting scent.

Just like the white wolf.

It made sense! The shadow wolf realized. No wonder the white wolf was always with the “players”; they belonged to the same group. The black-haired “player” wasn’t a real player at all, but a wolf with a scent somewhat similar to a “player”.

They looked different and were of varying sizes, but that didn’t matter. They surely were its family. They smelled so alike.

Without waiting for its wounds to heal, the shadow wolf began to run. It dashed through the woods and over the snow, feeling pain but also an unprecedented happiness. They were its kin. The shadow wolf stubbornly believed that it was strong and thus destined to protect them.

…Then monsters stood in its way.

The battle seemed endless, with blood turned into thin ice by the cold wind. The shadow wolf knew it should retreat, but it remained still. After an indeterminate amount of time, its kin came to greet it.

Enduring the pain, the shadow wolf wagged its tail joyously at Nol.

In the large wolf’s eyes, its black-furred kin stood still, emitting a faint scent of sorrow.

“Stop,” Nol told the couple. “Rosen, heal yourself and your wife first.”

He forced down any potential tremor in his voice.

The shadow wolf, as a boss designed for this dungeon, should be a cold mechanical entity. Yet, at that moment, Nol didn’t feel any hostility from the wolf.

Compared to the hunter and the white wolf, the connection between the shadow wolf and the system was tighter. When Nol used system privileges to “ban” Jack, the wolf might have sensed something. Those crimson wolf eyes stared at him, their gaze puzzled but gentle.

…So you’re also a “real life” being, right?

[Young man, both humans and wolves are social animals. Tell me, why are only we waiting here alone?] Old Hunter once asked him.

He was mistaken; they all were. Waiting here alone, it wasn’t just the hunter and the white wolf… The shadow wolf was also part of this dungeon. How could he have been so wrong?

Suppressing the quiver in his voice, Nol couldn’t hold back a bitter smile.

Not long ago, Nol had even thought of teaming up with Teest to try and kill the shadow wolf. It was a strong and rare dungeon creature. Maybe he could acquire a powerful skill and significantly boost his attributes.

…This isn’t a game—not a game. He always easily forgot that.

Amongst the puzzled looks from the couple, Nol stepped on the thick snow and slowly walked towards the shadow wolf. Its tail wagged even more noticeably. Seeing Rosen and Julie stopping, it even sat down on the soft snow, panting heavily.

Hesitating, Nol reached out his hand. The wolf lowered its massive head, gently nudging Nol’s hand with its nose.

‘It’s a bit cold,’ Nol thought.

After a careful sniff, the wolf initially bared its fangs, then hesitated and cautiously licked Nol’s fingers.

Nol sighed deeply and gently placed his hand on the wolf’s blood-soaked wounds. The glow of healing magic lit up, the wounds on the shadow wolf gradually healed, and the health bar above its head soared rapidly. Its black fur became soft and fluffy once again.

The wolf let out a joyful whimper and affectionately nuzzled Nol’s hair.

As its health bar filled up, everything in the dungeon became solid and real again.

Rosen had also healed his wounds by now. Stunned, he stared at the scene. “Brother, what are you doing…”

“It looks like I have another friend to save.” Nol didn’t avoid the wolf’s affectionate gestures. He tiptoed to pat the giant black wolf’s head. “Thanks to it, I’ve thought of a good plan.”

……

After dealing with the Immortal Knights, Teest didn’t immediately look for Nol.

First, he darted into the forest, hunted two plump deer, skinned them, and grilled the tenderest parts into juicy steaks. After all this, he even fashioned a small bouquet from pinecones and needles, tying it to the package of venison.

If Nol was angry at him for cutting off their [Telepathy], Teest would just stuff his mouth with this food. Even the angriest person would appreciate good food. Once Nol softened, Teest was confident he could win him over—

Compared to the numerous victims he had duped before, his lich husband was among the simplest.

Having planned everything, Teest happily headed for the cave. Soon, the familiar entrance appeared in his sight—

Strange, why is it so dark inside the cave? 

Why are there two red dots in the darkness? 

Ah, the shadow is opening its mouth… It has its tongue sticking out and is drooling… Why is the Shadow Wolf blocking the entrance?!

Teest took a sharp breath, wondering if he was too late and Nol and the others had been devoured by the shadow wolf.

Such a tragedy; it’s so sad. It seems these deer steaks will only serve as…

“Teest?” Nol’s head peeked out from the dense black fur. “Don’t stand at the entrance. Come in.”

Teest stared at that head, opening and closing his mouth. It wasn’t until the wolf drooled a waterfall that he weakly asked, “Honey, do you have some special attraction to monsters?”

“That’s why I attracted you.” Nol tried to clear away the wolf fur. “It’s okay. It won’t bite you… I think. I suggest you give it the food first.”

Teest lifted the pinecone bouquet from its paper wrapping with a dry laugh. The shadow wolf opened its wide mouth and swallowed the paper along with the roasted venison. Conscience of heaven and earth, that paper bag was just enough for one bite.

“For you,” Teest thrust the pinecone bouquet into Nol’s hands.

“…What do you mean?”

“I suddenly lost my ‘Telepathy’. I guess you’d care,” Teest said innocently. “So I thought, a little gesture of goodwill was necessary…”

Nol looked amusedly at the bouquet for a while. Later, he carefully hung it on his bag. “Thanks for your little gesture. It’s cute. But honestly, you don’t need to be so constrained.”

“…Oh?”

“I know you’re the ‘Mad Monk’. You must have a basket full of things you don’t want me to know,” Nol said solemnly. “You respect my privacy, and I certainly have to respect yours—since you’ve actively severed the telepathy and it wasn’t broken by someone else, I don’t mind.”

Teest carefully squeezed past the shadow wolf blocking the entrance, raising an eyebrow. “Then I thank you for your consideration.”

‘Such a thoughtful companion,’ Teest thought. He hadn’t expected Nol to be so indifferent, but that indifference irked him for some unknown reason.

“I guess all those knights are dead. I’ve been getting experience points notifications on my end,” Nol continued. “The experience points given by the NPCs are quite high. I hope Jack and the others didn’t earn theirs this way…”

“Hmm, high experience points?” Teest mused. “I still remember where their corpses are if you want to boost your stats a bit…”

Nol staggered, almost horrified. “No, no, no! Not humans, absolutely not! Lord Swain was my limit. Today, I must make it clear—even if it’s you, making such a joke again will make me very angry!”

Ah, now he’s angry.

Teest chuckled. Teasing normal people was just too much fun, and that inexplicable irritation disappeared instantly.

“Don’t be angry. I’ll remember, I won’t bring it up again.” The cave was a bit dusty, Teest casually tied up his long hair. “So, what’s our latest progress?”

“Ah.”

Nol stopped in his tracks. He turned his head again, his features hidden in the shadows, but those blue eyes still shone brightly. “Speaking of which, you’re just in time—Mr. Mad Monk, do you know how to decapitate someone painlessly?”

“What?” Teest thought he might have misheard.

“To decapitate painlessly—to sever a person’s head in the shortest time possible.”

Nol elaborated, even demonstrating on his own neck. “The cleaner the method, the better.”

“It’s doable, but why are you suddenly interested in this?”

“I’ve finally found a way to retain the memories of NPCs,” Nol said with a light and joyful tone.

“If the memory of an ‘intelligent being’ is doomed to be erased, then the solution is to make the target no longer ‘alive’. A mere head, I assume, doesn’t fit the definition of an ‘intelligent being’.”

“Next, we have to find all the survivors and decapitate each one.”

…It seemed he had to take back what he said earlier. Teest thought with a rare shock. Teasing a normal person? The guy in front of him was definitely not normal.

What kind of “rescue” method is this?!

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The author has something to say:

Teest: My partner goes crazy occasionally—crazier than me when he does. He needs a crazy code (×

Nol: Giving my partner a little modern (?) shock!

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Kinky Thoughts:

Ah, the shadow wolf is actually a good boy!

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