Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 118: Wait and See

The air in the room suddenly became quiet.

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and even Wu Sheng, who were all included, didn’t expect Xu Wang to have such a straightforward talk with Chi Yingxue. It was okay to share information, especially after the twists and turns of the past twenty or so days. Everyone had already considered Chi Yingxue a team member in their hearts, even if they didn’t say it out loud.

However, for such an important matter, they should have at least prepared a preamble. Starting with “I have talked with the Owl” was too abrupt; Chi Yingxue would be foolish not to be confused!

The three companions silently looked at their new teammate, who indeed appeared confused.

Xu Wang also belatedly realized his impetuousness and quickly tried to remedy the situation. “This matter, well, it’s a long story…”

“The Owl talks every day,” Chi Yingxue suddenly said.

Xu Wang, interrupted, was startled. “What?”

Chi Yingxue sighed, his voice filled with inexplicable confusion. “The Owl talks every day.”

Xu Wang and the three listening companions finally understood that their new teammate wasn’t bewildered by shock but had completely misunderstood the situation, failing to see why this was even a topic for discussion…

“It’s not an internal ear prompt. It’s a real conversation, back and forth, understand?” Xu Wang pointed to himself and then to Chi Yingxue, almost in desperation. “Like how we’re talking right now!”

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow, a glint of interest finally appearing in his eyes. “Oh? You can have conversations with the Owl?”

“I can’t. It was just a fluke that we had one conversation, just once.” Xu Wang sighed regretfully, wishing he could communicate with the Owl anytime.

“Oh,” Chi Yingxue’s face showed a hint of disappointment, but his interest remained. “Is it a person or a bird?”

“Ah?” Xu Wang was unprepared for this focus of interest, and after a long pause, he weakly said, “I didn’t see it. It only spoke without showing itself…”

Chi Yingxue frowned slightly, dissatisfied. “Then did you ask it for strategies?”

“……” Captain Xu, finding the question too sharp, had no answer.

The last bit of interest in Chi Yingxue’s eyes disappeared, leaving only disappointment.

Xu Wang swallowed hard, sincerely reflecting. “I was young and naive then. If heaven gave me another chance to do it over… No, wait, that’s not the point!” Almost led astray by his teammate, Xu Wang quickly got back on track, earnestly looking at Chi Yingxue, emphasizing, “I’ve talked to the Owl. Don’t you find that incredible?”

Chi Yingxue blinked, calmly nodding. “Not seeing it, not catching it, not getting any strategies—indeed, it is incredible.”

Xu Wang felt a pang of pain in his heart and was rendered speechless.

Wu Sheng pulled his disheartened captain back and took over, objectively and concisely recounting the experience of Xu Wang encountering the Owl ten years ago, focusing on the timing and manner of the Owl’s appearance and the words it said. During the narration, he didn’t seek Chi Yingxue’s opinion, as the new teammate didn’t seem naively curious.

“So,” Wu Sheng concluded after the recount, “we need to both pass the levels and figure out what all this is really about.”

Chi Yingxue tilted his head at him. “According to you, the Owl said passing 23 levels would allow us to leave?”

Wu Sheng nodded. “Yes.”

“Then why don’t we just keep going?” Chi Yingxue asked, puzzled. “Why bother researching all this?”

“Setting aside whether we can pass all 23 levels.” Wu Sheng’s eyes darkened. “After being tormented for so long for no reason, are you content?”

Chi Yingxue looked at Wu Sheng’s determined eyes and a hint of anticipation curled the corner of his mouth. His body that was casually leaning on the sofa also straightened slightly. “You want to destroy the Owl?”

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Yan Wang gets happier in battle, while Chi Yingxue finds chaos more interesting. In the matter of “not wanting to live peacefully”, they were in perfect harmony!

Wu Sheng, lacking the keen emotional perception of his teammates, only knew that Chi Yingxue asked a question, and he had to give a truthful and objective answer. “Currently, we haven’t thought about how to apply our research findings. At this stage, we are mainly focused on the operational logic and existence of the problems.”

Kuang Jinxin added, “Sheng Ge also made little cards to give to NPCs!”

Qian Ai said, “Yes, to enlighten them about life and the universe.”

Xu Wang added, “And it’s continuously being updated and upgraded. Now it’s already the third version of the card.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

After a long drift, when life was almost becoming a dead loop of going back and forth in the first few levels, Chi Yingxue finally experienced a turning point in his level-clearing career—he joined a scientific research team.

……

After regrouping, the small team adjusted their rhythm, following a “three days of rest + one night of level-clearing” pattern. They breezed through levels 6/23 and 7/23 in one go. Since these levels didn’t require finding badges, it objectively made the team’s progress more focused and efficient.

On the afternoon of the eighth day, the small team arrived in Suzhou, the location of 8/23.

Xu Wang didn’t know whether Chi Zhuolin had installed satellite tracking on Chi Yingxue or if Chi Yingxue was in constant contact with his brother. In any case, Chi Zhuolin was very timely with their location updates. They had just arrived in Suzhou, and the hotel car came to pick them up.

Returning to a familiar place, the teammates inevitably recalled the shadows of their last failed attempt. But once they entered the hotel suite, they first set aside their worries and enjoyed the peace.

It wasn’t until after dinner, as the night deepened, that Xu Wang’s heart gradually calmed down.

Looking around the suite, Qian Ai, who became sleepy after eating, dozed off on the sofa; Wu Sheng, who seemed to be planning something, was at the desk, already filled with several sheets of draft paper; Kuang Jinxin sat beside the desk, intently watching Wu Sheng’s writing and drawing, not making a sound or asking questions, just understanding on his own, serious like a student in class; Chi Yingxue moved a single sofa in front of the TV, munching on an apple while watching a shopping channel, thoroughly engrossed.

According to their rhythm, today, tomorrow, and the day after were all “rest periods”, with the real “level-clearing day” only coming the day after tomorrow. So there was no pre-level-clearing tension at the moment.

But Xu Wang was still a bit uneasy.

The reason was simple: their last attempt at 8/23 had ended too tragically. Xu Wang still felt bone-aching pain whenever he thought of it.

It was around 11:30 p.m. when the five of them took a taxi to the coordinate point. Not long after getting off the taxi, it was midnight. Stepping into the purple vortex on the ground a month later, they returned to the starting point of 8/23.

A semi-open-air café with an excellent view.

The open-air part was surrounded by quaint green fences. Inside were several round tables, chairs, and large umbrellas for shade. A gentle breeze was blowing, carrying the aroma of coffee.

In reality, it was a cold, dark midnight.

But inside 8/23, it was a spring-like morning.

However, the five of them were well aware that, under this bright sunshine, a “bloody massacre” would soon take place.

There were already NPC customers under several of the sun umbrellas, leaving only one empty table by the fence. The five sat down, and a waiter came over to ask what they wanted to drink.

After ordering casually, the waiter left and never returned. Naturally, they weren’t served any coffee.

Just like 2/23’s airport, it was a “virtual experience”.

“It’s better in the castle banquet hall. The food and drinks are real, not fake.” Qian Ai sighed, pulling out a big white pear from his pocket and biting into it causing juice to splash everywhere.

Xu Wang remembered the large plate of fruit in the suite and asked, hoping for the best, “You only brought one in?”

“Do I look like the kind of person who eats alone?” Qian Ai took off his small backpack and, with a clatter, pulled out four more, all shiny, smooth, and fragrant. He distributed them to his teammates. “Eat as much as you like. There’s more when you’re done.”

Xu Wang realized that Classmate Qian wasn’t planning on clearing the level today; his bag was packed like he was going on a hike or a picnic.

Each of the five companions held a pear and sat around a table, enjoying their snack.

Two minutes later, the Owl’s purple vortex closed, and no new teams entered the café—distinguishing NPCs from peers was simple: just check if there’s coffee on the table.

“Are we the only ones in this level today?” Kuang Jinxin looked around, surprised. Even if they weren’t planning to clear the level, as long as they were at this coordinate point, they should have entered 8/23.

“A score of 8/23 is enough to make the overall leaderboard,” Qian Ai muttered while chewing on his white pear. “It’s normal to have fewer teams going through the levels.”

“It’s also possible that there are other teams,” Wu Sheng said. “They just didn’t get stuck at the coordinates like us.”

“That’s true.” Kuang Jinxin nodded.

To avoid encountering other teams, many would intentionally choose different times or places near the designated coordinates to enter the ‘Owl’.

Chi Yingxue, uninterested in the others, gazed distantly beyond the fence at the bustling street corner and said with an air of hope, “Are we really not going through the level today?”

Xu Wang gave him a “calm down” look and said earnestly, “Let’s just wait and see for now.”

Chi Yingxue shrugged. With no coffee or pastries, he had to make do with a bite of pear.

The fence was the safe zone, like the ancient castle’s banquet hall. Once they left, it meant the challenge began. Last time, as soon as they stepped out, they received the level content prompt. After joining the main group, they hadn’t even left the street when they all perished—a dark three minutes.

Noise from the street corner grew louder, indicating a large group was approaching.

Wu Sheng’s relaxed demeanor changed as he said solemnly, “They’re coming.”

Xu Wang tensed and quickly looked towards the street corner. Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin also became serious, turning their heads with Xu Wang.

Chi Yingxue, not as prepared as the others, continued nibbling on his pear, though his gaze shifted to the corner. As the team leader’s small flag appeared in the distance, he forgot to bite his pear.

Around the corner came a group of about thirty people, led by a flag-bearing leader, followed mostly by young men and women in their twenties and thirties, chatting and laughing lively.

They moved quickly, reaching the café in a short while. The guide approached the five of them, inviting warmly through the fence. “Are you interested in joining our all-inclusive city day tour?

Xu Wang decisively shook his head. “No, thanks.”

The leader asked again, “Sure you won’t join?”

This time, Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin all silently shook their heads.

Wu Sheng helped refuse a second time. “No need, thank you.”

The leader looked disappointed but didn’t persist, turning back to lead the group onwards.

The group passed the café, reaching a crosswalk.

The light was red.

About thirty people stood obediently, waiting.

In the distance, a dump truck approached normally, with no unusual speed or direction.

But just as it neared the crosswalk, a loud “bang” sounded—a front tire burst!

The driver, in panic, slammed on the brakes, but the vehicle, losing its front wheel, couldn’t maintain its course. With that brake, the truck drifted towards the thirty people waiting at the light!

It happened so fast. People who were laughing seconds ago were now stunned, with the two closest to the road instantly swept under the truck!

The others, realizing the danger, screamed and fled.

However, the truck, losing balance after drifting, flipped over, burying three people who couldn’t escape under a pile of debris!

In the chaos, another screeching brake sounded from a trailing vehicle, trying to stop too late. It hit a person who had run into the road in panic.

They avoided the burst tire and the dump spill, but not the following vehicle.

In just a few seconds, six people died.

As the dust settled, the group had lost several members. Yet, from the leader to the survivors, they all seemed amnesiac, resuming their cheerful demeanor and laughing as they crossed the road and continued on their planned route.

Xu Wang shuddered, feeling that cold terror unique to this challenge again.

Death is frightening.

But what’s scarier is knowing that a slight misstep could kill you, yet not knowing where the danger lies.

Or rather, death could come in countless ways at any moment.

[The demon causing accidents is among these people. Find them before sunset if you’re still alive.]

That was the first sentence they received from the [Cheat Sheet] after leaving the café fence last time.

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The author has something to say:

A new level begins~

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