Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 15

White petals covered Epoh’s body, making him seem as if he was sculpted from snow.

He closed his eyes again, seemingly indifferent to the mortal world around him, which had nothing to do with him.

He looked as peaceful as a pile of snow.

This gave Zhou Qian an illusion.

It seemed that once dawn broke and the ice melted, Epoh would vanish.

Letting out a silent sigh, Zhou Qian even found his own sigh abrupt.

Shaking his head, after giving Epoh another glance, he turned to leave.

Just at that moment, a red glow suddenly emerged from a spot five meters away.

Zhou Qian’s eyes sharpened; he knew another believer had been deified.

He halted, looking up, and met a pair of pale pupils.

Each previous time he’d encountered such a gaze, it had ignited the killing intent of the deified believer, followed by an attack.

But not this time.

The person slouched onto the ground and transformed into a cheetah in an instant. Surprisingly, he ignored Zhou Qian entirely, circled the huge tree once, and headed straight for the opposite bank of the lake in search of prey.

Zhou Qian obtained the Mark of Pain, which indeed stopped the believers from attacking him proactively.

Feeling relief at this, Zhou Qian’s brows furrowed slightly.

Because he realized something—the later a believer completed their deification, the stronger they were.

This cheetah, with just a single leap, crossed the long crystal bridge in a few strides. Locking onto his target, after a roar, he charged at Qi Liuxing, Yun Xiangrong, and Gao Shan.

……

On the other side of the lake.

Moments earlier, Gao Shan and Yun Xiangrong appeared as unexpected saviors, rescuing Qi Liu Xing from danger.

Gao Shan unleashed his ultimate skill, [Earth Shield Avalanche], which tripled his health while drawing all aggro to him.

Three believers immediately aimed their killing techniques at him.

Luckily, their techniques hit Gao Shan one after the other. While Gao Shan was enduring these massive blows, Yun Xiangrong swiftly healed him, barely keeping him alive.

When the first strike hit, Gao Shan’s HP plummeted to 30%.

A flurry of catkins arose as Yun Xiangrong promptly used her ultimate [Fluttering Catkins] to restore Gao Shan’s health to 100%.

The second strike was even more brutal, reducing Gao Shan’s HP to 10%.

In her urgency, Yun Xiang Rong used her basic healing skill [Catkins Return] twice, boosting Gao Shan’s health back to 70%.

Suddenly, the third strike landed, dropping Gao Shan’s HP to 5%.

Another [Catkins Return] lifted Gao Shan’s HP back to 35%.

Afterward, Yun Xiangrong’s expression became gravely serious. She had depleted all her MP and couldn’t use any more skills. Though she was at full HP, her MP was almost exhausted.

Gao Shan’s HP was at 35% with only 50% MP left, and his ultimate was still on cooldown and couldn’t be used again so soon.

Qi Liuxing had 80% HP left but only 10% MP, which wasn’t even enough to cast a basic skill.

With the three of them at such a disadvantage and the three deified believers barely scratching and readying their next attacks, things looked dire, especially with the roaring arrival of the cheetah-like monster on the horizon.

They were getting overwhelmed.

In a 3 vs 4 scenario like this, their chances of victory were almost nonexistent.

And Gao Shan was in the most danger.

His earlier skill, true to its aggro-pulling nature, drew the attention of all three deified believers. They were all eager to target him, and if they attacked, Gao Shan would be the first to suffer!

Realizing this, Yun Xiangrong quickly approached Qi Liuxing, almost in tears. “Save Gao Shan! You can’t just leave him!”

Qi Liuxing took a deep breath, telling her, “You run first. Head to the treehouse. I’ll handle this. I won’t abandon him!”

“But what are you planning to do?”

“I…” Qi Liuxing thought of a plan, asking Gao Shan, “Do you have anything that can teleport you instantly?”

Gao Shan pointed to the panel on his wristwatch. “Coincidentally, Zhou Qian sent a [Flying Rope] via trade.”

Earlier, during a scoring game, Zhou Qian had extorted two ropes from him. Unexpectedly, he returned one just in time.

After quickly accepting the trade, Gao Shan received the rope in his inventory and took it out.

Qi Liuxing instructed, “Later, you continue using basic skills to pull aggro. But don’t stand by the lake. They’re wary of the water now and won’t easily fall for it. You should stand at—”

He turned his head to look towards the forest. Qi Liuxing’s eyes locked onto a spot beneath a thick hanging tree trunk. Pointing at it, he said, “Let’s go there together now. You lure them there with your moves, then use the rope to escape up the tree. I will use the [Universe Teleportation Mirror]!”

Gao Shan quickly grasped the plan. “But it’s risky for you! Give the mirror to me; I’ll handle it!”

Qi Liuxing responded, “No, you’re not as fast as I am. A slight mishap could expose the mirror’s trap. There’s no time to argue. Leave it to me! Their cooldown is almost over. We have to hurry!”

Almost immediately after Qi Liuxing finished speaking, two winged creatures and a giant cat started attacking Gao Shan.

Qi Liuxing gave Gao Shan a nod, and the two quickly ran towards the pre-agreed location.

However, not long after they started, Gao Shan unexpectedly looked back to find that a cheetah had leapt towards them at an unimaginable speed, aiming directly for Yun Xiangrong, who was closest to him.

Without hesitating, Gao Shan immediately cast two [Mountain Hold] skills.

The cheetah’s aggression was successfully redirected, but three other deified believers rapidly approached him.

Qi Liuxing was immediately drenched in sweat.

Quickly estimating the distance, they weren’t far from the shore. There were no trees around, not nearly enough distance for the flying rope to be of use.

Fortunately, Qi Liuxing’s speed was exceptionally fast.

He grabbed Gao Shan by the shoulders and, with all his strength, rushed forward, narrowly escaping the murderous intentions of the believers close behind them.

Finally, they judged the distance to be just right.

Qi Liuxing shouted to Gao Shan, “Now!”

Gao Shan threw his rope, quickly ascending into the air just as the four grotesque believers were about to reach them.

At that moment, Qi Liuxing drew his long sword and swiftly gained the attention of the believers with a series of attacks.

The believers didn’t pursue the airborne Gao Shan but focused solely on him.

Taking a deep breath and mimicking Zhou Qian’s calm demeanor and provocative gaze, Qi Liuxing taunted, “Come on, chase me.”

Without waiting for a response, Qi Liuxing turned and sprinted forward at high speed.

The four believers immediately pursued him.

As they lunged at Qi Liuxing, a small mirror in his hand flashed brilliantly. Qi Liuxing quickly retreated, placing the mirror where he previously stood.

The mirror emitted a faint glow. The four believers, unable to stop themselves in time, rushed into it and were immediately transported deep into the blue depths below the lake’s surface.

The clear blue lake was instantly stained with blood, the stench of which permeated the entire paradise. But soon, the smell of blood dissipated, leaving only the fragrance of apples.

“We…”

“Did it…”

The three sighed in relief.

However, their statuses weren’t in good shape. Yun Xiangrong, after being grazed by the cheetah, had only 60% HP left and no more MP.

During the chase, both Gao Shan and Qi Liuxing had nearly depleted all their HP and MP.

But at this very moment, on the opposite side of the lake, another believer was seen undergoing transformation. They saw that he had evolved to have wings, sharp claws, and owl-like eyes that were three times larger than the previous believers.

With such speed, he could easily reach the three players in no time.

Truly terrifying.

The evolution and learning ability of these transformed believers were astonishing.

Having witnessed everything, even if the players could afford another [Universe Teleportation Mirror], he wouldn’t fall for the same trick.

[Target: Believer No. 19]

[Rank: A]

[Specialty: ???]

[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]

Upon seeing this message, everyone gasped in shock, looking defeated.

How could they possibly fight?

Compared to this Rank A monster, the previous Rank C believers seemed like mere minions.

Facing him alone seemed impossible, let alone dealing with the 13 others that would follow.

Apart from Believer No. 19, another person caught everyone’s attention.

It was Zhou Qian, who was walking leisurely from the Crystal Bridge.

When the players saw the transformed believer, their spirits sank.

But upon seeing Zhou Qian unharmed and not attacked by Believer No. 19, their excitement surged again—it seemed Zhou Qian had found a way to prevent them from being attacked by the disciples!

Perhaps they could all achieve the hidden accomplishment!

But Zhou Qian lived up to his reputation, shattering their hopes with just one sentence.

Under three pairs of hopeful eyes, Zhou Qian walked up slowly and said mercilessly, “Indeed, I found a way not to be attacked—harm the God Epoh to get the Mark of Pain. But this means you have to cross the bridge, enter the midst of the disciples, and personally harm the god.”

Zhou Qian had had flying ropes and Qi Liuxing to distract the not-so-dangerous believers earlier. And both of them were in top condition.

But now, the believers had become stronger. Moreover, the players had no such tools left, and their HP and MP were severely depleted.

The other three players couldn’t possibly obtain the mark like Zhou Qian did.

While dejected, Qi Liuxing caught Zhou Qian’s smile and tightened his grip on his sword, swallowing hard.

Using this brief gap, he quickly reviewed recent events, realizing he might have been used.

Zhou Qian had taken advantage of him and somehow made the couple return. They had exhausted all their coins, items, even HP and MP… but they gained nothing.

Only Zhou Qian, who couldn’t be attacked, stood a chance at the hidden achievement. Everyone risked their lives for the challenge, only to become stepping stones for Zhou Qian!

He had used each of them!

The next moment, before Qi Liuxing could react, a huge shadow appeared before him.

The transformed believer had silently and swiftly approached him.

After the transformation, Believer No. 19 didn’t immediately seek a target but observed the players. He saw that Qi Liuxing, with the highest level and strongest attack, posed the greatest threat.

So he decisively targeted Qi Liuxing first.

With wings spread, he lunged at Qi Liu Xing.

Just the wind from his wing flaps caused Qi Liuxing’s HP to drop.

[Player Qi Liuxing’s HP has dropped to 9%]

[Player Qi Liuxing’s HP has dropped to 8%]

……

In full health, he couldn’t withstand the believer’s attack.

And now, his health was critically low.

As the shadow completely enveloped him, Qi Liuxing closed his eyes.

He knew he was doomed, all because of Zhou Qian’s schemes. But unexpectedly, he was suddenly pushed away. To his shock, he peered into his eyes a bit and found it was Zhou Qian who had saved him!

However, he soon lost sight of Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian was forcefully dragged by the believer; his whole body was sucked into his huge wings, completely disappearing.

The mark Zhou Qian acquired made the believer not recognize him as a target. But once he intervened, he was seen as a threat. Or perhaps it was when Zhou Qian directly took the place of their target and they were unable to stop the attack halfway.

This was equivalent to sacrificing himself in order to block the believer’s ultimate move that was meant for Qi Liuxing.

He surely would die.

That was Qi Liuxing’s first thought.

With only 150 HP left, it was equivalent to just 15% of his total health.

It’s over.

Zhou Qian’s done for.

Regretting his earlier thoughts, Qi Liuxing shouted, “Zhou Qian! Don’t be afraid! I’ll save you with the Tick Tock Clock!”

But his voice quivered, for he knew the Tick Tock Clock had a condition—the body must be intact.

In cases where the body was shattered, like Dong Xiang’s, even a thousand Tick Tock Clocks wouldn’t help.

But what about Zhou Qian?

Seeing the posture of Believer No. 19, it looked like he was about to tear Zhou Qian’s body into pieces!

By then… Could he still save him with the Tick Tock Clock?

With a slight shiver in his shoulders, overcome by immense guilt and panic, Qi Liuxing suddenly knelt to the ground.

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 30%]

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 10%]

[Warning! Attention! Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 5%!]

Without even being directly hit by an ultimate attack, just like Qi Liuxing, merely from the wind stirred by the flapping wings, Zhou Qian’s health rapidly plummeted to a dangerous low.

When a player was on the brink of death, the system would send out a high-intensity warning.

This warning could be seen not only by the player themselves but also by others—Zhou Qian’s watch emitted an extremely bright red light, which shone through the transformed believer’s giant wings.

The other three players witnessed it, knowing well what this signified.

They all shared a similar thought.

Zhou Qian was extremely cunning and vicious, relentless in pursuing his goals, without any regard for how many people he sacrificed. He would only step over mountains of corpses and rivers of blood to reach the pinnacle he aimed for…

Yet unexpectedly, he dealt this most lethal blow to everyone.

Underneath the snowy wings, the red light blinked; it was Zhou Qian’s death alert.

In this critical moment, the transformed believer soared, rising swiftly to a height of about 5 meters, then he suddenly dove down, launching his real ultimate attack on Zhou Qian!

A force as mighty as thunder headed straight for him.

Everyone who witnessed this had only one thought—‘He’s done for.’

However, in the next instant, a surge of dark energy suddenly emerged, completely enveloping Zhou Qian’s body.

With a loud “boom”, the believer was unexpectedly flung backward in a flash, hovering in the air, confronting Zhou Qian from a distance.

Zhou Qian lay on his side on the ground, clutching his chest as he coughed up blood. Without a hint of concern, he wiped his mouth and smiled. Blood stained his lips and half of his face, making him look somewhat mad.

At this moment, his health stabilized at 5%.

Outside the game, in front of their mobile screens.

Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang both held their breaths.

“What-what happened?”

“That’s right! [The Little Boy’s Blessing]!!! Qian Ge has a Buff!!!”

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