Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 42: The So-Called Fate

The skeletal hounds raced across the snowy plains. Their bony claws tread on the snow’s crust, leaving behind only faint traces. Around the hounds’ necks, simple messages were tied with leather straps—

[In three days, the nightmare will end, and you will be sent to the outside world.]

[Once you leave this place, you will lose all memories of it. If you can accept this, please wait patiently. If you can’t, follow the skeletal hounds. Retaining memories comes with certain life risks. Please consider carefully.]

[Yours sincerely, Nameless Mage.]

Inside the cave, Teest stared at the massive shadow wolf—Nol was desperately scratching its neck. Its fur was so thick that the pitch-black soft fur engulfed Nol’s wrist. The shadow wolf purposely stretched its neck straight, seeming to enjoy it.

Not surprising, Teest thought. This beast probably had never been pampered by human hands before. Meanwhile, he was continually ruminating on the outrageous idea Nol had proposed.

“The laws don’t classify a severed head or a headless body as ‘life’; I’ve tried to prove this point,” Nol had said with a smile. “If an animal’s head is cleanly severed, the brain can survive for a while. In our world, some patients even freeze their heads.”

“Usually, there’s a time gap in beheading. I definitely can’t ‘rescue’ too many people at once. But after seeing your fighting, with your speed, we can help more trapped ones.”

Nol held out a hand to him, his eyes shining with pure joy. “Help me, Mr. Mad Monk.”

Honestly, Teest had mixed feelings. He wasn’t sure whether or not to take that hand.

He had decapitated many, mostly to shut them up quickly and occasionally for corpse styling. None of those times were out of “kindness”.

“So, when this space disappears and everyone is transferred outside, you’re going to attach their heads back to their bodies?” Teest muttered. “Honey, do you realize how absurd that sounds?”

“I’ll personally preserve those heads. Handling the bodies can be more rudimentary. It’s not much of an issue.”

Nol wiggled his fingers excitedly. “When separated, the individual isn’t deemed alive; but if the body still has vitality, resurrection magic can regenerate the dead tissue. These two spells have subtle differences in their criteria for ‘life’. It’s a brilliant loophole.”

Teest understood. Relying on the magical power he could draw from the dragon-skin notebook, Nol planned to use the “Great Recovery” spell en masse. As long as Nol ensured the vitality of the heads, he could reattach those poor brains to their necks.

Theoretically, it was feasible.

But Teest didn’t see what was so exciting about it.

He had met those saint-like good guys before, and Teest was quite certain that none of them would come up with such a bizarre and outrageous idea. Compared to Nol, the Mad Monk felt he lacked some creative insanity. Honestly, this made him feel a bit disheartened.

Teest even observed the expressions of the otherworldly couple, noticing they seemed even more speechless than he.

…Perhaps it wasn’t due to otherworldly influences, Teest pondered.

“In my opinion, your plan has a flaw.”

Teest shrugged his shoulders and smiled radiantly. “I don’t see how this benefits me, My Lord Mage—I did agree to be your knight, but a knight isn’t a servant.”

Nol’s smile grew wider, looking almost wicked.

“Of course there’s a benefit for you,” the lich whispered, as if sharing a significant secret. “Let me keep it a surprise for you, okay? You’ll love it, I promise.”

Nol now had body warmth; his warm breath brushed against Teest’s neck, raising faint goosebumps.

‘Alright,’ Teest thought with a smirk. He had to admit he was somewhat charmed.

However, the situation was tricky. The method was theoretically viable, but since no one had ever done it, there was no guarantee of success. Yet, Nol exhibited immense confidence, as if he had already foreseen the outcome.

“I have just one more question.” Teest tilted his face, maintaining his smile. “What if—you know, just what if—you fail? It would turn into a massacre.”

Nol’s expression froze for a moment. He blinked as if trying to comprehend Teest’s words.

“I won’t fail,” he replied a few seconds later.

“How do you know?”

“…Intuition?” Nol’s voice, like his upturned lips, rose slightly. “I just know.”

……

Soon, the fourteenth day of the quest arrived.

Dozens of other survivors came, most of them elderly. They guessed that there were more survivors further away, but most preferred to save their lives or simply didn’t believe the news about the skeletal hounds.

When they heard about Nol’s “beheading plan”, the number of visitors halved, leaving only a dozen or so.

Nol didn’t dwell on these details. In response to Teest’s curious gaze, he repeated his usual line—he wasn’t omnipotent or omniscient, so doing his best was enough.

The dawn sky began to brighten as everyone stood on the snowfield in front of the cave.

Led by Old Hunter, the group sat neatly. They took off their windproof hats and fur collars, exposing their fragile and wrinkled necks. The white wolf quietly stayed beside the old hunter, its fluffy tail almost blending with the snow.

Nol reached out and touched the heads of each survivor, applying a pain-relieving spell.

Teest followed closely. With his slender fingers dancing with snowflakes, thin golden threads appeared on the necks of the people. They were taut, forming a beautiful and icy web.

Even the white wolf had a golden thread around its neck.

The shadow wolf believed the golden thread was a rare item, and it didn’t have one. It lay discontentedly at the entrance of the cave, humming and hawing. In reality, the shadow wolf was too powerful, and Teest wasn’t sure he could behead it.

Besides, it had a special status and a not-so-good brain, so even if it lost its memory, it wouldn’t rush to attack everyone once outside.

After applying the pain-relieving spell, Nol returned to the entrance and stood beside the shadow wolf. His right hand gripped a letter opener while his eyes were fixed on Teest’s silhouette.

A group of elderly people in thick clothing sat in the snow, wrapped in spiderweb-like gold threads, while a handsome knight moved freely among them. Teest’s silver-white hair mixed with the snow, making the scene almost sacred—

At this moment, the infamous Mad Monk truly resembled a divine figure.

As preparations were about to be completed, the couple suddenly approached Teest. Rosen lowered his voice, probably using some spell because Nol couldn’t hear clearly.

……

“After we go out, we’re going to leave,” Rosen said, trying to catch up to Teest.

“So?”

Teest looked down at him disdainfully. “You lost the bet, so you’ll withdraw. Isn’t this what we agreed upon? If you want a farewell hug, I suggest you go to Nol.”

“Honestly, I’m not happy about this.” Rosen sighed. “But the facts are in front of us. We can’t help Nol with knowledge or combat… You’re indeed a better fit as his partner.”

“He was mine from the start; you two just came out of nowhere trying to steal him,” Teest stated matter-of-factly.

Rosen gritted his teeth, obviously trying to control his temper. After a while, he extended his hand. “Mr. Teest, I have a favor to ask.”

Teest crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. He knew the couple didn’t like him, and even now, there was a heavy guard in Rosen’s eyes.

“…I hope you don’t leave him alone.”

Rosen said, “I used to wish you’d stay away from him. Now, well, you might not be the best choice, but it’s better than Nol being alone.”

“My God, you have such a way with words. That’s not how you ask for favors,” Teest grumbled.

“That’s as polite as I get!” Rosen snapped.

“In any case, according to his arrangements, you’ll see him again soon. Then you can see if I’m still around.”

Teest waved him off. “Who knows, maybe I’ll get bored, die, or get eaten by a nasty lich. Anything can happen.”

“Then I hope you live long.”

Rosen rolled his eyes unabashedly. Julie, on the other side, was much more restrained. Dr. Zhu just looked at the survivors with a worried expression, sighing silently.

The sigh turned into a wisp of white mist, gradually dissipating in the air.

The couple stepped back, and Teest signaled to Nol, then gracefully curled his fingers—

The gold threads tightened abruptly, blood splattered, and a dozen heads fell to the snow. Almost at the same moment, Nol’s letter opener pierced the shadow wolf’s paw. Then, his staff pointed to the ground, and a magic array underneath lit up brightly.

The heads never truly hit the ground.

Mixed among the human heads was the head of the white wolf, all flying straight toward Nol. Something protruded from Nol’s spine—

Nol knelt down, his body burdened, and bent over. As the sound of flesh tearing resonated, an unusually thick spine emerged from his back. Like a deformed butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, a gigantic skeletal figure rose from Nol’s back.

The skeleton stood approximately five meters tall, its eye sockets blazing with blue fire. Tree-root-like fleshly tendrils wrapped around its bones. It spread its arms, clutching several severed heads tightly to its chest.

These fleshly tendrils swiftly extended, sealing the neck stumps and enveloping the severed heads. At first glance, the skeletal figure appeared to be holding a strange cluster of mottled grapes.

Below the heads, not a single drop of blood stained the snow.

The tendrils flowed over Nol’s body and sprawled across the snow. They quickly latched onto the decapitated bodies, reattaching the heads to their respective torsos.

Teest watched the bizarre and bloody scene with genuine appreciation. Time seemed to slow down several folds, making the moment feel both sweet and viscous.

How beautiful.

He didn’t even need to make any specific alterations. This man, manipulating life and death and mocking the laws of nature, built hope in this desolate place with his own blood and bones. Nol was the very embodiment of a work named “Blasphemy”.

Several system prompts sounded simultaneously in Teest’s mind. They overlapped, their tones shifting and their contents warping, sounding somewhat mad.

[The white wolf has been slain.]

[You have completed the hidden sub-quest: Night of the Hunt.]

[Now calculating rewards, rewards, rewards, rewards…]

[Core of the instance missing.]

[“Night of the Hunt” will close soon. Warning, “Night of the Hunt” will clo-clo-close…]

[You’ve killed more than 10 unarmed high-level instance creatures within 10 seconds.]

[You’ve achieved the Hidden Evil Achievement: Ruthless Tyranny.]

[Your attack power permanently increases by 10%; You cannot join teams with more than two players, teams…]

The ends of the prompts blended into a grating cacophony. The world trembled madly, and numerous white-lit fissures appeared in the air. Experience points from the quest and the killing of the Immortal Knights quickly poured in, allowing Teest to level up to 30.

Instinctively, Teest turned to check on Nol. But just as the thought arose, the world collapsed before his eyes.

It felt like stepping into thin air in a dream. The solidity of the snow beneath him vanished.

Without closing his eyes, Teest saw only chaotic darkness. After a dizzying sensation, he realized his cheek was against fresh green grass, its vibrant color almost hurting his eyes.

Is it over?

Before Teest’s thoughts could catch up, his body had already sprung up, ready for combat. Simultaneously, a powerful healing magic aura emanated from nearby.

Nol still carried the massive skeletal figure on his back, but the fleshy web on it quickly withered. The severed heads reattached to their respective bodies as the Great Recovery spell showered upon them like rain.

Teest moved forward a few steps and saw the hunter and the white wolf closely bonded.

The Mad Monk’s golden thread was neatly tied, and Old Hunter’s neck wound was clean, leaving only a faint bloodline. That bloodline faded under the Great Recovery magic, and Old Hunter’s chest started to rise and fall.

Immediately afterwards, Old Hunter shivered, suddenly sitting up from the grass. He turned to the side, coughing up a mouthful of blood, but his complexion visibly improved.

“What… How…” he muttered dazedly, unintentionally lifting his head.

It was a cloudless, beautiful day. The blue sky shone brilliantly through the dense green branches, clear and pure.

Old Hunter’s lips quivered as he embraced the still-dazed white wolf. Tears streamed down his face, soaking into his deep wrinkles.

“Blue sky,” he murmured, his face still in disbelief. “Blue sky…”

Teest quickly scanned the surroundings. The couple had already retreated according to Nol’s instructions, and those who chose to forsake their memories would likely awaken far away. Only about a dozen survivors remained nearby, along with… Nol.

Nol lay among the survivors, his mage robe tattered, revealing a bloody back—the magical skeletal figure vanished like a mirage, leaving behind a gruesome wound.

Whether from exhaustion or excessive magic exertion, Nol lay unconscious on the grass. His left hand clutched the dragon-skin notebook to his chest, while his right hand still held the Staff of Sacrifice.

Perhaps because there were outsiders present, Kando remained silent.

Hidden in the grass, almost entirely concealed, Kando’s single vertical eye stared at Teest, brimming with caution.

The shadow wolf sat dumbfoundedly beside Nol. It was unknown whether it retained its memories. Given the wolf’s intelligence, it was challenging to determine. At this moment, the huge creature stared dully at the lush green forest, its nose twitching wildly in the late summer wind.

It seemed that it would take a while for this creature to snap out of its trance.

“I might as well ask, Old Hunter, do you remember everything?” Teest asked without turning his head, squatting down to gently lift the unconscious Nol.

“I remember.” Old Hunter’s voice trembled greatly. “I remember everything… My name isn’t Hunter, it’s Jacob… I remember it all now, everything.”

“Oh,” Teest said calmly. “Old Jacob, you’re free now—take your white wolf and go wherever you wish. My companion needs rest; we’re leaving.”

“Wait!” The old hunter wobbled to his feet.

Stumbling, he approached Teest. The temperature around them rose, making the old leather coat even more pungent. Without being noticed, Teest subtly stepped back. The old man fumbled around his neck and pulled out a wolf’s tooth pendant.

The pendant, threaded by a silver chain, had a delicately crafted wolf’s tooth, which resembled a baby tooth. Time had given it a gentle, polished feel, and under the sun, it emitted a soft glow.

“This is its tooth… It’s been with me for fifty years. This is my most precious possession.” The old hunter held the pendant gently, glancing at the white wolf.

The white wolf, still confused and alert, stood by the hunter’s feet, baring its fangs at this unfamiliar yet warm world.

“I don’t care about destiny or fate anymore, but I should give you a token of gratitude,” the old hunter said somewhat bashfully. “Take it; it should be useful.”

Teest nodded indifferently and reached out to take the pendant.

As he did so, a blue system notification window eerily popped up:

[“Night of the Hunt” Item reward settlement completed.]

[Blessed Tooth: A unique pendant made from the “White Wolf’s” baby teeth, extremely rare. A dual blessing from the hunter and the wolf. The wearer becomes immune to all abnormal statuses.

※This item can be bound. Once bound, it cannot be traded.]

Teest froze for a moment.

“What would you think,” Teest finally turned to the old hunter, looking directly into his eyes, “if I told you that you are still under the manipulation of ‘fate’?”

“I don’t know what to say.” After pondering for a few seconds, the old man revealed a smile of almost pure relief. “The hunter helps the player, the player kills the white wolf, and the hunter gives a reward… This is the ‘fate’ of being a hunter. In essence, all these things have happened.”

Petting the white wolf’s head, the aged wolf looked up and gently licked the warm palm of the hunter.

“But even if the outcome is predestined, the process can be painfully hard. Human thoughts and attitudes can… differ greatly, right?”

Holding the pendant tightly, Teest adjusted his position, allowing Nol’s head to lean slightly on his shoulder.

“Perhaps,” he mumbled.

“You really are not likable,” the old man clicked his tongue, “but you’re young. Meeting someone like me early might be a good thing… Young man, now you know, even when faced with a fate set by the gods, resistance can still be meaningful.”

Teest, cradling the blood-covered Nol, with blood-streaked hair ends, didn’t reply. Instead, he flashed his usual smile.

“You’re not particularly likable either, old man,” he retorted. “You should go. I still have guests to attend to.”

Without waiting for a reply, Teest jumped onto a tree, holding Nol, and sprinted toward the edge of the forest, ignoring the bewildered survivors on the ground.

“I found you.”

A few kilometers away, Crimson revealed a bright smile.

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The author has something to say:

This arc isn’t over yet; let the furry ones sniff the new world a bit more! (?

Congrats to the two for another embrace! (?

Compared to Teest, Nol’s probably the type who likes hugs more…

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