Author: Kinky

Escape From the Asylum Ch47

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Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 47

Ke Yuxiao’s words seemed quite reasonable. After hearing his explanation, Li Buhui immediately stopped what he was doing.

He said, “But this is strange. If the little girl who trapped us is an evil spirit, without helping her, we can’t leave. But if we do help her… it might lead to other problems. What should we do?”

Upon hearing this, Yin Jiujui responded, “Guessing now is useless. Let’s not blindly open doors. Let’s look for clues first.”

……

Five minutes later.

Zhou Qian hadn’t found any clues and was instead chatting away in a corner near the window with Wu Ren.

He eventually said, “So, do you understand? Those of us in odd-numbered positions should actually unite.”

“You’re just spouting bullshit. I don’t understand a thing you’re saying,” Wu Ren replied. “Unite odd-numbered positions 1, 3, 5, and 7? But numbers 3 and 5 are already your people. And among 2, 4, 6, that Situ Qing at position 2 seems to be someone you brought too.”

“Time will pass, and everyone’s score will decrease. If we get to that last step, what I’m suggesting is the most likely scenario. Firstly, when it really comes down to it, everyone will probably not cooperate but fight on their own. That’s the first point.”

“Secondly, and more importantly, when the strong ones run out of resources, they are more likely to be killed by the weaker ones because their motive to acquire points is stronger. So, the people in even-numbered positions will probably target me first.”

Wu Ren narrowed his eyes and asked, “What does it have to do with me if they target you?”

Zhou Qian whispered, “If you kill me, you’ll likely be killed in turn. How is that unrelated to you? In this ranking system, both of us, at opposite ends, are equally unlucky.”

Wu Ren didn’t even want to think about Zhou Qian’s logic. He felt his head was about to explode. But after glancing at his watch, he saw a message from his gambler.

[What he said is right, but it’s based on excluding various special cases and simplifying the complicated situation. There are still huge variables. Your main goal is to acquire life points. You might as well just listen to what Zhou Qian really wants.]

Clearing his throat, Wu Ren said to Zhou Qian, “Alright. What do you want me to do after all this talk?”

Zhou Qian smiled and said, “For all the problems I just mentioned, there’s a solution. You are the strongest… so you should lead us.”

Wu Ren looked at Zhou Qian with astonishment. Zhou Qian continued, “If everyone fights on their own, no one can protect themselves. But teaming up can break the logic I just mentioned. When all seven of us form a team, we can break the game.”

Pausing for effect, Zhou Qian, with his dark eyes fixed on Wu Ren, said, “Consider this realm as a kingdom. Now, my people and I are willing to crown you as the king. We will act as your guards. Anyone who resists us will be eliminated.

“As the king, you need to declare—’Whoever dares to harm another, you’ll kill them.'”

“Wu Ge, only someone as strong as you can be a king, and only you saying this will have real deterrent power.”

“Afterwards, you can order your guards, like me, to collect all the life points hidden in this instance. We’ll all be running errands for you…”

Zhou Qian concluded seductively, “Think about it, Wu Ge. As long as you say those words, the world will be yours.”

Wu Ren glanced at his watch again, then said to Zhou Qian, “The world will be mine? Huh, but I’ll be controlled by you, right? I’ll be just a bullshit king—a puppet controlled by you.”

“You’re wrong. Our relationship is mutually restrictive,” Zhou Qian stated seriously. “Among everyone, you’re the one who can kill me the easiest. But I’m also the one you’d least dare to kill. Therefore, the cooperation between the two of us is actually the most reliable and stable. We can fully trust each other.”

Wu Ren, as well as his gambler, couldn’t find any logical flaws in Zhou Qian’s words for the moment.

Zhou Qian was indeed the one he least dared to kill.

If he killed Situ Qing, the second strongest, he might not be afraid. The rest of the people were weaker than her. After leaving this room, everyone might act separately. Even if he ran out of mana, encountering someone with weak attack power, relying on some protective gear and health potions, he might just survive.

On the contrary, if he killed the weakest, Zhou Qian, the probability of encountering someone with strong attack power without mana would be much higher. In the worst case, he might run into Situ Qing, and perhaps there would be no way out.

But after all this thinking, from this perspective, the person Wu Ren should kill the most wasn’t Zhou Qian but the biggest threat to him, Situ Qing. But Situ Qing’s life points probably weren’t much more than his, so rashly killing her might not be a good deal.

What should he do?

Should he really do as Zhou Qian suggested?

After thinking for a while, Wu Ren decided to stand up and temporarily stay away from Zhou Qian, as if he felt that Zhou Qian was some kind of terrifying, bewildering poison. “I’ll look for clues first.”

Watching Wu Ren’s back, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and smiled, then finally began to get up and explore.

Zhou Qian first glanced at the people busying themselves in the not-so-large study, then turned around to look at the windowsill. The windowsill was covered by thick curtains, and no light from outside could penetrate in. There were no clocks in the study, so no one knew what time it was in the game.

As he approached the curtains, Zhou Qian heard a private message from Qi Liuxing in his headset. “What were you talking to Wu Ren about?”

After listening to Zhou Qian’s reply, Qi Liuxing asked with some surprise, “Do you really support him being the ‘king’?”

“Of course.”

“?”

“I think he could be useful.”

“…”

“But—” Zhou Qian’s pupils darkened in a place where others couldn’t see, “I mainly want to test him.”

“What do you mean?” Qi Liuxing didn’t understand.

Zhou Qian explained, “Someone wanted to target me last time but didn’t succeed. Will they do nothing this time?”

Qi Liuxing became serious. “Do you suspect that among Rain Man Wu Ren, Female Warrior Yin Jiujiu, and Ordinary Faced Li Buhui, one of them might be from the Peach Blossom Legion?”

“Of course,” Zhou Qian said. “And you’re wrong. What if all three of them are?”

Qi Liuxing: “This…”

“But even if someone is from the Peach Blossom Legion, their primary goal is to survive. So, no hurry. Let’s support Wu Ren as the ‘king’ for now. It’s beneficial from a game perspective. Plus, whether or not he’s from the Peach Blossom Legion, it’s a move worth playing.”

As Zhou Qian said this, he pulled the curtains open. Dust accumulated over the years immediately rose into the air. He stepped back, covering his mouth and nose. As the dust settled, he looked at the window.

It was boarded up from the outside, and the view was completely obscured. However, there was a circular hole in the glass, surrounded by numerous cracks. He wasn’t sure what caused the hole.

He tried to push the window but couldn’t. He then took out a hammer from his bag, seemingly planning to force the window open. At this moment, he received a message from Li Xuehai: [Since it’s an escape room, they won’t allow such a simple way out. Be careful of traps.]

“You, being such a traditional person, know about escape rooms?”

Zhou Qian said to thin air and then swung the hammer down. He then received a string of [……] from Li Xuehai.

“I have a reason for smashing the window. There’s a blurry spot on the glass, which makes it hard to see, but I think there’s something between the cracks of the wooden bars outside. I need to take it out and see. Also—”

While Zhou Qian was speaking, he was also simultaneously explaining it to Qi Liuxing through the hidden earpiece.

“Weren’t we just debating several issues? Whether the little girl is an evil spirit? Should we tell her who killed her? Which side should we stand on? Who killed her?”

“Let’s set aside these currently undetermined issues. One fact is almost certain. The little girl and her witch mother are on opposing sides. The little girl is likely trapped by her mother.”

“When Li Buhui went to open the door, he didn’t feel that the door was jammed or sealed. He just felt that when he was opening the door, the little girl was holding onto the doorknob, preventing him from opening it.”

“So we can infer… the witch mother didn’t seal the study door. Otherwise, the little girl wouldn’t need to stop him herself.”

“Therefore, the witch mother might have sealed the little girl, but her target isn’t the study. It’s the entire house, like the main door and all the windows and balconies. But the door from the study to the living room, or to the corridor, wasn’t sealed by the witch mother. It’s just the little girl who doesn’t want us to go out.”

With a “clang”, Zhou Qian had already smashed the glass and began to move the broken pieces one by one.

At the same time, he said, “If you do something that displeases the little girl, your life points will drop. But what if… you try to break the seal set by the witch mother who is opposed to her?”

After clearing the debris, Zhou Qian put on a protective glove to avoid risk and to avoid touching things like blood, which he disliked. He then grabbed the hammer and tried to hit the place where the wooden bar was.

To everyone’s surprise, Zhou Qian managed to break the wooden bar with just two hits.

But beyond the wooden bar, there was something else—a large piece of metal. When the hammer hit the metal, it made a loud noise.

However, the thick and sturdy metal seemed to be welded firmly onto the window.

Outside the glass window, there was a wooden bar, and outside the wooden bar was metal. No one knew what might be beyond the metal. At this moment, Qi Liuxing came over, looking thoughtful. “This is like a matryoshka doll. Layer upon layer. It’s weird. Why not just weld the metal directly? The wooden bar inside is meaningless.”

“It’s not strange at all,” Zhou Qian said to him. “Take a wild guess. Why is this happening?”

Qi Liuxing frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ke Yuxiao also approaching. Meeting Qi Liuxing’s gaze, Ke Yuxiao gave him a gentle smile. The look was full of wisdom, as if he had seen through everything.

Feeling a bit annoyed, Qi Liuxing tried to keep a straight face. “Both of you know the answer but won’t tell me, and you both look like you’re testing me? That’s not fair.”

Zhou Qian and Ke Yuxiao exchanged smiles. Zhou Qian then extended his gloved hand.

He had suspected that something was hidden between the wooden bar and the glass. As he was breaking the glass and wooden bar, that thing fell and landed in the gap beneath the window. Now, with the help of the gloves, Zhou Qian retrieved it.

Everyone saw what it was.

It seemed to be a hand, but an extremely bizarre one. The hand had only four fingers; the index finger was missing. The middle, ring, and pinky fingers were all fused together, with green wrinkled skin covered in red spots. Some parts even sprouted gray-white hair, which was quite disgusting.

Nonchalantly lifting up this strange hand, Zhou Qian waved it in front of Qi Liuxing. Not afraid of ghosts, Qi Liuxing was nevertheless disgusted and turned pale.

Seeing this, Ke Yuxiao stepped forward, pulling Qi Liuxing back a step and giving Zhou Qian a disapproving look.

Zhou Qian gazed thoughtfully at him and then raised an eyebrow, asking Qi Liuxing, “Why do you think this hand was stuck between the glass and the wooden bar? Care to use your imagination?”

After a moment, Qi Liuxing got it. No longer just trying to act mature, he truly frowned in concern. “The witch locked up the little girl. Initially, she only sealed the window with wooden bars. But the little girl managed to smash the glass with her bare hands, breaking the wooden bar and reaching out…”

“Her hand, protruding from the window, might have attacked someone, so it was probably cut off by someone, or even her own mother.”

“After that… her witch mother re-sealed the window with new wooden bars. Not only that… she added a layer of metal, welding the window shut completely! That’s the real reason for the presence of both metal and wood.”

“Exactly. And she wasn’t just mindlessly smashing the window. She used force very cleverly,” Zhou Qian added. “Before I smashed the window, I saw there was a hole in the glass. Now, it seems that hole was exactly the size of her fist.”

“Could it be that the little girl is really an evil spirit? Judging by this hand, her body has been eroded by an evil spirit, and she has become some kind of monster,” Qi Liuxing said. “Is her mother the benevolent party?”

At this moment, everyone received a system notification.

[The player attempted to break the glass, triggering the “Guardian’s Seal” protection. Everyone’s life points have increased by 1. At the same time, surveillance of this house will become stricter.]

Zhou Qian glanced at his card, noticing the number “24” remained unchanged. However, the countdown below it had reset to [59:59].

After looking at each other for a while, the one who spoke up was Female Warrior Yin Jiujiu. She first pointed to several places in the room. “A large mirror is shattered, a smaller one is painted black, and the compact mirror has also been broken… We didn’t know the reason then, but now I think I have some idea.”

Lifting a photo album, Yin Jiujiu said, “If you come closer, you’ll see that the little girl was very cute when she was younger. She was probably human at that time. But there’s a photo later on… her face is smeared with ink. I tried using a tool to clean the ink and saw her face. She indeed… looked like a monster.”

“Everyone guessed back then, wondering if her evil spirit is similar to that of a vampire, afraid to see its reflection. But I’ve come across another possibility—”

“From the photos and from the mirrors, the little girl realized she had turned into a monster. Unable to accept it, she destroyed all the mirrors in the room and blackened her own image in the recent photos.”

The author has something to say:

Li Xuehai: Can’t you be less rebellious?

Zhou Qian: Can’t you be less conservative?

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Qizi Ch47

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Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 47

Ling Xiao woke up with a sore back and waist pain. Even the recovery ability that the Tianxiu people pride themselves in surrendered in front of the challenge of seven times in one night. Ling Xiao didn’t want to recall how he cried and begged for mercy last night, yet Ying Feng actually did it seven times as promised. Ling Xiao silently cursed Ying Feng countless times in his mind, not wanting to admit that it was he who had first suggested the idea of seven times in a night.

Glancing at the time, it was already noon. Ling Xiao sniffed and could sense Ying Feng’s scent all over him. Perhaps this was what dulled his senses and gave him the illusion that his partner was beside him all along, allowing him to sleep until now.

He turned over and lay on the bed, feeling gloomy. If he had known that Ying Feng’s so-called necessary method was like this, he would have never agreed. However, what was done was done. He tried to console himself that they both got what they needed. After their physical intimacy, his soul no longer felt the unease of being lost.

While Ying Feng’s methods might be simple and crude, they had the intended effect. Ling Xiao eventually drifted off to sleep again, and by the time he woke up, it was already dusk. At some point, Ying Feng probably came back, but Ling Xiao was deeply asleep, only inferring Ying Feng’s return by the disturbed items on the table.

To his surprise, Ling Xiao slept the entire day without Ying Feng by his side. When he woke up, he was starving but felt too lazy to move. He quickly ordered some food from a 2D network convenience store using his personal terminal. Thinking back to what Ying Feng said last night, he decided to treat himself. In no time, a plethora of food items filled his teleportation device.

Ling Xiao alternated between sleeping and eating, catching up on all the rest he missed out on in the past few days. Ying Feng probably found this routine effective and ensured they repeated it a few times. At first, Ling Xiao protested, then yelled, but eventually gave in, realizing that whenever Ying Feng intended to get intimate, his body instinctively responded. In the end, he couldn’t resist.

Thus, Ling Xiao spent three full days without getting out of bed and never once mentioned training. Thanks to advanced technology, he could indulge in more than just energy bread and even gained some weight. The critical three-day period swiftly passed, and both his body and the soul within finally synchronized, becoming one. All the negative effects caused by their initial rejection of each other vanished. When Ling Xiao woke up, he felt rejuvenated.

Eagerly, he went to report to Yao Tai, who, unlike him, seemed a bit tired. Ling Xiao’s first thought was that her fatigue had to do with the recent investigation.

“Doctor Yao, what happened after they took you away that day?”

Yao Tai mustered some energy and replied, “Nothing. They just questioned me and then sent me back. Don’t worry about it.”

She was telling the truth, but she omitted the part about another colleague being suspended. “You look refreshed. Have you been resting well recently?”

Thinking about how he “rested”, Ling Xiao looked a bit uncomfortable. Although Yao Tai could somewhat guess the reason, she didn’t dwell on it. She always saw Ying Feng as a distant and cold figure. It was hard to imagine him getting intimate with someone.

“Come, let’s do a checkup.”

Ling Xiao obediently laid down. After Yao Tai conducted a basic examination, she was shocked by the results: a mental rating of C. In just a few days, he had improved from E- to C, which was an incredible progress rate.

In the medical community, a D rating was considered a critical threshold in mental evaluations. Falling below it often led to worsening conditions, while improvements were rare. Yet, Ling Xiao not only improved but jumped two grades at once, which was a rarity even for experienced doctors like Yao Tai.

Though recovery speed depended on the individual’s mental strength, the role of the Qizhu couldn’t be underestimated. Yao Tai was left wondering what method Ying Feng employed to bring about such a dramatic improvement in Ling Xiao in such a short time.

“Congratulations on your psychological rating rising to C. You have escaped the low-risk level and are now in a sub-healthy state. With a bit more effort, you can fully recover to normal.”

Unfortunately, the mental trauma couldn’t be healed. Yao Tai felt a silent regret in her heart.

But Ling Xiao was already very happy. “Really? Can I apply for Royal Sky now?”

“Apply where?”

“Royal Sky Military Academy.”

“Of course not. Military academies have especially high requirements for psychological quality. The minimum standard is B. For top schools like Royal Sky, you must reach A to be eligible to apply.”

The pride that had just risen in Ling Xiao’s heart fell again. “Really?”

Seeing his obvious disappointment, Yao Tai knew she might have been a bit too harsh and reassured him, “But you have a great ability to recover. I believe it’s only a matter of time before you rise to A-level. Royal Sky has two entrance exams every year. There’s still some time before the next one. Just work hard to improve your psychological rating.”

Indeed, Ling Xiao was uplifted by her words. “I definitely will!”

Seeing his spirited look, Yao Tai wasn’t surprised at his astonishing progress. As she always believed, Ling Xiao was always a strong person capable of overcoming any setback.

She opened the door, and a person stood with their back to her. Hearing the noise, the person turned around.

“Is it over?”

Yao Tai noticed that Ying Feng had changed somewhat, but she couldn’t pinpoint how. “The check is done. His psychological assessment has risen to C, which is beyond my expectations.”

She then complimented Ying Feng for the first time after the coming-of-age ceremony. “You did well. I don’t know how you did it, but keep it up.”

Ling Xiao came out at this moment. Yao Tai looked at both of them. She felt that although their journey ahead was long, they had come far already. Fate brought these two people together, with their unexpected pairing and contrasting personalities. It was hard to tell if this was destiny’s way of blessing or playing tricks on them.

“Your trial is today, right? Have the military people come?”

Ying Feng nodded. “They are already waiting outside.”

Yao Tai also nodded. “Go on then. Don’t be nervous. Emphasize that you were a fledgling at the time. As long as you show remorse, you will surely get a lighter sentence.”

The two left Yao Tai and came to the main door, where two sergeants waited.

“Are they the first group or the second?” Ling Xiao whispered.

Upon recognizing the badges, Ying Feng responded, “They’re from Fu Yao’s side.”

Ling Xiao was relieved, naturally holding a grudge against those who had previously taken Yao Tai away.

Fu Yao’s men were courteous, leading them onto an aircraft, setting off from Bikong.

At the same time, Fu Yao was also preparing to head to his destination.

“How do you plan to deal with them?” his Qizi asked on the way.

“To deal with them,” Fu Yao said elongating his tone. “Daring to steal from the base, such audacity. If we don’t imprison them for a few years, how will they learn their lesson?”

His Qizi was a bit anxious. “But they were just fledglings when they stole, acting out of curiosity. Both are excellent talents without any ideological errors. It’s a waste to imprison them now.”

“Oh.” Fu Yao pretended to listen. “Since you say so… let’s have them clean the Royal Sky playground for a year.”

His Qizi was somewhat speechless. “You had already decided, hadn’t you? And the precondition for this punishment is that they get admitted to Royal Sky.”

Feigning innocence, Fu Yao replied, “You said, don’t waste talent. Tianxiu needs warriors, not prisoners. Only in Royal Sky can their strengths truly be utilized.”

The four met outside the courtroom. Fu Yao observed Ling Xiao’s complexion, teasing, “Seems like you two get along even better than I imagined.”

Now knowing his identity and having heard many of his battle tales, Ling Xiao admired this shorter-than-him Major General. “Hello, sir. I’ve seen your battle videos on the Royal Sky campus network. They’re amazing. The first time we met, because you looked… um…”

Confused, Ling Xiao turned to Ying Feng, wondering why he had covered his mouth.

Ying Feng acted as if nothing happened. “We’re ready.”

Fu Yao smirked. “Then…”

“Wait.”

He didn’t like being interrupted. But seeing the insignia on the speaker, his face darkened.

The two new arrivals showed Fu Yao a document. “Sir, per higher-ups’ instructions, we’ll take custody of these two from now on. Please let them go.”

Fu Yao grabbed it rudely, quickly skimmed through it, and handed it to his Qizi, who also checked it carefully. In the end, the latter gave a slight nod of approval. Fu Yao cast a threatening look over the two repeatedly.

The subjects of his gaze stared solemnly ahead, pretending not to notice his actions. His final gaze landed on Ying Feng. He then sidestepped, allowing space for one person to pass.

“Please.” The soldier gestured to Ling Xiao and Ying Feng, signaling that they likely had no choice but to move on.

The four of them passed through the narrow path. As Ying Feng brushed past Fu Yao, Fu Yao’s wrist came closer. Ying Feng, understanding the gesture, discreetly connected his terminal to Fu Yao’s, producing a beep audible only to them, instantly exchanging their communication methods. It was only after they were out of Fu Yao’s sight that Ying Feng discreetly checked the message from Fu Yao: [Contact me if anything happens.]

The soldiers took them to an unknown location and specifically asked for Ling Xiao to enter alone. As Ling Xiao was about to step forward, Ying Feng stopped him.

“Where are you taking my Qizi?” Instead of using Ling Xiao’s name, he referred to him as “my Qizi”, emphasizing his point. Even Ling Xiao detected the emphasis in his words.

“He is the one who stole the drugs. We need to interrogate him separately. Please wait here.”

“I refuse,” Ying Feng responded firmly. “According to the law, you have no right to question him without me present. Any statement he makes or agreement he signs without me present can be rendered invalid.”

“This is a military order.”

“The military must also abide by the law.”

The two soldiers hadn’t expected Ying Feng to be even more difficult than Fu Yao. They exchanged a glance; one stayed behind while the other quickly left.

After a short while, he returned and whispered to the first soldier, who nodded in understanding.

“You are approved to be present during the interrogation,” he gestured for them to proceed, “Let’s go.”

Thus, Ling Xiao, unsure of what was happening, followed Ying Feng into a room. There sat a military officer whose rank, judging by the insignia, was no lower than Fu Yao’s.

“Please sit,” the officer said with an air of arrogance. Ling Xiao and Ying Feng sat opposite him. The officer’s gaze remained on Ling Xiao, and after a while, he finally asked. “You’re Ling Xiao?”

Ling Xiao thought he was asking the question knowingly but still answered, “Yes.”

“You broke into the base’s lab and stole prohibited drugs. Your Qizhu is complicit. By the rules, both of you should be sentenced to at least thirty years.”

Both were taken aback. While Ying Feng managed to maintain his composure, Ling Xiao exclaimed, “How can it be so long?”

“However,” the officer continued, “Considering you were fledgling at the time of the incident and lack of malicious intent, the military offers you a second choice. Not only will you avoid imprisonment, but you will also receive assistance from the military.”

“What are the conditions?” Ying Feng asked calmly.

The officer’s eyes remained on Ling Xiao. “We want you to participate in a secret biological program, lasting at least a year. Whatever happens during this time, whomever you meet, you must not disclose.”

“Details.”

“We have an essential test subject currently in cryo. To revive him, we need a blood transfusion. We require your blood, once a week. This deal is beneficial for you.”

“Why specifically his blood? As a Qizhu, my blood regeneration capabilities are stronger. Shouldn’t you choose me instead?”

The officer then turned to Ying Feng. “Only the blood of a Qizi who has just completed the bonding ceremony meets our requirements, and he fits both criteria. Our test subject is weak and can’t accept the blood type of a Qizhu. That’s why we chose him.”

“I…” Ling Xiao finally spoke. “Can I know the purpose of this experiment? Who is this person you are trying to revive? What will you do with him once he’s awake?”

“That’s not your concern. You can now choose to accept or go to prison. I believe you both understand the flaws in your testimony. If investigated further, the punishment might exceed what I mentioned earlier.”

Ling Xiao hesitated for a long while. “I accept.”

Ying Feng didn’t expect him to agree so quickly, sounding somewhat displeased. “You just accept their terms so easily? You don’t even know what they really intend to do.”

“Do I have any other choice?” Ling Xiao calmly retorted. “If I don’t agree, I’ll be imprisoned for thirty years, and so will you.”

The military officer across from them flashed a smug smile.

Ying Feng fell silent. Without a better solution, he had no grounds to persuade Ling Xiao to accept imprisonment. Perhaps from the start, their adversaries had not left them with any room to choose. The military’s objectives were clear-cut, and as two students who had just come of age, they had no power to resist.

With a wave of the officer’s hand, a document was promptly presented by someone behind him. “If you’ve reached an agreement, sign at the back of the confidentiality agreement. Once your name is on it, there’s no turning back. Think it through.”

With no other options, Ling Xiao picked up the pen, about to sign his name, when his hand was held by Ying Feng.

“Wait.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Full Server First Kill Ch66

Kinky5 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 66: Death Knight

Nol didn’t know what he was thinking.

Once relaxed and with the alcohol slipping down his throat, his thoughts scattered in all directions like confetti from a firecracker.

He reached for that swaying tail, his left arm draped over Teest’s shoulder, passing through the cascading long hair. He wondered, if he hadn’t sought Teest before the queen awakened, showing his alignment with Teest, what would happen to the succubi?

If this was indeed related to Teest, the guy would probably try to persuade the queen to leave. He wasn’t one to keep trouble close… With his sweet-talking mouth, Teest always got what he wanted.

If they left the Lost Tower prematurely, the fate of the succubi was uncertain.

……

Nol’s fingers glided over the soft muscle at the tip of the tail, which slipped through his grasp. Half of Nol’s body pressed onto Teest, trying to capture it.

Teest remained still, letting Nol cling, solid and warm like a tree. The weight of Nol pressed onto his thighs, and Teest remained silent, not willing to surrender his tail.

‘His partner was always like this,’ Nol thought. Teest did what he wanted.

The man shattered all of his hesitations and lukewarm feelings, washing them clean with blood. He appreciated that, but he couldn’t allow Teest to do anything to him… This was their boundary. So, how should he “punish” him?

…….

Teest’s tail was as nimble as he was, and Nol couldn’t grasp it. The room, heated by the fireplace, made him sweat.

Punishment, right, punishment… 

Cold treatment? Nol doubted its effectiveness. Reprimand? He didn’t expect the Mad Monk to self-reflect. Or should he squeeze the tip of his tail hard?

While trying to capture the tail, Nol spoke intermittently to Teest. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying; he just needed to vent.

Teest’s hair slipped between his fingers, and a few seconds later, Nol realized he was stroking it. He gazed at the handsome face and eyes resembling the color of the golden bewilderment fruit. Teest’s expression was gentle, always looking like everything was under control.

That was the downside of being with someone for so long. Unless you couldn’t stand them, you would inevitably develop some affection.

Nol closely observed Teest’s eyes, full of mirth, like a cup filled with the bewilderment dew. Suddenly, Nol felt thirsty and a little annoyed. All his thoughts were about the man before him.

A man who would dance amidst death—a beautiful, untrustworthy lunatic.

Maybe he was just too thirsty, Nol thought. His arm, draped over the other, felt like it was burning. His thoughts were jumbled, unable to focus on one thing. His mind was only filled with those eyes. He felt the pull of the vortex and quicksand again, and this time he was too close.

Nol’s body acted first, his lips brushing over those eyes, pausing at Teest’s forehead.

A kiss.

Teest’s body tensed up, and his pupils dilated momentarily, as if what hit his forehead wasn’t a gentle kiss, but a bullet. Nol, in turn, seemed to be repelled by this invisible recoil, the hot sweat washing away much of his drunkenness.

“…Don’t suddenly use charm on me.”

He tried to reason out his daze. His heart raced, and his blood was still burning, but the pain had become numb.

Teest was silent for a moment. His body moved slightly, and his tail stood still. “The interesting thing is, I didn’t. Besides, you’ve just acquired ‘mental magic immunity’, honey.”

Nol stared intently at the other’s lips, recalling the time he had kissed them in the dungeon. Back then, he felt only embarrassment, but the kiss from not long ago had set his mind aflame.

Forcing himself to examine Teest from head to toe, Nol found himself puzzled by another thought. He had shared rooms with many people, been to swimming pools, and seen attractive men in movies not dressed appropriately. Nol swore he had never been attracted to the same sex.

But now, suddenly…

Before Nol could sort his thoughts, Teest let out a sigh-like exhale. The man slowly tilted his head upward, leaving a gentle kiss on Nol’s lips. It was a fleeting kiss, so light it felt like a feather’s touch, softer than the one in the dungeon.

Unlike that time, their skin was now moistened by sweat, sticking together as if soaked in warm syrup, making separation difficult.

Teest’s eyes were slightly curved, and his voice was soft and almost unrecognizable.

“Obsessing over others isn’t a good habit.”

He raised his hand, cupping Nol’s eyes with his palm, his voice ending in a deliberately vague tone. “This might help you understand your feelings, Mr. Lich…”

‘Here it comes again,’ Nol thought.

The Mad Monk was once again trying to induce him into “self-exploration”, as if he was an emotionally troubled teenager. The turmoil of battle or an ambiguous kiss—the former alarmed him, the latter bothered him.

Though not physically bound, he felt as if he was being led by invisible threads. He couldn’t be lured again, couldn’t lose his boundaries, couldn’t let this man speak anymore…

So, Nol leaned down, silencing Teest’s potentially continuing words with another kiss.

The room fell into immediate silence.

The sensation was unexpectedly exhilarating, as if he had trapped a fluttering butterfly in a jar or caught a cunning beast in a trap.

Nol firmly gripped the long hair; his actions were borderline rough. He kissed awkwardly but thoroughly, tasting the lingering sweetness of the other’s drink.

With one hand clutching the strands, the other hand persistently sought Teest’s tail. This time, Nol managed to grasp it, and it rested tamely in his palm, like a rope.

Their breaths mingled, and lips intertwined. Fabric rustled against skin, making Nol’s cloak crumpled while Teest’s white shirt rode up, exposing a vast expanse of skin.

Nol’s fingers were numb, and the back of his head was getting hotter. The aftertaste of the battle, the fatigue of the tension, and the burning heat in his blood all found an outlet at this moment.

He couldn’t think about anything anymore.

……

Nol’s kissing technique was admittedly lacking, but due to the lack of a basis for comparison, Teest wasn’t entirely certain of this.

Their initial kiss had left Teest quite shocked, but he saw it as an opportunity—

What a precious moment it was. Perhaps Nol would never drink again or ever feel this intoxicated and confused. The thrill of the first kill in battle was unmatched.

So, he kissed back, with a cunning gentleness and a malicious politeness. This was like a chain delivered right to his doorstep—another method for him to bind the other to his side.

Besides life, loyalty, and love, he could give Nol everything he wanted, including his body.

Moreover, Nol was strikingly handsome, and Teest delighted in lighting up those beautiful blue eyes. Maybe they could explore new pleasures together. Wouldn’t that be a way to strengthen their bond?

Nol continued to kiss him almost voraciously, the feeling of skin against skin being overwhelmingly electrifying. Teest’s tail couldn’t help but quiver slightly, and there was a subtle pain from where the hair roots were being pulled.

The edge of the bed sank heavily, and an emptied wine glass tipped to the side. The ice cubes inside clattered to the floor, filling the warming room with the rich scent of the intoxicating drink.

Kissing was such a pleasurable activity, Teest marveled. Nol’s hands had long slipped beneath the fabric, resting on his shoulder blades, while he caressed the back of Nol’s neck, entranced by the sensation.

“Haa…”

The lengthy kiss paused for a moment, and Nol took a deep breath. With his eyes slightly unfocused, he looked at Teest, a faint blush painting his usually pale face.

“It seems your thoughts are now quite clear.” Teest whispered into Nol’s ear, his tail tip caressing Nol’s spine, moving upwards. “How about a hug?”

He deliberately elongated and emphasized the word ‘hug’, making it sound tantalizing. His tail tip emerged from Nol’s collar and gently rested at the corner of his lips.

Suddenly, Nol laughed.

He reached out with both hands, squeezing Teest’s face, watching as the handsome features turned comical. “For you, this is another transaction, right?” he asked in a daze, his lips still slightly swollen.

“…Or a reward? Or perhaps a punishment?”

Nol’s gaze softened with a hint of regret. He lessened the pressure of his hands, one of them caressing Teest’s cheek. “Tell me. I can’t tell anymore.”

‘It didn’t seem like any of those,’ Teest thought, needing to find a more fitting, compassionate wording…

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” Suddenly, Nol spoke again, mirroring Teest’s words from earlier, beginning to play with his long hair once more. “I feel really good right now, so I can tolerate a lot of things.”

His tone was still detached, professional even, leaving one to wonder whether he was lost in the moment or soberly aware.

Nol’s entire weight was pressed down on Teest’s legs, his hands resting on Teest’s shoulders, and silver-white hair draped over Nol’s wrists. The bed was right behind them. Teest knew all they needed to do was lie back.

Whatever followed would surely be pleasurable—although Teest had never been anyone’s lover, he had seen enough internal organs of people to understand human anatomy. He also quite enjoyed the sensation of their kisses. They would have a delightful night.

But Teest paused, perhaps due to the alcohol, feeling something was off about this plan.

If they continued like this, they might become “partners” in another sense, but then what? Could he truly hold onto the other?

‘This won’t work,’ Teest thought, his slightly fevered mind pondering. It wasn’t enough. He wanted to see those eyes shine brighter. He still felt an… unsettling emptiness, akin to hunger.

Nol bent down, lifting the long hair from the side of Teest’s cheek, aiming to steal another kiss. Teest gently pressed against his throat, the thick tail tip prying open his teeth and slipping into Nol’s mouth.

The heart-shaped tail tip rolled inside the mouth for a moment, successfully finding the location of the trachea. It squeezed forcefully, blocking Nol’s airway.

At the same time, Teest grasped Nol’s shoulders. He slightly tilted his head and bit down hard on the side of Nol’s neck, where it was closest to the carotid artery.

Sharp teeth instantly punctured Nol’s neck skin, and blood gushed out immediately.

Choking and pain overwhelmed him, and Nol coughed madly.

The last of the drunkenness faded with the rapidly flowing blood, which stained Teest’s white robe as it flowed down Nol’s collarbone. Nol instinctively struggled but was firmly held in place by Teest’s arms.

“Honey, are you sober now?” Teest asked, almost tenderly.

Nol spat out the tail tip from his mouth and cast a healing spell on his neck. Only then did he look at Teest with a complicated expression.

“Whether it’s a reward, a deal, or a punishment, I’d prefer you make that decision sober,” Teest said with a smile, looking saintly despite the fresh blood on his teeth. “What do you think?”

The first of the three laws of the Mad Monk: Teest never asks too much.

But today, Teest had many questions.

“I apologize for my behavior,” Nol said. The passion faded, and his thoughts became clear again.

He was indeed attracted to Teest. Now, he had to admit it.

That being said, the current situation was somewhat embarrassing, but he hid his embarrassment well. He might have misunderstood the implications of the “hug”. Maybe Teest changed his mind. Who knows?

‘Perhaps Teest didn’t like intimate contact with others,’ Nol thought. After all, this guy was good at disguising emotions. Maybe Teest was a bit overwhelmed when they kissed.

The second law of the Mad Monk: Teest always has his motives.

But Nol couldn’t figure out Teest’s motive, given the inconsistency in his behavior. If the Mad Monk didn’t like these interactions, there were countless ways to avoid such a situation. Of course, the bewilderment dew might have also dulled Teest’s senses.

“No, no, no. You can’t force a swordsman, Mr. Lich. I liked your kiss and would definitely not resist more.” Teest’s smile grew bigger, and his tone was astonishingly sincere. “I just suddenly felt that, well, now isn’t the time to go further.”

The third law of the Mad Monk: Teest never speaks his true feelings.

But at this moment, Nol truly didn’t know if this was true or false.

Strange.

Nol got up from Teest’s lap and tidied up his robe. He straightened the fallen wine glass and then sat beside Teest, deliberately keeping his distance. They sat side by side, staring at the flickering fire.

Teest’s gaze crawled on the side of his face, making it itch.

Just as Nol was about to turn his head to look, he felt a weight on his leg. Teest had laid on him, with his long hair covering Nol’s thigh and hanging off the side of the bed.

“Let’s talk about job advancement,” Teest whispered, as if nothing had happened.

Nol’s body stiffened, not looking at Teest’s similarly swollen lips. “You’re now a ‘Fallen Knight’, with options to become a ‘Greed Knight’ or a ‘Decay Knight’. The advantage of the former is…”

“Wait, wait.” Teest’s tail flicked, the tip touching Nol’s lips. “I have three options, honey.”

Ignoring any potential misconceptions, Nol frowned and then raised an eyebrow. “Did you get that achievement?”

“Yes, killing over 10,000 high-level dungeon creatures within 60 minutes. The ‘Ruthless Tyranny’ achievement became ‘Harbinger of Death’. I now have the option of becoming a ‘Death Knight’.”

Nol stood up abruptly, catching the famed Mad Monk off guard, who almost tumbled off the bed.

“Choose this one!” Nol grabbed the unsteady Teest with excitement in his eyes. “Pick this one, and I’ll explain after!”

What’s the rush? It’s not like it’s going to run away!

Teest sat back on the bed aggrievedly and pressed the “Death Knight” decisively.

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Talk about kinky…

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Full Server First Kill Ch65

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 65: Bewilderment Dew

Teest sat leisurely outside the tower.

The bloody scent of the Demon King’s minions wouldn’t attract beasts. The smell was too strong, becoming like the scent of a narcissus flower that numbed one’s sense of smell, leaving only a dizziness deep in the brain, making it impossible to distinguish between fragrance and stench.

He sat atop a pile of severed arms watching the setting sun sink below the horizon. Darkness, like a veil, began to descend, becoming thicker and thicker.

“Why are you here?” Behind him, Nol asked.

“Why are you here?” Teest replied with a question.

Nol frowned as he sidestepped the gory mess, but his boots still got dirty. Giving up, he stepped into it, positioning himself between the setting sun and Teest.

“The succubus queen is out of danger and will wake up soon. It’s better I’m not there. The succubi need time to discuss,” Nol honestly said. Those succubi could feed themselves. They would be fine. Though he couldn’t understand why the quest “Life or Death” hadn’t been marked as completed yet.

“I thought you came looking for me.” Teest sighed in disappointment as he sat on the mound of corpses.

“I did want to find you,” Nol said, looking into his eyes. “Important reasons are left to be said last.”

Teest casually picked up a severed arm, waving it at Nol as if it were a lifelike puppet. “Alright, since you’re so frank—I also think it’s better I’m not there. I’m afraid the queen might faint again.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a Supplement Demon that has consumed a succubus,” Teest said matter-of-factly. “For the succubi… Imagine consuming a human and then masquerading as one. They certainly wouldn’t welcome me.”

Nol’s face stiffened at this unexpected answer.

He could guess what Teest had done. He just wanted to confirm the specifics and clean up after Teest if needed. After all, by choosing Teest as a companion, Nol didn’t expect him to become a gentle and rational partner who knew when to advance or retreat. He was the Mad Monk, a dangerous heavy sword, unpredictable and as destructive as his whims.

But Nol hadn’t expected this.

Or maybe he had subconsciously but didn’t want to accept the possibility. Rather than imagining Teest as a Supplement Demon nurtured by the Eternal Church, he’d prefer to believe the mission AI had gone mad.

Now he knew where Teest’s outrageous attributes and skills came from. Teest had willingly told him some secrets, but they felt like fishbones stuck in his throat.

‘It’s probably because of letting Crimson go,’ Nol thought.

Teest revealing a bit of his background was like a cat showing its belly after knocking over an expensive vase. A small emotional balancing act.

“So, this isn’t your true form?” After a long silence, Nol finally found his response.

Teest was taken aback, then burst into laughter. Holding the severed arm, he playfully ruffled Nol’s hair.

“That’s your question?” He laughed, clutching his belly. “I might have come from the Eternal Church, I might know the secret birth of the Supplement Demons, and you’re asking about my face?”

“All those are serious matters. You’ll tell them when you want to, regardless of whether I want to know or not,” Nol replied tersely. “Seeing the true form of the Lord of Whitebird City was… shocking. It’s natural for me to be a bit curious, right?”

“So you’re the type who cares about your husband’s true looks,” Teest teased.

“I just don’t want to touch something slimy in the middle of the night and get scared off the bed.”

“My goodness, for a terrifying Lich, you have such double standards,” Teest exclaimed, tossing the arm away. “Regrettably, this is my true form. I’ve had weird side effects, but my healing is excellent—we both know where that comes from now.”

‘The “Player’s Privileges”,’ Nol thought in silence. Players, even if torn apart, wouldn’t have scars. This healing seemed to apply to “growing something one shouldn’t”.

Still, Nol wouldn’t be foolish enough to express sympathy for what Teest must of endured. The way Teest spoke didn’t sound like traumatic memories. The events were more than a decade old, and Nol guessed the Mad Monk didn’t need therapy, let alone pity.

“So the queen recognized you as a Supplement Demon,” Nol speculated.

“That’s right.” Teest yawned as darkness engulfed the forest.

Within the shadows, Nol nodded gravely. “Alright, I’ll figure something out. I won’t let them hurt you.”

Hearing this, Teest chuckled. “I’ll be counting on you then. I’ll definitely hide behind you.”

[You have completed the hidden area quest: Life or Death.]

[You have met the perfect conditions for the “Life or Death” quest: Leaving the Dream Edge without any deaths; saving the succubus tribe on the brink of extinction.]

[Reward: A large amount of experience points [ordinary] is being calculated, Bewilderment dew [ordinary], Reputation with the succubus tribe [perfect], Immunity to mental magic [perfect], and other rewards will be settled with subsequent events.]

Nol was about to respond when his words got stuck in his throat. He couldn’t help but stop in his tracks and turn to look at Teest, who was following behind him.

There were no bloodstains on Teest’s white clothes, and the only remaining blood on his face had already been wiped off. The fresh blood on the tips of his hair and shins had dried up, with clots gradually falling off. That moistly lustrous tail of the succubus flickered in the night, reflecting a hint of a subtle glow.

He smiled and met Nol’s gaze, raising an eyebrow.

Why settle now of all times? Nol thought as he turned his head back, instinctively taking a lighter breath.

Could it be that until just now, the succubi were still in danger of annihilation? Why? What had they just done to change the fate of the succubi tribe?

…Or was it something he had just said that prevented their annihilation?

Nol could feel Teest’s gaze on the back of his head. Resisting the urge to look back, a thin layer of sweat formed on his back.

“Hmm? With these experience points, it seems I’ve met the requirements for the second job change,” Teest said. “Now the question is, which should I choose?”

“We’ll discuss it tonight,” Nol answered without turning his head. “This matter needs to be properly explained.”

……

Teest did as he said.

Upon returning to the Lost Tower, he truly hid behind Nol, with his tail pathetically coiling around Nol’s left wrist. Nol tried hard not to roll his eyes.

There were far fewer succubi in the hall, and Nol quickly realized why. After the battle, many succubi had become too weak and had overeaten, making it hard for them to stay conscious. They had gone to the second floor’s “forest environment” to rest, and the children had been relocated there as well. The remaining ones took the opportunity to urgently move valuable items from the succubi lair, which was now openly exposed in reality, as vulnerable as a drunk merchant left on the roadside.

The items were piled in the center of the first floor, and Nol even spotted the succubi’s throne among the pile of precious magical items. Those of significance within the succubi tribe stood guard nearby, turning the first floor almost into a royal court.

Without questioning, Nol walked straight to the corner armchair—the reigning Queen Wilimina had already awakened.

She seemed a bit unaccustomed without the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, but her parched face undeniably bore a look of joy. Upon seeing Teest, her expression froze for a split second, and her pupils shrank to pinpoints.

But when she spoke, she didn’t mention that matter.

“You must be Mr. Nol. I’ve heard about the general situation.” Her voice was a tad sweeter. Her gaze shifted to the two Players not far away, and her eyes looked much clearer.

Anakin and Solo looked drained, listlessly slumped to one side. Anakin, sensing Nol’s arrival, gave a complicated wave.

“Thank you both for aiding the Black Forest tribe… I think I can live for more than two months. The agreements related to the heir, I will revoke with the authority of the queen.”

Her voice was soft, apparently not yet accustomed to addressing her group directly.

Nol felt somewhat relieved. This queen, although not fully mentally recovered, was clear-headed in her decisions—she deliberately hid the fact about Teest being a Supplement Demon and showed a submissive attitude.

“I understand you may have other concerns,” Nol quickly said, glancing at Teest and trying to sound both gentle and authoritative. “I assure you, personally, we both despise the Eternal Church—everyone has a dark past, but now it’s a new beginning.”

The queen lifted her head, looking at the two of them for a long time. Then she closed her eyes and gave a slight nod.

“I have a heartfelt request,” she continued after almost two minutes. “Our lair has been exposed, and our members are too weak. Could we possibly stay in your tower for a while?”

“If you agree, the Black Forest tribe will guard this tower in return for our stay. In terms of illusion and charming enemies, we are the best guards.”

This was exactly what Nol needed, as he was worried about how to leave some succubi to guard the Lost Tower. The Lost Tower could use the system’s power to hide perfectly. But to get the neighbors into the tower, it must expose itself for a bit.

So, he readily agreed. “I have already made a covenant with the Alva Merchant Group. I won’t trouble any of you. You can rest here until you choose to leave voluntarily.”

“If you decide to stay here permanently, it would be an honor for ‘Paradise’.”

“Your compassion is commendable,” the queen, struggling in her armchair, said with a weak smile. “Malvina… Malvina, help me.”

Uncle Ma sighed heavily, bringing forth a package as if it were a plastic bag and handing it to Nol.

“These two items are our apologies from the Black Forest tribe. Due to the Eternalists, many have grown to despise humans, and I’ve heard they were not kind to you…”

The queen struggled to hold her head up. “The last bottle of bewilderment dew before the seal. It’s our proud brew, making all beings with hearts slightly intoxicated… I hope you can have a moment of relaxation…”

“And a golden bewilderment fruit. It…”

“Shh, no need to explain. I know its use. I accept your apologies.” Nol took the package, stopping the queen, who was straining to speak. “You should rest now. Since you’re not in a hurry to leave, we can discuss things tomorrow.”

He could hear the succubi’s sighs of relief—these two items, while formally an “attitude” apology, were more like a gesture of goodwill, wiping the slate clean. He forgave their disregard, and they understood the means he used to bring people into the tower.

As for whether this action was sincere or just the last remaining choice when there was nowhere else to go, Nol didn’t bother to harp on it.

He just gestured to Uncle Ma, indicating they’d chat the next day.

“There are guest rooms on the north side of the first floor. You can spend the night there.”

Seeing the pair of Player siblings writhing weakly and anxiously on the ground, Nol quickly added, “I have some matters to attend to. We can discuss further tomorrow morning.”

He knew they were anxious, but he genuinely needed to address the leveling up issue first… and to catch his breath.

After all, this day had been overly stimulating, overly long, and accompanied by a moment of profound realization.

Nol pressed on his throbbing temple. His condition felt like he’d been up for two straight days and had then downed four cups of coffee—his body was in overdrive, and his mental state was in shambles.

……

Inside a guest room on the first floor.

The room resembled one in a human castle rather than the dreamy ambiance of a succubus fortress. The walls were made of bright beige stone. A fireplace burned behind an iron grate, the bed was soft, and the furniture was modest without excessive decoration, exuding a rustic elegance.

Outside the window, the sky was filled with stars, and the Black Forest gently swayed in the night.

“You did quite well as a leader just now,” Teest commented, sitting on the edge of the bed, sounding rather pleased.

Nol casually tossed him a sweet fruit and shut Kando proactively in the wardrobe. The latter merely hummed and stared at Nol with a strangely satisfied gaze, making him feel uneasy.

“Let’s address the pressing matter first,” Nol said.

Being at max level without changing one’s profession was like walking through a dark alley with money exposed. He felt he wouldn’t sleep well without settling this.

“Ah,” Teest replied. With a pop, he removed the cork from the bottle of the bewilderment dew.

The liquid inside wasn’t abundant, swirling thickly. Its dreamy sweet aroma quickly filled the room.

“I meant a different kind of ‘important matter’.” Nol sighed, rubbing his face. “I’ve also reached level 60. We need to get our professions sorted out first—”

“The quest is over, and we can both change professions. Doesn’t that call for a celebration? The bewilderment dew won’t get you really drunk.”

Using the round table by the bed as support, Teest poured all the liquid into a glass jar and then conjured a few ice cubes using water magic.

Nol glared at Teest.

This guy was just like a whirlpool or quicksand. If he wasn’t careful, he would be swept into Teest’s pace. He couldn’t really stray too far, nor could he get too involved and lose himself. “How to control and maintain the right distance with Teest” was truly an art in itself.

At this point, perhaps he should just give in. After all, there were other matters besides changing professions.

Nol pulled up a chair and sat down, taking out the golden bewilderment fruit.

Encased in a jewelry box, the fruit shimmered with the gentle glow of dawn. Its semi-transparent shell resembled solidified honey, enclosing a misty liquid. As he fiddled with it, the golden mist inside swayed, entrancing to look at.

Normally, the fruit of the bewilderment grass was purple. It was a one-in-a million chance for it to bear golden fruit. Typically, only the ancient succubus tribes possessed such a treasure, awarding it as their priciest reward.

Consuming the golden bewilderment fruit granted a permanent “mental magic immunity”.

Usually, the entire fruit must be consumed for its effects. However, merging it with the bewilderment dew not only elevated the taste of the brew but also allowed its effects to benefit two individuals.

Nol moved closer to the cool wine jug. The pale purple liquid, mixed with ice, looked almost enchantingly pink. The “bewilderment fruit”, the size of a ping pong ball, was dropped into the wine, effervescing and releasing a mass of bubbles. The surface of the liquid gave off a soft white mist, and the vivid color beneath gradually disappeared, becoming clear and transparent.

“We can sort out ‘mental magic immunity’ first. If you’re severely allergic to alcohol, I can remove it for you,” Nol suggested as he sipped on the brew.

Teest shook his head, pouring his share. “Didn’t you say you don’t drink?”

“I don’t like getting drunk and messing things up. This one’s fine,” Nol replied, taking another sip.

The refreshing sweetness burst instantly on his taste buds, tasting like some delectable fruit that didn’t exist in this world. The wine flowed down his throat like mist, gentle as a dream, without any hint of the bitterness or spiciness typical of alcohol.

His body felt lighter, as if he were spread out amongst the clouds. His mind felt as if it had been immersed in a warm spring, with all the complicated and heavy thoughts being washed away by clear water. Fatigue transformed into a satisfying softness, and anxiety and worry vanished entirely, leaving only euphoria.

‘This effect shouldn’t be called “mental magic immunity”,’ Nol thought airily. It was more fitting to be called “mental collapse immunity”… Such a pity that there was only so little of the bewilderment dew.

“I like this kind of reward,” Teest said, downing the drink in one go, seemingly not having his fill as he licked his lips.

He set down the glass, looking at Nol with a softness in his voice that was previously unheard. “If you’ve decided on the ‘punishment for instigating the war’, I suggest you settle it now… I’m in a really good mood right now, and I can tolerate a lot.”

“But I haven’t decided yet,” Nol replied, savoring the last sip.

He caught a glimpse of the tip of Teest’s tail out of the corner of his eye—at that moment, Teest’s tail was poking the soft bed, leaving a small indentation. It gently swayed back and forth, making Nol a little dizzy.

What a relaxing and cozy atmosphere. Everything seemed to harken back to the day they entered the Black Forest. He had attached a tail to Teest, and the two of them had laughed and played in the tent.

‘How wonderful,’ Nol thought, focusing intently on that tail, his fingers twitching.

This was the most important thing right now—he wanted to grab it, and he was determined to do so.

……

The moment his tail tip was touched, Teest hissed. He reflexively grabbed Nol’s arm, swinging his tail away for refuge.

At this moment, he was still sitting on the edge of the bed, with Nol’s knee pressing against the edge between Teest’s legs. His Lich was slightly tipsy. Nol’s arms reached over Teest’s shoulders, relentlessly trying to catch that tail.

It was almost like an embrace.

Nol, now warm-blooded, radiated warmth. Teest could feel the warmth emanating from him, along with the lingering sweet aroma of the wine.

“Is this punishment?” Teest held the back of Nol’s clothes and pulled him slightly away. “Do you intend to torment this tail, or what…?”

Nol looked at him seriously.

“Actually, I want to thank you.”

Whether due to the influence of the wine or not, Nol was unusually candid. “Thank you. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me… let go. If I was alone this time, I would have been broken by this place…”

“I also couldn’t confide in my neighbors… If they knew how vulnerable I am, they’d panic. I have to be the most stable one… There are more things to be wary of with Players, and I can’t really talk to my peers… Thank you for being so… “

“Hm?” Teest blinked, signaling for more praise.

” …Thank you for being so crazy, and for not caring about anything,” Nol continued, and then started to play with Teest’s hair.

Teest: “……”

Teest: “…You’re welcome.”

“You’re truly insane.”

Nol’s attention finally shifted from the tail tip. While playing with Teest’s hair, he murmured complaints. “Super hard to deal with. Being with you, I have to think several times harder… Well, several dozens of times harder. You let Crimson go. Who knows how much trouble that’ll bring… “

“But I just can’t be mad at you, and that’s frustrating… You succeeded. Now, I’m not thinking about whether to divorce or not…”

Teest sighed. “So, your punishment is to nag me to death? Congratulations on taking the first step.”

Nol shut his mouth and stopped talking. He remained kneeling on one knee on the bed, now leaning slightly forward, cupping Teest’s head, looking down at him.

His gaze was lucid, but with evident confusion. A myriad of subtle emotions was roiling within. Nol just stared at Teest, who stared right back.

The fireplace’s light flickered in those blue eyes. A gentle tug from behind reminded him of his hair being gripped tighter.

That inquisitive face came closer, terrifyingly slowly.

Teest maintained his posture, suddenly recalling how he used to catch bees when he was a kid—the trick was to go slow; the slower the better. You had to make the poor creature let its guard down before catching it.

Now, the question was: who was the hunter and who was the prey?

After what felt like an eternity, the warmth finally settled. Nol’s soft lips brushed against his eyelids, pausing at his forehead.

Undoubtedly, it was a kiss.

Teest would bet that Nol was more shocked than he was. Because Nol immediately pulled back, much of his tipsiness dissipated. Nol looked astonished, either at Teest for not dodging or at himself for doing such a thing.

“…Don’t suddenly use charm on me.” He eventually managed an excuse, his voice shaking with uncertainty.

“The interesting thing is, I didn’t.”

Teest smiled. “Besides, you’ve just acquired ‘mental magic immunity’, honey.”

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Finally (in the true sense) they kissed — Smooch.gif.

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Sendoff Ch129

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 129: A Glance

The Kushan sect had disappeared.

Half a month after the chaos in Chigou, people no longer saw the flag that once symbolized their motto “Medicine Cures Illness”. This once-active small sect vanished as if it had evaporated into thin air. Even the best spies from the Yueshui Pavilion could find no trace of them.

Some say that Shi Jingzhi had publicly shown off a treasure that could “resurrect the dead” and had been targeted and killed by the Chigou sect for it. Others believed that they were just lying low, hiding among other sects, waiting for the martial arts conference to showcase their skills.

In the end, the Kushan sect was just a minor sect that couldn’t make significant waves. After some chatter for a few days, people moved on and forgot about them.

Without the Kushan Sect, the world went on just as lively as before.

At the end of spring, the evening breeze was warm, and Yidu was full of vibrant greenery. People enjoyed going out for walks, and every decent tea house and tavern was bustling with activity.

Four porters ordered a jug of fine wine, asking the waiter to dilute it into four jugs. Accompanying their drinks with a plate of boiled peanuts, they soon ordered more dishes, much to the waiter’s delight.

Having traveled widely, the porters, although not very literate, had many tales to share.

“Don’t bother going to Luojiu,” one said with a face like a shoe. “In the past, we could earn a decent living there, but not anymore. Their new king or god… very powerful.”

“How powerful?”

“They say his eyes are as big as bronze bells, and his hands can shoot fire. The people of Luojiu are naturally as strong as bulls. Unfortunately for us, with our mere mortal bodies, when our young ones charge in waves, they fall like wheat being harvested. In the past, we could withstand with sheer numbers, but now… tsk tsk.”

With a face weathered by the elements, Shoe Face wiped his cheek and let out a deep sigh.

“Isn’t the situation in Yidu still good? If we can’t go east, we head west. There’s always work at the Great Prohibition.”

“Come on, I was fooled by those words. Over there, the wind carries sand every day, it even blows away people’s hair. Not to mention no work, the drought is like hell on earth.”

“People always say that the Imperial Celestial protects us. Our Great Yun has no disasters, so why does it feel increasingly wrong?”

“My uncle can tell fortunes; he says the current Saint is losing virtue…”

As soon as these words were spoken, the other three instantly changed their expressions. Shoe Face immediately raised his voice, loudly saying, “If we can’t make it in the east or west, why not go north or south? The north is scarcely populated, and isn’t there going to be a martial arts conference in the south? There will be lots of people. Let’s all go together.”

The footman who previously mentioned his “uncle” suddenly caught on, clicking his tongue a few times—he forgot this was the imperial capital, almost letting slip dangerous words.

He quickly continued the conversation. “Yes, let’s go. We should all go. It’s good to have each other as backup. Those martial artists have some tricks, and in case we meet someone who doesn’t want to pay up, we won’t have any recourse.”

Shoe Face took a satisfying sip of wine and confidently said, “Sounds good. Let’s finish the tasks at hand, and we can leave tonight. The inns in the capital are too expensive. We can’t afford them.”

“You still have tasks to handle?”

“Of course.”

After a hearty drink, Shoe Face purchased some fresh meat and vegetables, and headed towards the outskirts of the city. This place, with clear mountains and waters, was where the wealthy liked to build their vacation homes. He often picked up odd jobs delivering vegetables here.

But this time, it was different.

The one waiting for him wasn’t a laborer or a servant, but a young man wearing a Nuo mask. The man, dressed in simple robes, had hair as dark as premium charcoal and skin so white it was dazzling. From his posture and demeanor, he didn’t seem like a commoner at all.

By contrast, the wooden Nuo mask he wore was rough and ugly, giving off an ominous vibe.

Shoe Face turned pale with shock, thinking he had bumped into a supernatural being.

He was using a delivery token from the market. It seemed nowadays, even demons and spirits would make delivery appointments at the market… Maybe the order wasn’t for vegetables, but for the delivery person…

Sweat, which moments ago was caused by the wine, now poured down his face due to fear. Without thinking, Shoe Face dropped his load, immediately knelt down, and begged, “Spare me, sir! My old bones are fragile and not worth eating!”

The figure, who seemed amused by Shoe Face’s reaction, handed him a string of coins, his voice tinged with amusement. “Take this.”

Shoe Face didn’t know what kind of being he was, but the weight of the coins was real. Surprisingly, the spirit’s voice was rather pleasant, reminiscent of the sound of jade chimes in a jewelry store.

After a long pause, Shoe Face finally caught his breath. “Sir… you really scared me. Your ordered meat and vegetables are here. I’ll be on my way now…”

“Hold on,” the man said leisurely. “I have a job for you. If you’re available, you can come with us to the north of Qizhou.”

“You’re going to the martial arts conference? Okay, I can call a few more people.” Shoe Face’s heart settled, realizing the man was actually human.

“Very well. Come back here at dusk.”

The man effortlessly picked up the basket of vegetables and meat and soon disappeared into the trees.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Shoe Face muttered to himself about the eccentric ways of these people. Why wear a creepy mask when there’s no audience?

Yin Ci didn’t care about the porter’s thoughts. He quickly returned to a cottage by a mountain stream.

Beside the stream was a four-wheeled wooden chair. The person on the chair had long hair cascading down, shoulders slouched, and an air of desolation about him. Su Si clumsily brewed medicine on a small stove while Lord Bai dozed off on the side, transformed into a lump of soft white fur.

“Su Si, you haven’t fully recovered. Go rest for a bit.” Yin Ci put down the basket of vegetables and meat and said lightly, “I’ll give you your medicine later.”

Shi Jingzhi sat weakly in the chair, as if he didn’t even have the strength to turn his head. Even though it was late spring, he was still covered with animal skins. His dark long hair covered his face, hiding his expression.

“A’Ci,” he whispered. “Before I die, I want to eat… tofu and fresh fish soup, with extra roselle… served with white rice.”

Yin Ci walked over expressionlessly and lightly tapped his head. “So talkative even when you’re about to die? Are you pretending for fun?”

“It’s fun,” Sect Master Shi immediately replied.

As Shi Jingzhi raised his head, his eyes were filled with joy. He moved too abruptly, causing some face powder to fall off, revealing the healthy skin underneath.

“…But it will be boring once we descend the mountain. Once we do, I’ll have to pretend to be sick and stay seated in my wooden chair. By then, I’ll only have bland porridge to eat. How will I live?”

Shi Jingzhi pretended to cover his face and wipe non-existent tears.

“I want to eat white rice with tofu and fresh fish soup, plus clear stewed pork knuckle. The meat pie is delicious, and the beggar’s chicken from the other day was good too. Zizhu–”

Yin Ci was both amused and annoyed, it seemed this man intended to overeat before leaving. Thankfully, they had four grown men to finish the food.

“I’ve already bought the ingredients; I knew you’d want them,” he said helplessly. “If you want fresh fish, catch it yourself.”

“Great! Speaking of beggar’s chicken, I’ve watched it being made. I’ll cook it for you today.”

Shi Jingzhi instantly perked up. He quickly stood up from the wooden wheelchair, walking briskly. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to kiss Yin Ci’s cheek. Watching his retreating figure, Yin Ci felt a mix of happiness and concern.

…The cause of the illness was clear, but Shi Jingzhi’s “sickness” was still incurable.

Regarding this matter, the Kushan Sect discussed it overnight—

Half a month ago, late at night. The four from the Kushan Sect sat in the Shafu wasteland, all with serious expressions.

“Wait, let me get this straight.”

Su Si rubbed his head.

“The Immortal Assembly has been gathering vital qi from living beings for hundreds of years by setting up flesh idols everywhere. They infuse this qi into a living person, forcibly creating gifted ‘Children of Desire’? You vomit blood every day because you can’t handle this much vital qi and are about to burst?”

“Exactly.”

Shi Jingzhi omitted the part about Yin Ci being the “raw material” and his own identity as a “prince”.

Su Si exclaimed, “Are they crazy? Holding so much vital qi, they could do anything better than just raising you. Even using it to light fires or make medicines would be more worthwhile!”

Yin Ci and Shi Jingzhi: “…” This kid still has no respect.

Yan Qing noticed his friend’s inappropriate comment and quickly changed the subject. “I also find it strange. With the outside world in chaos, if something happens to Sect Master Shi, won’t all their efforts be in vain?”

“I’ve thought about it and have no solution.” Shi Jingzhi pondered, stroking his chin. “And Su Si has a point. If the Immortal Assembly possesses such a technique, they could do much more than just raising someone like me.”

‘But all they did was create these inexplicable “Children of Desire”,’ Yin Ci thought. Even with his own immortality example, the Immortal Assembly wasn’t seeking immortality.

What exactly was the Hundred-Year Project of the past century? Why did the Children of Desire exist? It didn’t make sense to say that Shi Jingzhi’s taking away vital qi caused “Heaven’s Displeasure”, when people recover faster from minor injuries.

Determining the progression of illnesses and injuries to decide if it was “Heaven’s Displeasure” was intricate. Whether the Immortal Assembly could do it was questionable, especially when Shi Jingzhi couldn’t control the vital qi. Could he possibly regurgitate what he had taken in?

It wasn’t that simple.

To cure Shi Jingzhi, they had to stop the flow of vital qi. But the method to guide the qi was in Shi Jingzhi’s blood. They couldn’t possibly bleed him out. If they let him convert vital qi into real qi using pure inner force daily, they could only delay his death slightly.

Thinking of the numerous flesh idols, Yin Ci suddenly had a vague idea.

Considering their relationship, they shouldn’t rush. They should prioritize capturing Qu Duanyun and gather more intel on the “Hundred-Year Project”.

……

While Yin Ci was reminiscing, he almost ran into two fat fish.

Holding the cleaned fish, Sect Master Shi waved them in front of Yin Ci with a smile that showed no trace of madness or fear.

“Here. The fattest fish.” Shi Jingzhi chuckled. “Su Si wanted me to use the butcher knife to scrape off the scales… When will you tell him about your identity as ‘Su Zhi’? I watched that kid waving the knife around recklessly, and it hurt me.”

“I’ll tell him eventually. And when I do, I’ll beat him up for you. Don’t worry.”

Lord Bai turned its head and stared deeply at Yin Ci. However, it was quickly swayed by the leafy greens Yin Ci fed it, and its reproachful gaze gradually softened.

However, Shi Jingzhi inherited its spirit and squinted at Yin Ci for a moment. He cleared his throat with a meaningful tone. “I’m very reassured. Zizhu has big plans. How can you bear to hide it from a master who hasn’t yet been formally accepted?”

Yin Ci: “…”

“Minor schemes don’t matter. After all, I haven’t been formally accepted as your master.”

There was no need to emphasize it twice. Yin Ci sighed and handed over a meat pie. “Alright, alright. I will consider it and discuss it with you in detail later.”

Only then did Shi Jingzhi contentedly bite into the pie and return to his four-wheeled wooden chair. Yin Ci touched the charm on his chest, unable to express his complex emotions.

No matter how Shi Jingzhi pretended to be fine, he could still hear the man coughing up blood in the middle of the night. There wasn’t much time left for him to consider.

He only hoped that the plans for the martial arts conference would proceed smoothly. Whether it was the truth behind the Hundred-Year Project or the efficacy of the Shirou, they must extract it from Qu Duanyun.

Elsewhere in Yidu, inside the imperial palace.

Ever since the Prince of Rong, Xu Jingming, went to Shafu, his temperament changed. He no longer wandered around, barely even stayed in his own mansion, and took any opportunity to visit the imperial palace.

He and the current emperor were maternal brothers and were closer than the other princes. Xu Jingming, being idle and unlearned, didn’t concern the emperor, so he was allowed to stay in the palace.

The emperor enjoyed tea after meals. On this day, with light official duties, Xu Jingxing invited this younger brother to share stories from his trip to Shafu. Although Xu Jingming was now cautious, he would never disrespect his elder brother.

High Royal Highness, the Prince of Rong deliberately, chose new clothes, tried his best to look spirited, and then set foot on the long corridor to the tea pavilion. The spring breeze made Xu Jingming particularly uneasy.

If Qu Duanyun was indeed from the “Immortal Assembly”, was he destined not to obtain the “Shirou”?

Ever since returning from Shafu, Xu Jingming had kept his mouth shut. He had no evidence, so he didn’t voice out his suspicion that “Qu Duanyun was plotting against him”. When asked by others, he simply said that the Kushan Sect caused a disturbance in Chigou and wanted to use the martial arts conference to snatch the Shirou.

And he just happened to be caught in the chaos.

Since he usually behaved unpredictably, not many questioned him. Xu Jingming even almost believed his own story. However, he remained clear-headed and didn’t approach the “Shirou” again.

No matter how bold Xu Jingming was, he couldn’t face death. If he tried to get the “Shirou” again, his life might be in danger.

Since both the “Immortal Assembly” and that villain Shi Jingzhi want the “Shirou”, let them fight each other. Even if he couldn’t be the oriole*, he wouldn’t become the fish in the pond that gets hurt.

*This is referencing the idiom “The praying mantis catches the cicada while the oriole follows”. It refers to while coveting the gains ahead, one should be aware of the dangers behind.

His elder brother didn’t believe in supernatural matters, so the “Shirou” might not catch his eye. Even if his Emperor Brother had been recently unwell, he had the imperial doctors taking care of him.

Maybe he should collect some rare medicinal materials and give them to his Emperor Brother as soon as possible. What was so special about the “Shirou”? If he could find a rare item like the “Ice Peak Snake Lotus”, his Emperor Brother might be even happier.

He wasn’t going to mediate the conflict between the Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor. The previous Imperial Preceptor treated him well, but the current one, Jiang Youyue, wasn’t a good person.

The more Xu Jingming thought, the lighter his mood became.

“Your Highness.”

A gentle voice rang out, and Xu Jingming felt a chill. Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao appears*. The Prince of Rong slowly turned his head to see a smiling Jiang Youyue not far away.

*Idiom referring to when you’re talking or thinking about someone, they appear (AKA Speak of the devil, and he appears).

Every time Xu Jingming looked at Jiang Youyue, he felt displeased. He vaguely responded, taking it as a greeting.

Jiang Youyue seemed unbothered by Xu Jingming’s attitude. He continued forward gracefully. They should have just passed by each other, but for some reason, Xu Jingming looked back.

Jiang Youyue was also looking at him.

It was a very brief glance. If Xu Jingming were still the old Prince of Rong, he might not have thought much of it. But this time, he saw it clearly.

He saw contempt.

When it came to “contempt”, perhaps no one knew it better than Xu Jingming. However, when Xu Jingming looked down on his servants, he still recognized them as “people”.

The way Jiang Youyue looked at him was as if he was looking at an insignificant ant.

Birds chirped on the corridor’s side, surrounded by green trees. The spring breeze was warm, but Xu Jingming felt ice-cold.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Qizi Ch46

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 46

“Do you know him?” Tai Yin asked.

“On my first day of reporting to Bikong, he was the one who led me to the dormitory. It seems we are truly fated,” Xing Lou said, stopping just an arm’s length away from the portrait. Through the semi-transparent projection, he could almost envision the future of Yue Ying waking up.

“However, when I saw him then, his eyes were smoky gray. I didn’t expect that in such a short time, he would mature,” and he also lost.

“Use your access to infiltrate into Bikong’s network. I need his most recent health report.”

With a snap of his fingers, Xing Lou produced a virtual keyboard and rapidly typed on it with one hand. Shortly after, Ling Xiao’s records appeared line by line.

“Lucky us, he just had a physical examination a few days ago.”

Tai Yin disagreed. “Our luck is terrible. He has mild mental damage. Someone with this kind of injury can’t be away from their Qizhu for more than a month. And such a short time is not sufficient for reviving Yue Ying. The blood of a Tianxiu being must undergo strict purification and refinement before Yue Ying’s body can accept it. The required blood volume isn’t something that can be collected all at once.”

The more Xing Lou heard, the more his face darkened. “What if we keep extracting it? After all, the Tianxius have strong recovery abilities. As long as they’re alive, the blood will regenerate.”

“Once a Tianxiu loses too much blood, the newly generated blood serves as an emergency product. It can revitalize them in a short time, which is useful for the individual but lethal for Yue Ying, whose body cannot tolerate any stimulant. After each blood extraction, we have to wait at least a week before extracting again.”

The situation was far more troublesome than Xing Lou had imagined. “In that case, let’s take both him and his Qizhu to the Burning Shadows. I don’t care how long it takes. I’ve waited thousands of years to revive Yue Ying. What are a few more days?”

“You need to think this through,” Tai Yin warned him. “We don’t have Yue Ying’s body, nor the blood bank he needs, and the Qizhu’s blood bank isn’t with us either. Kidnapping all three at once will cause an uproar. The military will surely come after us. Are you sure you can complete this before they find us?”

Xing Lou became frustrated. “So, what should I do?”

“No need for such complications,” a third voice timely chimed in, as Zhen He’s figure gradually appeared.

Hearing this, Xing Lou immediately asked, “Do you have a way?”

Zhen He confidently stated, “The person you’re looking for has just caused quite a stir. He’ll soon face military sanctions. If he’s imprisoned, it’ll be even harder to get him out.”

“What’s your suggestion?”

“If this task is difficult for us, let’s get someone for whom it isn’t. As long as you have a friend in the military willing to help, we can reap the benefits. Some borrow a knife to kill; we’ll borrow a knife to save. He might even thank you for sparing him from imprisonment.”

Xing Lou’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Explain further.”

……

“I’m telling you, I’ve seen that person before. He’s a first-year student. On the day he enrolled, I took him to his dormitory.”

The two walked on campus, with Ling Xiao still trying to explain to an unbelieving Ying Feng about the news they saw on TV that afternoon.

“If he’s a freshman, then he’s a fledgling. The figure on TV appeared to be an adult. From fledgling to adult, many change in appearance. Moreover, many people look alike.”

“But they’re not just alike,” Ling Xiao insisted. “I’m sure if Xing Lou matures, he’d look exactly like that statue. I can call him over if you don’t believe me. I have his contact.”

“Were you just sleeping in history class?” Ying Feng sarcastically commented. “About five thousand years ago, there were two Tianxius ancestors, a male and a female. It’s believed they are the origin of all Tianxius. They’re highly revered, and many statues have been erected in their honor throughout the land. This is the first lesson in the history textbook. Don’t tell me you don’t even know this.”

“Is that so?” Although Ling Xiao believed what Ying Feng said, he still mumbled, unconvinced. “But I still think it’s the same person…”

“Hey, Ling Xiao!” Ting Lei shouted from afar upon spotting Ling Xiao. It was break time, and there were many students around. Ling Xiao and Ying Feng were campus celebrities. As he shouted, many looked their way.

“They are the 10th graders who accidentally held a coming-of-age ceremony in the wild,” someone whispered to the side.

“Yeah, I heard that the one with the light gray eyes defeated the Kui on his own.”

“If even the one who defeated the Kui can be defeated, doesn’t that mean the one with the black eyes is even stronger?”

“But I heard from their classmates that the two of them don’t get along. Seems like that was just a rumor.”

Ying Feng’s hearing was significantly better than Ling Xiao’s. The whispers that Ling Xiao couldn’t hear were clear as day to Ying Feng. He glanced in the direction of the conversation. It was rare to see people their age with black eyes in the academy. With that glance, the whispers fell silent.

Compared to the others’ fear of Ying Feng, Ting Lei was visibly excited to see Ling Xiao.

“I haven’t seen you for days. I missed you,” he said cheerfully. As he finished, he felt a cold breeze. Meeting Ying Feng’s displeased face, Ting Lei silently cursed himself, thinking, ‘I’ve said something wrong again.’

Ling Xiao didn’t seem to mind. “Same here. Dr. Yao didn’t allow me to attend classes, and I’ve been bored to death.”

Ting Lei chuckled and discreetly stepped back. “Are you two going to eat?”

The subtext being: When did you two become so close that you’re going to eat together?

“Yes.” Ling Xiao warmly invited, “Want to join?”

Ting Lei quickly shook his head. In his eyes, Ying Feng was always an S-level creature. After becoming a Qizhu, he was elevated to SS-level. Establishing authority made his danger level shoot up to SSS. He’d rather avoid him than approach him.

Other classmates passed by, many of them greeting Ling Xiao. Ying Feng keenly noticed a cold gaze from the side. Turning his head slightly, his eyes met with Zhu Yue’s.

Initially, the rumor was that the two were skipping classes to enjoy a honeymoon in their dorm. Zhu Yue didn’t believe it because he thought Ying Feng would never accept Ling Xiao. But seeing them together today made him doubt his own beliefs.

The thought that the two might have become intimate infuriated Zhu Yue.

“By the way, we just saw a military aircraft at the academy’s landing pad,” Ting Lei suddenly mentioned.

The statement alarmed both of them. “Are you sure you saw it correctly?” Ling Xiao asked.

“Of course. How could I mistake the military insignia? I even saw two people disembark and head towards the medical building.”

The two felt a growing unease. They exchanged a glance and quickly headed for the medical building. As they approached the entrance, they ran into Dr. Yao, followed by two uniformed soldiers.

“Dr. Yao,” Ling Xiao said anxiously, his eyes wary of the men escorting her.

“It’s okay,” Dr. Yao said hastily, hoping to avoid trouble. “I’m just going with them for an investigation. Once it’s done, I’ll return.”

Ling Xiao felt guilty, thinking he had caused this. “I’m sorry, if it weren’t for me…”

“It’s just a routine investigation,” Dr. Yao comforted him. “I’ll plead on your behalf. After all, you were just fledglings then. The military is usually lenient with fledglings’ mistakes. Don’t worry too much.”

As they watched Dr. Yao leave with the soldiers, Ying Feng said calmly, “Those two aren’t from Fu Yao’s unit.”

“Fu Yao?”

“The officer who took you last time. The badges worn by his soldiers are different from those two.”

After pondering for a while, Ling Xiao still didn’t understand. “So?”

“It’s likely that the military personnel in charge of this case have changed.”

Dr. Yao briefly met with Zhi Shang, but they were separated for questioning. During the interrogation, Dr. Yao was deeply concerned, thinking that she might escape blame, but Zhi Shang would inevitably be held accountable for inadequate supervision. She wondered how the military would handle this.

A few rooms away, Zhi Shang was carefully answering questions from the interviewer.

“Why are there unsubmitted Embers II at the base?”

“When the military checked, the base kept a few samples for emergencies. This was reported, and it was approved. However, very few people know about this, not even most of the base staff.”

“Who knew about it?”

“Myself, my Qizhu Dr. Yao, and assistant researcher Yu Quan. All three of us were once students of Professor Tai Yin.”

“If such important items were stored in that lab, why wasn’t it locked?”

Zhi Shang hesitated for a long while before speaking. “At the time of the incident, because the situation was urgent, I didn’t think too much. However, after hearing about the entire event from my Qizhu, I remembered that when I entered the lab, the door wasn’t locked, whereas normally, it should be locked.”

“So someone unlocked it before you got there?”

“Yes.”

“Who could have done that?”

“Many people. The laboratory’s security level is relatively low, and it uses a common password lock. The password is changed periodically, and anyone who works at the base long-term can open it.”

“As the main person in charge of the base, why didn’t you inventory the number of drugs afterward?”

Zhi Shang replied with guilt, “It was my oversight. I never expected someone to break in. My Qizhu had severe side effects after being injected with the second-generation drug. I was preoccupied with taking care of her. By the time she was out of danger, the lab had already been cleaned up by other colleagues, so I didn’t check it in detail.”

A military officer presented a report. “This is the report you submitted the day after the incident. It detailed the planetary disintegration, the lighthouse protective shield malfunction, and the use of the second-generation drug.”

“Yes.”

“But there is only a brief description of the cause of the malfunction. Can you explain why?”

“It was genuinely an accident caused by an intern’s mistake.”

“Don’t you think these two incidents are too coincidental? We reviewed the surveillance footage submitted by the base, and those two in their fledgling state were barely captured. The abandoned lab didn’t even have cameras, so nobody knows what they did inside. The truthfulness of their testimonies remains to be verified.”

“No,” Zhi Shang quickly denied. “At first, I had doubts too, but after multiple inspections of the intern’s programming, I am sure it was an accidental event.”

“You had doubts? About whom?”

“It’s not related to him at all…”

“Who was it?” The military officer pressed.

After hesitating, Zhi Shang finally spoke. “The person in charge of checking the start-up device that day was Yu Quan. I suspected him for a while, but it was just a suspicion, and it was soon confirmed that the entire incident had nothing to do with him.”

“If I remember correctly, the person who assisted the wanted criminal Tai Yin in destroying the fledgling records and secretly moving the target was him, right?”

Zhi Shang looked serious. “The latter incident is true, but he soon realized his mistake and atoned for his crimes. The earlier suspicions were just misunderstandings.”

“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, we’ll investigate. That’s not your concern.” The recording officer closed the document. “Even though you didn’t make a deliberate mistake, as the chief researcher of the base, you are responsible for oversight. We will temporarily remove you from your post until the investigation is completed.”

Zhi Shang lowered his head in resignation. “I understand.”

……

“Do you think Dr. Yao and the professor will be okay?” Ling Xiao had been uneasy since returning to the dorm.

Meanwhile, Ying Feng was intently examining the changes in his body. After the coming-of-age ceremony, the changes in his body became more and more apparent, lasting longer each time. Taking showers provided temporary relief, but he believed that it couldn’t be without harm.

Ling Xiao’s psychological assessment was also problematic. However, Ling Xiao, unaware of the looming danger, nudged him. “Should we contact the principal or notify the officer named Fu something? I feel this matter isn’t so simple.”

It was then that Ying Feng turned to look directly at Ling Xiao. Instinctively, Ling Xiao felt a sense of danger in those eyes and retreated slightly.

This reaction only confirmed Ying Feng’s thoughts. As a Qizhu, why should he repress his desires? The best way to establish ownership was to completely possess, marking the prey with one’s scent to ward off competitors.

With that thought, Ying Feng pressed Ling Xiao’s shoulder, swiftly straddling him.

Startled by the sudden movement, Ling Xiao, with Ying Feng so close, felt the oppressive aura of a Qizhu. Nervously, he swallowed. “What are you doing?”

Ying Feng calmly seemed to be answering a rigorous scientific question. “There are still three days before your danger period has passed. I don’t believe you can stay honest, and there is no way to monitor you all day long. Since you said that you can do it seven times a night without getting out of bed for three days, let’s try to see if this method is really effective.”

“Wait!” Seeing that his body was already pressed down, Ling Xiao quickly stretched out his hand to stop him. “We agreed that you can’t force me, and I guarantee that this method won’t work at all!””

“Our agreement is that I don’t need to use the Qizhu’s power to force you, and I obviously don’t have it now. And we have another agreement. For your mental condition, I will take the necessary measures. You cannot refuse.”

Ying Feng’s body was pressed down a little bit again, and this time Ling Xiao held it firmly with both hands. “Wait a minute! I have another chance to make a condition. I refuse! I very much refuse!”

“I do not accept this condition, so the proposal is invalid.”

Ling Xiao shouted anxiously, “If you don’t accept it, the condition of not swiping up all the funds on the card at the end of the month will also expire!”

Once Ying Feng had decided, no one could change it. He pressed Ling Xiao down hard, and his tone could not be rejected.

“Just swipe it!”

With the sound of the last word, Ling Xiao’s hips became cold, as Ying Feng directly took off his pants. There was no foreplay, no caressing. It was simply accompanied by a very purposeful invasion of his body. Under the special physique of the Tianxiu people, even such rough movements failed to cause Ling Xiao injuries. His body seemed to be open at any time to welcome the entry of his Qizhu.

The words that Ling Xiao was about to shout came out almost instantly, and he immediately covered his mouth with his palm so as not to make any more embarrassing sounds. The first climax came much earlier than expected. Almost not long after Ying Feng entered him, Ling Xiao had already cum impatiently.

It wasn’t until the third climax hit that Ling Xiao discovered that every time he reached an orgasm, his body would become twice as sensitive, and the time to reach the next orgasm would also increase. After three ejaculations, his body had become unable to bear any touch. Even if Ying Feng gently stroked his skin with his fingertips, it felt like he was causing an earthquake. He could hide from the top, but not below. If Yin Feng rubbed his chest while thrusting, he had to use great strength to hold back from begging for mercy.

The advent of the fourth ultimate pleasure took the sum of the first three times. Ling Xiao’s mind was already in a semi-drowsy state, and he was no longer able to control what kind of moan he would spit out in his mouth. Only by deceiving himself, he stretched out his hand to cover his eyes, as if he could escape reality without looking. But Ying Feng didn’t allow him to pretend to be dead, so he forcibly broke his hands free. Ling Xiao tried his best to open his sweat-wet eyelids, only to see Ying Feng’s slender eyes shake in his sight. God knows how he deliberately obscured the person with these eyes in his dream. He showed a confused expression under him, only to know that now that the dream had come true; the position of the two of them had undergone a subversive change.

Ling Xiao’s defeated state failed to arouse Ying Feng’s pity, but instead stimulated his bestiality and reminded him of Ling Xiao’s previous outrageous words. He held down Ling Xiao’s forehead and leaned down. The two of them had the tips of their noses against each other. From Ling Xiao’s perspective, there was a slow sense of oppression.

“Who said those outrageous words seven times a night in the first place. Now even if you show an expression of begging for mercy, it’s useless.”

“I… I didn’t… beg for mercy…” Ling Xiao’s hoarse voice supported him with the last dignity. He couldn’t even breathe smoothly, as the words he said had a loud nasal sound.

“You’d better hold on to the end.” Ying Feng deviated from the original intention of just wanting Ling Xiao to stay honest and began to have intentions of settling old debts with Ling Xiao. He raised Ling Xiao’s legs high. Ling Xiao’s newly adult body wasn’t yet developed, so it was so soft that it was almost completely folded up.

At this time, not to mention being attacked from the rear, just the fact that Ying Feng was holding his knee tightly was enough to make him sweat like rain.

“Do you even feel here?” Ying Feng, who noticed Ling Xiao’s gaffe, licked his knees erotically with bad intentions. Ling Xiao, who only touched the bed with his back, bounced up like an electric shock, struggling to dodge with crying.

“Ying Feng, you big horn dog!”

“People who claim to go seven times a night aren’t qualified to say this.”

Ying Feng squeezed Ling Xiao tighter, causing their privates to stick together without any gaps. Ying Feng pulled out shallowly and then thrust fiercely, adding a percussion ensemble to Ling Xiao’s cry.

When the fifth climax came, Ling Xiao’s eyes darkened, and he fainted. It could be seen that the pause in consciousness didn’t last long. An electric current pierced through his left temple and penetrated through the right temple, abruptly waking Ling Xiao from a coma. When he opened his eyes, he knew that it was Ying Feng’s masterpiece again—he didn’t even allow himself to pass out.

Ying Feng moved Ling Xiao to a dry area. The place where he was lying had already been soaked in sweat, but it was only a matter of time before this new space got wet. This time he pressed one of Ling Xiao’s legs under him, raised one leg high, and thrust from the middle of his legs, changing his angle of attack to the most sensitive parts of Ling Xiao’s body.

Ling Xiao’s collapse was almost only in an instant; his dignity and backbone instantly vanished. This feeling of not being able to tell whether it was pleasure or pain tortured his sanity and made him unscrupulous.

“No more! I beg you!”

“If you say it seven times, it’s seven times, and it can’t be less than that.” Ying Feng refused forcefully. He scratched Ling Xiao’s skin with his nails. At this time, his body had reached a terrifying sensitivity, and he screamed uncontrollably under this stimulation.

“Ah!”

Ying Feng stretched his lower body vigorously, and the end of the scream turned into a fluctuating groan.

Ling Xiao could hardly cum anything for the sixth time. His penis was throbbing weakly, as if complaining about the excessive overdraft. Ling Xiao began to regret—why did he have to say such a cruel sentence in public in the first place, which caused him to be in such a miserable situation now. When he was put into a new posture by Ying Feng and penetrated again, a series of unconscious begs flowed out of his mouth automatically. Even he himself couldn’t make out what he was saying. But Ying Feng was as determined as ever, and he wouldn’t give up until he reached that predetermined goal. The rubber band in Ling Xiao’s mind seemed to be stretched to its limit. He could neither go back nor pull. He began to experience all kinds of strange symptoms—hallucinations, tinnitus, cramps in his hands and feet, trembling limbs—and he started to doubt if the seventh orgasm or his reincarnation would come first.

In the end, Ling Xiao had no impression at all. On the eve of the last climax, Ling Xiao completely fell into darkness.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Escape From the Asylum Ch46

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Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 46

The room suddenly became silent.

When no one spoke, the crackling sound of wood burning from the fireplace became especially pronounced.

Casually walking up to the fireplace, Zhou Qian, with half of his face illuminated by the firelight, gave Qi Liuxing a knowing look. Qi Liuxing quickly took out something resembling a Bluetooth earpiece from his bag. This pair of earpieces was called [Secret Call], a small tool given to Zhou Qian by [137] in the previous instance, which allowed two people to chat privately without being overheard.

Now, Qi Liuxing approached the bookshelf, pretending to look at book titles but was actually speaking quietly with his back turned to the others. “Hmm? What’s the situation? I think your third point was spot-on and critical. There are many hidden plot points in this instance. By triggering these plots, we can either increase or decrease our life points. So the rankings earlier really aren’t important—at least not now.”

After some thought, Qi Liuxing added, “I think the early stages are primarily for exploration. Once all areas are explored and everyone’s life points rankings are solidified, some will start killing based on the situation.”

However, Zhou Qian decisively responded, “You’re wrong.”

Qi Liuxing turned his head to glance back and noticed Zhou Qian standing by the fireplace. Facing the flames and his back to the crowd, nobody would suspect that he was discussing anything. The rest of the teammates began exploring the room, seemingly not noticing Zhou Qian’s actions. Qi Liuxing then asked, “What do you mean?”

“Currently, I rank first, Li Buhui is second… and Wu Ren is last.” Zhou Qian queried, “Did you notice that the rankings might have a hidden pattern when viewed from another angle?”

After mentally reviewing the rankings, Qi Liuxing exclaimed, “Oh, I see… If we rank by combat capabilities or killing abilities… Wu Ren would be first!”

Without considering the cunning use of skills or rare items to counter-kill or escape, purely based on combat capability, it was easy to see that the combat rankings of players were inversely related to their life points. Zhou Qian, having the highest life points, also had the lowest combat capability under normal circumstances.

Zhou Qian added, “Furthermore, the system mentioned that players with higher points can’t obtain cards and points from players with lower points after killing them. But this doesn’t mean that high-point players can’t kill those with fewer points. So, in this game, players can freely kill each other. The significance of points is only relevant to whether one can obtain cards after killing.”

Qi Liuxing, taken aback, realized the implications.

Zhou Qian continued, “The life point rankings are merely a smokescreen. As you mentioned earlier, the ranking can change drastically as we uncover the story. But our combat capabilities won’t change, which is the real deciding factor in this game.”

Based on combat capability, the player rankings were: 1. Wu Ren; 2. Situ Qing; 3. Ke Yuxiao; 4. Yin Jiujiu; 5. Qi Liuxing; 6. Li Buhui; 7. Zhou Qian.

People with relatively lower combat capabilities were actually the ones with more points right now.

Wu Ren, who was ranked first, could target everyone ranked below him.

As for Situ Qing, she wouldn’t target Wu Ren. In extreme situations where she needed to kill for points, she would be inclined to target those ranked 3 to 7.

The same logic could be applied to others.

Zhou Qian mused, “Players with higher combat capabilities will target those with lower capabilities. How will the ones with lower capabilities respond?”

Qi Liuxing quickly replied, “If it were me, I’d be wary of those ranked higher in combat. Perhaps… take the initiative and strike first.”

Zhou Qian nodded. “Exactly. Assuming a ‘kill or be killed’ situation, disregarding teaming up, morals, friendships, and the like, and just focusing on maximizing personal benefits and minimizing risks…”

“If you see Yin Jiujiu, ranked ahead of you, running out of mana, knowing that she might try to kill you when her mana recovers in an hour, you’d strike first and kill her.”

“From the perspective of my own survival, I need to analyze the choices of others. So, based on the analysis above, temporarily excluding all special cases, I can abstract the predicament I’m facing into a simple problem—”

“First, everyone wants to kill me. I am the ‘lamb to the slaughter’, and the remaining six of you are hunters.”

“Second, if the top-ranked hunter kills me and loses their mana for an hour, they will surely be killed by the second-ranked person, taking the initiative of striking first. The same logic applies to others.”

Qi Liuxing frowned. “So, we have to analyze the choices of each person? Hmm… If I think in sequence from the beginning, it’s hard for me to analyze.”

Zhou Qian said, “Right, so we should deduce from the back to the front.”

“Ranked 6th is Li Buhui. Firstly, he can kill me.”

“For those of you ranked in the top five, you can kill him anytime, whether his mana is depleted or not, it doesn’t affect you much. So even if he kills me and drains his mana, he doesn’t care, because even at full energy, he can’t beat any of you.”

“Secondly, as per our previous analysis, if you kill me and lose your mana, Li Buhui will surely kill you. He still doesn’t fear losing his mana because the person who might’ve preemptively targeted him, me, would have already been killed by you.”

“So, what would you do at this time?”

Qi Liuxing quickly replied, “Li Buhui can freely kill without hesitation. If I guess his choice, then to avoid being killed by him, I certainly won’t kill you.”

“Then we can make predictions for two people—Li Buhui might kill me; you won’t kill me.”

With that said, Zhou Qian continued, “Let’s deduce from the back to the front again. The one ranked before you is Yin Jiujiu, in fourth place. Assuming she’s smart and can analyze everything we’ve said…”

“That means she knows you’d be wary of Li Buhui and won’t kill me, her, or anyone else. In other words, she has anticipated your prediction. Under such circumstances, she’d dare to make a move on others!”

Zhou Qian’s voice deepened. “By this logic, the Rank 3rd Ke Yuxiao won’t make a move, but the Rank 2nd Situ Qing will.”

“So, to simplify things, in extreme cases, those ranked in even numbers are most likely to target me.”

After a silence of thirty seconds, Qi Liuxing finally comprehended everything and exclaimed, “Impressive…”

“I think my doctor is even more impressive. He sent me a message a few seconds before I figured it out.” Zhou Qian looked up and smiled silently towards a certain direction in the void, then turned his gaze back to the flames in the fireplace.

“Of course, this is a simplified analysis, excluding many special cases. The real situation might be different. However, the three people in even rankings, excluding Situ Qing for now, Yin Jiujiu and Li Buhui are still the ones I need to be cautious of.”

After a pause of three seconds, Qi Liuxing said, “So now we have anticipated their predictions. You’ve explained all this to me… You actually want me to help guard against them, right? Speaking of which—”

At this point, without relying on a private chat earpiece, Qi Liuxing walked to the fireplace. “You’ve been staring at this for so long. What’s in here?”

Beside the coat rack was a cane.

Zhou Qian took the cane, stirred the logs, and pulled out a charred object—shockingly, it was a burned human head.

“What the hell is this?” Qi Liuxing frowned.

“When Li Buhui went to open the door, a ghostly figure of a little girl appeared, preventing him from doing so and asking him to find her murderer,” Zhou Qian said. “Perhaps this little girl was killed in this room.”

After a pause, Zhou Qian added, “Not only was she killed, but she might’ve also been dismembered. We’ve found fingers, some hair, and a skull… There should be other body parts to find.”

Qi Liuxing wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but hearing about a murder or words like “dismemberment” instinctively made him uncomfortable. He said to Zhou Qian, “Let’s look together then. Since we’ve already discovered it, the exploration itself isn’t dangerous. We might lose some points at most. But given that we only have so many hours to survive, it’s better to leave the study sooner.”

While discussing the situation related to the little girl’s body, the two openly conversed aloud, and the rest, hearing it, began to search for related items.

They boldly opened all the cabinets and took down each book from the shelves to inspect.

Qi Liuxing pulled open the large cabinet near the fireplace. The cabinet was mostly empty, with hardly anything inside. But strangely, there was a frame inside.

He took out the frame and noticed some glass fragments on the inner side of the wooden frame.

“This…This is…”

Qi Liuxing began, but Zhou Qian finished his sentence for him. “It’s a mirror frame. Look over there—”

Following the direction of Zhou Qian’s finger, Qi Liuxing saw a trash can.

Setting one end of the frame on the ground so that it leaned against the tall cabinet, Qi Liuxing walked over to the trash can. He quickly realized that it contained many shards of a mirror.

Returning to the wooden frame, he noticed a brown rope attached to one side. He looked around and saw Zhou Qian heading somewhere.

Following Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing saw two nails on the wall. It appeared Zhou Qian had the same realization—there used to be a mirror hanging on the wall in this study. For some reason, someone shattered the mirror, threw the fragments into the trash, and placed the frame back in the cabinet.

Why was the mirror shattered?

Zhou Qian, too, couldn’t figure out the reason. He then began searching the desk for clues.

Ignoring the many details on the tabletop, he opened a drawer. Inside were some hair bands, hair clips, and, surprisingly, another mirror. This one was much smaller, about the size of a palm, and oval-shaped. It was weird, though—someone had painted it black, rendering it useless as a mirror.

A large mirror had been shattered, and a small one had been painted over.

Was someone avoiding looking in mirrors?

What happened next seemed to confirm Zhou Qian’s suspicion. Yin Jiujiu suddenly produced something resembling a makeup compact. The mirror inside it was also broken; its fragments mixed with the powder, creating a chaotic mess.

The group gathered and briefly discussed.

“Why doesn’t she dare to look in the mirror? Is she a vampire?”

“We shouldn’t make wild guesses without new evidence.”

“I agree. We only know she might be an evil spirit. Whether or not she fears mirrors, we can’t say.”

“Hold on. Look at this,” Yin Jiujiu’s voice called from the desk. She held up a photo that Zhou Qian had noticed earlier but hadn’t examined closely.

The photo depicted what seemed to be a witch’s execution. Yin Jiujiu read aloud from the back of the photo—

“Evil witches… are the flowers of evil spreading like a disease in this town! They grow in power, harming the innocent. They will be punished! My mother is also a terrifying witch! She claims I am an evil spirit… and says she will kill and seal me!”

“Damn it, I am just a living human being. I am not an evil spirit! My mother has gone mad… She’s insane!”

“I’ll report her to the town leader! Before she kills me… I’ll have her reported! Then she’ll end up like the woman in this photo, burned alive by flames. Then I won’t die!”

After reading this, Yin Jiujiu commented, “It seems that the little girl was probably killed by her mother. I think her mother wasn’t caught. At least not before her daughter’s death.”

Li Buhui, who had the second-highest number of life points, immediately responded, “What are we waiting for? Let me try opening the door. Maybe if we tell her this, she’ll let us out. And then we can explore other places. Perhaps opening the door will cost me some life points, but maybe solving the little girl’s problem will earn me some. Either way, I think it’s worth the risk!”

It was Ke Yuxiao who stopped him this time.

“No, wait.”

Normally mild-mannered, Ke Yuxiao’s tone was now firm, almost reprimanding, indicating the seriousness of the situation.

Ke Yuxiao was a very mild-mannered person. Zhou Qian’s impression of him was that he was the type to leisurely water plants and play with birds, living a quiet and peaceful life. However, his tone at this moment was quite stern, almost bordering on reprimand. It was clear he considered the situation very serious.

Li Buhui, taken aback by his shout, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ke Yuxiao said, “Assuming our conjecture is correct, the owner of this room is a witch. She believed her daughter to be an evil spirit, so she killed her. She then hid different parts of her daughter’s body in various locations within this room to seal this ‘evil spirit’. Based on this theory, the entity that has trapped us now is the ‘daughter’s’ soul. But should we really help her?”

“She claims she’s not an evil spirit, but what if she really is one…”

“If we hastily release her, what might happen?”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Escape From the Asylum Ch45

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 45

[Please note, each person can only draw one card, and each person has only one chance. If you are not satisfied with the card result, you are not allowed to return the card to the black box and draw another one.]

[Violators will die instantly.]

These two lines of messages blinked for a few seconds before disappearing.

Because of this, Zhou Qian, who was skilled in gambling and good at playing cards, had to temporarily abandon his plan to hide the cards.

Zhou Qian was now standing by a desk, the closest to the black box. He walked up directly and became the first person to draw a card.

After drawing and looking at the card, in the center was a simple number—”24″.

But this number wasn’t directly printed on it; it seemed to be some kind of electronic display.

According to the system, this would be his life points. But what these points meant, Zhou Qian didn’t know yet, so he quickly put the card into his bag.

The other six players exchanged glances and then approached to draw cards in turn.

After this, the system didn’t give any new instructions, and for a moment, the players seemed unsure of what to do.

The first to make a move was the average faced Li Buhui. He went straight to the door, put his hand on the doorknob, and tried to open it.

“I think you all are being too cautious. Unless it’s an instance where you have to fight monsters right away, in decryption-related games, no matter how hard, players need information to play. So, there is no risk of unexplained death at the beginning.”

“Even if this instance has something to do with witches, it’s not a big deal. The finger and hair we saw just now are probably related to witchcraft, right? But both Jiujiu and I touched them, and we’re fine!”

After saying this, Li Buhui tried to turn the doorknob.

But he obviously couldn’t.

“Sss… It doesn’t seem to be stuck, nor does it look locked.”

“It’s strange. Why can’t it be opened…”

The next moment, Li Buhui found the reason.

When he tried to turn the doorknob, another force was turning it in the opposite direction.

So he couldn’t turn the doorknob at all!

“This… This door is very strange.”

Just as Li Buhui said this, he heard Yin Jiujiu’s deep, warning-filled voice. “Watch out, above you—”

Above?

What’s above me?

Before Li Buhui could ask, he saw a strand of wavy brown hair dangling in front of him.

With a shiver in his heart, he suddenly looked up and saw a pale face.

Li Buhui wasn’t easily scared, but he was taken aback by this, letting go of the doorknob and sitting down on the ground.

A semi-transparent figure in a skirt appeared before him. It was clearly the ghost of a little girl. She had a pale face, green eyes, and obvious freckles on her cheeks. Her legs were suspended in mid-air, and she hung upside down, looking at Li Buhui.

Seeing his reaction, the little girl smiled and then hugged his neck, whispering in his ear, “You can’t leave yet. Unless… you find the one who killed me.”

As her words faded, the little girl disappeared.

At this moment, everyone received a notification—

[Player Li Buhui was touched by “?”, losing 2 life points.]

[Players can discover the identity of “?” through exploration.]

Seeing this, Qi Liuxing took Ke Yuxiao to Zhou Qian’s side, giving him a sincere thumbs-up, and whispered, “I initially wanted to ask you if there would be unexplained death risks at the start of the game, which has always been your viewpoint. I didn’t expect… luckily, you stopped me.”

Zhou Qian whispered back, “Whether having more life points is better or having fewer is still uncertain. After all, we don’t know what they really mean. Sometimes… having more isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Zhou Qian didn’t expect his words to be proven so quickly.

The system soon released new rules.

[Main Quest Triggered: Find a way out of this room.]

[Hint: Please explore as much as possible; clues from the study room are crucial for subsequent progress.]

[Announcing rules related to life points. Please listen carefully.]

[One life point corresponds to one hour of survival in the instance; the countdown starts now.]

In a place where no one could see, Zhou Qian took out his card to check.

The display no longer showed just “24”.

Below the number “24”, a countdown display appeared, showing [59:59].

It seemed that this countdown was calculated by the hour. Meaning, after 59 minutes and 59 seconds, the “24” in the middle of Zhou Qian’s card would turn into “23”.

The system continued to send rules.

[Skills and items related to copying, stealing, and robbing are ineffective on the cards that record life points.]

[The only way to snatch someone’s card is to kill the corresponding player.]

Upon reading this, a chill went down everyone’s spine.

The system messages continued—

[The highest life points one can have is 24, corresponding to 24 hours of survival.]

[The current ranking of seven players by life points, from highest to lowest, is as follows: 1st Zhou Qian; 2nd Li Buhui; 3rd Qi Liuxing; 4th Yin Jiujiu; 5th Ke Yuxiao; 6th Situ Qing; 7th Wu Ren.]

[The system loves peace; to prevent players from killing each other, there are restrictions on player behavior.]

[Players with higher points killing those with lower points will not get the corresponding card. For example, Zhou Qian, you’re already so fortunate to have so many points. Why would you still want to kill? The system does not allow this behavior.]

Lucky? Lucky my ass.

Having a high number of points indeed allowed Zhou Qian to survive for a longer time, but it also made him the target of everyone else!

If one considered players with lower points as hunters, Zhou Qian was now like a sheep, out in the open, ready to be hunted down!

Qi Liuxing and Ke Yuxiao exchanged glances, and both took out a sword and a flute, respectively, standing guard in front of Zhou Qian.

The system rules continued—

[Players with lower points can kill those with higher points to obtain their card and life points. However, doing so will result in a penalty: your mana will be completely drained for an hour, and all mana recovery items will be ineffective during this time.]

[Lastly, cards can be gifted. But if you only have one card and you gift it, your life points will be drained, resulting in immediate death.]

[Tips: 1. There are many hidden plots within the dungeon map. Exploring can not only find ways to complete the dungeon but also increase your life points.]

[2. It’s not recommended to kill teammates at the start of the game. It’s better to work together. After all, having too many points may not be a good thing—]

[The mayor of the town enjoys playing 24-point games, and the last survivors whose points add up to 24 may win the ultimate victory!]

Zhou Qian stood by the desk, glancing at the other players. Most were looking at their wristwatches, probably reviewing the system’s messages to better understand the game rules.

Just then, Zhou Qian sensed something and turned his gaze. He locked eyes with Wu Ren, the player currently ranked last in life points. Known as the Rain Man, Wu Ren specialized in assassination with hidden weapons. Zhou Qian couldn’t let his guard down.

The atmosphere became tense as Wu Ren looked at Zhou Qian with dark, narrow eyes.

Zhou Qian smiled. “You’re not thinking of attacking me, are you?”

Wu Ren didn’t speak but continued to glare at Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian added, “According to the rules, if I kill you, I won’t gain anything—no card, no benefits. So, it would be pointless for me to attack you. Likewise, it would be pointless for you to kill me. If you do, you won’t be able to use your skills for an hour, making you vulnerable to others.”

“Wu Ren, in your eyes, I may be the ‘lamb’ waiting to be slaughtered right now, but my mana is still full. I can still put up a fight with you. So, in reality, you might not be able to kill me.”

“Even if you do manage to kill me by chance and get my card, your life points will increase, making you the number one lamb to be slaughtered. By then, you will lose an hour of mana. You, as the ‘lamb’, will truly be at the mercy of others.”

“Besides, don’t forget, our primary task now is to explore the storyline and leave this room.”

“You’re a smart person; there’s no need for you to kill me, right?”

The next moment, Rain Man Wu Ren narrowed his eyes.

His eyes were already small, making it look like they were almost invisible.

But the gloomy aura in his eyes showed through, sending shivers down the spine.

He said, “Indeed, I don’t need to kill you right now. Let’s explore first. But—”

He smirked, staring into Zhou Qian’s eyes. “What you just said wasn’t explaining the rules. Me killing you, losing my mana, becoming number one, getting into danger… anyone with half a brain can figure that out.”

“So of course, I won’t kill you. But…”

“The system didn’t mention what happens if we kill you at the same time, did it?

“If all of us kill you simultaneously, maybe we can split your life points. If all of us are involved and our mana is depleted, then no one will have to fear anyone else. Right?”

Zhou Qian smirked. “Ooo… You make it sound like I should be terrified. But—”

“The system didn’t announce such a rule. So you can’t guarantee that teaming up means you can split my life points. Even if multiple people kill one, only the person who deals the killing blow might get the card. Firstly, you’ll just be free labor. Secondly—”

“I led the team in. At most, you can team up with two others. It’s a four vs three situation. Worst case scenario, it’s a mutual loss.”

“The game just started. Do you really want to play it this way? Do you think with only two or three people left, you can get out of this instance? Remember, the ultimate goal is to total 24 points. The specific ‘combination method’ hasn’t been announced by the system. Thirdly—”

Wu Ren seemed taken aback, not expecting a “thirdly”.

He then saw Zhou Qian, smiling pleasantly, walk right up to the doorknob. “Thirdly, how do you know I won’t ask that little girl to hold onto me more?”

With a genuinely happy, even somewhat naive look, Zhou Qian said to Wu Ren, “Maybe if she holds onto me a bit more, I won’t be number one anymore. Is it meaningful for you to make an enemy out of me now? Maybe we’ll be allies soon!”

Wu Ren: “…………”

“The rankings can change at any time, and alliances might be unstable. Instead of harboring resentment against each other now… how about we explore? What do you think?”

Zhou Qian smiled faintly and turned towards the bookshelves.

At that moment, his watch vibrated.

When he checked, it was a message from his gambler and his primary doctor, Li Xuehai—

[Be especially wary of those ranked in even positions, like Yin Jiujiu, Situ Qing, and Li Buhui.]

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Full Server First Kill Ch64

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 64: Paradise

Server-wide announcement.

This was almost exclusively a privilege of the system. It often used this to share accolades or issue warnings. Except in very rare cases, it seldom granted Players the opportunity to use the announcement feature.

And now was one of those “very rare cases”.

The announcement was limited to a hundred words and couldn’t contain special characters. The content that could be conveyed was very limited, so choices must be made carefully.

In Nol’s previous conception, he would use this to contact neighbors scattered all over. He’d be better off lurking in the shadows rather than throwing himself into the maelstrom—just a group of succubi could disturb his peace of mind, so he needed to give himself enough room to breathe.

But now, Nol thought differently.

He looked at the burning sunset on the horizon, the Temple of Life’s flag dyed red by the setting sun, and the mountainous bodies of monsters from the Eternal Church. He saw Teest standing on the golden thread, laughing indifferently, his expression filled with satisfaction and anticipation.

Two hundred years in a world both familiar and strange. Perhaps this was just right for him.

If he no longer unconsciously played the role of a god but instead portrayed a cunning mage with vast knowledge, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals; an ordinary being among many…

[Good evening. I am the Master of Paradise.]

Nol narrated the content of the announcement. His voice was amplified by the system, sweeping around with the wind of the Black Forest.

[To resist the Demon King’s corruption, at the end of July, the Paradise emblem chose non-human creatures of this land. They have memories from distant times and spaces and are destined for Paradise.]

Nol glanced in Eugene’s direction.

There were many ways to distort the truth, and he couldn’t provide compelling evidence that “this is reality” in just a few words. Rather than convincing Players, it was better to wave the moral banner high—

Joy Garden, no, “Paradise”, was a nascent power that massacred the Eternal Church in plain sight. As big as the Temple of Life was, they shouldn’t be openly hostile just because the Lost Tower didn’t look like a Disney park, right?

This was the first-ever server-wide announcement in Tahe World. Players were eager for clues and would undoubtedly be curious about “Paradise”.

So what if its members were monsters? Shouting the slogan “Resist the Demon King”, would make the enemy of an enemy a friend. Players didn’t have that big of a psychological barrier.

Even if the Temple of Life had ill intentions, they wouldn’t dare to oppose it now.

Now, just one more spark was needed.

[Please guide my compatriots back to the Black Forest, and you will receive generous rewards. Those who cause harm will be enemies of Paradise forever.]

Nol used up the last of his word limit precisely.

‘Come on,’ he thought.

No matter which faction the Players belonged to, their goals were highly consistent—in this world of swords and magic, who wouldn’t want power?

The moment Nol’s words fell, the announcement loaded in front of all Players, with burning characters reflecting in the eyes of both humans and non-humans. Players focused on reading the words, while monsters all looked at the familiar emblem—

Inside the Dragon’s Lair, the slime monster couple dropped the half-eaten poisonous mushroom, and the dragonling Ye Meng stopped practicing water magic.

“That’s Xiao Xu!” Grandma Li exclaimed. “He’s so deceptive.”

“I’ve heard the dragons talk about the Black Forest! In a few months, I can fly there,” the Dragonling said eagerly. “I’ll take you to see it.”

Nearby, in the Red Mist Valley, in the Banshee’s embrace, the little ghost girl reached out to the familiar pattern.

“Mommy, mommy,” she mumbled. “Home, home!”

“Okay, daddy and mommy will take you home.”

At the entrance of the Lost Tower, Anakin looked confusedly at the announcement window, then at Nol’s retreating figure. No wonder their contract didn’t have a clause about “keeping the identity of Succubus Malvina a secret”. This guy had just used a world-wide speaker!

However, no matter who Nol might be, this tower was undoubtedly a new force in the world. Since the stance of the Temple of Life was unclear, perhaps they could… make the first move due to proximity*?

*The water tower that’s first to catch the moon (近水楼台先得月) Idiom referring to someone who has an advantage due to their proximity or relationship to a particular situation or resource (AKA first come first serve).

……

“Wow.” After hearing Nol’s declaration, Billy exclaimed with great enthusiasm. “I never thought that just doing a job could witness history. Brother Eugene, do we still need to compensate you? I’ve never seen such a flamboyant announcement from any faction. This trip was worth it for you.”

Eugene sighed silently.

Merchants sure had big mouths. This tower and this bloody battle would soon spread to every corner of the continent. Unfortunately, it seemed that the Temple could no longer use the claim that “monsters are creations of the Eternal Church”.

However, the master of this tower did leave some leeway. As soon as the trading declaration was made, it deepened the Players’ impression that “the world is a game”. In this way, Players wouldn’t fall into chaos, and the Temple wouldn’t need to take extreme measures for now.

Perhaps, this was also the result that the Master of Paradise wanted.

Considering the current attitude of Paradise towards the Eternal Church, the Temple could use this weapon for the time being. However, they claimed to be enemies with the Demon King. Who knows how sincere they were… Well, at least he knew now who the Mad Monk was loyal to. Time would tell, and the Goddess would surely guide him.

“Let’s go,” Knight Eugene ordered.

His deputy took a deep breath and said, “But what about those who are bewitched…”

“Those brothers simply had their life force drained by the succubi. If ‘Paradise’ doesn’t intend to be our enemy, they will return on their own.” Eugene turned his horse around and spoke with a prayer-like calmness. “Of course, if they don’t return… it would be their greatest honor to sacrifice themselves in order to see the true enemies of the Goddess.”

“Hey, do you still want compensation for the Temple? Don’t wait too long!” Billy shouted behind him.

“Someone will deliver a personal letter from the Archbishop,” Eugene responded without looking back.

As for the Eternal Church… There weren’t many people left to evacuate. Relying on the effect of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Teest happily exterminated the remaining forces on the battlefield. Nearby, there were still some Nightmares that escaped, and the sound of coins jingling non-stop filled his ears.

Teest’s gaze was unwavering, as if these sounds were creating a cocoon in his ears.

He was just looking at Nol.

That mysterious emblem had disappeared, but Nol was still standing in the same spot. His face was hidden under his cloak, and Teest couldn’t see his eyes, which made him unhappy.

The audience gradually left, and he had to quickly strip off that cloak.

So, Teest’s hunting became even faster.

His ankles were soaked in mud saturated with fresh blood, and his feet and calves were covered in blood, as if he was wearing a pair of slippery boots. There were wriggling tentacles and blood-covered branches all around him. The sunset poured down like a bloody waterfall, warming everything. It all smelled like the divine kingdom he was expecting.

During the process of jumping up following the golden thread, Teest saw Crimson.

He immediately recognized this former opponent. Crimson was stepping on the seriously injured Solo, looking intently at the Lost Tower. Anakin was hiding in the corner, quietly concentrating on casting a spell, trying to knock him down from her height.

Of course, Teest knew her intentions. All cautious and kind-hearted people would think the same—perhaps Crimson saw or heard something and wanted to bring back this precious information to the Eternal Church.

So, they should imprison him, sink him into the blood marsh, and keep the Eternal Church in the dark about it.

How could that be? …These pathetic outsiders didn’t understand the charm of chaos at all.

No one would buy a product whose effects they couldn’t see. The power depicted by a mere adjective might not be taken seriously by the Demons of the Eternal Church.

Teest liked today’s view. He wanted them all to know and then come knocking on his door like flies attracted to flesh.

Teest hugged the shadow wolf’s neck, and a golden thread silently shot out.

He didn’t hide it much, so Crimson naturally detected the killing intent. He leaped off the tentacle in the air, tore something apart, and in the next instant, his figure dispersed in the wind.

Teest then jumped onto the edge of the Lost Tower. He leaped off the wolf’s back, leaving two bloody footprints on the shattered bricks.

“You let Crimson go,” Nol said in a matter-of-fact tone before Teest could speak.

“There needs to be someone to report back, and he just so happens to be the one who can’t die.” Teest looked at the annoying hood on Nol’s head and twitched his finger. “Honey, do we really need to discuss this now?”

Despite the shadow covering him, Teest could sense Nol’s gaze. It swept over his eyes, lips, and hair tips, stopped on his blood-stained calves, and then returned to his eyes.

“Forget it,” Nol said in an almost resigned tone.

Teest smiled.

……

Nol didn’t act according to Teest’s wishes. He still wore his hood tightly.

He waved his staff and jumped onto the silently spread tentacles below. The skeleton dragon caught him and took him to the group of succubi not far away. More precisely, he was flying towards Enbillick Alva, who was near the succubi.

Teest smirked, riding the shadow wolf behind him.

Eugene left, Crimson left, and the Eternalists and Nightmares also left… In the world, only “Golden Sword” Billy was waiting nearby, seemingly indicating, “If you don’t come, I won’t leave.”

With such a group of mercenaries guarding here, the succubi didn’t want to carelessly expose their backs. So, they nervously stayed put and even more nervously sped up their feeding.

Nol confidently lit the black candle, allowing the skeleton dragon to lower its altitude just enough to be at eye level with Billy, who was on horseback.

“Thank you for your assistance,” Nol said, removing a bit of flesh from his vocal cords, making him sound slightly different. “Paradise will always remember the contribution of the Alva Merchant Group.”

“You’re too kind. We just do our job for payment and don’t expect more.”

Unlike when he was dealing with Eugene, Billy now seemed particularly polite. He was only missing a tuxedo and a glass of champagne. “It’s an honor to witness this important moment, sir.”

If you’re not expecting more, why didn’t you leave earlier? Teest gave an undisguised sneer.

Billy pretended not to hear. “Mr. Decoste is an important client of our merchant group. I need to make sure his commission is perfectly executed—look, this group of weak succubi actually entered the battlefield. I’m curious about your next arrangement.”

As he spoke, his ash-gray eyes fixed on Nol, but he didn’t touch the sword by his side.

Nol looked at the bushes not far away. Investigation Knights were scattered around, lying unconscious with a pallid complexion. The succubi paused their feeding and were uniformly looking over.

So, Nol simply raised his staff, and another covenant floated into the sky.

“Until these succubi voluntarily leave, I’ll do my best to ensure their safety. This is my sincerity,” Nol said. “Now your commission officially ends, Mr. Alva.”

The succubi remained silent, but Billy’s laughter echoed through the woods.

“You’re truly thoughtful!”

He continued, smiling teasingly, “Let me make a bold guess. Among these succubi are companions ‘chosen by Paradise’? So, can we consider that our merchant group has safely guarded your compatriots?”

“Therefore, you will also receive a generous reward,” Nol replied seriously. “From this moment, Mr. Decoste’s assets belong entirely to the Alva Merchant Group. I’ve saved you the trouble of subsequent investigations and verifications.”

“If you want a reward more valuable than that property, you’ll have to wait for the next escort.”

“Hahaha, very fair!” Billy laughed, holding the reins, unable to hide his amusement. “You’re an interesting gentleman. I believe we’ll meet again.”

“Hold on.”

Nol glanced at the group of succubi and stopped Billy, who was about to leave. “Now that Mr. Decoste’s commission has officially ended, I think these succubi have the right to know the details.”

Billy looked somewhat surprised, sizing up Nol. “Even after over 150 years?”

“Even after over 150 years.” Just like the succubi, he also needed to know the conclusion.

Billy glanced at the succubi not far away and shrugged.

“Mr. Decoste, at the age of 43, entered into a political marriage with a lady from the Alva family. He was quite an outstanding gentleman, very talented in business. Within the Alva family, he had a good reputation. For a political marriage, Mr. Decoste was an ideal husband and father—he never restricted his wife’s emotional life, and their children became very successful businessmen.”

“As for his decision to donate all his personal assets before his death, his wife and children were aware and didn’t object, though they were somewhat surprised. After so many years, everyone thought he had forgotten about it.”

Billy recounted casually.

“Mr. Decoste asked that after the dream magic shatters, the merchant group should help the Black Forest tribe. I must say, this gentleman was quite visionary. Over these years, we thought these succubi had disappeared long ago.”

“Was Decoste so sure?” Nol asked quietly.

“Yes,” Billy said. “Who knows what he was thinking. His commission didn’t even mention a situation where ‘the succubi would become extinct when the magic disappears’. It was whimsical.”

Under the shadow of the hood, Nol closed his eyes. “…Thank you for letting me know.”

……

This time, the succubus tribe obediently returned to the tower. It was evident they had eaten well. Even though their size remained the same, their skin had a touch of gloss, making them look less like corpses.

The Investigation Knights were left behind, and Nol only cast a few protective spells without bothering to awaken them. He immediately returned to the Lost Tower to treat the succubus queen. If the queen really passed away during the war, it would be serious. Nol didn’t actually want to be the consort of the succubus tribe.

The queen was helped by Nol into a soft armchair, her head hanging as if she was unconscious.

Anakin silently stood by the side of the armchair, assisting Nol in treating her. Solo, being seriously injured, let himself fall unconscious, allowing the succubi to drain his life force to give the queen an “indirect transfusion”.

For a while, the tower was incredibly quiet… and awkward.

Now, Nol felt indifferent about it. His previous treatment of the succubus tribe was like dealing with stray animals in bad condition—first forcibly caging them, then treating and feeding them. Resistance was expected, and the succubi adapted quickly.

He focused on casting healing spells, ignoring the emotionally charged silence.

“I don’t understand.”

Finally, Succubus Doni broke the silence. His tone was no longer rigid. It sounded like a student asking a teacher a question, with a touch of gentleness.

“Why didn’t Queen Hiya announce this from the beginning? If everyone knew about the ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ situation, people wouldn’t guess it’s a curse…”

A succubus was initiating communication! Nol’s eyes lit up. Turning his head quickly, he saw Uncle Ma in the corner, opening his mouth.

“What’s there to ask?” Uncle Ma sat alone next to a potted plant, looking at the sky at the top of the tower. “It’s better to not say. If it’s seen as a curse, it’s still better.”

Doni, clearly not expecting the mad knight to intervene, raised his voice. “What do you mean?”

“If the truth is hidden, at most, people will suspect Queen Hiya. The subsequent queens are the victims. If the truth was known, some might feel the queens weren’t strong enough… They would be replaced more frequently.”

Uncle Ma’s tone became particularly… strange, as if he were trying to stab at something.

“Even knowing the effect of the ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, you treat it as a minor thing. And you keep asking.”

“Malvina, it’s rude to interrupt.” Doni frowned. “And as a knight of the queen, you didn’t voice such opinions before.”

“Because I just realized it recently. Isn’t that okay?”

Uncle Ma continued gazing at the blue sky above, as if there was some cosmic truth in it.

“Because of ‘such a small thing’, so many queens have died. I have to accept that.”

His throat sounded dry. “Admitting it isn’t a big deal—some things, even when said, most people just can’t understand. I can’t understand, couldn’t in the past, and won’t in the future.”

“But I should’ve protected her properly. Even if I couldn’t understand, I could’ve protected her. She had no Decoste—not even a proper knight.”

‘Uncle Ma might not be referring to the unconscious current queen,’ Nol thought.

Hiya once said, don’t go alone. Maybe at this moment, Uncle Ma was getting closer to the person he wanted to understand.

At this moment, the eyelashes of the succubus queen on the armchair fluttered. Nol was pleased and instinctively looked around—

The first floor of the Lost Tower was packed with succubi, Players, and a reflective neighbor. Only Teest was missing.

“Anakin, you handle the explanation from here.” Nol directly stopped his healing magic.

“…Huh???”

“I’m going to find my knight,” he said.

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Qizi Ch45

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 45

Ying Feng had a habit of waking up on the hour, but just as he sat up, he remembered that there was another person beside him who relied on him to maintain sleep during a critical period of bonding. As expected, when he turned his head, the person on the bed was already rubbing his eyes awake, with a look on his face that clearly said he hadn’t had enough sleep.

He recalled reading that a Qizi, during special periods, needed 1.5 times their usual amount of sleep. Lack of sleep was the leading cause of mental strain. However, the fact that a Qizi couldn’t sleep without their Qizhu nearby conflicted with Ying Feng’s regular routine. Using saliva-induced hypnosis was indeed effective, but its duration was too short.

While Ying Feng was seriously considering how to resolve this contradiction, Ling Xiao seemed unbothered. He jumped out of bed and quickly occupied the bathroom. By the time he came out again, he was refreshed and looked entirely different from when he had just woken up.

Seeing him so energetic, Ying Feng felt he might be overthinking things. By the time Ying Feng was ready to leave, Ling Xiao was already nowhere to be found in the dormitory.

Ying Feng’s instinctive reaction was to use his mental connection to search for him. However, the terms of their exchange from the previous day timely intervened, preventing him from doing so. As a result, he quietly retracted his mental probe without a fuss.

Ying Feng didn’t see Ling Xiao in the cafeteria, so he headed straight to the playground for his second stop. Sure enough, as he had suspected, the person who had gone out for a run early in the morning was jogging on the empty track, completely unaware of his vulnerable state. Without thinking, Ying Feng approached and stopped him.

“What are you doing?”

Unsure of what he had done to upset Ying Feng again, Ling Xiao replied, “Morning run.”

“Doctor Yao said you’re on mandatory leave.”

“Doesn’t leave allow for physical exercise? I’m preparing for military school admission. I have to start now. My competitors are strong Qizhus. How could I possibly compete without putting in effort?”

“Weren’t you the one who fainted a few days ago?”

“I was tired and hungry at the time, drained of energy. Now that I’ve eaten and rested, why can’t I run?” Ling Xiao didn’t understand why Ying Feng was making such a fuss. It seemed as if Ying Feng, who had previously been indifferent, was now overly concerned.

“One doesn’t train without breaks. The books say you need ample rest during this period; otherwise, your mental state will suffer. Finish your meal and head back,” Ying Feng said curtly.

“I had enough rest last night,” Ling Xiao retorted, displeased. “I’m not a pig that just eats and sleeps.”

“Are you going back or not?”

“No.”

After Ling Xiao spoke, his fingertips tingled. Over the past few days, he had come to recognize this as a sign of an incoming command from the Qizhu. He tried to speak, but his tongue wouldn’t cooperate. He could only glare angrily at Ying Feng, who was being contradictory.

Ying Feng’s power merely made a brief appearance before halting. The air between the two solidified, and time ticked away. The newly built trenches of mutual understanding between them were on the verge of collapsing at any moment. The fragile agreement would shatter with just a single step forward.

Just when Ling Xiao thought he would be forced back to his dormitory, the mental control that had swelled within him receded like a tide. At the crucial moment, Ying Feng refrained from taking action, allowing the tense atmosphere to finally dissipate.

Ying Feng stepped aside. “Run then.”

To Ling Xiao’s surprise, Ying Feng was the one making the concession. He resumed jogging suspiciously. Ying Feng maintained a steady pace behind him, neither speeding up nor slowing down.

During this morning run, Ling Xiao felt completely uneasy. Ying Feng was not far behind him, with a watchful gaze fixed on him. It felt like a thorn in his back, and after being observed for such a long time, even his steps became erratic.

Eventually, Ling Xiao couldn’t continue, not even achieving half of his intended goal. Without using the power of the Qizhu, Ying Feng’s mere gaze and following tactic had forced Ling Xiao to concede, filling him with a sense of defeat.

“Okay, I’m done. You don’t have to follow me anymore,” Ling Xiao said impatiently.

“Where will you go next?” Ying Feng asked calmly.

“Train…” Before Ling Xiao could finish, he saw Ying Feng’s reaction and realized that his plan to visit the training hall would probably be thwarted. Even if Ying Feng didn’t stop him, all Ying Feng would have to do is sit down expressionlessly, and soon enough, Ling Xiao would admit defeat.

Forget it. Ling Xiao felt as if he was cursed. He regretted ever discussing joint plans with Ying Feng, who, once he set a goal, would resolutely see it through. So, Ling Xiao bit back his words and instead asked, “Where are you going?”

“The library.”

Ling Xiao was taken aback. If not for their accidental pact, he would never have known Ying Feng was such a studious person. But remembering how Ying Feng self-taught system operations to retrieve data from an outdated computer, this didn’t seem so surprising.

“I’ll go too,” he said, regretting it immediately, recalling the library’s boring ambiance. Yet, Ying Feng seemed pleased with this response. This way, he could do his own thing and also keep an eye on Ling Xiao.

With a gloomy face, Ling Xiao followed Ying Feng to the library. Ying Feng hadn’t finished the book he borrowed before, but during his reading, new questions arose, leading him back to the social sciences shelf. Bored, Ling Xiao amused himself with the touchscreen in the academy’s archive display area.

Every batch of students from Bikong had a record stored in the database. Ling Xiao clicked on their batch, and familiar photos appeared before his eyes. Since they enrolled on the same day, his photo was next to Ying Feng’s. After a few more photos, there was Lan Sheng’s. Ping Zong enrolled the latest, and his picture was different from the others. It was a black and white photo encased in a black frame, standing out remarkably among rows of colored photos.

A weight settled uncontrollably in Ling Xiao’s heart. After closing that page, he randomly selected a previous batch and, sure enough, saw two more photos framed in black. It seemed the principal was right; no matter how they tried to avoid it, tragedy would occur.

Suddenly, he remembered something and rushed to find Ying Feng in the humanities section. “Do you remember the Ash Event we studied in history class?”

“Yes.”

“When did it happen?”

Without hesitation, Ying Feng replied, “3926. Why do you ask?”

Getting his answer, Ling Xiao disappeared in a flash. Ying Feng, curious about his actions, followed.

If the incident happened in 3926, it meant the enrollment time of this batch of students would have been pushed back at least ten years. Ling Xiao tried clicking on the student archives of 3916. Displayed on the screen were dozens of black and white photos framed in black, a sight so haunting it was hard to believe.

“What is this…?” Ying Feng probably guessed the meaning of the black frames but didn’t understand the context.

“These are the student photos from the year of the Ash Event,” Ling Xiao said. Although the number of casualties was mentioned in their history classes, seeing the photos stirred a different emotion than just hearing a number.

“So only a little over half survived, which means…” Ling Xiao’s eyes sparkled, while his hands continuously scrolled down. “All the Qizis who were defeated in the coming-of-age ceremony died…”

Realizing this horrifying conclusion, he felt a chill in his heart.

“Wait.” Ying Feng suddenly held his hand.

Ling Xiao stopped too because among the survivors, he saw a familiar photo. Upon first glance, he felt a strange sensation.

“Ling…Xing?” Ling Xiao whispered the name. “The one who woke up in the same energy chamber as me, was from that batch too.”

Ying Feng’s hand remained motionless. Even Ling Xiao found it strange. Turning to look, he saw Ying Feng staring at the person in the photo with an indescribable sadness.

Ling Xiao was stunned. The mighty Ying Feng, whom he thought was unshakeable, was displaying such profound sorrow. Without any tears or frowns, the deep pain was hidden beneath a calm facade. More than seeing it, Ling Xiao felt it, perhaps due to the bond between a Qizhu and a Qizi. The emotions flowed into Ling Xiao, disrupting his tranquility.

After what felt like an eternity, Ying Feng snapped out of his trance, realizing he was still holding Ling Xiao’s hand. Though they had shared a bed, kissed, and made love, this unintentional touch made them more embarrassed than any of those intimate moments. They both awkwardly pulled away, each looking in opposite directions, searching for an excuse.

“I was shocked by the number of deaths.” Ying Feng spoke first.

“Me too,” Ling Xiao immediately replied.

“No wonder the academy mourns with bells every year.”

“Yeah.”

Their dialogue was superficial, merely covering up their true feelings.

“I’m heading back to the dorm.” Ling Xiao felt that the library wasn’t a suitable place for him anymore.

This time, Ying Feng didn’t stop him. “Alright.”

Ling Xiao practically fled from the library, mulling over the distressing information he’d uncovered, feeling the library had cast a shadow cast over his heart.

Once his emotions stabilized, the exhaustion from the morning exercise began demanding its toll. Ling Xiao randomly picked up one of Ying Feng’s books, and after reading a few lines, he felt sleepy.

When Ying Feng returned from the library, he saw Ling Xiao leaning against the bedhead, holding a hefty theoretical book. He had already fallen asleep, without even having turned the first page. His head wobbled, suddenly dropping down, startling him awake before drooping again, swaying side to side.

Ying Feng sat down next to him, placing the borrowed book on his left side. The noise seemed to have startled Ling Xiao, who struggled to barely open his eyes. Ying Feng’s silhouette vaguely appeared in his field of vision.

Then Ying Feng, without saying a word, slapped the bed next to him with his right hand. As if he had received a command, Ling Xiao, with sleepy eyes, immediately leaned over. The moment his body touched Ying Feng, he fell asleep in the next second. The speed at which he fell asleep was so astonishing that even Ying Feng found it eerie, considering it was just noon. Just how exhausted had he been before?

Ling Xiao slept for two hours, and when he woke up, Ying Feng was still reading beside him. Knowing that Ying Feng stayed because of him made Ling Xiao feel a bit awkward.

“Still doing your morning exercises?” Ying Feng teased him upon seeing him awake.

Ling Xiao played dumb and stayed silent.

“There are only three days left; just stay put.”

“I’ll get bored to death,” Ling Xiao protested.

“If you’re bored, watch TV.”

Ying Feng turned on the TV, and there was a breaking news segment.

“…Recently, a national archaeological team discovered two gigantic stone statues near the Great Rift in the southern hemisphere. The statues, one male and one female, have severely damaged faces due to their age. Archaeologists used computers for virtual restoration. Experts believe these two figures might be the ancestors of the Tianxiu People described in historical texts…”

At first, Ling Xiao watched listlessly, but as the restored image appeared on the screen, he couldn’t take his eyes off of it. Eventually, he moved closer to get a better look.

“What are you doing?” Ying Feng was puzzled at Ling Xiao’s unusual behavior while watching TV.

“This person; I recognize this person,” Ling Xiao said, pointing to the male figure. A name was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t recall it.

“That’s an ancient person, and you recognize him?” Ying Feng was skeptical.

“Xing, Xing,” Ling Xiao remembered. “Xing Lou!”

Yes, it was him. Even though the image was of a grown man, the facial features matched the youthful appearance of someone he had seen before. It was clearly the same person at different ages.

“Xing Lou?” Ying Feng furrowed his brow at this unfamiliar name.

“Xing Lou!”

Xing Lou sat up, panting heavily.

“Are you alright?” Yue Ying’s voice was filled with concern. “You stopped breathing for a long time.”

Xing Lou waved his hand, taking a while before he could speak. “Even though we technically can travel through time, the further we go from this time point, the more it feels like the soul is being torn apart. It’s too painful to continue.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself. It sounds too absurd to try to change network time to reach another dimension of that time,” Yue Ying remarked.

Xing Lou shook his head. “When I first developed this function, I could only send myself back one minute. After several lifetimes of effort, I can now go back several years. I believe that if I keep going, I can change history and revive your people.”

Yue Ying chuckled bitterly. “I’m the only one left of my kind. What’s the point of revival?”

“No, it’s possible,” Xing Lou began, but then a connection request interrupted him.

He accepted, and Tai Yin’s projection appeared in the center of the room.

“I have good news.” Tai Yin got straight to the point. “We’ve successfully matched the blood type you need.”

Xing Lou’s eyes sparkled with hope. “Really?”

Tai Yin activated the device beside him, and a transparent half-figure appeared in the air.

“He’s the one you’re looking for. On this planet, he’s the only one with a genetic match to Yue Ying and the only one who can awaken him.”

Xing Lou stood up, walking step by step towards the figure, his eyes shining brighter with each step. It seemed like the person in front of him was already within his grasp.

“Is it him?”

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