Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 59: The Crazy Guardian

Anakin’s palms were sweaty. She ignored Solo, who was trying to whisper to her, her eyes occasionally sweeping over the line that read “Player Privileges”.

To sign or not to sign? …The punishment was too excessive. Honestly, she didn’t want to sign, but did she have a choice?

There were two handsome NPCs in front of her, one of which had a gentle and shy expression but could directly “deprive Player Privileges”; the other one, with a smile more enchanting than a succubus, could bind them with golden thread and slice them into thin meats for dumplings. After such an ordeal, she would definitely have handsome-guy PTSD.

Stay calm and think carefully.

The requirements of the covenant and the quest’s “one problem” were almost overlapping. If it was just assisting in saving the succubus tribe, it was beneficial for them.

Keeping the secret of the Mad Monk… seemed to be no problem either.

Most Players were staunch atheists, regardless of whether the local religion was disgraceful or not. Moreover, the Mad Monk hadn’t killed any Players. Anakin’s bottom line was somewhat flexible on this aspect.

What she cared more about was whether the phrase “we might become friends” was related to the “goodwill of a certain existence” in the quest reward?

Anakin would never have made such a ridiculous guess before, but the black-haired young man could even take away Players Privileges, so this was hard to say.

In any case, that guy wasn’t someone they could afford to offend.

Anakin extended her hand. Magical power condensed at her fingertips, and she decisively signed her name. Seeing her do it, Solo also signed his name without hesitation.

“Thank you both for your cooperation. Let me reintroduce myself. You can call me Nol.” Nol bowed slightly. “Next, please do us a small favor—please get the Investigation Knights to leave here as soon as possible. They don’t need to withdraw too far. Just out of the Black Forest will do.”

It seems that these two are still constrained by the Investigation Knights! Rogue Solo sighed in relief. However, Nol’s next words shattered his illusion—

“This is also for their safety,” Nol said. “I don’t want to be enemies with the Temple of Life so soon.”

Anakin, Solo: “.…..”

Anakin: “I understand. Is there anything else we need to do?”

“Yes,” Nol said. “Please witness till the end.”

After dealing with the Players, Nol locked himself in the bedroom.

This time he didn’t even ask the succubi for parchment but directly drew traces in the air with blue fire. Countless formulas and numbers floated gently, like decaying debris drifting deep underwater.

Nol sat at the bottom of this vortex, holding a staff burning with blue flame, as quiet as whale bones half-covered in mud.

Teest closed the door gently, leaving the focused Nol alone in the room. He quietly closed the door behind him, and the originally curled and shaking tail fell down.

Teest could feel Nol’s anger.

This time his anger was like magma beneath a volcano—more restrained and more dangerous. And he himself was like a beautiful vase standing on the edge of a table, half hanging in the air. Just a gentle touch, and he could return to a safe area or fall and shatter.

It was hard to look away.

…Should he push him down or push him back?

The vase filled with blue flowers, shining beautifully, would probably make a pleasant sound when it shatters. The blooming flowers falling into the crimson liquid would began to wither and rot from that moment. The smooth curves would turn into sharp fragments, creating a fascinating contrast. Teest was quite tempted.

But if he did that, he would never see those flowers again. It was truly difficult.

In the deserted corridor, Teest leaned against the door, struggling seriously for a long time.

In the end, he opened the window opposite the door and jumped into the eternal and unchanging mist. He didn’t turn back to open that door.

…..

In a certain cave, Ma Zhigang was curled up asleep on a hard stone slab.

He was accustomed to sleeping in this position. In his early years, moving from relative to relative, he could only sleep wherever space was temporarily made for him. From window sills without mattresses to creaky sofa beds, he knew well how to make himself comfortable.

He dreamed of a time not long ago—

Ma Zhigang sat in a spacious and grand office. Above his head hung calligraphy filled with flowing, elegant script. The furniture was custom-made from high-quality wood and painted with shiny lacquer. The water ornament on the desk had been specifically chosen by a feng shui master, and the money tree by the window was particularly vibrant.

He wasn’t yet sixty, in the prime of life, and he especially loved the cautious looks the younger people gave him.

The phone on the desk vibrated twice. It was a WeChat message from his daughter.

His daughter, Ma Moli, attended the best undergraduate programs domestically and then pursued her master’s degree at a renowned university abroad. Active and filial, she made the Ma family very proud.

However, there was one bad thing—since she got married, she had become more and more sensitive.

​[Moli: Dad, I checked his cellphone yesterday, and he was making dirty jokes with his female colleagues.]

Ma Zhigang frowned and sent a voice message. “Did he sleep with her?”

His daughter instantly replied.

​[Moli: No, but this isn’t the first or second time. Dad, I just got pregnant!]

“If he didn’t sleep with her, then just control him better,” Ma Zhigang said.

[Moli: I kind of want a divorce.]

Ma Zhigang felt a headache coming on. “Why are you so impulsive? He hasn’t slept with anyone and hasn’t solicited whores. Why are you making a fuss?”

Not long ago, the department Ma Moli worked in was dissolved by the company. Around the same time, she found out she was pregnant and had to stay at home.

Since then, his daughter became more and more neurotic, complaining either about “the in-laws thinking she is wasting money by hiring a nanny”, “her husband’s relatives overstaying their welcome at home”, or about “her husband talking too much with female colleagues”, or “being upset because she can’t find a job recently”.

Ma Zhigang thought for a while and sent a few more voice messages.

“You’re intelligent. You can make your marriage work. I don’t believe my daughter, who’s so highly educated, can’t control her husband.”

“If you want to work, wait until you have the child. With your qualifications, there should be no problem. If you can’t make it, what about those who are less qualified? Are they begging for food with golden bowls*?”

*Metaphor referring to not utilizing one’s own capabilities and instead begging for help from others. You have good objective conditions but are unable to solve your life problems despite that.

This time, Ma Moli took a long time before replying, “I know.”

After that, Ma Moli really did complain less.

Sometimes, she would just ask if they could have a meal together. Sometimes Ma Zhigang would agree, but more often, he would refuse. His factory was extremely busy, and he wanted to earn money for a few more years.

His daughter would be fine. She was intelligent. Not to brag, but Ma Moli’s living conditions were better than 90% of the girls in the country. Once she had her child, she wouldn’t have so much idle time to worry about these trivial things.

Until one day, she sent another message.

​[Moli: I checked his cellphone yesterday, and he’s still chatting with his female colleague. His parents said it’s my problem…]

Here we go again. Ma Zhigang replied routinely, “Did he sleep with her?”

Ma Moli’s reply came late.

​[Moli: How about having dinner together tomorrow? I want to talk to you.]

“I have a meeting tomorrow. If you have something to say, just say it,” Ma Zhigang said. “If it’s about those trivial things, talk to your peers.”

It took a long time before Ma Moli responded.

​[Moli: Dad, do you love me?]

Ma Zhigang paused for a moment. “What nonsense are you thinking about every day? You’re a mother, don’t you know? Who do you think I am working so hard for at this age?”

Ma Moli didn’t send another reply.

That was the last thing she said in this world.

Ma Zhigang didn’t understand. His daughter had a life of luxury; happier than any woman he had seen in his early years. Now she even had her own child. Wasn’t it said that mothers are strong? Why did she give up?

His daughter was clearly cheerful and strong, just like him. And he had suffered much more than her. Why did she give up?

Ma Zhigang couldn’t work anymore. He pondered this during the day, and at night, when he couldn’t sleep, he continued to ponder. He hadn’t shed a tear, but his hair visibly turned white quickly.

After the incident, his son-in-law moved out with the child. Ma Zhigang moved into his daughter’s room, paranoid about every mark on the wall. He sat in the security booth of Joy Garden, staring at the spot where his daughter fell every day.

Over a year had passed, and he still couldn’t understand why, and he didn’t know who to ask.

…Until he came to this absurd world.

During his escape, Ma Zhigang accidentally discovered the succubus queen hidden deep in the forest.

She looked nothing like Ma Moli, except for those eyes. Those eyes were too similar. The last time he had a meal with his daughter, Ma Moli had the same eyes.

Those eyes were blank, seemingly looking at people but also elsewhere. The pupils moved like unlubricated gears, almost creaking.

So Ma Zhigang stopped. He really did want an answer, he thought. Maybe this girl knew something.

When he occasionally fell asleep, he still dreamt like this of the past. In his dream, he held his phone, and his daughter on the other side of the screen was waiting for his reply.

Dad, can we have dinner together tomorrow?

Dad, do you love me?

Dad…

He saw his little daughter running to him, holding her test paper, her face full of pride.

…Dad, I got a perfect score!

He smiled at her; a warm, broad smile.

When Ma Zhigang woke up, the smile on his face hadn’t faded. He saw the silver hair tips and instantly sprung up, rolling and crawling.

“It seems you had a good dream,” Teest said.

At his side, the current queen, Wilimina, was firmly bound in place by golden threads. She didn’t struggle at all, like a breathing corpse. Her light golden hair was extremely dry, and her silver eyes were murky and lightless.

“I’ve always been curious about what ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ looks like. I must say, I really didn’t expect this,” Teest said pleasantly, his gaze sweeping over the Succubus Queen’s head.

The so-called crown was nothing but a light red petal hidden among her hair. It appeared and disappeared among her hair, exuding a lively and playful vitality that was completely unobtrusive. The necklace was a pink line near the collarbone, looking like the imprint of a few small flowers, as if the wearer had just taken a nap in the flowers.

Two earrings turned into two small red moles on her snowy white skin, lightly dotting her earlobes, bright as two beads of blood.

If he hadn’t known that the queen was wearing a full set of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, even Teest would find it hard to see that she was wearing jewelry. They blended seamlessly with her, hidden in breathtaking details, full of unique charm.

However, considering that the Succubus Queen was essentially a living skeleton, this charm was significantly discounted. Teest withdrew his gaze immediately upon touching her, showing obvious disinterest.

“How… How did you do it? Why are you alright?” Uncle Ma exclaimed in shock. “That set is cursed!”

“Cursed?” Teest asked curiously.

“The curse that makes everyone go crazy.” Ma Zhigang looked up and down at Teest. “How come you have no reaction?”

“Don’t you also have no reaction?” Teest shrugged.

“How could I not! I can’t help but see her as my daughter. I can’t leave her alone. According to her, I am already in the best situation,” Uncle Ma muttered, “and you only glanced at her!”

“A bit of resistance, strict training, and a clear mind.”

Teest casually played with the golden threads between his fingers. “I was also affected. She actually ranks second on my ‘It Would Be a Pity If They Died’ list.”

Uncle Ma stared dumbfoundedly at Teest, but it was the corpse-like queen who took the initiative to speak.

“You’re not a succubus of the Black Forest.” Her voice was like shredded silk, soft and rough. “…Why are you looking for me?”

“Your brethren all want to take you back.” Teest didn’t answer her question but spoke his mind.

The current queen shuddered instantly, showing a fearful expression. She finally looked like a living being. “No, I’m not going back… I don’t want to see them…”

Teest sighed. “That’s what I was worried about. If you two run around at a critical moment, it would be troublesome.”

The queen, with her lifeless eyes, stared at Teest, who squatted in front of her.

“Indeed, the so-called curse is ‘being madly adored by everyone’,” Teest said softly. “It’s quite close to what I guessed… My poor husband is probably still wondering what went wrong.”

His Mr. Lich knew all but was oblivious to the dark side of everything.

For succubi, a race even more dependent on social interactions than humans, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” could only be a curious toy and could never be worn for long.

The one who was madly adored by everyone was destined to be an illusion. Regardless of how perfect it seemed, an illusion was just an illusion. The one enveloped by the illusion and “being forgotten by everyone”, were no different—even if a donkey wore “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, it could receive undifferentiated love from everyone.

Everyone was looking at you, but no one saw you. Family, friends, lovers… all their faces turned into a bottomless well. Whether desperately asking for help, passionate confessions, or nonsensical screams, the well only echoed the same response.

From the moment she wore “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, the Queen of the Succubi permanently exiled herself.

Enduring pain on one side to protect her tribe and suffering terrible loneliness within her tribe on the other. Wasn’t this also a curse?

The queen slouched in the dim cave, her robe dirty and her tail lifeless in the sand. She neurotically scratched her neck, where the skin seemed to be broken repeatedly, and fresh, white flesh protruded beneath the layers of scabs.

“I won’t go back. I won’t go back.” She murmured while scratching, her fingers twitching as if restraining the urge to rip off that necklace. “I won’t go back. I can’t stand their gazes…”

“Alright, alright, you won’t go back.”

Uncle Ma, bypassing Teest, approached the queen. Ma Zhigang cautiously retracted his limbs, letting the queen lean on his shoulder.

“If you don’t want to go back, we won’t go back,” he said, like coaxing a child. “You’ve done enough for them. You’ve tried your best… Just live and sleep if you want!”

The queen’s breathing became steadier. Her eyes widened, and tears slowly soaked Uncle Ma’s overalls.

“You must be exhausted after all this time.” Uncle Ma’s voice softened. “It’s okay, it’s okay… My girl doesn’t have to be afraid of anything…”

At the moment she heard the term “my girl”, a hint of despair flashed in the queen’s eyes. But she pressed it down and slowly closed her eyes.

“Please, don’t take me back.” She stuffed a bud of bewilderment grass into her mouth, murmuring towards Teest. “I will maintain the magic to the end. I will protect everyone… I’ve sworn… Let me be alone at the end…”

Teest stood up and looked down at the thin body at his feet. In this state, the queen indeed wouldn’t live past two months. If she was forcibly taken back to her tribe by other succubi, whether she could last two weeks was even more uncertain.

The queen stretched her twig-like arm, reaching imploringly towards Teest’s barefoot. The moment her fingers touched his skin, she abruptly opened her eyes wide, her face completely distorted by fear.

“You’re not a succubus!”

She withdrew her hand as if she had touched a hot iron, hissing. “You-you clearly don’t have succubus blood, yet you have the power of a succubus… You’re an Eternalist! You’re a Supplement Demon!”

The queen raised her head, trembling all over, her voice unusually sharp.

“This power… How many of my kind have you eaten? Monster! You disgusting monster…”

“How rude.” Teest withdrew his bare foot. He bent down, his fingertip touching the queen’s forehead.

In the blink of an eye, the queen was dragged into a dreamland, completely falling into a deep sleep. She slumped to the ground with only faint breaths remaining from her chest.

Uncle Ma hadn’t been in this other world for long. His knowledge only extended to things like “the Demon King’s minions” that he had encountered. He subconsciously hugged the queen, staring at Teest, puzzled and vigilant.

“Alright, I originally came here to do this. You both just stay here peacefully.”

Teest patted the dust off his clothes and said in a relaxed tone, “I put her into a deep dream. People in this state can’t be awakened carelessly. I advise you not to move her—well, if you don’t care about her life or death, you can try.”

“What if the Demon King’s minions find us?” Uncle Ma shouted.

Teest seriously thought for a few seconds. “Consider yourself unlucky.”

“You—”

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to wait too long.” Teest smiled brilliantly. “Nol has said he will give a solution within two days. He always keeps his word. Promise me, can you be not so unlucky?”

Uncle Ma gritted his teeth.

Teest stretched a bit and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

As Teest was about to leave the cave, Ma Zhigang tried to stop him. “You seem to be not surprised at all by her condition. Can you understand why she… doesn’t want to live?”

Teest continued walking as if he hadn’t heard.

“Please, tell me.” Uncle Ma’s voice became a bit hoarse. “I can’t understand my daughter, and I can’t understand her either. She’s a queen. Her life is much better than others’.”

“Just a lack of some care, how did it become like this? I can’t understand. She said other succubi don’t understand either…”

“Swear to cooperate with us.” Teest finally stopped without turning back.

Ma Zhigang looked at the sleeping succubus queen and gave a wry smile. “I swear.”

“Most people live to pursue an answer,” Teest said. “What will happen tomorrow, who will meet, whether important people are doing well… or confused about something or want to find out the truth.”

“You seem very persistent in figuring out why she doesn’t want to live. Isn’t this the answer you’re pursuing, no?” There was a hint of amusement in Teest’s voice. “Then imagine yourself after knowing the answer.”

Knowing why his daughter ended her life? What about afterward?

His daughter was really gone. He certainly couldn’t get custody of his grandchildren, his future life was destined to be alone, and he couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do… He never thought about the future, and he didn’t expect anything in the future.

Ma Zhigang stood still.

Teest continued timely, “Your daughter and the queen? I guess they either got the answers or didn’t have the strength to ask anymore.”

“You understand these things very well.” After a long time, Uncle Ma said hoarsely.

His voice involuntarily softened. This young man could understand these things. He must have suffered a lot and felt empathetic. Perhaps his judgment of this person was somewhat rash. He—

“Of course I understand. To completely destroy a person, you have to know where a person’s will to live is,” Teest said casually. “I have been taught this many times.”

Having said that, with a flash of his silver hair, he disappeared from Ma Zhigang’s sight like a ghost.

……

Teest adjusted his expression for a moment before opening the door to the bedroom.

The time was almost right, so what surprise had his Mr. Lich prepared for him?

The moment he opened the door, a large wolf snout thrust out. Its cold nose forcefully rubbed against Teest’s face, leaving his face covered in snout moisture.

Teest: “…………….”

Teest: “Honey, didn’t you say this thing couldn’t come in?”

Behind the night-like black fur, Nol squeezed out. “My… cough, the magic just succeeded, but to bring in something bigger, we need your succubus trait to help…”

He was panting, also squeezed by the shadow wolf. That lava-like anger had vanished without a trace.

It seemed that Nol used a method similar to ​​[Travel Through Dreams] to pull the shadow wolf in. Shadow Wolf Ben, indeed, could serve as a helping force. But to deal with so many Thousand-Hands Nightmares, the shadow wolf wasn’t enough—even if it had mysteriously grown a lot bigger, it couldn’t withstand the trampling of thousands of monsters.

“You need to summon something bigger.” Teest wiped his face carefully and confirmed again.

“Yes, come with me quickly. The best time is approaching!” Nol grabbed Teest’s wrist and ran with him towards the forest.

Teest, confused, pushed aside branches and followed Nol for a while. Around the two, a light purple fog rolled maliciously, and Teest faintly heard the sound of coins falling to the ground.

What’s happening? Has Nol finally gone mad?

Nol stopped in a clearing, his face slightly excited.

He took out the letter opener and pierced his palm directly. The blood floated up, quickly forming one complicated magic circle after another. They extended from the ground towards the sky, forming a giant circle with a radius of six meters.

“Come.” Nol grabbed Teest’s hand, and the blood flowed down Teest’s fingers. “Let’s activate it together. I have calculated it. There’s absolutely no problem.”

Not knowing what could be summoned, Teest raised his eyebrows and extended his hand obediently. …Anyway, he had even seen the Dragon King Subelbot. Maybe Nol planned to summon a giant dragon!

Both of their palms pressed on the magic circle at the same time.

The blood circle lit up quickly, and numerous magic nodes shone brightly. The force of this magic was very gentle, unlike an attack circle or a summoning circle, Teest thought. It truly was an upgraded version of ​[Travel Through Dreams]​, a “door to the dream world”.

The surrounding space twisted and deformed. Something was trying hard to squeeze in. Finally, accompanied by a terrifying sound of space tearing, the true form of the thing revealed—

It was a tower.

A huge black tower with black tentacles growing at its base, like a giant cone snail hermit crab.

The tentacles at the base of the tower seemed to have no perception and were forcibly squeezed into the “door” that Nol opened. The tower was square and straight, with a gravestone-like heaviness, as if a pillar supporting the sky was falling.

“Nol, you didn’t…” Teest held his breath and murmured quietly.

“At this time, the stronghold the ‘Lost Tower’ just passed specific coordinates.”

Below the black tower, Nol turned around smilingly and opened his arms to Teest. “You said, if the power disparity is big enough, those monsters can stomp the succubi to death just by stepping on them.”

“It applies the other way around too, doesn’t it…?”

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 58: Lost Memories

Nol stood up too fiercely, almost bumping into Teest, who was hugging him. Fortunately, Teest was agile enough. He dodged gracefully while his hand still rested on Nol’s shoulder.

The same kind of confusion appeared in the eyes of the two Players. They couldn’t understand why Nol was so agitated.

It was just a cursed item. Weren’t they common?

Succubus Doni showed a hint of surprise. He paused, and his voice became slightly softened. “Yes, many people share your view. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was personally created by Lady Hyacinth and has been kept by the rulers… The Great Queen wouldn’t curse her subjects.”

“The Red Magic Diamond used to make it was given by that human. If the human had tampered with it, Queen Hyacinth would have noticed. I personally don’t agree with the notion of a ‘curse’.”

Nol didn’t respond. He was staring intently at Doni’s withered lips, as if trying to pry more words out with his gaze.

“After the death of Queen Hyacinth, just over a hundred and fifty years ago, we said farewell to six rulers. Before Queen Hyacinth, each ruler usually ruled for one hundred to two hundred years. The only difference is that the later rulers all wore the ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’… So suspicion is inevitable.”

Succubus Doni looked slim, and his features still held the shadows of a man in his thirties, but his tone was incredibly old.

“Holy shit, aren’t you clearly letting the Mad… uh, Teest be the fuel?” Solo’s eyes were still red, and he carefully avoided looking at Teest.

This was a clumsy attempt to please, Nol judged. Like a trapped and helpless little animal, it could only tentatively lick the hand of the hunter, begging for some mercy.

The Players were his kind, and he should have felt displeased or sad for this, but Nol’s thoughts were filled with “the curse of the A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. His heart was pounding with sharp pain, barely suppressing a surge of anger.

So Nol didn’t intend to intervene in this conversation. He looked at Succubus Doni, signaling him to make it quick.

“I don’t know what you are implying. This gentleman has explicitly expressed his willingness to dedicate himself to our tribe. We even signed an additional agreement.”

Doni’s voice quickly became cold. “Not only is Lord Teest participating in the ‘Heir Selection’, everyone has sworn to give their all—the ruler’s protection must never be interrupted. It relates to the survival of the race.”

“You talk a good game*, so why don’t you do it yourself?” Solo muttered.

*What you say is better than what you sing (说的比唱的还好听) Idiom referring to although one’s words are beautiful, they are deceptive and empty.

The corner of Doni’s mouth twitched, and he sighed. “I’m already two hundred and sixty-five years old.”

Equivalent to about seventy in human years, Nol quickly calculated. The appearance of succubi ages slowly, and Doni’s appearance indeed matched.

But that wasn’t the point.

“So you have seen Queen Hyacinth.” Nol’s hands pressed on the edge of the table. His fingers slowly closed as he looked at Succubus Doni with a mixture of sorrow and longing.

Solo was completely choked by that gaze and couldn’t continue the conversation.

Back on Earth, he had seen such eyes—during elementary school, Solo had a particularly good friend who died young due to illness. Every time that child’s father looked at him, the gaze was the same as “Ross’” now.

They treat the person before them as a puzzle, futilely piecing together the shadow of the departed.

“Bring out your memories.” Teest suddenly spoke.

“No.” Doni refused sternly.

By now, from the attitudes of those two humans, this “Succubus Teest of the Shiva Tribe” didn’t seem as gentle as he appeared. But that was okay. An agreement was an agreement. Either he had to abide by it or pay the price.

“If you want to save this tribe—though I think you guys don’t have the slightest worth to be saved—hand over the memories about Queen Hyacinth. I know you can,” Teest said lightly. 

“If you have questions, I am willing to answer. Memories are absolutely private, and my memories are unrelated to this matter.” Doni frowned. “Why must you peep into memories?”

“Because that will make me very happy.” Teest tapped his chin. “I will try my best to be your heir when I’m happy. If I’m unhappy, I can only break the promise—by the way, my husband is proficient in pain-relieving magic. I will just lose my legs and eyes for a while.”

“Also, my blood will stain your floor. Bloodstains are hard to clean. You should be prepared.” Teest’s tone became serious, as if this was the most frightening threat.

“What are you talking about? This isn’t a game!” Doni said in shock. “Are you going to put so many lives at the whim of your mood?”

“Aren’t you doing the same?” Teest smiled.

Lunatic. Succubus Doni stood there in shock.

This was the first time he had seen someone spout such blatant nonsense with such righteousness, and somehow making a bit of perverse sense.

He instinctively looked at Nol. The handsome black-haired youth noticed Doni’s gaze in an instant. Nol stared at him with a frightening determination burning in his eyes.

Doni slowly sat back on the stool. His face was numb for a few seconds, revealing a smile that didn’t quite seem like a smile. He tiredly raised his fingers, not even avoiding the humans he despised.

“Alright… I beg you. Save this tribe.” He sighed lightly and closed his eyes.

They were on the Dream Edge. Doni snapped his fingers, and his memories turned into scenes, appearing directly beside everyone.

Everyone saw a young girl.

The girl had satin-like golden hair, and her blue-purple eyes were like the sky at the Dream Edge. She wore no makeup, nor did she need it—like a delicate and pretty water lily, any extra adornment would be superfluous.

Succubus Queen Hyacinth.

Hyacinth wore a popular hemp dress from a human village. Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, with a few fresh wildflowers pinned to her bun. Her gaze wasn’t as naive as that of human girls, more like a blade wrapped in sheer silk.

Only when looking at her lover would that sharp blade completely sink into the silk, leaving only softness behind.

Decoste, a similarly beautiful human youth. They walked hand in hand, talking and laughing through the Dream Edge. Everyone watched them through Doni’s eyes… They looked blissfully happy.

Nol almost reached out to them.

The young succubus Doni couldn’t get too close to the Queen. His memories of her were just fragments. A new scene bubbled up, shattering the previous illusion.

Decoste transformed from a handsome boy into a robust and handsome young man, then from a handsome young man into a mature and elegant middle-aged man. He was much taller than Hyacinth and no longer held Hyacinth’s hand. They were arm in arm instead.

Queen Hyacinth still looked like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl. The unrestrained smiles on their faces were gone, replaced by worries.

…The inherent lifespan difference between the two races had already bared its fangs.

According to the arrangement of the production team, it was time for the Players to act—Players got lost in the Dream Edge, helping Hyacinth find the bewilderment grass.

Later, this pair of lovers would take the bewilderment grass, connecting their deepest desired dreams. After confirming each other’s intentions, they decided to cherish the remaining time. The Player who successfully found the bewilderment grass would receive the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from Hyacinth.

A sweet story tinged with a hint of sadness.

Unexpectedly to Nol, even if the Players didn’t appear, Hyacinth still issued the task of finding fresh bewilderment grass. The first to complete the task was Succubus Doni.

In his memory, this was the closest he ever got to Queen Hyacinth.

A faint worry shrouded Hyacinth’s face, but her eyes were filled with more determination. She took the fresh bewilderment grass from Succubus Doni with both hands, giving him a warm smile.

“Thank you, Adonis.” She patted his head.

The bewilderment grass was green all over, topped with dense blue-purple flowers, somewhat resembling forget-me-nots. However, its flowers were shaped like tiny hearts, appearing more sparse.

“What are you going to do with it?” Young Doni asked. “Bewilderment grass cannot be taken directly. If you need bewilderment dew…”

Hyacinth shook her head with a smile. She gently held the bouquet, beautiful like a dream itself.

“These flowers are enough, young man,” she said. “I just need to see two hearts clearly.”

That day, Decoste wasn’t by her side, and from then on, he never was again.

Why? Nol couldn’t understand.

The Players only found the bewilderment grass for the couple. Considering the varying EQ of the Players, they didn’t arrange any mandatory lines for them. The couple resolved their emotional entanglements completely on their own.

Since Hyacinth made the right choice at the right time, why… Why did they still face such an outcome?

The memories of Succubus Doni continued.

Hyacinth changed.

She was once a queen who highly valued freedom, encouraging everyone to adventure and enjoy life. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, Hyacinth would be away from the throne for three hundred and sixty days.

But with Decoste’s disappearance, Queen Hyacinth became a true queen, accompanying that exquisite throne day and night.

She issued several directives in succession.

Uncharacteristically, she strictly forbade tribe members from interacting with humans and prohibited everyone from leaving the protection of the Dream Edge at will. At the same time, she hid the succubus lair within a dream and established the rule that “the ruler must inherit the A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

For the disorganized succubi, this series of changes was too sudden. Everyone was extremely puzzled, and quite a few people had directly jumped out in opposition. Succubus Doni was one of them—he had just made good human friends in an outside adventure team, and they had agreed to travel together.

“You have dealings with Mr. Decoste yourself. Why do you require this of us?” In the royal court, he asked in dissatisfaction.

“Decoste won’t come here anymore,” Queen Hyacinth calmly said. “If you have heard, the Eternal Church has been targeting the succubi recently, and several groups have completely lost contact.”

“Next, our territory will enter a semi-closed state. Everyone, please form teams and take turns going out to hunt. Remember not to always take the same path.”

The succubi discussed amongst themselves. They were all young and beautiful, complementing this beautiful lair.

“So suddenly?” another succubus voiced. “Our territory is on the Dream Edge, not as exposed as theirs, and everything has been normal recently…”

“By the time we realize it’s not normal, it will be too late,” Hyacinth said. “There will be no discussion on this matter.”

“We need to know what exactly happened, Your Majesty.” Doni tried to raise his voice while maintaining politeness. “Like what we are facing, and why the next ruler has to use ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’? We need a more detailed explanation. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain to others outside.”

“I also don’t know what we will face.” Hyacinth sat on the exquisite throne, her majestic tone completely mismatching her young appearance. “But I know, it will be fatally dangerous. Maybe in the future resistance, everyone will have the chance to understand.”

The succubi looked at each other, then all looked at the queen on the throne. The confusion on their faces didn’t decrease but increased.

“As for the reason for having to use ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’? I left it on that jewelry set. The moment you wear it, you will know the reason… Dear Adonis, if you are really so curious, please strive to become the crown prince.”

Queen Hyacinth raised her leg, somewhat playfully supporting her cheek. “However, I have something to say in advance. The throne is very uncomfortable to sit on. You all have to think carefully.”

“Alright, starting tomorrow, I will wear ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. It will become the new crown of the Black Forest Tribe.”

Nol stood in the center of the royal court, looking at Hyacinth on the throne through more than a hundred years of time.

The loving couple had already separated, but Hyacinth acted as usual. It wasn’t a pretense of strength. She sat there proudly, her eyes firm, her smile bright.

Why would such a person choose to end herself after so many years…

God knows how much Nol wanted to talk to his creation. He had too many questions for her.

What exactly have you experienced? What kind of pain have you endured? What were you thinking at the moment you left the world?

…Did you, despise this world very much?

The smiling queen was only a dozen steps away from him, but they were already separated by life and death.

He no longer had the chance to ask.

……

“As you all have seen, the Great Queen Hyacinth has protected us.”

After scouring through his memories, Doni spoke with some resentment. “If it weren’t for Lady Hyacinth overcoming all objections and insisting on early defense, the Black Forest Tribe would have been annihilated when those Nightmares attacked suddenly.”

“How can ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ be cursed? Those who wear it are all prepared to die for the tribe. We have also tested it in countless ways… It’s a treasure left by Lady Hyacinth—a proof of sacrifice…”

The room was very quiet.

“Let me see,” Nol said. “Only by wearing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ can the truth be known, so we must win the heir selection. The victory condition is ‘bring back the mad queen’… I have only one question.”

Doni took a deep breath. “Go ahead.”

“As long as the queen returns to the tribe, it counts as ‘bringing back’, right?”

“…Yes,” Succubus Doni answered perplexedly. Isn’t this the basic definition?

“Then, if I bring you to the queen, it also counts as ‘bringing back’,” Nol said. “Good, let’s do this. Next—”

He walked towards Anakin and Solo, who were sitting dumbfounded. “It’s time to sign the agreement, friends.”

“Whatever you want to know, I won’t spill!” Solo shivered. “Ju-just kill me!”

“It’s just to supplement the original agreement.” Nol stretched out his hand indifferently, and blue fire sketched out two pieces of text in the air.

The flames burned slightly in midair. The writing was very clear. Anakin glanced at her cousin. The content of the two agreements was identical.

The agreement was concise and clear.

The four must cooperate fully to strive to save the succubus tribe. During the mission, they couldn’t harm each other.

If they could obtain the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, these two perverted gays would give them the crown and necklace—exactly as they initially agreed.

In exchange, the two Players needed to keep two secrets. They couldn’t disclose any information related to the Mad Monk to anyone, nor could they disclose the content of this agreement to anyone.

“That’s it?” Solo lifted his head in surprise.

What kind of dream clause is this? It’s almost like giving “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” away for free. And the requirement was just to save the succubus tribe. This sounded too righteous… Had the Mad Monk been baptized by love and decided to turn back?

Anakin remained silent for a long time. Her eyes were fixed on the brief penalty for breach at the end of the agreement, and her heart was in turmoil.

Penalty for breach of contract: Revocation of “Player Permissions” of the two Players.

…Are you kidding me?

…This is way more horrifying than the Mad Monk! How could an NPC possibly deprive Players of their rights? No, why does this guy know about “Player Permissions”?!

She stiffly lifted her head to look at Nol behind the blue fire text. The latter pursed his lips at her, smiling somewhat apologetically.

“I didn’t want to bind you all so strictly,” he said, “but Teest’s identity is really special. Please understand.”

“This agreement…”

“Don’t worry. As long as the magic of the covenant passes, it means the content of the covenant is true and effective.” Nol returned to Teest’s side, looking as usual.

“Sister, there’s no restriction on that female knight above.” Solo, oblivious to the anomaly, was still whispering to Anakin. “At least, we don’t have to keep this secret.”

No, it’s not that simple. Anakin was still staring at Nol.

The point when the two NPCs turned hostile was precisely when “they found out something was off with the female knight Malvina”. She didn’t think they were unaware or indifferent to Malvina’s anomaly.

If these two didn’t specify it in the covenant, there was only one possibility—

After this matter was over, those two NPCs firmly believed that they would voluntarily keep the secret.

She couldn’t imagine at all how they planned to achieve this.

“So, what do you¹ plan to do?” Anakin couldn’t help changing her form of address¹. “You just asked about the definition of ‘bringing back the queen’… You have an idea, right?”

¹Clarity: She started addressing them as [nin] (您), which is a formal polite way to say “you”. It’s often used as a form of respect to elders, superiors, customers, or strangers.

“Yes, this matter requires your assistance,” Nol said.

“…If this matter is resolved smoothly, we might even become friends.”

---

The author has something to say:

Alright, the lunatic couple is about to create a person!!!

Ready—Go!

---

Kinky Thoughts:

In terms of meaning, Forget-me-nots represent remembrance but also have other meanings, including true love, devotion, and royalty.

Hyacinths symbolize peace, commitment, and beauty, but also power and pride. It is also a symbol of jealousy from the Greek mythology Hyacinth.

Hyacinthus was a Spartan prince of remarkable beauty and a lover of the sun god Apollo. He was also admired by Zephyrus, the god of the West wind, Boreas, the god of the North wind and a mortal man named Thamyris. Hyacinthus chose Apollo over the others. He visited all of Apollo’s sacred lands with the god in a chariot drawn by swans. So fiercely was Apollo in love with Hyacinthus that he abandoned his sanctuary in Delphi to enjoy Hyacinthus’ company by the river Eurotas. He taught Hyacinthus the use of the bow and the lyre, the art of prophecy, and exercises in the gymnasium.

One day, Apollo was teaching him the game of quoits. They decided to have a friendly competition by taking turns to throw the discus. Apollo threw first, with a strength so great that the discus split the clouds in the sky. Eager to retrieve the discus, Hyacinthus ran behind it to catch it. But as it hit the ground, the discus bounced back, hitting Hyacinthus’ head and wounding him fatally. An alternative version of the myth holds Zephyrus responsible for the death of Hyacinthus. Jealous that Hyacinthus preferred the radiant Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo’s quoit boisterously off course to kill Hyacinthus.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 57: The Wicked Curse

“Kill them all? What nonsense. Who doesn’t know how to boast?” Uncle Ma sneered.

Teest didn’t respond. He was scrutinizing Nol’s features—there was no sign of collapse, despair, or any other unusual expressions on Nol’s face. Nol was just smiling, his face full of satisfaction, as if he had found the “solution”.

Even though they all knew what that solution implied in terms of slaughter and bloodshed.

…It was truly great.

Teest was staring intently at Nol. Every time he thought he had seen through Nol, this man always managed to give him a new surprise.

“What are you going to do?” Teest’s voice became somewhat hoarse with excitement.

“I haven’t figured out the details. It’s my first time considering annihilating the enemy.” Nol scratched his head embarrassedly. “But the direction is confirmed. The next steps are simple… I will find a way within two days.”

“Mm, but I need to capture a monster to study. Uncle Ma, do you know how to exit the ‘dream within a dream’ of the Nightmare?”

His tone was as if he was saying, “The lightbulb at home is broken, so I’ll buy a new one in two days.”

Ma Zhigang inhaled sharply. “What are you thinking—”

“Don’t worry. I’ve said we won’t force you to leave or force you to take us to the queen.” Nol smiled. “Once we organize the plan, I’ll discuss it with you again.”

Uncle Ma sneered coldly. “Then you have to be able to catch me.”

“The magic that guards here is an evolved version of ‘Dream Manipulation’, ‘Dream Dominion’. Only the ruler of the succubus tribe can use it.” Nol explained calmly, “‘Dream Dominion’ hides the succubus territory on the Dream Edge, like an invisible shield.”

“If I’m right, those monsters are surrounding this shield from all sides, just waiting for it to break. The succubi that left the shelter of the shield to feed would directly fall into the pile of monsters.”

Nol probably understood the truth behind the disappearance of the succubi.

The stronger the ruler of the race, the larger the shield. In the early years, when the border of the succubus territory was wide and there weren’t many Nightmares, some lucky succubi could successfully return home after feeding.

However, as time passed, maybe the number of those terrifying monsters surged, maybe the ruler of the succubi weakened generation by generation—or maybe both—the shield shrank, and monsters densely surrounded it, and the leaving succubi naturally died.

A simple but brutal reality.

“We could encounter monsters so close to the succubi lair. The current queen’s condition must be very poor, and the shield has shrunk further,” Nol continued.

Ma Zhigang’s expression darkened. “I know all these damn things, so what? What does this have to do with how you catch me?”a

Nol stopped next to Teest, who was sitting cross-legged, his fingers lightly brushing through some silver hair.

He answered almost gently, “The reduced protection magic is easy to calculate. I can calculate the queen’s position—I mean, real-time location.”

“You know, this is the best threat I have ever heard.” Teest looked up at him happily.

Uncle Ma’s face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. “You damn fool…”

“If we really wanted to force a meeting with the queen, I wouldn’t tell you all this.”

Nol’s tone didn’t carry a trace of anger. He still had a weird sense of sincerity. “You might as well teach us how to leave. Otherwise, we can only follow you—I honestly don’t want to waste time on this kind of harmful and unbeneficial thing.”

Uncle Ma’s skeletal face twitched for a moment, and he looked at Nol again. The old man’s eyes were no longer careless but had become much more cautious.

“I can ‘Travel Through Dreams’,” Ma Zhigang said irritably. “You know everything. I won’t explain. You guys quickly do whatever you need with the monster, and I’ll get you out, okay? After that, you do whatever you have to. Just don’t bother me.”

“Thank you.” Nol bowed his head to him.

[Travel Through Dreams] was a passive skill that a few succubi were born with.

If the succubi possessed this skill, they could jump directly from one dream to another, entering and exiting freely between dreams and reality without preparing complex tools and magic rituals like their peers.

Most uniquely, they could pull other living and non-living things directly into the dream realm.

In general, [Travel Through Dreams] was very suitable for protecting specific targets and was likely a skill that Malvina inherently possessed.

‘[Travel Through Dreams], huh…’ Nol looked at the ground covered with fallen leaves and fell into contemplation.

……

Anakin decided to wait until the theoretical nightfall. If the “brothers” couple didn’t return for a long time, she and Solo couldn’t keep waiting like this.

Malvina’s room also had a timer hourglass. The time was gradually approaching midnight. The hazy sky outside the window didn’t change at all. Solo went to draw the curtains and turned on the light, creating a bit of a nighttime atmosphere in the room.

He honored his agreement with Anakin and didn’t inform anyone in Hermitage about the information of “peculiar monsters in the succubus territory”.

“According to the rules, I should inform ‘Mentor’ of important information. This is serious misconduct.”

Solo sat a bit dispiritedly by the bed, tearing blank paper piece by piece. “Sister, Hermitage studies these, and they are neutral. Why can’t we speak out? …Those higher-ups definitely have better judgment than us.”

Anakin crossed her arms. Leaning against the wall, her gaze was fixed on some non-existent point in the air. “I don’t want to create conflict.”

“What conflict could there be?”

“You think the subordinates will believe everything the leaders say?” Anakin said lightly. “Besides, the Temple of Life specifically chose the explanation everyone wanted to accept. Didn’t you have any doubts?”

“But their explanation has no issues.”

Solo, rubbing his face in pain, said, “Mr. Eugene’s explanations are all reasonable, and the Temple has been helping everyone. There’s no reason to lie about such things… I also want to ask, sister, how are you so sure that they have issues?”

“Firstly, that Malvina was almost seamlessly replaced. It’s not that easy to enter a succubus lair,” Anakin said.

“That’s too absolute. Didn’t the succubus say her personality changed? And she often goes out alone to find the queen. The possibility of being replaced is obviously the greatest,” Solo countered quietly.

“Secondly, that old man’s shirt was sewn too meticulously,” Anakin mentioned with a bitter smile.

“…Huh?”

“You can tell, the person who sewed it takes life seriously, at least the kind who finds joy in suffering and plans to live meticulously here.” Anakin said, “If it really was a monster created by the Eternal Church, would they have such leisure and elegance?”

“Maybe the Eternal Church thought of this and deliberately misled you—” Solo just wanted to continue when suddenly his mouth snapped shut, unable to make a sound.

Anakin put away her wand and sighed heavily. “See, even we with such a good relationship can argue. That’s why I said I don’t want to create conflict.”

Solo rubbed his mouth. His lips were sealed by a silencing spell, only making unclear mumbles.

Anakin seemed conflicted, looking at her wand and then her toes.

Seeing the troubled look on Anakin, Solo gradually calmed down. Yes, they weren’t ordinary guild members. Bluntly put, everyone here had close relationships, and he guessed Anakin also wanted to inform “Amazon” about this matter.

However, she didn’t reach for her wand.

Only the slight sound of the hourglass could be heard in the room. Finally, the last grain of sand fell leisurely, stopping on top of the pile.

Midnight had arrived, and the hourglass automatically turned over. At this moment, the room door was abruptly knocked.

“Come out, humans,” the voice of the Succubus Doni rang out, more panic than indifference in his tone. “Te… Landus and the others are back!”

The succubi were all crowded in the square in front of the dungeon. Although they looked mummified, the scene was still spectacular when gathered like this. Anakin glanced around. There were thousands of succubi. This was indeed a large tribe.

When the two Players approached, the succubi quickly made way.

‘Interesting,’ Anakin thought. Disdain and respect sometimes had the same effect.

The two Players soon saw the object of attention—

A monster covered in arms around its neck was tightly wrapped in vines, struggling on the ground. It was pawing madly at the ground with the palms on its “head”, emitting an incomprehensible scream.

An ominous aura surrounded it, giving Anakin goosebumps.

“We didn’t find the queen, but we found this thing in the forest.” Teest kicked the horrifying monster lightly. “They attack with dream within a dream. It’s conservatively estimated that there are tens of thousands.”

Nol raised his head, showing his bruised neck to the succubi. To enhance his credibility, he deliberately didn’t heal the marks on his wrists and neck.

The succubi finally showed some emotion, whispering like ripples in the water. Many succubi guessed the sad fate of the missing ones, and the sobbing in the whispers became more and more intense, like ripples caused by raindrops.

But not a single succubus in the field collapsed or went mad, to Nol’s surprise. The atmosphere felt somewhat familiar, and Nol couldn’t help but recall the day he first arrived and buried the tragically deceased college student with his neighbors.

These succubi were very much like his initial neighbors. They had no excess energy left to despair.

“It took us a great deal of effort to capture this one that was left behind.” Nol questioned angrily, “You all never explained that there were such risks in the selection of the heir. My partner and I need an explanation—we’ve seen ordinary monsters, but we’ve never seen this kind before!”

“What exactly happened to Her Majesty? What are these things? We need more detailed explanations!” Teest feigned tearing up, “painfully” putting an arm around Nol’s shoulder. “Yes, I almost doubted everyone’s sincerity…I came to help, but you keep concealing the truth time and time again. This has been a scam from the start, right?”

“If so, I’d rather accept the punishment for breaching the contract… My partner can heal me. I believe the pain from the punishment will never be greater than the betrayal of my compatriots.”

Anakin perked up. Here comes the NPC key event!

“This is the Demon King’s—” But before she could finish, she was pushed aside by Succubus Doni.

Doni rushed to Teest, kneeling halfway. “It’s not like that, sir. It’s not like that! This is also the first time we’ve seen such an ominous creature.”

After saying this, he bit his jerky-like lips, as if making some kind of resolution.

“You brought very, very valuable information. As…as a return, I will thoroughly explain the detailed information about Her Majesty. We… um, please change to a more private place.”

Teest and Nol exchanged glances before calming their anger. “Let’s go.”

‘Never mind,’ Anakin thought. ‘It’s the succubi’s exclusion phase again. It doesn’t matter if I wait for them to finish talking.’

“…Wait.”

As he was passing by Anakin, Nol stopped and said stiffly, “I want to bring our human companions.”

Doni subconsciously wanted to refute, but his gaze lingered on the frightening bruise on Nol’s neck, and then looked at Teest’s face, which contained a hidden warning, and could only bitterly say “fine.”

……

Anakin’s rare good mood dissipated the moment she stepped into the conference room—

The door of the room shut directly behind her, sealing with seven layers of magic. The atmosphere was oppressively terrifying. If it weren’t for the fact that Doni was the only succubus present, Anakin would have suspected that the succubi were planning to silence them.

“Before we start, I want to ask a question.” Everyone sat around the round table while Nol crossed his fingers. “Our companions should have done some investigation…”

“Yes, the two have investigated Knight Malvina’s room, and we didn’t stop them.” Doni’s voice was somewhat tense.

“I see.” Nol turned to the two Players. “Did you find anything?”

Solo subconsciously looked at Anakin, who paused for half a second before smiling and responding. “No, we found nothing—Ah!”

Before she could finish her sentence, countless golden threads shot out from under the table, binding her and Solo tightly to their chairs.

“Excuse me.”

A voice sweet as honey water came from behind her. Teest had left his seat at some point. He bent over and swiftly took Anakin’s magic wand.

“How can the two of you lie to your companions? This isn’t a good habit.”

Anakin was blank for a second.

These two NPCs…

“What do you want to do?” Rogue Solo was already yelling, horrified to find that his [Lockpicking] skill was ineffective against these beautiful golden threads.

His [Lockpicking] had been invincible before. This had never happened!

Wait, golden threads? Golden threads…?! Golden threads—!!!

Solo froze on the spot.

Anakin also came to her senses, shivering all over and nearly shrieking, “Are you the Mad Monk?!”

Teest looked at Nol, somewhat aggrieved. “You see, honey. This is the reaction I wanted.”

Nol pretended not to see.

Anakin slumped in her chair. She knew they must be hiding their identities when she found out these two weren’t brothers. But this…this was too much!

She didn’t know whether to be shocked that the Mad Monk was as handsome as a mainline NPC or that the Mad Monk actually had a husband. Speaking of which, that black-haired young man who called himself “Ross” seemed to be fully aware. Where did this supervillain come from?

Are they going to die?

This was what she thought, somewhat blankly. Coming from the Temple, she naturally knew of the “glorious” deeds of the Mad Monk. Anakin was a person who feared pain very much. She firmly believed that she couldn’t withstand half a minute of bloody torture.

But she didn’t want to die yet…

Anakin’s eyes were sour, and tears were about to fall. Beside her, Solo had already started to snort loudly, twisting like a worm. “Wuwu… Wuwuwu, we should have brought Eugene in… Wu…”

“Oh, so Mr. Eugene is outside. Thank you for informing us. You’re so kind.” Teest patted Solo on the shoulder with a smile, and Solo choked, looking like he was going to pass out.

“Stop messing around, Teest.” Nol sighed heavily. He had the illusion of watching a cat playing with a mouse.

Play with the people of the Eternal Church if you want but spare the normal ones.

“Ah, fine.” Teest stood up straight, went behind Nol, and circled his shoulders. The stolen priestess’ wand was now pressed against Nol’s throat, causing the mark on Nol’s neck to quickly disappear.

“We’re sorry. We don’t intend to harm the two of you. It’s just that the matter is of great importance, so we can only forcibly keep you here.” Nol put one hand on Teest’s forearm, apologizing to Anakin with a smile.

Anakin trembled all over, looking increasingly panicked.

“As for the specific actions, please hear the whole story before deciding.” Nol felt the weight of Teest on his shoulders. “We swear we won’t hurt the two of you. If you are not reassured, we can sign a formal agreement.”

“Tsk.” Teest clicked his tongue.

“I’m serious.” Nol muttered back.

Hearing this, the two Players finally weren’t as panicked.

Maybe they realized, the Mad Monk’s binding was relatively gentle—he really just fixed them firmly to the chairs. The force was just right. There was no bad bruising on their various parts.

“Okay, okay.” Seeing that the other party had no intention to kill temporarily, Anakin barely squeezed out a response.

Succubus Doni had been trapped on the Dream Edge for a long time and obviously didn’t know about the Mad Monk. He blankly watched this “infighting” until four pairs of eyes focused on Doni’s face, and then he came to his senses.

“Ah…” he uttered numbly. “Yes, yes… the situation with Her Majesty…”

Having said that, Doni stood up and took a deep breath.

“Lord Teest, you’re a succubus. You must be able to see. This place has been long guarded by ‘Dream Dominion’, and the next ruler also has to maintain this magic.”

Teest was still leaning on the back of Nol’s chair, loosely embracing Nol. “Mm, continue.”

He knew about this matter early on.

“Even the Great Queen Hyacinth couldn’t support such complex magic uninterruptedly… To be foolproof, the ruler must wear a magical ornament called ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ to enhance their own abilities.”

Anakin held her breath, Solo’s sobbing stopped, and even Nol’s gaze was more focused.

“But there has been debate within the tribe about that set of ornaments. In fact, the current queen isn’t the only one who has fallen into madness.”

“The Great Queen Hyacinth committed suicide inexplicably, and her successors either killed themselves or were obsessed with bewilderment grass, eventually weakening and dying… Our lifespan should be around four hundred years, but our rulers rarely live to two hundred years… Even a few died before a hundred.”

Doni twisted his branch-like fingers.

“So some people suspect that there may be a wicked curse on the ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.”

“Impossible!” Nol stood up straight away.

---

The author has something to say:

Anakin: Help, it’s a gay pervert—!!!

↑ Definitely from the heart.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 56: The Gatekeeper

“Oh, I understand now. You’re also from Joy Garden… But why should I help you two?”

The succubus neighbor sat cross-legged in the bushes, her eyes occasionally glancing in the direction of the gathering monsters, appearing quite nervous.

She wore a standard white old man’s shirt with a loose coat over it and large, coarse shorts, evidently modified from a cloak. This neighbor had long hair that was roughly cut, hanging tousled and frayed at the back of her head. Her tail swished irritably against the ground, making her movements quite crude.

After listening to Nol explain the situation, the neighbor showed no sign of movement. Whether hearing “this is a game-like real world” or “there are many Earth compatriots here”, she displayed a face of indifference as if the end of the world didn’t concern her.

“Don’t you want to go home?”

Nol was somewhat surprised at this person’s attitude, suspecting that even if he said, “The ground under your feet is all made of chocolate crumbs and cheese,” this neighbor’s expression wouldn’t change.

The skeleton-like succubus sneered, “I am Ma Zhigang. You’ve heard of me, living in Joy Garden, right? All you people babble all day. You think I don’t know.”

Nol’s expression suddenly stiffened.

Teest curiously looked at the succubus, then at Nol. [You know her?]

Nol was a bit at a loss for how to explain. He calmed his emotions for a few seconds before accepting the fact that “the young female succubus in front of him is actually the neighborhood gatekeeper”.

Most of Joy Garden’s gatekeepers worked in shifts and were external staff hired by the property management. Only Uncle Ma was both a gatekeeper and a homeowner. He was notorious for his bad temper, maintaining a stern face every day, and wasn’t easy to talk to.

However, no owner had openly complained, mainly because Uncle Ma’s life experience was too… extraordinary.

Ma Zhigang, in his fifties, was born in a northern rural area. He lost his parents in his teenage years and grew up under the care of others. He didn’t do well in school, and right after graduating from junior high, he became an apprentice tailor. It was said he had some underground experiences.

But he was smart, hardworking, and lucky. After years of struggle, he went from being an apprentice to a clothing factory manager, accumulating assets well over eight figures.

His wife passed away due to postpartum complications, leaving behind a daughter. Ma Zhigang never remarried and raised his daughter by himself. She excelled academically and professionally, marrying a well-matched elite.

Uncle Ma, having a house, money, no illness, no disasters, and an accomplished daughter and son-in-law, was once the envy of many middle-aged and elderly people in Joy Garden.

However, last year, Ma Zhigang’s daughter jumped off the roof. She died on the spot, leaving a one-month-old baby.

…Thus, the legend of Uncle Ma came to an end.

No one knew what happened. Everyone heard that Uncle Ma sold his retirement house and the clothing factory. He moved into his daughter’s house and became the gatekeeper of Joy Garden.

Uncle Ma was a decent person—diligent and responsible—but had a temper like a stone in a pit. Out of a feeling nearly akin to pity, the owners tolerated Uncle Ma’s stinky and tough attitude.

However, people still mentioned him from time to time, and even Nol knew about these things, proving his fame.

[I guess he has nothing to miss over there.] Nol summarized after recalling for a moment.

[It seemed he’s a pitiful person,] Teest thought silently.

Whether Ma Zhigang was pitiable, Nol really didn’t dare to confirm. After his daughter’s death, Uncle Ma’s spirit was still as energetic as before. No one knew what he was thinking.

Even now, Nol couldn’t figure out this man’s thoughts. He never interacted with Uncle Ma.

“Enough, don’t bother explaining. I don’t feel like going back, nor do I want to go with you two. You either kill me or let me go,” Malvina… No, Uncle Ma said, grinding his teeth, his hand gripping his modified crowbar.

Nol saw the black bloodstains of the “Thousand-Hand Nightmare” above.

“This succubus tribe will be annihilated. Do you know that?” Nol cautiously said.

Uncle Ma grunted. “I can’t do anything about the rain or my mother getting married. What can I do? I am already in this mess!”

“You will also die,” Teest, the onlooker, helpfully added.

“Then let it be!” Uncle Ma agreed readily.

Nol, Teest: “……” Well, this was their first encounter with a neighbor with such a unique attitude.

“But you’re still resisting.” Teest pointed to his crowbar.

Uncle Ma: “What are you talking about? I don’t care about dying or living. But one has to choose the way to die, right? Are you going to eat shit if I give it to you?”

Teest’s smile twitched, and Nol proactively touched his forearm, preparing for any possibility.

“You also saved us,” Nol said.

“Then I regret it. If I had known you two would talk so much nonsense, I would have let that thing chat with you two.” Uncle Ma’s neck stiffened, and his face was full of disdain.

“We plan to look around for other neighbors, and we are trying to save this succubus tribe now,” Nol continued patiently. “I won’t force you to assist us. Of course, if you are willing—”

“Unwilling. Just leave,” Uncle Ma replied instantly.

Nol: “……”

He rubbed his temples and cleared his throat. “Alright, at least allow me to ask you one question. How did you become the ‘Succubus Malvina’? This information can help others. Please be sure to tell me.”

Uncle Ma might be grumpy, but he wasn’t a sinister person. He could at least meet this minimum requirement.

Nol was truly curious about the size difference between Uncle Ma and the other succubi—he didn’t look like the type keen on survival, and the possibility of him stealing food was indeed slim.

Uncle Ma was silent for a while. “Alright, alright. That day I was sleeping at home, and suddenly I felt a chill on my back and woke up. When I woke up, it wasn’t my room, and lo and behold, I thought I had become a mummy somewhere.”

“Just like that?”

“Exactly. Those long-tailed foreigners are all baffling. I didn’t bother with them and just tried to leave here—then I started encountering those things with hands all over their heads, just like that.”

Nol paused for a while and asked a few more questions. His attitude was always good. Uncle Ma didn’t flare up again and answered straightforwardly.

Ma Zhigang didn’t inherit Malvina’s memories or abilities. He seemed to have woken up in the body of Malvina, who was dying—or had just died. When Uncle Ma woke up, this body naturally gained a lot more vitality, like a richly endowed seed. Since he woke up, this vitality had been consuming, never being replenished.

Nol fell into thought.

Currently, it seemed that the Players were using their original bodies, getting their appearance from the system.

The neighbors were more like possessing monsters that were about to die, taking over control of the monster’s body. To ensure they could wake up normally, they received a gift package of vitality when possessing.

This could explain a lot.

Like in the Dragon’s Lair. The dragons were famously low in birth rate. It was almost impossible for twin black dragon cubs from the same egg to exist. But those two dragon cubs both survived and became his neighbors.

Like Night of the Hunt. In such a harsh environment, the Luo Zhu couple, who knew nothing about the environment, successfully made it through the initial period of confusion, and this wasn’t something that could be achieved solely by experience.

The bodies used by the neighbors were most likely in a state of near-death beforehand.

…It was like some existence deliberately designed this to ensure the neighbors survive.

“Thank you. I have gained very useful information.” Nol bowed his head to Uncle Ma.

Uncle Ma waved his hand impatiently. “Go, go.”

“Um…I have been thinking. It still doesn’t seem quite right.”

Teest sat cross-legged opposite to Uncle Ma, casually playing with the small hunting knife in his right hand. “Sir, you know so much about the ‘Demon King’s minions’… You must have communicated with the Queen, right?”

Ma Zhigang’s breath stopped for a moment, and Teest’s mouth curled up satisfyingly.

“Malvina and the current queen have known each other since childhood. You can’t deceive her. She knows you are an impostor and is still willing to tell you this. This means you two have a good relationship.”

Teest’s action of playing with the knife slowed down. “You know where she is, right? Are you rushing us away because you are afraid that we will kill her?”

“Teest.” Nol couldn’t help but speak up.

“Shh, Mr. Lich. You are just too soft-hearted.”

Teest stared into Uncle Ma’s eyes. “Those succubi don’t know what happened here. The ‘Demon King’s minions’ could only have been told by the queen.”

“He’s thinking, if we know the existence of the queen, maybe we would kill her—we could easily escape from here as long as we kill the queen sheltering this place.”

Indeed.

Nol had thought of this too—

Kill the succubus queen, and this dream would return to reality. The succubus lair would be fully exposed. By then, he could summon the undead to protect himself, and they could leave the Black Forest with all their strength. If they do this, the quest of “Life or Death” could achieve ordinary conditions, and they wouldn’t have to endure the severe penalty of failure.

However, as a price, those succubi would lose their way to survive.

On the Dream Edge, they would only be surrounded by Thousand-Hand Nightmares.

Outside, even the cats and dogs of the Eternal Church could come up together. They two alone couldn’t protect so many succubi.

Speaking of which, once the tribe of the Black Forest was defeated, the contract of the heir selection would surely be voided, and Teest wouldn’t suffer from this.

…Although “aiding in genocide” was evil, it was theoretically a solution.

Uncle Ma stared at Teest tightly. The crowbar in his hand moved a bit.

“All you do is talk all day.” He said angrily, “Bastards, you two will never find her!”

Before the words fell, that crowbar directly hit Teest’s head. Teest blocked it casually with the hunting knife, and Uncle Ma’s force was immediately diverted, awkwardly hitting the fallen leaves.

“So what is your choice, honey?” Teest said with a smile, grabbing Uncle Ma’s wrist backhandedly. “Life or death may not necessarily refer to you and me.”

……

“I am with Solo at the ‘Dream Edge’, and there are no other Players around.” Anakin’s wand was hovering in midair. The milky light intertwined, forming a perfect circle.

Inside the circle was another picture, in the center of which was the face of Knight Eugene. “Do the two of you need assistance? If possible, please also tell us how to enter Dream Edge.”

Just as Rogue Solo was about to reply, Anakin quietly stepped on his foot.

“Let me talk.” She spoke in a steady tone, mixed with the right amount of fatigue. “We took a quest here to assist two target individuals. The quest difficulty is okay.”

“If you enter now, it might affect our quest. If help is needed, we will contact you first.”

Anakin didn’t mention the need to help the succubi.

“Understood, Lady Saint. We will station at the edge of the Black Forest, and the Fifth Brigade is at your disposal at any time.” Eugene bowed his head obediently, his green eyes smiling.

Anakin nodded. “There’s one more thing. Did you mention before that monsters who are proficient in all languages have appeared recently?”

“Indeed, have you encountered one too?”

“No. I just met a succubus who speaks the common language and thought of this.”

“Succubi are very sociable creatures. Probably one-third of them have learned the common language, so you don’t need to be nervous,” Eugene said gently.

“However, if you do encounter a creature behaving strangely and knowing a lot of languages, please stay away and leave it to us.”

The circle of milky light stretched between the two, seemingly adding a halo to the handsome knight. Eugene’s expression was warm, and his eyes were clear and sincere, without any trace of malice.

Being stared at by such a person could easily make one feel “loved”.

Although there was no fluctuation in spiritual magic, Anakin firmly believed that this wasn’t far off from spiritual magic. If she really was a native of Tahe, she might have been unconsciously persuaded by this man.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t.

Through the magic screen, Anakin looked straight into the eyes of this Knight Commander. “Why can’t we deal with monsters?”

“The Eternal Church excels at desecrating the dead. You know their methods.” Eugene’s words flowed like warm water. “We have verified that they have been extracting memories and knowledge from ‘Player’ corpses lately, bestowing them to monsters to shake your spirits.”

Rogue Solo subtly relaxed, letting out a silent sigh. Anakin remained expressionlessly silent.

“Please forgive my late explanation, Lady Saint. After all, at first, there were only one or two cases, and we thought it unnecessary to inform you.” Apparently, Eugene read some emotion from that expressionless face.

“Unfortunately, they have had more and more success recently… After you complete your quest, we will inform all the Saints.”

“So that’s how it is,” Solo said.

“What if the environment has restrictions and it’s inconvenient to hand over to you?” Anakin asked calmly.

“Then I suggest you kill on the spot. Otherwise, it is easy to be deceived.” Eugene smiled.

“Okay, thank you for informing,” Anakin said slowly. “You’ve worked hard, Mr. Eugene.”

She terminated the contact magic.

Different from Solo, who looked relaxed, her expression gradually became gloomy.

“We must find that female knight,” she said. “Sun Luo, don’t talk to anyone about Malvina first. Also, don’t mention it to Hermitage.”

“…Ah? Why?” Hearing his cousin call out his real name, Solo stopped texting.

Anakin grabbed her hair fiercely. “Just don’t say anything for now. It won’t kill anyone to speak after things are clear.”

“Okay, okay.” Solo canceled the messaging spell.

……

“What fucking bullshit. His whole family is made of corpses!” Officer Luo couldn’t help but curse in anger.

After Eugene smashed Witch Lynn’s surveillance puppet, Lynn swiftly switched to a more concealed one—just in case, she had placed multiple dolls of different attributes at every key monitoring point.

Thus, the conversation between Eugene and Anakin was overheard by the neighbors.

“They, they are just like that!” The Banshee cried out in pain. “Those people from the Temple of Life have always wanted to kill all monsters… especially us. Nothing we say matters! They don’t want to communicate at all!”

“This means those ‘Players’ don’t know about us. The Temple is deliberately deceiving them.”

Lynn frowned. “The natives and the Temple are hostile, so it may not be safe to contact Players in the future… Our situation is getting worse.”

Even if Xu Yue managed to protect a few of them and did her best to search for their neighbors, their efforts were like a drop in the bucket.

Joy Garden Community had a total of ten buildings. Each building had ten floors and three units that could hold two households in each unit. That worked out to a total of six hundred households.

However, Joy Garden Community was a high-end residential area. There was basically no situation where several generations squeezed into one house, and there were also many vacant or rented units. In Lynn’s impression, the resident population of the community was probably around 1,400 to 1,500.

The idea of finding more than a thousand people in such a vast world was despairing.

She could only rely on Xu Yue’s identity as a producer, Lynn thought sadly. Although that guy wasn’t sophisticated in dealing with people, he was very smart and kind, and he should be able to come up with some special solutions.

At the same time, the Dream Edge.

“Regarding ‘Life or Death’, I do have a solution,” Nol said. “You reminded me—such a simple solution. Why didn’t I think of it?”

Teest, curious, leaned closer, his hand still clamped like pincers around Uncle Ma. “Oh, what’s the solution?”

“To successfully escape, we need to find a way to break through those monsters. To save the succubus tribe, we also need to lead them all out of the monsters’ encirclement… Hmm, it does sound quite difficult to accomplish.” Nol’s tone was solemn.

“Indeed,” Teest responded cheerfully. “And then? And then?”

What peculiar method would his beloved husband think of this time?

Would he be able to entirely transfer the dream world, or would he use Kando to manipulate space? Or was he going to invent some kind of deceiving concealment magic, hiding everything from the outside world?

He was somewhat excited. His fingers unconsciously tightened, causing Uncle Ma to let out a “fuck”.

Nol continued to narrate seriously, “Then I thought, the solution is actually quite simple. If we want to perfectly avoid the attacks of those monsters…”

He paused slightly and showed Teest a bright smile.

“…We just need to kill them all.”

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The author has something to say:

This time I really fell in love with the gatekeeper old man (not really)

Teest: Steadily and maturely going crazy.

Nol: Intermittently raging crazily.

…Who would look at this and not say they are a match made in heaven.

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