Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 69

A cobblestone path winded through the forest, leading to high towers, power stations, and other places. This path was originally built for the convenience of the workers. The forests on either side were once ordinary trees, but due to exposure to a special form of radiation, they changed along with the entire mountain.

Now, this forest was directly bathed in a sea of fire.

The fire’s origin was in the middle of the path, where gasoline was poured around the six humanoid creatures in multiple circles. Once ignited, the flames quickly spread to the surrounding forest, and, aided by the wind, the fire spread to a large area north of the wetlands.

By now, evening had fallen. The evening glow was spread across the sky like blood, but its color had darkened and would soon disappear with the onset of night. The birth of this massive fire seemed to extend this brilliance, as if attempting to set the entire sky ablaze.

The fire was immense, so vast that it seemed as if all oddities would be completely buried.

History would be consumed by the flames. Millions of years later, perhaps no trace of this event would be found.

Most of the drones had dispersed, and most of the helicopters had left, leaving only one helicopter hovering overhead.

Onboard, the pilot kept an eye on the fire, ready to evacuate if necessary. One side of the helicopter’s cabin door was open. Inside was Mayor Ryan, or rather Witch Sarah, holding a camera, broadcasting live for her townspeople.

Sarah always enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention, being celebrated and adored by everyone. She personally covered the monster-killing scene, holding the camera and even reporting live, all to show her love and concern for the people—

Look at how much she thought about them and risked her life for them! She wasn’t afraid of being attacked by the monsters and didn’t care about the risk of the fire possibly reaching her. She bravely stayed, all for them. She wanted to ensure the destruction of the evil spirits. She did all this to protect each and every one of them.

“Everything I do is out of love for you. So, you need to give me all your love in return.”

“Once I’ve merged you all, I can have all of your eternal love.”

“But until that day, before I truly absorb you all… I have to do many things in secret to make you love me continuously. Whether you love Witch Sarah or Mayor Ryan.”

“I want all of your love and attention. And I want your love for me… to never fade.”

These words, however, weren’t spoken by Sarah. They were from a woman outside the game, viewing this scene through a tablet screen.

The woman sat on a swing in this virtual space, appearing to be eighteen years old, the age of innocence.

A peach orchard bloomed behind her.

With a smile, the orchard blossomed in radiant pink. She frowned as countless peach blossoms fell, turning the ground into a pink carpet.

Hearing these words, Priest looked up at her. He hadn’t seen her during her god ascension, but he’d watched the video later—

Her beauty had left everyone in awe. She seemed heartbroken, tears flowing, and as they did, all the peach blossoms behind her withered.

From that moment, she was known as the [Peach Blossom Goddess].

Most people knew that the Peach Blossom Legion was founded by the Peach Blossom Goddess. Few, however, knew her real name: Xie Huaying.

Priest walked up to her, looking at the screen from her perspective. The fire on Weir Mountain was raging; nearly half of the hillside was ablaze.

The six players in the frame were completely engulfed in the flames, presumably with no chance of survival. Sarah probably thought the same, which was why she was broadcasting without any concerns.

“Priest, do you think they’ll die? Given the situation, is there any chance of survival?” Xie Huaying asked innocently.

Priest smiled, walking behind her and giving the swing a gentle push. “In my opinion, you shouldn’t be asking if Zhou Qian has a chance of survival, but rather how he plans to deal with Sarah.”

Bending down to glimpse Xie Huaying’s expression, Priest said, “Zhou Qian did this on purpose. He deliberately surrounded himself with flames to make Sarah overconfident, thinking he would surely die. And Sarah took the bait. She didn’t leave but sat smugly in the helicopter—”

“I think we will soon see Zhou Qian’s real plan.”

Xie Huaying thought for a moment, frowned, and then said, “If that’s the case, Zhou Qian has anticipated every step of the instance’s design. He even captured Sarah’s entire character accurately. He knows she craves love and has a desire to perform; he knows she would definitely stay.”

“Yes.” Priest smiled. “At its core, Sarah’s motive for everything she does is to acquire the undying love of everyone and everything.”

“The consequences caused by the Mirror of All Things are irreversible. The genes of the entire town, even the world’s human population, have subtly changed. The radiation is there—it cannot be eliminated or altered. Zhou Qian can’t intervene in this world from this angle.”

“So what he needs to do is destroy what Sarah desires most—everyone’s love for her.”

“I see…” Xie Huaying sighed lightly, looking contemplatively at the screen. “Zhou Qian is truly cunning. He can manipulate people’s emotions even better than a god.”

……

Inside the game. From the moment the gasoline was poured on the path, the six players huddled closely together.

Of course, Zhou Qian tried his best to avoid physical contact with them, to prevent any merging of their bodies.

Everything progressing to this point was still within Zhou Qian’s calculations. He found that communicating mentally was very efficient and extremely convenient for commanding his teammates, though at times, their voices in his head were overwhelming.

​Damn, Ryan really used fire!

Fuck Zhou Qian, how did you guess that?

Are we really not going to die?

…

At the moment the flames roared to life, Wu Ren couldn’t hold back any longer. “We’ve completed the main objectives! We just need to escape Sarah’s attack to clear the game! Why do we have to deliberately trap ourselves in a sea of flames?”

Qi Liuxing said seriously, “Because we have to save the townspeople!”

Wu Ren: “Damn it, please wake up! The real reason is that Zhou Qian is tricking us into completing his side mission!”

At this point, Wu Ren couldn’t help but look at Zhou Qian. By now, Zhou Qian’s face had undergone significant mutations, rendering his original features unrecognizable.

However, Wu Ren could still see the look in his eyes.

Those eyes radiated a hint of cunning but also an unusual intensity and compelling allure, making one unconsciously want to follow him.

Subsequently, Wu Ren heard Zhou Qian say to him, “You are our king, after all. So—”

“King, lead us to victory.”

“King my ass! I’ve always been just your fucking puppet!”

“Lead to victory, my foot! It’s your victory, not ours! Damn it…”

Wu Ren couldn’t help but curse.

But when he met Zhou Qian’s shining eyes, inexplicably, his voice gradually softened, and his momentum involuntarily deflated.

Immediately following that, a loud “boom” sounded not far from them—the noise of the tree’s oil igniting in a fiery explosion.

The moment the sound echoed, a fierce blaze shot up into the air. As Wu Ren was still looking at Zhou Qian, Zhou Qian’s pitch-black eyes were instantly illuminated, shining brilliantly. Turning to look around, Wu Ren realized that he was completely engulfed by a sea of fire.

For some inexplicable reason, prompted by Zhou Qian’s gaze, Wu Ren felt a sudden urge to fight.

Taking a deep breath, he exclaimed, “Fuck it! Fine, if we’re going to go big, let’s go all out!”

An intense burning sensation immediately emanated from his fingertips. He lifted his hand to inspect it, and sure enough, his fingers were aflame.

Strangely, though, his arm wasn’t burning.

Moreover, at the burn on his finger, a brown, semi-transparent resin-like substance began to ooze out. It flowed over the wound like water, and the wound healed instantly.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Wu Ren swallowed hard.

Zhou Qian was right!

Could this strategy actually work?!

…..

The reason for Wu Ren’s bodily transformation was, of course, due to a certain mutation carried out under Zhou Qian’s guidance.

About an hour ago, right after Zhou Qian proposed utilizing a mutation to counter Sarah, the team’s subsequent discussion revolved around one main question—how do they combat her?

Were they supposed to search the forest for wild beasts, mutate into fierce creatures like tigers, and then use their sharpened claws and teeth to attack Sarah?

Probably not? Given Sarah’s status as Mayor Ryan, she could marshal significant military force. And moreover, where would they even find such beasts?

The high wall encircled a portion of the mountaintop, creating a confined area. The players entered from the northernmost part and initially split into three groups to advance.

There was a vast wetland in the center of the entire area, with a purification station on each side—A11, which Yin Jiujiu first found, and A13, which she later destroyed.

After acquiring all the memory fragments at the tower located 300 meters south of A13, they left the tower and made their way around the wetland to the southern part of the walled area. They found purification station A12 and replenished some life points.

Thus, they had thoroughly explored the wetland and its northern surroundings without encountering any exotic creatures.

Could it be… that they needed to delve deeper into the southern part of the area to search for fierce beasts?

This was a shared thought among several players as they followed Zhou Qian southward.

The southern forest was incredibly dense, filled with trees of various shapes and colors, indicating a rich diversity of species before mutation. However, after their transformation, it became challenging to identify their original species.

As they ventured deeper into this forest under Zhou Qian’s lead, it became clear that instead of searching for wild beasts, Zhou Qian was closely observing the plants and trees. It seemed as though he was trying to identify their original forms prior to mutation.

Wu Ren curiously asked, “Zhou Qian, what are you looking for? Why are you focusing on plants? To face Sarah, shouldn’t we need something more aggressive? What sort of attack can a plant offer?”

Zhou Qian retorted with a question. “How do you think Sarah plans to deal with us?”

Wi Ren: “Um…”

Ke Yuxiao interjected, “To kill us, she will certainly use her military power. But how would she justify it to the soldiers and the public? She would need a plausible reason, like… claiming we are evil spirits.”

“Exactly. Using the name of evil spirits to execute others is a tactic Sarah has employed many times. Many of the town’s children met their end due to her lies. If we don’t prepare in advance, we’ll share their fate.”

“When it came to executing the children, she used the witches. And as for the method of executing us… Do you remember the photos we first saw in the study? Witches were tied up and burned alive. Only the fiercest flames can destroy the most terrifying evil spirits.”

It seemed Zhou Qian had discovered something. As he moved towards a mutated plant to inspect it closely, he continued, “Without a doubt, Sarah is someone who desires admiration and has a strong penchant for performance. She would leverage her identity as ‘Mayor Ryan’ and punish us, the so-called evil spirits, in the name of a savior. She would proclaim to the world that she is the hero saving everyone.”

“The way she deals with witches is actually a hint given to the players in this scenario. Based on this, we have good reason to suspect that Sarah would use fire against us.”

Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but ask, “What does this have to do with plants?”

“Of course, there’s a connection,” Zhou Qian replied, turning to him. “Do you know that some plants are fire-resistant?”

After some effort, Zhou Qian thoroughly investigated the southern region.

He then instructed everyone, “There’s an abundance of redwoods here. They are referred to as living fossils, and their wood is as tough as steel. They are not afraid of fire.”

“Theaceae is also fire-resistant. It contains a lot of moisture, with its leaves having a water content of up to 45%, and a very low oil content.”

“Lastly, there’s the Dahurian larch. The bark of the larch is thick and doesn’t contain resin, making it hard to burn through completely. After being burned, the inner part of the bark can secrete a resin that heals the ‘wound’.”

“Therefore, what we need to do now is get close to these plants. After acquiring their genes, we should mutate ourselves to become fire-resistant.”

“Of course, it’s not possible for us to remain completely unharmed. Leaves and outer bark will still catch fire, but as long as the fire doesn’t penetrate into our inner bodies, we’ll be fine.”

“Remember, we are currently just six ‘brains’. Temporary damage to the body doesn’t matter. As long as our ‘brains’ are intact, we can control many things within these high walls to counter Sarah!”

……

Time returned to this moment.

Up in the air. The helicopter’s propeller made a loud noise.

Yet, despite the noise, Sarah, with her strong desire for attention and love from people, passionately spoke to the camera, showcasing her hard work and bravery.

During this, Sarah took a distant look over the high wall where the fire was spreading. There was no chance her lab rats would survive in such a blaze.

She had the data she wanted.

Once those few people were gone, no one would know her secret. Given time, she would achieve her long-held wish!

What Sarah didn’t expect was that the fire to the north of the wetland, which had been intensifying, suddenly extinguished in one spot on the road. It was like a rock wrapped in cotton. She thought the whole thing was on fire, but now she realized that only the outer cotton was burning. When the cotton burned out, the fire would be extinguished because the rock inside couldn’t burn.

Stunned, Sarah noticed a giant butterfly flying towards the fire’s origin. It emerged from the flames, carrying six creatures with it and heading straight for her!

In shock, Sarah’s first reaction was to turn off the camera so that these “monsters” couldn’t reveal her secrets. Her second thought was to use her walkie-talkie to mobilize her military forces.

But it was too late.

By the time she shut off the camera, the butterfly, under Zhou Qian’s control, had flown the six players to her side. As she picked up the walkie-talkie, Zhou Qian showed her a pill and said something to her.

The twilight had completely faded.

But the fire on the mountaintop continued to light up all of Weir Mountain.

At the intersection of red and black in the sky, the helicopter hovered, and a giant butterfly emerged from the depths of the flames, hovering opposite, as if confronting each other.

At first glance, it seemed like a standoff between human technology and some monster. But in reality, they were both products of technology, though the latter was a result of its misuse.

The butterfly was no longer just a butterfly. It had strange human feet and a broad back. On its back sat six highly mutated creatures. Zhou Qian was in the front, controlling the butterfly. He looked at Sarah and said, “Dalang, it’s medicine time.”

With that, Zhou Qian immobilized Sarah before she could call upon the town’s military forces with her walkie-talkie. This effect could last for three minutes.

Others would soon notice the anomaly here. The military force here was formidable. Just their electric guns alone could overpower the players. Through the cockpit, Zhou Qian saw the pilot looking their way in horror, seemingly speaking into his walkie-talkie. But fortunately, Sarah was now easily controlled.

Zhou Qian had the butterfly move closer to the helicopter. Then he reached out with his burned, tree trunk-like arms, grabbed Sarah by the shoulders, pulled her out of the helicopter, and placed her on the butterfly’s back.

The butterfly took off and, under Zhou Qian’s command, descended inside the southern part of the high wall. While the fire spread in the northern area, the water-rich wetlands acted as a natural fire barrier. The southern area was smoky, but there was no sign of any fire.

The butterfly was fast, taking less than 30 seconds to fly from the helicopter and land. And at the very moment it almost touched down, a robust man dressed in traditional Eastern attire, looking completely out of place, appeared.

[NPC Name: Wu Song]

[Rank: A]

[Specialty: Close combat]

[Detected high-intensity aggression from Wu Song towards player Zhou Qian. Players, be on your guard.]

By now, the players had gradually left the back of the butterfly and landed on the ground.

After Zhou Qian and Sarah jumped down, he glanced at Wu Song, who was approaching step by step, but chose to ignore him for the moment. Instead, he gazed deeply at the “Mayor”, who was watching him warily.

The man now had Sarah’s mind and Ryan’s body. His eyes were as green as a serene lake and as precious as jade. Staring into those eyes, Zhou Qian seemed to be trying to read something deeper. However, he didn’t have much time to dwell on it, as Wu Song was already by his side.

True to his status as a Rank A NPC, with every step Wu Song took, it felt as if the earth of Weir Mountain trembled. Just as his sharp fist was about to strike Zhou Qian, Zhou Qian quickly ducked, narrowly evading the blow.

Even so, the gust from the punch caused the numerous petals and vines on Zhou Qian’s body to flutter, inflicting a tingling pain.

Having been affected by the fire earlier, Zhou Qian’s health had dropped to 40%.

Now, a new notification popped up:

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

Wu Ren, who was closest to Zhou Qian, couldn’t help but say, “Do you think you can handle Wu Song with your poor combat skills?”

“What do we do now? The town’s military force is powerful! They could find and kill us at any moment!”

No sooner had Wu Ren finished speaking that everyone received a system notification:

[Players have accumulated 24 points, discovered Ryan’s secret hidden within the high wall, and evaded Mayor Ryan’s murderous intent. Main task completion: 100%. Hidden achievement unlocked.]

[The southern gate of the high wall is now open. Players who exit through this gate will clear the game.]

[This instance has multiple endings. After exiting the southern gate, players cannot log out temporarily. The system will play the ending cinematic based on the current situation.]

[Rewards will be distributed after the cinematic ends.]

In addition to this, Zhou Qian received a separate notification, which was shared with the others through their shared brains—

[Zhou Qian’s side mission is not yet complete. He can choose to continue or abandon the side mission and exit the southern gate.]

After a three-second pause, Wu Ren hesitantly asked, “Qian, Qian Ge should we… retreat?”

“Why retreat now? We haven’t seen the ending,” Zhou Qian replied, rising from the ground. He glanced at the motionless Ryan, under the influence of the drug, and said to Wu Ren and the others, “The side mission is my personal task. The rest of you can leave.”

Qi Liuxing, worried, asked, “But how will you deal with the town’s military force all by yourself?”

“By holding the emperor hostage, you can control his subjects,” Zhou Qian replied with a smile, looking at Ryan in front of him. “I’ll tie him up.”

As he spoke, numerous vines, under Zhou Qian’s mental command, slithered over like snakes. They wrapped around Ryan, pulling him to a large tree and quickly tying his limbs to the trunk.

“Tie him up? And then what?” Wu Ren asked, somehow feeling that Zhou Qian’s expression and tone when looking at Ryan were reminiscent of a bandit leader confronting a captive maiden.

“Then, of course, completely thwart his schemes.”

As Zhou Qian spoke, NPC Wu Song, utilizing his powerful jumping ability, leapt into the air and aimed another punch at Zhou Qian. This massive blow could drain a player’s health by half in one hit.

It was like unleashing an ultimate move!

As Zhou Qian swiftly ducked to avoid the punch, the butterfly, under his command, charged at Wu Song, shielding him from most of the damage. Immediately, countless vines emerged from the ground, entangling Wu Song’s legs, dragging him toward the wetland, and eventually tossing him into the swamp.

With that, Zhou Qian had rather effortlessly dealt with this Rank A NPC. Although his health was now only at 20%, he felt he still had the upper hand.

Meanwhile, due to the limited opening time of the southern gate, the other players had to proceed and clear the game, leaving only Zhou Qian and Ryan within the vast, high walls.

Finally, in the silence, without the constant chatter in his mind, the world seemed to quiet down, allowing Zhou Qian to have a proper chat with the “Ryan” in front of him.

At this moment, Ryan… his tall and slender figure was wrapped and bound to a tree by vines. The sight somewhat reminded Zhou Qian of God Epoh. However, during that time, Epoh wasn’t wearing any clothes, while Ryan was now dressed very thoroughly.

To protect himself from radiation, he wore a clear face mask, and the special material of his clothing tightly covered all of his skin. Now, through his face mask, his pair of jade-green eyes looked calmly at Zhou Qian, peaceful as a windless lake.

Ryan was now completely bound, like a fish ready to be slaughtered. On the other hand, Zhou Qian’s body was now covered in roses, cacti, and various other plant leaves, making him barely recognizable as human.

Moreover, he could now control all the flora and fauna within the walls of this place, as if he was a god ruling over this domain.

Staring into Ryan’s eyes, Zhou Qian took steps toward him.

“The last time I ate an apple, I also transformed. But back then… I still somewhat resembled a human. Now, I’m a complete monster. Ryan, are you afraid of me?”

Under the drug’s influence, Ryan couldn’t move or respond to Zhou Qian’s words. He just kept his eyes on Zhou Qian. When Zhou Qian reached him and paused, he smiled after a moment of silence.

Without making any physical moves, Zhou Qian thought for a moment. Soon, the vines that had become symbiotic with him began sliding over Ryan’s body as if searching for something.

After about 30 seconds, countless vines, acting like hands, pulled out a gun, stun baton, phone, and other items from Ryan’s pockets and threw them all in front of Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian looked at the scene with satisfaction, then looked up at Ryan. “Now, even when the drug wears off, you won’t be able to escape my control.”

Three minutes later, as the drug’s effect wore off, Ryan could finally speak. He blinked at Zhou Qian, his voice sounding somewhat weak. “What do you want to do with me?”

As Ryan spoke, the smile on Zhou Qian’s face disappeared.

Zhou Qian stepped forward, whispering in Ryan’s ear. His demeanor seemed gentle and his voice soft, but where Ryan couldn’t see, his eyes were intensely serious, full of stern questioning and inquiry.

“Using a pill on the same target three times will summon Wu Song. So, can you tell me… why would this tool consider Epoh, Jiang Yuqing, and Ryan as the ‘same target’?”

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Kinky Thoughts:

Oop, busted.

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