Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 17

Zhou Qian’s gone mad. He must have gone mad.

This was what Qi Liuxing, Gao Shan, Yun Xiangrong, and even Zhu Qiang and Yu Xian all thought.

But as they watched him about to take a bite of the apple, the other three players had no choice but to follow his instructions, cross the lake to Epoh’s side, and cautiously, yet helplessly… pluck a hair from his head.

Qi Liuxing and Gao Shan felt too awkward to say anything.

Yun Xiangrong muttered before plucking the hair, “Blame Zhou Qian for this*, not us!”

*Every injustice has its perpetrator (冤有头债有主) Metaphor referring to every grievance has a specific source or person responsible, so one should address or seek redress from the right person or source rather than blaming the wrong individual.

Epoh: “…”

A moment later, each of the three returned to the other side of the lake, each holding a hair. Zhou Qian, holding an apple, walked over and sat next to Epoh again.

But he didn’t immediately eat the apple. Instead, he leaned against a large tree and closed his eyes as if to rest.

The three players on the other side of the lake seemed to know why he did this, so they didn’t say much. They just sat down and waited for the right moment to come.

Yu Xian, who was watching the screen of his phone, was a bit lost. He asked Zhu Qiang, “What does this mean? Although it’s incredible, wasn’t Qian Ge planning to eat the apple?”

Zhu Qiang thought for a while and said, “I get it. He’s waiting for 12:45 am to eat the apple.”

The ceremony started at 10:00 pm and ended at midnight. The goddess announced that the palace doors would open at 1:00 am. Those who successfully became gods after eating the apple would be attacked by the Great God Epoh 15 minutes later. If they survived the attack, they would become real gods and achieve the ultimate hidden accomplishment.

Zhu Qiang explained the rules again to Yu Xian, then analyzed, “Qian Ge probably wants to time it just right. If he eats the apple at 12:45 and succeeds, he will likely be attacked right at 1:00. That’s when the palace doors will open. He could still escape and clear the game.”

Yu Xian: “I see… So, when Epoh attacks, as long as Qian Ge manages to run out in time, the game ends. And the attack wouldn’t reach him anymore. That means he would have achieved god status and received the ultimate hidden accomplishment.”

“Exactly. That’s probably Qian Ge’s plan.”

“But even so, Epoh’s power is terrifying. How can Qian Ge escape?”

“After becoming a god, his health would greatly increase. Maybe there’s still a chance?”

“No chance at all. Unlike Little Brother Xiao Qi’s scraping skill, Epoh’s attack is a one-shot kill.”

“What I’m most curious about isn’t how Qian Ge would dodge the attack. How can he be so certain of his success when the chances of successfully becoming a god are only 36.8%?”

In the game, time slowly moved to 12:45 am.

Zhou Qian, playing with the apple in his hand, turned to Epoh, who was covered in leaves and petals and had his eyes closed.

Zhou Qian whispered, “Can I eat your apple?”

Opening his eyes, Epoh met Zhou Qian’s somewhat mischievous gaze. “Aren’t you afraid?”

“There doesn’t seem to be much to fear.” Zhou Qian’s deep black eyes were inscrutable, with a hint of madness. “All I’ll do is… experience the pain you’ve been through.”

Epoh said, “It seems you’re looking forward to this pain.”

“Maybe.” Zhou Qian nodded thoughtfully. “I haven’t felt pain in a long time. I’ve lost all sensation. So I think… I’m suitable for becoming a god. I’m ready for the pain.”

Epoh remarked, “It seems you’re a gambler.”

Instead of directly answering, Zhou Qian suddenly said, “Your real form is this tree, or at least something very similar. You and the tree are interdependent? The numerous apple trees on the other side of the lake are just illusions created by your spiritual power. They don’t bear apples because of you. Only the tree that surrounds you can absorb your blood and bear apples… You heal each other and depend on each other to live?”

Epoh didn’t respond but seemed to implicitly acknowledge Zhou Qian’s speculation.

So Zhou Qian asked again, “So many people have died here, but all the flesh and blood have disappeared. Were they absorbed by you and the tree? Has your power increased? If I’m a gambler like mentioned, and now I’m your believer, if I make a wish to you, can you increase my luck?”

Zhou Qian’s voice became very gentle, and his words were very seductive.

It seemed as if he wasn’t worshiping the Great God Epoh but rather guiding the god to believe in him.

However, Epoh stared at him and shook his head. “No. I no longer have the power to fulfill human wishes. I didn’t lie to you. Human power is useless to me. Killing them won’t make me stronger.”

“Alright. Let’s take a gamble then.” After saying this, Zhou Qian looked at Epoh with a smile, and decisively took a bite of the apple.

“Someone led me into this game,” Zhou Qian said leisurely, biting into the crisp apple. “Actually, I’m not clear about who controls this game, nor the so-called ‘sub-levels’, or what kind of dimension they’re in. But all the rules in the game are similar to many games I’ve played.”

“Just like people, games have their own personalities. Players can feel the character of the game designers while playing. Up to now, I’ve discovered some traits related to the designer of this ‘Apple Paradise’ level.”

“He likes to play tricks on people. He enjoys seeing the regretful expressions on their faces.”

“First, the game starts with a scoring minigame, and the main goal is to find the ‘fake believers’. Most players will form cliques at this stage, dividing and making it nearly impossible for them to cooperate later. This has already determined that the chances for players to collaborate against the transformed believers to get hidden achievements are very low.”

“At that time, no one would think that both the goddesses and the Great God didn’t care about the authenticity of believers. They can pass peacefully.”

“Secondly, in the ritual of tormenting the god, players will definitely think that not hurting you is the wisest choice. But this will lead them to face a terrifying pursuit in the subsequent stages…”

“Third, after the ritual, most players guess that the transformed believers will eat the apple and attack them, thinking that hiding in the treehouse is the best strategy. They’ll just get through without knowing how.”

“They never imagined that in the end, only 7 believers will transform, and as long as they survive for 15 minutes, the Great God will kill all the transformed believers.”

“All these traps reflect the character of the level designer.”

“He wants to see the regret of the players when they find out the truth—was it really that easy to pass? Was it really that easy to get the hidden achievement? If only I wasn’t so afraid of death…”

“Based on this logic, I’m confident in my deduction—”

“After getting the hidden achievement, when they hear about the ultimate hidden achievement but find out the chance of transformation is only 36.8%, most will choose to give up, thinking they don’t dare to gamble.”

“But based on this designer’s temperament, I guess… For players, the success rate of this segment is actually 100%, as long as they’re willing to endure the pain.”

Smiling at Epoh, Zhou Qian’s eyes shimmered.

“So, Great God, you don’t have to grant me luck. I’m confident… I can become a god like you.”

The game designer tried to divide the players at the beginning of the level by using the scoring minigame to prevent them from cooperating later.

Zhou Qian’s strategy was to keep all the gold coins and useful items in his hands.

With this, he had enough chips to become the master of the game.

He didn’t need to persuade everyone to cooperate; he controlled everyone to act according to his thoughts.

From the beginning, he put himself in control of the entire situation.

And he really did have that ability. With just a few plot details, he even grasped the intentions of the game designer.

Zhou Qian’s words left the Yu Zhu duo, who were listening, in stunned admiration.

Before they could react, they suddenly noticed that Zhou Qian’s body began to change—he was emitting a red glow, and his pupils turned white…

He truly succeeded in his transformation!

……

Zhou Qian felt as if something called ‘pain’ was sprouting within him. It hadn’t grown fully enough to make him truly feel the pain, but it made him feel an inexplicable restlessness.

It seemed that he had to go on a killing spree to dispel this restlessness.

Zhou Qian immediately stood up, looking everywhere for prey.

Around him… there was something alive!

No, that’s not right… He exudes an aura of pain; he must be one of his own kind…

Thinking this, Zhou Qian unconsciously walked past the Great God Epoh, then slowly crossed the bridge, reaching the opposite shore of the lake.

On the opposite shore, Qi Liuxing, Gao Shan, and Yun Xiangrong, who were previously calm, all stood up, prepared for anything.

They didn’t move, just intently watching Zhou Qian.

The Zhou Qian before them had drastically changed—scales had grown on his face and hands. These were deep blue scales that, under the gentle glow inside the palace, reflected a dazzling white light.

When Zhou Qian lifted his hand, one could see that his fingers were joined together—he had developed webbing.

Zhou Qian stared at the three, and they stared back without blinking.

For a moment, none of them moved.

Zhou Qian looked dazed and lost, while the three others tightly gripped a strand of Epoh’s hair, sweat forming on their foreheads.

After a short while, a peculiar fish tail grew from Zhou Qian’s back, and he walked away dragging the tail.

The other three let out a long sigh of relief, their tense bodies finally relaxing.

As for Zhou Qian’s transformation, everyone had many questions in their hearts. But they dared not speak, fearing that any small disturbance might provoke his attack.

In front of the phone screen, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang were quickly discussing.

“The direction of a deified person’s evolution is related to their consciousness, right?”

“Indeed. The Believer No. 1 became a pregnant monster because, in her consciousness, she was pregnant. Later believers knew the lake was dangerous and shouldn’t go into it, so they grew wings to fly. The subsequent giant cats and cheetahs… I think it’s similar. They evolved to have incredible speed just to chase after the fast-moving Qi Liuxing.”

“What about Qian Ge? Why did he develop scales? By rights, he should have had a subconscious warning not to go into the lake! Why did he become fish-like?”

“I don’t know! Could it be… because of his real-life experiences, he has some obsession with scales?”

Zhou Qian was completely unaware of the discussions on the screen or the thoughts of his three teammates.

The world before his eyes had become a vast white expanse.

Unconsciously stepping onto the crystal bridge and then to the opposite shore, he didn’t realize he was heading deep into the forest. All he felt was that he was walking towards… that night eight months ago that felt like a nightmare.

That night, he drank the soup handed to him by the maid and fell into a deep sleep.

Awakening in the middle of the night, lying on the dining room floor, he smelled a pungent gas and, for the first time, felt the sensation of being on the brink of death.

At that moment, he could hardly breathe; his lungs and head ached immensely, and the world before him seemed shattered into countless pieces, each stained a different color.

He knew it was a hallucination caused by gas poisoning.

In the hallucinatory world, amidst the dazzling colors, Zhou Qian saw a dragon.

As the dragon moved towards him through the colorful fragments, he felt certain he was going to die, as he couldn’t even feel pain anymore.

It felt as if his soul had left his body, floating in the air, indifferently watching his own body grow cold.

But the next moment, he felt a cool and extremely comforting sensation.

It was the dragon’s tail wrapping around him, enveloping his body.

His soul was pulled back by this cold sensation, and Zhou Qian regained his sense of pain. He gasped for air instinctively, craving oxygen. Then, from somewhere, oxygen indeed began to flood into his body.

As he regained sensation, the shattered world pieced back together, and Zhou Qian knew he was alive.

When he woke up, Zhou Qian couldn’t remember the appearance of the dragon, but he remembered the color of its scales—a beautiful, glowing deep blue, like stars deep in the ocean.

Vivid blue stars filled his surroundings, creating a world full of brilliant starlight.

Zhou Qian saw himself playing with these stars.

Touching them, they felt sticky, wet, and cold.

So, this is what stars feel like.

Eight months ago, when Zhou Qian had this thought, he smelled the pungent scent of disinfectant. Then he woke up in a hospital, and the stars all around him vanished.

Now, he was once again playing with the stars.

Just as he hadn’t had enough fun, he came to his senses and found himself by a familiar lakeside.

Rationality and consciousness returned simultaneously. He glanced at his watch and discovered that 15 minutes had passed, though he had completely lost his sense of time earlier.

The moment his sanity returned, and overwhelming pain also surged forth.

It felt as if a knife had ruthlessly pierced his heart, and then was violently pulled out, leaving him drenched in blood. Cold sweat broke out all over him, wetting his clothes almost instantly.

Then, a slap resounded, strong enough to plunge his vision into darkness momentarily, only returning after a while. The feeling of fists, countless stabs, even the sensation of being sliced into pieces…

Zhou Qian experienced it all.

He lay agonizingly on the ground, drenched in sweat.

His hair clung wetly to his temples, and his sweat-drenched eyelashes made his eyes appear misty. His body looked as if it had been drenched in sweat, and his complexion was pale to near transparent.

However, the strangest feeling at this moment was—his heart was completely calm. It felt as if he had been bound to a massive tree, transforming into Epoh.

The fanatical believers who repay kindness with revenge were venting their anger on him. When he opened his eyes, he seemed to see countless believers stabbing and slapping him.

If he still had his former temper, he would have charged in anger, ready to fight them to the death.

But the Zhou Qian now realized—he couldn’t feel any anger.

His body was in extreme pain, but his heart felt nothing.

When exactly had he fallen ill?

Only Zhou Qian knew. It wasn’t eight months ago when his parents passed away.

He had been sick long before that. He had thought he was recovering, but he lost the medicine that could have saved him.

Then he deteriorated beyond cure.

Amidst immense pain, Zhou Qian’s gaze grew increasingly distant.

Instead of seeing the green trees and blue lake, the scene shifted to a path lined with sycamore trees from years ago.

On a street at dusk, leaves were fluttering, and everything was overlaid with a vintage filter.

A young man in white sneakers and a blue school uniform gradually disappeared into the distance, fading into a yellowish sycamore tree grove, becoming indistinguishable.

Zhou Qian wanted to chase after him, but the pain immobilized him. He couldn’t even muster the strength to shout, “Come back!”

Zhou Qian’s consciousness started to fade, lost in illusions.

Until loud shouts pulled him back from the void.

It was Qi Liuxing and others who had rushed to the lakeside, shouting his name.

“Zhou Qian!” “Zhou Qian!!” “Watch out, Zhou Qian!!!”

Zhou Qian looked up and saw the Great God Epoh close at hand.

Epoh raised a hand, showing his clearly defined, long fingers. His skin was fair, yet the veins protruding from his hand looked powerful, capable of deciding life and death in a snap.

The hand moved forward, gripping Zhou Qian’s jaw.

It felt like, in the next moment, his neck would be snapped by Epoh.

From Epoh’s mouth came a cold, mocking, merciless, and murderous statement. Although spoken softly, it hit Zhou Qian’s ears with thunderous force.

“A firefly’s glow—how dare it dream of standing alongside the sun and moon?”

Zhou Qian seemed not to hear as his vision blurred with double images.

The yellow sycamore tree path and the vibrant Apple Paradise intertwined, separated, and then merged again.

The fading silhouette of the young man on the path overlapped with the god in the paradise. He saw the young man turn around, revealing a pair of calm, contrasting eyes.

Speaking softly and with a blurred gaze towards Epoh, yet clearly looking at someone deep in his consciousness, Zhou Qian uttered two words to Epoh. “Bai, Zhou.”

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Kinky Thoughts:

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