Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 12
Qi Liuxing looked up towards the opposite shore, the bright red of the apples reflected in his eyes. He said, “It’s because they all ate the apples! Wait a minute—”
Before Zhou Qian could explain, Qi Liuxing quickly understood the crux of the matter.
If eating the apples meant that the believers wouldn’t attack each other, then the solution to this instance was simple: players just needed to eat the apples.
After consuming the apples, players might lose their sanity temporarily, but they wouldn’t face any attacks. They could comfortably clear the dungeon.
At first glance, this method seems to align with a 70% average clearance rate.
However, on second thought, it was illogical.
Without certainty regarding any hidden intentions of God Epoh, players would naturally be hesitant to consume his apples.
And after witnessing the transformation of the first believer, most players would undoubtedly be discouraged from eating the apples. They couldn’t be sure that they wouldn’t turn into a monster and face unforeseen consequences.
Hence, the most straightforward way to clear the instance couldn’t be by eating the apples.
Qi Liuxing agreed that 70% of players cleared the dungeon by employing the guerrilla tactics Zhou Qian mentioned earlier.
Given this, the reason why the transformed believers didn’t attack each other might not necessarily be related to consuming the apples.
As Qi Liuxing was pondering, he suddenly noticed Zhou Qian emerging from behind a tree. “There might be a hidden buff on the opposite shore that prevents them from fighting there, like the white petals or perhaps… the presence of God Epoh himself.”
Then he said something that left Qi Liuxing utterly stunned. “I need to go to the opposite shore.”
Seeing Zhou Qian willingly head towards the other side, Qi Liuxing felt he shouldn’t care about his well-being but couldn’t help himself. He made a gesture to stop him. “Are you out of your mind?”
The believers on the other shore were already consuming the apples. Even though their transformations were at different stages, they would eventually turn into monsters like Believer No. 1.
Believer No. 1 couldn’t find a target on the opposite shore, so she crossed the bridge in search of players.
Now, Zhou Qian dared to directly approach the opposite side, plunging himself into the horde of monsters. Was this some kind of suicide mission?
“There’s a saying: ‘Without destruction, there’s no construction1.’ Or perhaps… ‘Place oneself in death ground and one will live2.’ To obtain rare rewards, one must be adventurous.”
1(不破不立) Idiom referring to the new cannot be established without destroying the old.
2(置之死地而后生) It’s a term originally used to refer to a battle where the army is placed in a situation where there is no way to retreat and only die in battle, thus they have to march forward and kill their enemies. Now it’s a metaphor for cutting off one’s retreat in advance so one can make up one’s mind to achieve success.
Zhou Qian turned and smiled at Qi Liuxing. “Moreover, Xiao Qi Didi*, I’m not the person you think I am… I don’t just use people for my benefit.”
*Younger brother (弟弟)
“Choosing to stay and explore the hidden achievements was my decision. So, I didn’t trick you into taking risks on the other shore. If I do find a protective buff, then everyone benefits.”
“You—!”
Qi Liuxing furrowed his brows, truly puzzled about Zhou Qian’s character.
Without looking back, Zhou Qian simply waved. “I tricked you in the treehouse because I had no other choice. Otherwise, I would have died.”
“Now, I want to apologize. You might not accept it, but I fear I may not have another chance.”
“What do you mean, Zhou Qian…”
Did he say this because he’s prepared for death?
Is he truly willing to risk his life for everyone’s benefit?
Should I use the [Tick Tock Clock] to save him if something happens?
I can save him…
Zhou Qian’s voice echoed again. “Are you hesitating about using the [Tick Tock Clock]? If something happens to me, saving me would be a favor, not an obligation. I understand if you choose not to. Don’t feel pressured.”
“……”
Qi Liuxing couldn’t form a coherent response before Zhou Qian quickly dashed onto the bridge.
On the semi-transparent crystal bridge, Zhou Qian and Believer No. 1 stood at opposite ends, their gazes locking.
Facing Zhou Qian, the first believer abruptly raised her sharp-clawed hands. Although she walked slowly, something else was rushing rapidly towards Zhou Qian—the monstrous fetus connected to her waist.
With a swift lash of its bizarre blood-red umbilical cord, a baby’s head lunged at Zhou Qian, baring its teeth.
The echoing laughter of the baby surrounded Zhou Qian, almost causing double visions as countless blood-red baby heads seemed to surround him.
Just by being attacked by the baby’s laughter, his HP started to plummet rapidly.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 70%]
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 60%]
……
In a fleeting moment, Zhou Qian tried desperately to gather his senses. As he did, the apparition vanished, and the baby head connected by the umbilical cord was almost within his reach.
Suddenly, the umbilical cord shot up high. The attached baby head followed quickly, opening its mouth, which was dripping with blood, and swiftly lunged at Zhou Qian.
Witnessing this scene from the lakeside, Qi Liuxing and even Zhu Qiang and Yu Xian in front of their phone screens, all held their breaths.
At the last moment, Zhou Qian quickly took out a rope from his bag and threw it towards a thick branch hanging above the lake.
[Item: Flying Rope]
[Function: When thrown, it adheres to any target within 100 meters with 100% accuracy, allowing for an exhilarating flying experience. Adhesion duration: three minutes.]
Zhou Qian had snagged this from Dong Xiang.
The rope quickly attached itself to the tree trunk. After testing its grip, Zhou Qian pulled hard, propelling his body upward.
The moment his feet left the ground, there was a loud boom. The baby’s head missed and slammed into the bridge, shattering the crystalline structure!
The bridge collapsed instantly. Believer No. 1, caught off guard, plunged into the lake. Her fate was evident—torn to shreds by the water.
A mist of blood arose and then dispersed. Watching all this, Qi Liuxing felt a mixture of relief and lingering fear.
Looking back at Zhou Qian, he saw him swinging back and forth over the lake, like he was on a swing. The rope tightened around his slim waist, creating a beautiful silhouette. With a confident smile, Zhou Qian looked back at Qi Liuxing, seemingly assured of his victory.
This boosted Qi Liuxing’s confidence. Maybe the situation wasn’t as difficult as they had initially thought. Zhou Qian had earlier guessed that the god-like believers would mimic the goddess in creating bridges. But now it seemed they lacked this skill, so if they could destroy the other two crystal bridges and stop them from crossing, it might work.
Just as Qi Liuxing was about to share his thoughts with Zhou Qian, he realized how naive he had been.
On the opposite bank of the lake, another believer underwent transformation, radiating a red glow with white pupils. He stood stunned by the destroyed bridge for a moment. Then, imitating the flapping of a bird’s wings, he unexpectedly grew a pair of wings!
Qi Liuxing exclaimed in shock, “The transformed believers can evolve!”
The believer before had transformed her unborn baby into a weapon. Now this one learned to fly to cross the river!
With a single flap, the believer took flight, seemingly catching a scent. His pale eyes settled on Zhou Qian in mid-air. He sniffed, confirming the scent, and lunged at Zhou Qian!
[Target: Believer No. 17]
[Rank: C]
[Skills: ???]
[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]
“Zhou Qian, watch out!” Qi Liuxing yelled as he rushed forward, wielding his sword.
Using the [Divine Sword Stance], he unleashed multiple slashes of invisible sword qi* towards the winged believer. The believer was caught off-guard, injured, and started to plummet to the lake’s surface. However, he quickly flapped his wings and regained altitude, charging again at Zhou Qian.
*Vital force forming part of any living entity. You can think of it as energy.
[Player Qi Liuxing: Energy decreased by 400, 80% remaining]
[Believer No. 17: Health decreased by 1%]
After quickly checking the system panel, Qi Liuxing: “……”
‘This creature’s vitality is too high. It’s like I’m barely scratching it. How can I even attack it?’
Zhou Qian’s voice echoed from above. “Qi Liuxing, don’t take him head-on! Aim for his wings, get him into the lake!”
Qi Liuxing, being a Rank D player, wasn’t a novice. Before Zhou Qian’s reminder, he had already used the [Divine Sword Stance] once more, this time aiming at the believer’s wings. Caught off guard, the believer’s wings were severed, causing him to plummet into the lake and explode into fragments.
Meanwhile, Qi Liuxing’s energy was down to 60%.
Hanging in mid-air holding a rope, Zhou Qian glanced across the lake and asked Qi Liuxing, “What’s your ultimate move?”
“[Divine Sword: Second Stance]. Using it once will consume 50% of my energy. To fully recover, I’ll have to wait till tomorrow.”
Zhou Qian: “…”
The game was most lacking in items that restore energy.
In other words, it was challenging to replenish energy through artificial methods like consuming potions.
Given his current energy, Qi Liuxing could either use his ultimate move once more or use three regular skills in succession.
But there were still 17 believers undergoing divine transformation.
Furthermore, after becoming gods, these believers have shown astonishing evolutionary abilities.
They could grow wings, and they might even be able to see through the players’ scheme to lure them into the lake.
The difference in strength between the two sides was just too vast.
How could they fight?
Qi Liuxing immediately said to Zhou Qian, “Let’s give up. This instance doesn’t kill all the players directly, so the divine transformation speed of the believers is different. While the other 17 believers haven’t completed their apotheosis, let’s hide in the treehouse!”
“No,” Zhou Qian replied.
Qi Liuxing, standing by the lake, looked up and saw Zhou Qian’s cold, indifferent, yet incredibly firm profile.
“We must seize the time to go to the other side of the lake and find a protective buff while the 17 believers haven’t all completed their apotheosis.”
“Zhou Qian, you’re insane!”
“Those who enter the game… are probably all insane.”
With a light laugh, Zhou Qian glanced across the lake, turned his head, and stared into Qi Liuxing’s eyes.
His deep black pupils seemed to hide a powerful allure.
He asked, “What about you? Where’s your madness?”
Qi Liuxing replied, “I’m not mad! I can just see ghosts…”
“To be precise, I can only see one ghost. He’s always with me. My parents just think I’ve lost it.”
“The doctors say I have severe schizophrenia*.”
*Mental disorder characterized by continuous or releasing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking.
“When the game approached me, it said—the living can die, the dead can live.”
“So, I thought, those without desires won’t be chosen by the game.”
“What’s your obsession, being so young? Do you want to resurrect that ghost from hell?”
“I…” Qi Liuxing’s grip on his sword tightened. He didn’t speak, but there was a fleeting look in his eyes, as if recalling some sad past.
Noticing Qi Liuxing’s expression, Zhou Qian suddenly remembered how he had returned 500 gold coins to him in a previous game.
Maybe this boy is genuinely honest.
Thinking of this, Zhou Qian said enticingly, “Though in this instance, you see the believers hurting the Great God Epoh. How can you be sure that Epoh won’t harm humans?”
“The boy in my side quest died from his divine power. Epoh, while granting the wishes of the believers, doesn’t care whether they are good or evil.”
“So, maybe Epoh will threaten all of humanity, and our hidden mission is to thwart his conspiracy and save the world. So—”
“Would you like to save the world with me?”
Qi Liuxing: “…”
After a moment, he clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, “Zhou Qian, don’t try to trick me. The NPCs in this dungeon are fake; this isn’t real. It’s just a game!”
Zhou Qian: “The game is fake, but the choices you make in it reflect your true nature. Do you want to be a bad person?”
“Xiao Qi, even if you can watch me die, can you really ignore all the innocent people who might be harmed by Epoh in the future? Can you really stand by as countless people die at his hands?”
“You…”
“I believe you’re not like that. You won’t let Epoh’s plans succeed. You’ll save me and everyone else.”
“You have an innocent heart, which is precious.”
“You’re not worthy of the title ‘Sword God’ yet. But once you’ve saved everyone and become everyone’s hero, you’ll be worthy.”
“Do you really want to flee in this situation with your aspiration to become the ‘Sword God’?”
Looking at Qi Liuxing, Zhou Qian smiled and extended a final invitation. “Two more believers have just transformed. Apart from them, there might be several more who will complete their transformation soon. They will obstruct me from getting to the other side of the lake.”
“You draw their attention and cover for me, and I’ll go across the lake to find a buff that will protect all of us. Let’s cooperate.”
The author has something to say:
How to coax a teen with “chuunibyou”? Of course, become a “chuunibyou” with him!”
Save the world, starting with me!
PS: Due to the urgent situation here, Zhou Qian has “morally kidnapped” Xiao Qi for a moment, but he did “not control” anyone, and this is certainly “not PUA“. It’s okay to play with tropes, but please don’t misunderstand Zhou Qian~~~.
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