Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 161: Hero and Monster
Assassin Sharp prowled in the shadows.
While still on Earth, Sharp excelled in gymnastics. She coincidentally acquired the rare class change of “Blood Dancer” and, from then on, became one of the top assassins among players, specializing in breathless stealth.
As one of Miss Dorothy’s capable officers, Sharp was responsible for investigating the undead dragon. Tonight, it was her turn for the night shift investigation.
To be honest, she was somewhat puzzled. The Undead Dragon Telistam was much more docile than she had imagined. Even though it was of a level that need not fear the sunlight, it would just quietly sit on a hillside, gazing at the distant scenery.
The quest required them to eliminate the undead dragon in order to bring peace to the land. But as far as Sharp was concerned, the land was peaceful enough already—there were no humans nearby; only some small animals were running around.
For some reason, the undead dragon deliberately concealed its aura. Birds dared to perch on its beautiful dragon horns, and it seemed not to mind at all.
During this time, Sharp hadn’t witnessed a single battle.
‘How strange,’ she thought. Normally, targets specified for extermination are extremely vicious, and could clearly be seen as villainous from a glance. And such a peaceful quest often has hidden details or side quests… This dragon was too quiet—so quiet that she somewhat hesitated to strike.
It clearly hadn’t disturbed any creatures.
Just then, a faint chill seeped into the night. A system pop-up suddenly appeared in front of Sharp.
“Hell mode?!” Sharp almost exclaimed out loud.
Map lock, severe death penalties. Sharp felt a chill all over her body and couldn’t help but look again at the quiet, undead dragon. The dissonance of this quest grew stronger—it was as if the dragon was being targeted by the system.
Sharp’s cold sweat instantly soaked her back, and her previously effortless stealth now seemed panic-inducing. This mission was really bizarre. They could not slack off or make mistakes; they had to quickly eliminate the target and leave.
The undead dragon lay there unknowingly, the green fire in its eye sockets silently burning.
Around it, several small will-o’-wisps gently swayed. The bright cyan glow illuminated the skeleton, and the bones under the moonlight emitted a soft, pearl-like luster, almost beautiful to behold.
Suddenly, it raised its head in a certain direction.
At the same time, Sharp felt an indescribable aura, like an ice-cold blade touching her throat. She hid further into the shadows and looked towards the source of the aura.
In that brief moment, she seemed to understand the reason for the increased difficulty of the mission—
A monster was approaching under the moonlight.
Indeed, most of their quest targets were monsters, but “game monsters” and “real monsters” are absolutely not the same thing. Even by the standards of game monsters, one with this appearance was definitely not easy to deal with.
It looked to have a vaguely humanoid form.
This creature was thin and slender, like a person wearing a bizarre long robe. Its long black hair dragged on the ground, and twisted, organ-like hard horns grew on its head.
The robe on its body seemed to be made of flesh and blood, thin and covered with capillaries. It exhibited a strange bluish-red color, the moist sheen resembling fresh innards.
The “robe” was full of wrinkles and gaps, with pure black eye-like structures dotted along the texture. Like a complicated ceremonial robe, it completely covered the monster’s body and limbs, trailing on the ground for two to three meters.
Sharp wanted to take a closer look, but phantasmal fog swirled around the monster. Its outline shimmered vaguely, making it hard for her to see the details.
She could only vaguely see that where the face should be, there was only an empty, lightless black. Two arm-like things stretched out from the robe, attempting to cover the face that had nothing.
Those arms were also black, like the void, making it hard to understand the purpose of this covering behavior.
But she could see clearly what was behind the monster.
Were those wings? She didn’t know.
They appeared finely shimmering, like the radiating cracks formed when glass is pierced—those cracks converged on the monster’s back, like six bizarre wings. They flowed and morphed with its movements, the cracks flickering with ominous pale light.
‘It’s like the very cracks of the world itself,’ Sharp thought out of nowhere.
Despite the distance, whispers crossed her ears, directly drilling into her brain, as if those words had a certain corrosiveness.
[Can’t be seen… Don’t look… Can’t be seen… Don’t look…]
[Don’t look… Don’t look… Don’t look… Don’t look…]
The undead dragon quietly watched it, slowly lowering its head as if in submission, or perhaps… pity?
The air was filled with an increasingly strange atmosphere—not hostility or killing intent, but a pure and unusual sense of oppression. As a human at the top of the food chain, Sharp suddenly understood the feeling of a weak creature encountering a natural predator.
Even though that thing was several hundred meters away, she felt like she was about to be crushed by a landslide.
Her scalp tingled, her limbs were cold as if they didn’t exist, and her heart was about to shatter her ribs. As an assassin known for elegance, Sharp, for the first time, fled the scene in a scramble.
‘This is bad,’ she thought.
Facing the undead dragon, she could still subconsciously consider tactics and countermeasures. But facing that thing, she only wanted to run away as far as possible.
…Can this mission really be done?
…Can everyone still leave here alive?
The day she found herself trapped in the game, she had never felt as desperate as this moment.
Behind her, the monster stopped in front of the undead dragon. It still covered its face, its head hanging low, like a statue.
……
When she was close to the camp, Sharp finally couldn’t help but gasp for breath. She supported herself on her knees, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
“Are you okay?” A detached yet polite voice sounded.
The voice appeared out of nowhere, startling Sharp nearly to the point of drawing her dagger. After seeing the person in front of her, she breathed a sigh of relief.
This time, it wasn’t a monster, but a young man with pale golden shoulder-length hair and golden pupils.
The person was dressed simply, with a similarly ordinary long sword at his waist. If not for his overly handsome face, he would seem like a common wandering swordsman.
And he was barefoot.
“I’m fine.” Sharp wiped the cold sweat from her face. “May I ask who you are?”
Normal people wouldn’t appear at this place at this time.
The man paused for half a second. “You can call me Drake.”
“Drake?” Sharp raised her voice. “The ‘Drake’ who fought the ancient Demon King?”
“You could say that,” the handsome young man said. “I’m investigating the undead dragon nearby. The aura here is off. It’s better for you not to stay too long.”
Ah, that makes sense. Sharp finally relaxed her shoulders and let out a heavy sigh.
The sudden change in the dungeon’s difficulty surely had a reason behind it.
So, it turns out the legendary “main character” has appeared, and everything must be part of the main storyline. That chilling monster surely wasn’t meant for them to fight—Hero Drake assisting players is the normal game routine.
Still, she remained cautious. “Your shoes?”
“The soles wore out. It’s more convenient to move this way,” Drake said without hesitation. “Since you’re fine, I’ll be on my way…”
“You can come with me.” She thought of letting Miss Dorothy confirm his identity. “You don’t look too good either. We can share some hot soup, soft bread, and a pair of new shoes.”
The self-proclaimed Drake: “Thank you. I’ll pay for them.”
He was quite straightforward.
Sharp gripped the handle of her dagger tighter. “You’re welcome.”
Miss Dorothy naturally hadn’t slept with the sudden change in the quest. Her tent was brightly lit, with sheepskin scrolls strewn across the table. The moment she saw “Drake”, she froze for several seconds.
She was, of course, aware of his existence, including his face. Hot Ash in the Brick Mountains had encountered Drake himself and shared the intelligence immediately.
“Miss Dorothy,” Drake greeted her coolly.
“You know me.”
Drake: “During that time in the Brick Mountains, Mr. Hot Ash was assisted by your people.”
According to Hot Ash, also known as Hot Ash*, Drake was supposed to be more of a lone wolf. His easygoing manner of following her people back here, could it be…
*Clarity: Pinyin Hot Ash (霍塔什) vs actually Chinese Hot Ash (热灰). The former is the English pronunciation of his name in pinyin, while the latter is what his name would be if it was in Chinese.
“Are you in trouble, Mr. Drake?” Dorothy asked softly. “I guess it’s your companions?”
Drake was candid. “There’s a lady and a gentleman, my employers for now. I’ve left them a mark; they will arrive later… This land has been sealed off, and we’re short on supplies.”
“If you can provide supplies and information, I can offer gold wheels, or my sword.”
Dorothy hummed. “No need to be so formal. We would help even ordinary travelers. Feel free to stay here.”
Although not many had seen “Drake,” Dorothy remained cautious. If he was the real Drake, it would be good to have him owe a favor; if he was an imposter with ulterior motives, she could keep an eye on him.
“I won’t lie. The sealing came suddenly, and our people are also in disarray.” Dorothy skillfully changed the subject. “Once we’ve conducted our investigation, we’ll explain the situation to you.”
Drake lowered his gaze and nodded crisply.
‘As taciturn as the legends described,’ Dorothy thought. God knows how much she wanted him to be the real deal.
Upon entering the tent, Drake—Teest immediately cast an illusion and then activated “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. As for Painter and Lynn, who would arrive later… they would survive, probably. They’ll figure it out.
He headed straight for Dorothy’s tent, ghosting past the curtains without causing them to flutter. The soundproofing magic formation was no issue for him now; he just needed to concentrate a bit of the Demon King’s corruption to poke a hole through the invisible “magic soundproof shield”.
Dorothy’s table was illuminated by a bright magic lamp. The center of the tent was as bright as day, while the edges remained dim. Teest leaned against the tent’s edge, wrapped in the shadow that enveloped him like amber.
He listened to them discuss whether “Drake” was trustworthy, the changes in the quest, and the severe penalties for death. He listened indifferently; those statements were less tangible to him than the evening breeze in the tent.
He listened to them discuss the still-peaceful undead dragon and the monster that appeared beside it…
The next moment, Teest’s figure melted into the shadows. Dorothy and her companions continued their earnest discussion, completely unaware of the empty corner in the tent.
Under the moonlight, Teest saw Nol.
His God, unrecognizable, stood in front of the undead dragon like a quiet corpse. Teest carefully discerned in the night that Nol had one hand on the dragon’s skull.
Gentle and peaceful waves slowly seeped out; he was soothing it.
Even now, Nol remembered to avoid a war.
Teest watched the twisted figure.
That “monster” was bizarre yet beautiful, like the unusual moment of a Dracolich’s transformation, or like a butterfly mid-metamorphosis. It wasn’t a creature of this world, nor a power that belonged here.
Nol still had some sanity left, wary of the four moons in the sky, desperately hiding his aura. Unless one got close, it was hard to feel his presence… but once close, once observed closely, that twisted presence made one’s insides churn.
This was still the result of Nol deliberately suppressing himself. If he truly let go, what would he become?
Whenever Teest thought he had unraveled all of Nol’s mysteries, Nol would present new puzzles. How exciting. He should have been happier than the night he defeated the ancient Demon King.
Yet, Teest couldn’t feel happy.
[Nol.] His call was like a drop of rain falling into a dry well.
“Nol.” Teest called out again with his voice, but Nol remained motionless. They were only a dozen steps apart. Nol should have been able to hear him.
There was only empty darkness on that face, without the smile he was accustomed to.
Teest couldn’t help but move closer.
Had he done something wrong? Should he not have rashly investigated that seal? Even the Mad Monk, who never doubted himself, felt a bit of confusion in this moment.
“I thought we were strong enough.”
After a moment of silence, Teest spoke almost mockingly. “I used to make a name for myself hunting the higher-ups of the Church. Now, I can suppress Subelbot. Before, I couldn’t even dream of something so outrageous.”
“But a ‘False God’ is still a ‘God’… You’ve become like this, and I don’t have a clue.”
Nol remained silent.
“You’ve told me many stories.”
Teest continued, “You said adventure stories should always have a good ending. This doesn’t count as a good ending—it’s not even an ending. It’s extremely dangerous, completely unknown, and impossible to explore. Such an adventure has no joy… I should leave immediately.”
In front of him was an extremely dangerous dead end.
They were being played by Star Stealer Sol. He should leave immediately and stay far away. Giving up his life now was meaningless. Even if he left now, it wouldn’t break the deal between them.
And from what he knew of Nol, Nol wouldn’t blame him for it.
Teest took another step forward.
For some reason, he just wanted to stay here.
Step by step, his bare feet crossed the grass. Teest stood in front of Nol, the deadly oppressive force hitting him as if it wanted to squeeze his flesh out of his skin.
Teest grabbed Nol’s hand—if it could still be called a “hand”—and gently kissed it. The familiar buff of [Betrayal Overture] seeped into his flesh again, and they stood together once more.
“Alright, I’m going to up the ante on our deal.”
Holding onto that insubstantial twisted limb that distorted like smoke, Teest said, “I give you ‘loyalty’ and you give me a ‘response’. How about it? This is a discount! …I just realized, I’ve already given you my ‘loyalty’, and I don’t know how to take it back.”
“What a great deal. There won’t be another chance like this.”
Life is a gold wheel, complete and shining. Given away, taken back, or mortgaged near the heart, it’s an easy-to-understand chip.
But loyalty is like roots; he didn’t know when it took root in his flesh, making it impossible for him to leave. Teest didn’t know how to eradicate it, just as he didn’t know how to understand this situation.
The crack-like “wings” tore through the night sky, and that face remained empty. Even when locked in the dungeon of the Eternal Church, Teest never felt such a terrible… sense of powerlessness.
“It seems I didn’t raise the stakes enough. I’ll tell you another secret.”
Teest’s tone was light, as if this was just another nighttime chat. “You never asked me why I chose ‘knight’ at first. I had prepared an answer for so long.”
“You wouldn’t think it was because of that kid Piel, would you? I don’t care about him that much—oh, it’s also not much related to my brother’s expectations. I rarely listen to him.”
“It’s just because the last customer of our family’s jewelry store was a knight. When it was time to choose a profession, I remembered this and just picked it. How about that? Isn’t it surprising?”
Nol remained silent.
“It’s quite boring. I knew it.”
Teest said, “I’m not sure if I can give more… Ambiguous things can’t be conditions. That would be unfair to you.”
Beside Nol, the undead dragon Telistam also quietly watched him.
‘What an incredible irony,’ Teest thought. This foolish dragon threw itself wholeheartedly towards its deceased friend, and he thought he was smarter. He chopped himself into pieces, bit by bit, turning them into chips, just hoping to be able to withdraw at any moment.
By the time he realized, his whole person—almost his entire being—was already beside Nol.
“Let it be, then.” Teest pondered for a long time, as awkward as rummaging through all his pockets for change. “This is all I can offer, just for a ‘response’. This is bleeding me dry…”
Nol suddenly moved.
The movement was slow, and the joints were stiff. The monster leaned forward, stretching its arms, then slowly brought them together.
A hug.
Teest fell silent. Now it was his turn to freeze in place.
After a long time, he hugged the monster in front of him. The black hair felt like slime, slipping through his fingers, hard to grasp. The monster’s flesh was also cold, like a real corpse.
“It’s too cold. This doesn’t count,” he murmured in complaint.
[Okay…]
A voice entered his brain.
[It doesn’t count… I… remember…]
“…Honey, don’t you have anything else to say at such an important moment?”
[No…]
“No?”
[Don’t… be sad… Teest…]
[Teest…]
It stroked his hair, calling out over and over.
[It’s not… over yet…]
Teest grumbled a few times. Despite the deadly oppressive force, he still tugged at a few strands of “black hair”.
“If I really wanted it to be over, why would I make such a big deal?” he clicked his tongue. “Lord Nol, you still owe me quite a bit.”
“This terrible adventure story, I’ll change it to something more decent.”
Teest said, “Since you’re not in a position to, let me play the ‘Hero’… but this doesn’t set a precedent.”
After that, Teest tightened his arms.
‘A very good hug,’ he thought.
The author has something to say:
Nol’s half-demon transformation (?
Kinky Thoughts:
Oh, I really love this chapter. Teest slowly understanding his feelings… Ah… Chapters like these are why I love Nian Zhong’s writing so much.
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