Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 55: Two Sides of the Gold Coin

That was undoubtedly an old man’s shirt—a white tank top style. This item had a high appearance rate in Country C during the summer and was deeply loved by elderly men of all ages.

Its stitches were neat, and the sewing style was completely different from other succubus clothes. It stood out amongst a pile of armor, as abrupt as a hand grenade appearing in a costume drama.

[Homemade Underwear: Hand-sewn intimate clothing.

※Produced by Succubus Malvina]

The two Players examined the clothing inside and out, momentarily speechless.

Anakin dove back into the wardrobe for a more thorough search. She found a pair of large underpants among a pile of cloaks, tailored from beige cloaks, just past the knee in length, with specially sewn deep pockets, and the waist was tied with magically enhanced vines.

Anakin compared the old man’s shirt and underpants, falling into deep silence—this style was too similar to a street old man and was entirely out of place in this delicate and beautiful Western fantasy palace.

Solo found a pile of draft paper at the bottom of the drawer, with clothing cutting diagrams drawn on it. “What is… this?”

Anakin approached with the underpants, her gaze suddenly freezing.

It hastily drew designs for cutting the old man’s shirt, large underpants, and simple guard clothing. The annotations were modern, in the succubus language, and…

“This is the modern basic method, isn’t it?” She muttered. “I have customized armor in Grape Collar. Those NPCs didn’t do it this way.”

“But succubus can’t be Players, so they can’t choose this race.” Solo stared blankly at the design in his hand. “According to what Doni said, Ma…Knight Ma-something has been friends with the queen since childhood. We have only been trapped for two months.”

Anakin’s mind was equally confused.

The developers of “Tahe” invited a large number of excellent professional and amateur Players, popular game anchors, gaming KOLs, and even a few people who like to study game culture. This showed that they were full of sincerity.

However, from the current point of view, many scoundrels had mixed in among the Players.

No one knew how they entered the game. These people weren’t even in the same novice village as a normal Player, and most joined the Eternal Church… This was the most shocking secret they had discovered so far.

“Hermitage has been exploring the direction of ‘the game has problems’, right?” Anakin said, her voice dry.

“Yes, ‘Mentor’ has been leading the group in research.”

Solo rigidly sat on the edge of the bed, still holding those few design drawings.

“The most recognized opinion in the Hermitage was the ‘Terrorist Attack Theory’—the game has been hijacked and infiltrated by terrorists aiming to achieve some purpose. They said if it were an internal staff going mad, they couldn’t bring in so many scumbags.”

This was also the view of the vast majority of Players.

Those trapped Players who had been invited by the official to experience the game had a good understanding of the game. The “Homeward Saints”, “Amazon,” and “Hermitage”—these three guilds had very clear existences.

Solo’s “Hermitage” was the only non-combat guild.

It was led by a university professor who loved gaming culture, was independent, and strived to be objective. The members came from all walks of life, hiding in every corner of this world.

The members had only three goals: try to survive, collect information, and figure out what the hell is going on in this world.

Over the past two months, the Players’ understanding had gradually unified.

This world was a game hijacked by terrorists. As long as you could find a way to clear the game, everyone might be able to exit.

However…

“Terrorist organizations obtaining login devices and permissions, implanting criminals, I can understand.” Anakin stared at the old man’s shirt spread out on the bed. “They have no ability and no need to turn people into game monsters, right…?”

Solo swallowed. “Perhaps, it’s a game bug. Someone logged into a monster model.”

“Everyone has counted the list. Normal Players aren’t missing.” Anakin clutched the old man’s shirt.

“The system is still there. Don’t diverge too much. It must be those criminals illegally logging in, creating such bugs… You also said that normal Players aren’t missing. We know those monsters aren’t our own. Isn’t this enough?”

Solo insisted, his voice loud and anxious, containing a trace of fear.

Anakin gave a bitter smile. She knew what he was afraid of. People always preferred to believe what they wanted to believe. No Player was willing to accept the idea that “there may be something wrong with the game itself.”

And… And this really didn’t prove anything unless they could find that succubus knight and confront her in person.

She hoped those two NPCs could survive safely. This time, she also had to step out of the quest and genuinely investigate this matter.

Various mechanisms collapsed, and characters decayed after logging out. All could be attributed to terrorists destroying the game program.

But if there were really unrelated ordinary people turning into monsters… Could this game still be considered a “game”?

“This world has normal quests, and there is also a Demon King. Except for games, where else would there be a deliberately set final boss?” At the bedside, Rogue Solo was still murmuring softly, not knowing who he wanted to convince. “Defeating the Demon King is clearing the game. Clearing the game means going home… Clearing the game means going home. This must be the case…”

……

“That is part of the Demon King’s minions!” A female voice yelled from behind Nol.

The Devil King’s minions? …That thing?

Nol looked towards the “Thousand-Hand Nightmare” not far away, while Teest remained the same, ignoring the stranger’s words and quickly rushing towards the target nearby.

Nol didn’t think that the “Thousand-Hand Nightmare” was very strong. Roughly estimating its strength, it wasn’t a match for both of them. However, even at this moment, it was still emitting that strange aura that made him feel uncomfortable all over.

​[Teest, danger!] Nol shouted in his mind.

This time, Teest abruptly stopped with a sharp and neat brake and easily jumped back as if inertia didn’t exist for him. [What’s wrong, honey?]

​[What that person said makes sense. We’re not in a rush. We should be cautious,] Nol ​thought.

​[But I have a better idea.] Teest’s thought came with a smile.

Immediately, Nol watched as Teest changed his step and turned into a silver whirlwind, rushing in the direction where the woman’s voice came from.

“What the fuck—!” The woman yelled in a confused common language, leaping out of her hiding place and running away.

She was quite far from them, and Nol could only see a silhouette.

The silhouette was almost like a living skeleton, but healthier than any succubus he had seen. Her clothes were a bit weird, and she was holding something curved overhead in her right hand, the outline resembling a crowbar.

“Wait!” Nol paused for a half-second, not caring about the Nightmare creature. “Wait, I also—”

Before he could shout out, the figure of the succubus disappeared into the fog.

Nol caught up, panting, and gripped the hem of Teest’s robe. “She kindly reminded us. Why did you scare her off?!” Damn, she could have been his neighbor!

“Look at the strength, the intention to fight, and the purpose. The instinctive reaction will not lie,” Teest said indifferently. “That guy is a female succubus. She’s not weak and has no intention of being our enemy. She’s very good at escaping, and she has a clear direction of escape. She definitely has a base.”

Although Teest appeared polite and gentlemanly on the surface, Nol suspected that this guy automatically regarded all breathing entities as enemies.

Now the compatriot was scared away. Nol rubbed his temples hard and sighed. “Consult me next time.”

Teest slightly turned his head. “No. Such probing requires the element of surprise.”

Fine. Nol wiped his face.

No matter how much sharp emotion he accumulated, in the face of this guy, they would collapse into a soft feeling of powerlessness.

At least they knew that there might be a succubus neighbor here, and the neighbor seemed to be in a good mental state.

Nol thought for a while on the spot and gently tapped Teest’s tail tip.

“Since the person is lost. Let’s go back first.”

“What do you mean the person is lost? I can continue tracking,” Teest muttered.

“Chase now or later, it’s all chasing. Give her some time to recover. If we chase now, it’s no different from an actual chase.” Nol shook his head. “Let’s check on that ‘Demon King’s minion’ first.”

He had seen the explanation of “Devil King’s minions” in history books.

They were mainly distributed around the border of the Desolation Islands and basically didn’t appear in inland areas. The book said they were monsters formed by being corrupted by the “aura of the Demon King”. They were irrational, uncommunicative, irredeemable, and full of malice towards everything.

The description was vague, and the setting was quite cliché. He didn’t know how many times he had seen it in various works.

‘Seeing is believing,’ Nol thought.

The surrounding area was still a dark nightmare scene, and the monster didn’t catch up. Nol skillfully released the invisibility spell and stepped on the path he came by.

By the time he reached the location, Nol almost couldn’t hold back and really vomited—

The earth wall he erected had already completely collapsed, and the originally empty ground was now crowded with those “Thousand-Hand Nightmares”.

They were packed like City A’s subway during peak hours, their bodies almost melting into one another, and it was impossible to distinguish them apart.

A thousand monsters? Ten thousand? Nol couldn’t count. He only saw endless, interlacing, skinny arms and the numerous human-like palms on them.

It was as if a new layer of shrubbery made of flesh and blood had grown in the forest.

Nol smelled a strong scent of blood—the wounded monster was surrounded in the middle, with nearby monsters surging incessantly. Along with the blood scent, there was also the faint sound of flesh being torn apart.

The monsters in the outer ring were slowly waving their arms, their fingers slowly twitching, like blind people exploring in a strange environment.

…Here, Nol couldn’t use his proudest summoning technique; it was difficult for him to deal with enemies of this scale.

A chill went through Nol’s heart.

No wonder the basic requirement of the mission “Survive or Die” was to “leave the Dream Edge alive.” Facing these monsters, they seemed to have no choice but to run away.

…How many of these things are there?

…How are they going to break through this sea of monsters’ tactics?

…The succubi are surrounded by them layer by layer. What can they do to save the succubi tribe?

“Wow, it would be strange if those succubi could win. Once these things step in, they could crush all the succubi.” Teest evidently thought of the same thing and almost whistled.

“Honey, if you want to find out the truth, you don’t have much time left.”

Nol remained silent.

“You’re not still thinking of saving those succubi, are you? From the hands of these things?”

Teest chuckled at the pun about “hands”, poking Nol in the chest with the tip of his tail. “No offense, the shadow wolf is much smarter than these filthy things. Although you are very charming, you better not think about getting along with them.”

‘Indeed,’ Nol thought.

The shadow wolf was at least filled with the vitality of normal creatures. The things in front of him only emitted emptiness and death.

Endless terrifying monsters, the walking dead succubi… this problem was really tough.

Nol manipulated the flesh under his collarbone to disappear and casually caught Teest’s precious coin. Oddly, even after residing in his stomach acid for a moment, the blood stain on the coin seemed to have seeped into the metal and remained extremely conspicuous.

And the scratches on that gold wheel didn’t seem like normal scratches; they looked more like irregularly carved marks.

“You take it back first,” Nol said, the flesh in his abdomen silently recovering.

The coin still held his body temperature, lying warmly in his palm. Teest took the coin, casually tossed it in his hand, then slapped it on the back of his hand.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making a bet with myself,” Teest said lightly. “If the coin is heads, I’ll assist you—no matter how much I hate it—in saving this tribe; if it’s tails, I’ll look for a way out first.”

He continued, showing a bright smile, “Then, when you fail the ‘perfect clearance’ challenge, I’ll snatch you out of here.”

Nol was silent for two seconds. “What’s the answer?”

“Unfortunately, it’s heads.” Teest didn’t sound very happy.

“You can actually control the coin flip, right?” Nol couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Teest sounded even unhappier. “Making a decision is hard. I need a bit of ceremony.”

Nol gave up on understanding his thought process. “Thank you for your full support. Is your ceremony done yet?”

“No,” Teest said unhappily. “You know, I’m very fickle. So, I need one final step—”

Teest walked in front of Nol and stretched out his hand. The hot coin was pressed again against Nol’s lips with just the right amount of force.

The gold sank into the soft, red flesh, and the edge of the coin knocked against Nol’s teeth, making a ‘clink’ sound.

“Please keep it for me,” Teest whispered.

“So you won’t leave me?”

Nol didn’t swallow the coin immediately. Teest’s knuckles were resting on his chin, astonishingly warm.

“No, no, no.” Teest’s voice lifted slightly. “This way, when I want to leave you, I will hesitate—very, very much.”

“This way, you will have a chance to grab my tail, honey.”

Nol stared at those nearly sincere golden eyes. He slightly opened his lips and swallowed the coin again.

This time, he swallowed slowly, almost provocatively. “Then I will definitely hold on tightly and never let go.”

Teest laughed as he withdrew his finger. The hand slowly approached his waist, then swiftly waved—only to see a flash of sword light, and several trees in the distance fell with a crash.

A familiar female voice screamed from the bushes. The person hiding inside was pressed perfectly.

“It seems everyone has the same idea.”

Teest rushed towards the bushes. “…Nobody likes to let go of their prey easily.”

---

The author has something to say:

Another neighbor is online! Roughly estimated, there are probably a thousand people in Nol’s community?

Neighbor: (Cursing loudly)

Neighbor: You’re all being sweet! What do you care about me?!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 54: The Demon King’s Minions

For the two Players, in the blink of an eye, those two NPCs disappeared along with the thick fog. Just a few steps away, they couldn’t see anything clearly, as the whole process was frighteningly fast.

Solo suppressed a scream that was stuck in his throat. He was stunned in place for a full five seconds. “Fuck, it’s over—!”

Triggering the event right from the start, this quest is too perverse! They had just stepped into the Dream Forest on the first day. There should at least be some time to get familiar.

Were quests normally arranged like this, with absolutely no room for error? Did they also need them to tie those two NPCs to their belts and walk them like dogs…?

“Alright, alright, stop wailing.”

Anakin was equally tense. She immediately summoned the quest dialog box to repeatedly confirm. “The condition ‘Assist in saving the soon-to-be extinct succubus tribe’ is still there. Those two must still be alive—at least they haven’t both died.”

After all, those two NPCs were the ones who proposed the “rescue”. If they had died just now, the quest condition would certainly have been grayed out—otherwise, with the assisted ones gone, how could the Players achieve “perfect completion”?

“Yeah, yeah, those two guys really look extraordinary. They definitely have a big plot on them—yeah, a big plot.” Rogue Solo patted his chest, trying to comfort himself.

Anakin held her magic wand half-raised cautiously, and the two Players shifted towards the direction where Teest and the others disappeared.

They scanned every detail with their eyes. The environment where the two disappeared was no different from the surroundings. Unusual leaf arrangements, deformed trees, stones shining with special glows… Nothing, absolutely nothing.

So they boldly followed the mist, traveling through the dense fog, still unable to achieve any results.

“The attacker probably really thought that the white-haired one was a succubus, so they made a move.”

Solo, circling around the same tree for the fifth time, couldn’t help but speak up. “I vaguely saw it. The black-haired one made a forward movement at the end. It didn’t seem like he was taken away actively.”

“If you keep calling them ‘white hair’ and ‘black hair’ so casually, be careful when you say it in front of them. Their goodwill might plummet… tsk tsk tsk.” Anakin rested against a tree, responding irritably.

“Why do Western names have to be so hard to remember? It hurts my brain!” Solo argued loudly. “Movies are my limit. You know I can’t watch series. I forget who is who by the second episode.”

Anakin curled her lips. “Alright, I was actually considering this just now too. The mechanism in the mist may indeed be targeted only at succubi.”

“Sister, I think it’s useless for us to keep looking. How about you wear the succubus costume?” Solo suggested.

“Okay, you dress me up.”

A few minutes later, a freshly made pair of succubus siblings stepped on the fallen leaves.

Although their tails weren’t stiff, they hung stiffly, like genuine leather decorations bought online. One could say they looked quite soulless.

“It’s hard to control. It reminds me of when I first learned to ride a bike.” Anakin grinned. “I saw Landus controlling it quite easily. Could that guy really be a succubus?”

As she said this, she casually grabbed Solo’s tail. The latter immediately screamed and sat on the ground.

“Why are you pulling so hard?!” His tail flapped around like a live fish.

“Does it hurt that much?” Anakin curiously touched her own tail. This touch was critical. She shivered all over—that feeling wasn’t pain but was more like sensitive skin being stimulated. The surface of her tail seemed to be made of sole skin. Touching it made her extremely uncomfortable.

“Uhh, that Landus wrapped his tail around someone’s wrist, I thought…” she said while sucking in cold air.

“That white-haired brother is really fierce.” Solo wobbled to his feet. “My legs went soft just now. Oh god.”

The two semi-finished succubi wandered around the forest for a long time, but the surroundings were still quiet and beautiful.

“I’m wondering too. Could that white-haired brother really be a succubus? Or are we just too novice, and they look down on us…” Solo stared blankly at the fog, murmuring as he squatted under a tree.

“Then we can only follow the NPCs’ instructions.” Anakin squatted ungracefully a few steps away, both looking like idle old men at a village entrance.

“The NPCs’ instructions?”

“Yes, before they disappeared, they said they would go back and inquire about that female knight.”

Anakin stood up. Behind the tree trunk, she changed back to her original attire. “Old rules. If the way of finding people doesn’t work, we follow the process first.”

Seeing only two humans coming back, Succubus Doni, in charge of reception, said nothing and just looked at them expressionlessly.

“They said they need to investigate thoroughly,” Anakin said in her gentle and holy voice, her smile even more perfect than her voice. “The Lord sent us back to investigate some minor things.”

Doni still looked at them coldly. “This is not a place where humans can wander around.”

“We want to see the room of that female knight—Miss Malvina.” Anakin skillfully ignored his unfriendly attitude. “Our companions want to do their best to find the queen. They don’t want to miss any clues.”

She emphasized the lines “our companions” and “do their best”.

The skeletal-looking succubus narrowed his eyes. He finally looked at the two Players, and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Fine, but we have conditions. Just like last night, you need to keep providing life energy until you leave this place.”

Rogue Solo opened his mouth, his cheeks gradually reddening. “What, last night it was you…”

“I have no objections.” Anakin quickly covered her cousin’s mouth, suspecting that if she were a bit slower, this guy would ask the succubus if they could customize the plot.

“…I have no objections either.” Solo finally complied.

Doni gave a perfunctory nod, extending his thin arm. “Then please follow me… Malvina’s room, right? She lives nearby.”

“Why not tell them about Malvina? Since they are looking for the queen, this is pretty important, right?” Along the way, Solo couldn’t help but ask.

Doni glanced at him, clearly not wanting to deal with this human, but ‘beggars can’t be choosers*’ was also a fact.

*The mouth that has eaten someone’s food is soft (吃人嘴软) Idiom referring the feeling of obligation or gratitude that one feels after accepting a gift or favor from someone else.

“Malvina is the one among us who cares the most about our race. She always left food for the weak and became weaker faster than anyone. Two months ago, she almost died.”

He narrated in a flat tone. “Since then, her mind hasn’t been right—perhaps due to extreme despair, Malvina has become erratic and is no longer so devoted to the tribe and the queen. She and the queen disappeared separately. The two cannot be discussed as one.”

They reached the end of the corridor, and Succubus Doni stopped in front of a beautiful double door. “This is Malvina’s residence. You can stay as long as you want. Just make sure to sleep every day.”

Anakin and Solo looked at each other and almost simultaneously reached out their hands to push the door open.

……

The smoke was filled with a bitter, fishy stench, reminiscent of the thick smoke produced by burning inferior coal. Nol tightly hugged Teest’s waist, incessantly coughing due to the strange mist.

The thick mist hadn’t yet dissipated when a pair of hands suddenly choked him from behind.

No, more than one pair of hands.

Nol’s arms were tightly gripped by five or six hands, and his ankles were being dragged down fiercely by cold palms. The cloak on his body was also being pulled tightly, making it hard for him to breathe… If he indeed needed to breathe.

It seemed like they were planning to peel him off Teest and kill him swiftly, and the order of doing these two things seemed quite indifferent.

Teest’s tail was tightly curled in his hand, obviously not in a good situation either. This encounter wasn’t a quest design—they were facing an opponent who was adept at seizing the opportunity to strike when one was sick, catching them at a very tricky time.

Nol ignored the hands on his neck, clinging onto Teest like a drowning man.

[Bloodline Suppression] activated.

The fear effect of [Bloodline Suppression] took effect.

[Death Threat] conditions were met. The target had become immobilized for five seconds.

…The Mad Monk certainly wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Sure enough, Teest’s tense tail suddenly relaxed, and then the muscles in his waist tightened.

Nol heard the dull sound of a blade cutting through flesh and bone, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling—the arms that had been choking them suddenly lightened, and a warm liquid drenched Nol.

Throughout, he hadn’t let go of Teest. The staff almost got dragged away by those hands. Kando opened its crystal shell like a hermit crab, and its candle tears tightly entangled Nol’s clothes, barely avoiding disaster.

Something let out a painful shriek and ran away. Nol tentatively opens his eyes. His eyelids were glued together with thick plasma.

The blood emitted a stench like rotting flesh, appearing to be as black as oil.

“Shh, shh—it’s okay now. Well done.”

Teest spoke softly. The “Betrayer” had transformed into a long sword with thick black blood sliding down its blade. “You can let go of me now.”

Nol let go of his arms and wiped the black blood on his face. He then grabbed the staff with his blood-covered hand.

Kando rolled its eyes several times but cautiously didn’t reveal itself, quickly retracting back into its disguised crystal shell—however, this time, it closed its shell with unusual loudness.

The mist had mostly dissipated, allowing Nol to finally see the nearby scenery.

If the forest at the Dream Edge was like the Black Forest with a cute dreamy filter added, the forest in front of him was the horror movie-exclusive dark version—

The trees were still the same, but the colors and atmosphere had become especially oppressive. The sky, once ambiguously soft, had turned into a moonless, starless night.

Through night vision, Nol also clearly saw what attacked them.

It was a… monster that he couldn’t simply summarize.

This thing was large, entirely black, and barely resembled the dried corpse of a war horse in size. Unlike the clean and refreshing pure black of the shadow wolf, its body surface was like sewer sludge, reflecting a sticky light.

And it didn’t have a head on its neck.

Its dried neck was like a tree trunk, branching and branching again, extending dozens of “branch arms” that kept waving, and each arm ended with a human hand.

Currently, nearly half of its arms had been severed by Teest, and black blood was still pouring out endlessly.

The fingers of the remaining hands were frantically moving, like mad spiders. A blurred, hoarse shriek came from inside it, and it was unknown which organ was making the sound.

After the incident with the Lord of the Whitebird City, Nol thought he had developed some resistance to these inexplicable creatures. However, the familiar nauseous feeling returned, and he almost retched out loud.

[It… its body is like a nightmare.] Nol clamped his hand over his mouth, reminding Teest in his thoughts.

Nightmares, the old foes of succubi.

Nightmares also controlled dreams, drawing life force from them. However, they preferred nightmares—apart from a few with peculiar tastes, most people didn’t experience erotic dreams and nightmares at the same time. There was serious predatory conflict between these two species.

If succubi could use dreams within dreams to hide their bases, then it made sense that Nightmares could use them to capture prey… The problem was, no matter how he looked at it, this thing only had the skeleton and a touch of a Nightmare.

A Nightmare was supposed to be a robust warhorse with a mane burning in dark red flames. Its black fur should be sleek and healthy, and its blood should be an ordinary red color.

They would only politely feed on nightmares and wouldn’t physically attack their targets.

“I know about Nightmares. This thing looks more like a modified corpse of a Nightmare,” Teest commented. “You’re indeed an expert, recognizing it.”

The creature’s skinny arms were moving sinisterly as it started circling them slowly. Nol quickly lifted his staff, standing back-to-back with Teest.

It emitted an aura that made Nol very uncomfortable. Despite knowing that it would be hard for it to kill them again, the weird, icy feeling still made Nol shiver.

If it used the same tactics to capture the succubi, the weakened succubi indeed couldn’t resist. The problem was, where did those captured succubi go? Were they eaten by this thing, or…

Jingle.

With a crisp sound, an old, rounded gold wheel appeared on the fallen leaves, emitting a glaring golden light in the surrounding darkness.

Blood stained the coin, precisely on the eye of the engraved king’s face, leaving very fine traces, like a line of bloody tears.

The other side of the coin was engraved with leaves and the sun. The surface, which should have been smooth, was full of scratches, appearing somewhat dim.

Rolling around, the coin rolled under the “Thousand-Hand Nightmare”, as if following it.

One by one, identical coins rolled out from the darkness, gathering in groups behind the “Thousand-Hand Nightmare”, rolling together, bringing a sense of absurd unreality.

The monster was gradually narrowing the encirclement. The group of coins was getting larger and closer, grinding over the fallen leaves like a swarm of insects.

Teest’s tail gently pressed against Nol’s lower back, coiling tightly again. He moved, seemingly wanting to protect his pouch.

“Is what you saw earlier this?” Nol asked.

“Yes,” Teest admitted. “Honey, summon something. I don’t want them getting any closer—I don’t want to lose the real thing.”

…If this creature indeed had the characteristics of a Nightmare, this coin probably had significant meaning to Teest, and not in a good way.

A cake smashed on the ground along with the blood-stained gold wheel. He seemed to have touched a bit—a little bit—of the soul belonging to the Mad Monk that was human.

“I tried just now. I can’t summon corpses here. It seems dreams within dreams are special.” Nol made a sound of agreement, suppressing his urge to inquire further. “But I have an idea. Teest, take out the real thing.”

Teest titled his head, watching Nol from the corner of his eye. His left hand tightly grasped the pouch, and his tail rummaged inside for a moment before coiling around an old gold coin.

“What next?” Teest asked, his tail tip tightly wrapping the coin.

“Then face me.” Nol said, releasing a neat and sharp spell creating a wall of earth.

With the enhancement of the magic staff, the soil arched, and the fallen leaves quickly rose. A tall and hard mud wall was raised, temporarily blocking the creature and the group of coins outside.

Teest silently turned around, and Nol smiled at him, slightly opening his mouth.

He pointed to the tip of his bright red tongue with a calm and natural expression. “Please keep it here.”

Once this battle was over, he could let the flesh disappear. The coin would directly fall from his stomach. After all, stomach acid couldn’t corrode gold.

Teest’s expression froze.

“Time is limited.” Nol urged him, “Hurry up.”

Finally, Teest silently took out the coin from the tip of his tail. He didn’t hand it to Nol but pinched it with his fingertips and gently pressed it to Nol’s lips.

Nol raised his eyebrows and, in the end, neither questioned nor avoided it. His tongue tip curled around Teest’s fingertip, prying away the coin, and successfully clamped it between his lips. Then, he frowned slightly. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and the small coin was successfully swallowed.

“…Cough cough.”

Nol wiped his lips. The metal was too hard that he was still choking a bit. “Now you can play freely, Mr. Mad Monk—fortunately, your treasure is a coin. If it were a ball of gold thread or something, I would be powerless.”

Teest stared at Nol’s lips and slowly showed a smile. “I’m really lucky, aren’t I? …You are right. Treasures should be kept together.”

The next moment, the mud wall behind him collapsed. Nol raised his magic staff, and the hot wind brought up Teest’s hair strands. A terrifying fireball blasted towards that creature. The rain-like jumping coins flickered with fire and poured towards them.

With his back to the exploding dark flames, Teest curved his eyes.

He skillfully grabbed Nol’s hand and left a light kiss on the back of his hand. Then he turned around. The long sword in his hand drew an orange arc of light.

But before they set off, they had already launched [Betrayal Overture], Nol thought.

However, this problem only troubled him for a moment. In the instant, he raised his magic staff, and a recovery spell shot out.

“Stop!”

At this time, behind them, a woman’s voice shouted. “Don’t attack anymore. Be careful, or you’ll attract more!”

“Those are the Demon King’s minions!” she shouted hoarsely.

……

Anakin paced around in the female knight’s room. It was a large and open room, showing that Malvina didn’t have many personal belongings.

Solo was desperately searching near the desk. “Maybe she wrote a diary… There should be some diary hints in this situation!”

Anakin sighed as she closed another weapon cabinet. “Not every key figure has the habit of keeping a diary. Otherwise, it would be too ridiculous.”

“This place is almost like a succubus template room. There are no clues at all.” Solo painfully flipped through those books. “Sister, are we looking in the wrong direction?”

Anakin sighed even louder. “They won’t let us see the Queen’s residence. Let’s finish searching here first.”

At this moment, Anakin was checking the only wardrobe in the room. She had to agree with Solo’s opinion. This Malvina really didn’t have any personality to dig into.

The female knight’s clothes were all basic succubus styles, rows of square white cloth hanging full of the closet; the scene was like copy-paste. Her underwear was also folded neatly. Anakin could only see that she was a very disciplined person… and that was it.

Maybe they really were looking in the wrong direction. She numbly shuffled through each succubus suit.

Suddenly, her hand stopped.

Anakin hissed and pulled out one of the clothes—it was also white and hung with other white clothes that she almost missed it.

The fabric of that garment was the same as the other clothes but had very fine stitches, showing it was skillfully modified.

…And its shape, every person from Country C would be incredibly familiar with it.

Anakin held it up and flipped it back and forth, the puzzlement on her face growing thicker. Solo glanced over with his mouth wide open.

A few seconds later, he spoke up even more puzzled—

“Is this… an old man’s shirt?”

---

The author has something to say:

Teest: After getting married, I always feel that I am the more mentally normal one.

Teest: What a healthy marriage! [Thumbs up]

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 53: The Queen and the Knight

The real world.

Shadow Wolf Ben happily ran through the Black Forest. It was a place void of perennial ice and snow, with only soft grass and fallen leaves underfoot. The branches were laden with sweet fruits, and the antelopes and three-horned sheep were as plump as balls, full of rich fats.

After leaving the ice land, it no longer had to fall into a periodic sleep and didn’t need to target specific prey. Now it was full of strength, eating whatever it wanted and rolling wherever it liked.

Within just a few days, Ben realized it had grown plumper.

‘This isn’t good,’ it thought solemnly.

It was a mighty shadow wolf and should pursue a higher quality of life instead of mimicking the lifestyle of pigs. Maybe it could catch some prey for that white-haired human. He could make them even more delicious.

So, it killed a three-horned sheep and gently held it in its mouth, running toward the edge of the forest.

The Black Forest was filled with a variety of scents, one of which was very familiar and grabbed its attention. Shadow Wolf Ben hesitated for only a half-second, quickly succumbing to curiosity. It made a sharp turn and ran in the direction of that familiar scent—

Officer Rosen was about to bite into a chicken leg when he was almost choked by the sudden appearance of a wolf’s head.

“What?” He clutched the chicken leg bewilderingly, almost using it to target the shadow wolf.

“It’s that shadow wolf.” Dr. Zhu calmly threw wood into the fire. “I smelled it. I didn’t expect it to arrive so fast… Miss Lynn, don’t worry. This is Xu Yue’s wolf.”

Ben sat down, tilting its head in confusion, reflecting the images of six figures in its round red eyes—Elf Rosen and Wolfkin Julie, whose scents it recognized.

Next to Julie was a Puppet Witch that was squinting at it, her hands clutching a bizarre gun.

Clockwise, there was a Banshee with a giant Five-Eyed Crow on her shoulder, holding a small transparent ghost, watching Ben warily. The crow also spread its huge wings, trying to protect the person beside it.

Ah it’s over. Too many people. 

In Night of the Hunt, there were at most four Players. It could also count to four. Now, there were more than five living creatures with Players’ auras! Terrible, really scary.

Ben dumbly opened its mouth, and the three-horned sheep crashed to the ground.

“Is Mr. Xu sending us food?” The Banshee asked nervously.

Rosen looked at the stiff shadow wolf. It was terrifying as an enemy, but as a companion, it seemed foolishly distressing.

“I guess not. Xu Yue asked everyone to wait in Red Mist Valley. He didn’t say he would send the shadow wolf for support,” Rosen said.

“But we’ve been waiting for days,” the Banshee said nervously. “Is that Xu Yue really reliable? Did something happen to him on the way? Should we contact him? Didn’t Sister Lynn say she has a way?”

Wolfkin Julie said gently, “Miss Qian, Xu Yue said he’d be at most two weeks late. Contacting him rashly might cause him trouble… You’re safe with us.”

It took a while for the Banshee to respond with a worried “mm”.

The Banshee, shrouded in a gray cloak, looked slim.

At first glance, the cloak seemed to be dirty linen, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be something grown from her skin, similar to hair. The Banshee’s pale face and bloodshot red eyes peeked from the “cloak”, somewhat frightening.

“Lynn is constantly watching the surroundings,” the giant crow comforted. “Sisi, don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid. I’m worried about our child. You, as the father, should be more mindful. The baby is scared to death,” the Banshee said, holding the ghost tighter.

Her arms futilely passed through the pearly white ghost, and the little girl’s ghost made a pose of being held tightly, clinging to her mother. The appearance of the shadow wolf did scare the little girl. She almost crawled into the Banshee’s body.

The shadow wolf kept staring at them, and they didn’t know what it was thinking. Witch Lynn couldn’t sit still any longer. She changed her position to block the shadow wolf’s view.

“Since they’re letting this guy run around, Xu Yue and his group are probably in a quite troublesome dungeon.” Rosen finally bit into a chicken leg, chewing and mumbling, “This thing is stupid but powerful in a fight. They won’t easily give it up.”

“Agreed.” Lynn glanced at the giant black wolf.

After parting with Nol and the others, she had been heading towards various major cities. When she received Nol’s invitation, she was considering going around Grape Collar, so she met up with Officer Luo and the others.

During this time, Lynn had done one thing—she hid her dolls at every transport hub near several major cities.

Through the eyes of the dolls, she tried her best to observe everything.

Even if the neighbors were thrown into this messy world and turned into monsters, they would still instinctively approach and seek help from humans… But the humans here may not necessarily be friendly. She must find the “abnormally behaving” monsters before the Temple did.

Along the way, Lynn hadn’t been able to find any traces of her sister. But near Grape Collar, she discovered a family of three wandering around in the same area but never recognizing each other.

The Banshee mother, the giant Five-Eyed Crow Father, and the Ghost Daughter.

Three standard monsters, and also the family living in Unit 302, Building 8, Joy Garden.

When Witch Lynn found them, the family was severely shocked, almost on the verge of a mental breakdown. The Crow Father had been shot in the wing by a native. If it weren’t for encountering Rosen, who knew healing magic, he might have been disabled.

Fortunately, Luo and Zhu had dealings with this family. Having acquaintances around, the family’s spirits lifted quite a bit.

“Sisi, didn’t you always like the curtains at Mr. Xu’s house? You always mention them every time we pass by.”

The Crow Father tried to lighten the mood. “This time we might be able to catch them—you can ask him face-to-face where he bought them, and we will buy them when we go back, no matter the cost.”

The Banshee paused, then lowered her head, gently patting the Ghost Daughter’s head. “Mm, we’ll buy them when we go back.”

Lynn unconsciously raised the corner of her mouth, but the next second, the smile froze on her face. She cried out in pain, covering her left eye. “Investigation Knights!”

Her doll placed on the edge of the Black Forest had been discovered.

In the last vision of the doll, a young knight with a smile on his face ruthlessly stabbed it down. The backlash of magic pain was like a sharp tool, causing Lynn to almost scream.

Rosen immediately threw away the chicken bone in his hand, his face elongating as he recited a concealment spell. The air around started fluctuating, and the figures of six people evaporated and disappeared on the spot.

Julie stood up. Her fur bristled, and the bitter scent of a beast emanated from her, covering other scents.

​[Mirage] [Territory Declaration]

The Banshee pursed her lips, and a subtle sense of rejection filled the surrounding space. Originally, approaching beasts turned around; birds perched on branches fluttered away.

The giant Crow’s five eyes lit up in red. He stood on the Banshee’s shoulder, vigilantly watching in a certain direction.

​[Heart of Hate] [Ominous Warning]

When Lynn recovered, the neighbors’ magic had already woven into an invisible protective fortress.

She whistled, and dolls made of mud and leaves crawled out, emitting an exceptionally weird and strong aura, running in all directions.

​[Distraction Toys]

Finally, the Puppet Witch twitched the corners of her mouth. She took off the animal bone stuck with dragonfly wings from her belt and threw it to the shadow wolf.

“You run away too!” she said hoarsely.

The shadow wolf stopped watching and ran after the bone with its tongue out, leaving the fat three-horned sheep behind.

The sheep head was facing the direction of the six neighbors with its hollow eyes reflecting nothing.

The edge of the Black Forest.

“…Interesting.” Eugene pulled out the sword embedded in the doll’s skull. “This Puppet Witch is too smart.”

“Captain?”

“Using the fewest dolls to monitor the largest area. You all have to learn from her arrangement method… This isn’t the intelligence a normal monster should have.” Eugene kicked the damaged doll.

They heard the news that Saint Anakin had been dispatched and came to inspect and support but didn’t expect this surprise.

“It’s likely an extraplanar monster.” A young knight pondered. “Should we prioritize capturing it? I mean, before the Saints notice—”

“No, no. Its response was too perfect, and this forest is too big. We won’t be able to capture it.”

Eugene smiled. “…I am more worried about something else.”

His metal boots pressed slightly, and with a crisp sound, the ceramic doll under his feet shattered. “The monsters’ individual combat capability is stronger than humans, but they aren’t a match for humans. Do you all know why?”

“Because ‘monsters’ only fight alone. Even if they act in groups, they will only be with their own kind. The weaknesses are easy to grasp?” The young knight answered actively.

“And humans know to let different professions cooperate and act in teams,” the middle-aged knight who had been following Eugene added.

Eugene clapped his hands approvingly, the gauntlets making a crisp sound.

“Very good. Suppose a particularly intelligent leader appears among these extraplanar monsters, making these powerful monsters learn to cooperate… What would happen?”

“Impossible.”

The middle-aged knight hesitated for a moment. “Captain, even the Saints know nothing about this world. These extraplanar monsters are randomly distributed. They probably don’t even understand their own situation. How could they easily unite.”

Eugene shrugged. “Who knows?”

“The Goddess arranged these messy ‘extraplanar monsters’; it must be her intention—maybe she’s trying to use this as bait to fish out the ‘monster among monsters’.”

…….

[Sometimes I think you’re even more abnormal than a ‘monster’ like me.]

When Teest said this, they were walking in circles in the Dream Forest. The fallen leaves were soft, but Nol was stepping on them very forcefully, as if they were his enemies from a previous life.

Teest was eating honey soft cakes from his waist bag while his thoughts were coming in like rapid fire. [Why are you so concerned about those succubi? Their queen deceives the group at will, and they are willing to deceive themselves. It’s not your concern.]

This was sincere.

Teest originally thought that otherworldly people were somewhat naïve and liked to meddle in others’ affairs. But through interactions along the way, he found that only Nol’s “helping syndrome” was especially severe—most otherworldly people tend to avoid trouble to save their own lives.

Even for the sake of quest rewards, Nol was too serious.

[Honey, you might as well pay more attention to those two Players. I suspect they have received related quests.] Seeing Nol not responding, Teest continued to mumble.

Nol still didn’t respond; he was obviously lost in thought, his feet still stepping hard on the leaves. Even Anakin and Solo noticed his abnormality and deliberately kept their distance.

[Alright, then pay more attention to me.]

Teest ate the last bit of the soft honey cake and wrapped his tail around Nol’s wrist, rubbing gently. [Help your pitiful husband analyze the current situation, all-knowing Mr. Lich.]

Nol finally lightened his steps, shook his head, and finally came back to his senses.

“The succubi made it very clear. Find the bewilderment grass, and you can find the queen.” He looked at Teest and repeated dryly, “So far, this is a game of hide-and-seek with hints, simpler than that Margret’s quest.”

The “heir selection” wasn’t their actual quest. The difficulty of the quest was how to save the succubi tribe. Nol didn’t think that “the Mad Monk becoming the heir” had any positive impact on this tribe.

All he was thinking about now was finding the culprit causing all this and grinding them into pieces.

The reason Nol was still looking for the runaway succubus queen was just to get information from her—

As a queen, even if she didn’t know the reason for the succubi’s disappearance, she should know why Queen Hyacinth committed suicide years ago. Nol intuitively felt that this matter was related to the current situation of the succubi, and he cared a lot about it.

Nol changed his mind. Even if he didn’t make a big appearance in front of the Players, he must figure out what was going on in this ghost of a place.

“Can I, um, say something?” Solo, who was walking behind them, raised his hand. “About that mad queen, the succubi are hiding part of the truth, which I overheard outside the palace.”

“Please tell me.” Nol slowed down.

“Together with the queen who disappeared, there was also her female knight Malvina…” Solo took a breath and spoke slowly.

Nol listened attentively, his lips almost forming a line.

According to Succubus Doni, Queen Wilimina always had a tendency to be addicted to bewilderment grass.

Bewilderment grass was a special herb that grew near the succubi tribe, and they liked to use it to brew wine. The “Bewilderment Dew” in the quest reward was a very famous succubus specialty wine.

The bewilderment grass itself wasn’t addictive, but if consumed directly, it could create almost real illusions, reflecting the deepest desires of the consumer. And after the effect wore off, it would cause extremely intense pain. Usually, succubi wouldn’t choose to eat it directly.

Doni said Wilimina had been looking for bewilderment grass to consume to escape reality.

The bewilderment grass nearby was decreasing, which meant the queen was running further and further away—initially, she just slipped out for a few hours every few days. In the past two months, this queen began to stay out all night.

The magical protection of the succubus territory was still there, so the succubi were sure the queen was still alive.

But she indeed hadn’t come back for two months, so they also believed the queen was completely mad. For this tribe, this didn’t seem to be a rare occurrence.

They didn’t mention the female knight Malvina at all.

“Perhaps the succubi aren’t hiding it maliciously.” At the end, Solo carefully observed Nol’s face. “The queen and Malvina have been friends since childhood. Every time the queen disappeared before, it was Malvina who brought her back. This time… This time the queen has been missing for so long, they suspect Malvina is dead.”

“Well, so we might have to bring back two people,” Teest concluded. “Bewilderment grass is just their blind guess, and now the situation is even more uncertain.”

“We’re just scouting today. We’ll go back later, and everyone will inquire more,” Nol said.

Teest silently looked behind Nol. The fallen leaves were stepped on by Nol, leaving rows of small pits. They were truly “treading spots”.

Recently, his Lich husband’s temper had been unpredictable, becoming more and more like a real monster. Maybe tonight he should sacrifice his scalp again and let this guy touch it a bit?

…Actually, even though Nol was disorderly, his technique was quite good. He secretly enjoyed it and could also pretend to be doing him a favor.

The Mad Monk was planning cheerfully in his heart when suddenly a slight sound entered his ears.

That sound was very faint, like a gold wheel gently rolling over the fallen leaves.

Teest turned his head, and in the purple mist of the forest rolling in, he saw a glint of gold. A dirty gold wheel stood on a leaf that wasn’t far from where Teest stood silently, as if it were quietly watching him.

“Honey.” Teest’s voice strained, and the tail wrapped around Nol’s wrist tightened. “…Look over there.”

Nol looked in the direction Teest was pointing, but he only saw the gently swaying mist.

“There is nothing.” He asked vigilantly, “Did you see something?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

In Teest’s eyes, the gold wheel gently bounced and rolled away. Seeing that Teest didn’t immediately follow, it even stopped, as if waiting for him. Teest drew out his “Betrayer”, and all the relaxation on his face disappeared.

“Don’t act rashly.” Nol immediately grabbed the tail on his wrist.

“Don’t worry. I know.” Teest turned around and smiled at Nol.

In these short seconds, the mist suddenly became extremely dense. Nol couldn’t see Teest’s face, even though they were only a step apart. Everything was becoming blurred. Teest’s figure was quickly engulfed by the mist. Distance and direction distorted, and something was stirring behind his remaining silhouette—

Nol stepped forward without hesitation. He followed the succubus’s tail and tightly hugged Teest’s waist.

It was a foolish decision, he knew.

…But he didn’t want to lose anything else while he could only watch.

The mist rolled endlessly and dissipated as quickly as it came. When that thick mist disappeared, only Anakin and Solo were left in the original position.

Teest and Nol had disappeared.

---

The author has something to say:

Nol: Try taking someone from me again! (Anger is about to be full again)

Teest: Actually, it feels quite comfortable when Nol touches my hair, but I won’t say it. ^-^

…This time the succubus’s tail has made a great contribution!

Opponents: Huh, how come these two people are linked together? What’s their relationship?

————————————

Shadow Wolf: So many people! (Stunned)

Poor wolf. Without five fingers, it can’t even properly count…

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 52: Dream

“Save the succubus tribe?”

Anakin almost immediately refused. They did indeed feel pity for the succubi, just as they felt compassion for international friends trapped in war and famine when they were on Earth.

But they were just ordinary people with ordinary mindsets. Everyone was currently too busy taking care of themselves, so it was impossible to risk their lives for a foreign race.

Players couldn’t die, but most of them on Earth would complain even when drawing blood. The pain of death wasn’t a joke.

But as she was cautiously forming her words, a system prompt suddenly appeared.

The animation of its appearance was a bit odd, not flowing smoothly and accompanied by glitch-like flickers.

[You have triggered a hidden quest: One Question.]

[Normal Achievement: Leave the Dream Edge without any deaths.]

[Perfect Achievement: Leave the Dream Edge without any deaths; assist in saving the dying Succubus tribe.]

[Quest Reward: Massive experience [Normal]; Permanent increase of luck attribute by 20% [Perfect]; The goodwill of a certain existence [Perfect].]

[Rejection/Failure Penalty: None]

[Do you accept the quest?]

Such a weird quest. Anakin’s gaze stayed on the prompt.

Until now, the quests in “Tahe” seemed logical. Most of them were triggered by specific locations, items, or events. Some NPCs also issued quests, but their roles were clear—like shopkeepers asking for errands or Temple personnel commissioning monster kills. The logic was easy to understand.

However, this quest… was informal. It wasn’t an event they experienced firsthand, nor was the situation very serious. After just a mention of the current situation by Nol, it eagerly popped up.

Especially the part about “the goodwill of a certain existence”. It was really intriguing.

But Anakin hesitated only for a few seconds—a quest was still a quest. They should strive to leave alive, and there was experience to gain. Why not accept?

“Yes, yes, yes, those succubi are so pitiable.” Rogue Solo spoke first, his tone exceptionally righteous. “Unity is strength. I will definitely help with all my might!”

So obvious. Anakin rubbed her temples hard.

“I will also help. Do you need anything from us?” she added with a straight face.

“Not for now. Rest well. If there’s any update, we’ll consult you two.” Nol looked at the two Players suspiciously.

Both acted rationally, unlike passionate youths who disregarded life and death. Nol originally hoped the Players would believe him and not act recklessly. He never imagined they would volunteer to help.

And they even saw the two of them share a kiss, yet the Players never inquired about their relationship. Did he and Teest really look like “rare NPCs” to them?

Nol was baffled and decided to put this aside for now—he already had enough problems to deal with.

……

They got a very nice bedroom—or rather, Teest did.

Anakin and Solo had to settle for a deserted stone house in a remote location. Nol suspected that his proximity to the Succubus Palace was entirely due to the “succubus” Teest.

The room was equally magnificent.

It was spacious and clean, with a fluffy double bed in the center. Candles emitting sweet, fruity scents were lit by the bed. No matter how long they burned, the candle size didn’t diminish.

A row of large white-framed domed windows opened on the bedroom wall, overlooking a mesmerizing forest and sky. The gauzy curtains swayed gently in the breeze.

Teest sat on the bed, bouncing a bit on the soft bedding.

“No wonder these creatures that thrive on dreams have such high standards for their ‘dining plates’.” Teest pressed the cloud-like mattress, happily lying down.

Nol, however, stood by the window, looking out into the boundless dream world.

The more beautiful it seemed here, the colder his heart felt. In this dreamy scene, there should have been a pair of lovers—at least, that was their woven fate, or so it should have been.

Nol pressed his palm against the crystal-like glass, silently gazing at this world. Except for the impending destruction, everything was perfect.

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out, covering his eyes from behind. The despairing world vanished instantly, and all he saw was darkness.

“Stop looking. It’s time for you to rest, my queen,” Teest whispered. “Or would you prefer the title ‘my beloved husband’? Act natural. Those succubi are definitely spying on us. I think you know.”

Nol could indeed guess. He was just… a bit weary, too tired to fuss over it.

“I need a real hug now,” Nol said, feeling the hands covering his eyes.

Teest chuckled. “How about a bonus tail wrap? I’m quite generous.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. But I sincerely ask you, don’t touch the tail too much—the tip of a succubus’s tail is very sensitive.”

In bed, Nol hugged Teest tightly from behind, burying his face in his back. Teest’s tail brushed against his arm, its tip softly resting on Nol’s waist, like a hug.

The bedding of the succubi was truly top-notch. Despite his worries, Nol fell asleep quickly.

When he opened his eyes, the bedroom was slightly dimmer than before. At some point, Teest had turned to face him. Teest was in deep sleep, lips slightly parted. His long silver hair was spread across the pillow, tickling Nol’s cheek.

In the dim light, Teest’s presence seemed even more pronounced.

The Mad Monk, while deep in sleep, looked completely “harmless”. Even from such close proximity, Nol couldn’t find a single flaw in his appearance.

For a rare moment, Nol let his mind wander, staring at the face so close to him, as if glued to Teest. The other’s skin was warm and soft, and Nol’s hands, which were wrapped around Teest’s waist, involuntarily tightened. Despite Teest’s eyes being closed, Nol felt a strange sense of… enchantment.

The moment he realized it, a chill ran down Nol’s spine.

Something’s wrong.

Everything was too relaxed. The atmosphere was too intimate, as if someone was deliberately manipulating it. Nol glanced out of the window and then looked down at his own bare body with a wry smile.

This was a dream.

The details of the forest outside the window were slightly different from what he remembered before going to sleep. Also, before they went to bed, both he and Teest had undoubtedly been fully dressed. He was so dazed that he didn’t even notice this.

Luckily, as a Lich with a higher mental resistance and a Player with even stronger mental defenses, Nol was only confused for less than thirty seconds.

“Don’t you like me?”

A familiar voice whispered in his ear.

“The real world is too heavy. You need comfort, stronger than just ‘a kiss’.” The illusion spoke in Teest’s voice. “Why don’t you look at me?”

“I don’t like men.” Nol released the illusion.

“You’re lying, Mr. Mage.” The illusion wearing Teest’s face smiled mischievously, just like the real Teest. The succubus tail playfully circled around Nol’s lower back.

Nol buried half of his face in the pillow, laying almost calmly.

He knew what was going on. To retain the characteristics of the succubi while passing the game’s regulations, their magic had been thoroughly revised, and Nol remembered all the details.

The succubi manipulated dreams, making the target dream of the person they were most interested in. They then guided the target to complete the illusion, making them lost in a vivid dream…

Once this passionate dream ended, the succubi could harvest the corresponding life force.

However, out of consideration for privacy and courtesy, the succubus casting the spell didn’t watch the whole process.

“I regret that I don’t have the energy to indulge in those kind of fantasies,” Nol whispered, even though he knew the succubi couldn’t hear him. He looked beyond the illusion.

Of course, Nol also knew why his subconscious accused him of “lying”.

The entity speaking to him wasn’t the “illusion of Teest”, but a projection of his own subconscious. One couldn’t lie to oneself.

“I admit that the succubi might not have chosen the wrong person… At this moment, in this world, I do need him the most.”

Nol finally reached out and touched the top of Teest’s head. He had never done this to the real Teest, suspecting the Mad Monk wouldn’t like it. Just as he imagined, Teest’s hair was soft and warm under his touch.

The illusion smiled, lying silently, allowing Nol to caress it.

The room was quiet, with only the faint sounds of their breathing. Nol stroked Teest’s hair repeatedly, the hair sliding through his fingers like warm water. The sound of the hair rubbing against his skin was soft, like the rustling of silk.

Thinking that the real Teest was beside him, Nol surprisingly felt a bit calmer.

Reality was indeed heavy, and Teest might not sincerely help. But… having someone “by your side” and being “all alone” indeed were different.

When the scent of hair clung to his hands, Nol closed his eyes and hugged the illusion once more.

He was thankful for the little tricks of the succubi. Judging by the outcome, he indeed felt much more relaxed.

The poor succubi. They were destined not to extract life force from him—how could one possibly extract life force from a purely undead being?

Perhaps the heavens sensed the grudge of the succubi. When Nol really opened his eyes, he realized something was amiss.

Teest lay opposite him; his usually smooth hair was now a mess. The look he gave Nol was complex, with a hint of accusation in his eyes.

Nol subconsciously raised his hand and sniffed it. As expected, he smelled the faint scent of Teest’s hair on his palm.

Nol: “……”

Nol: “…Last night… I…”

“You woke me up by pulling my hair last night,” Teest said with a hint of melancholy. “Did you have a strange dream? Were you shearing sheep?”

Nol averted his gaze.

Teest sized him up and hummed meaningfully. “Alright, no jokes. It’s easy to guess. Those starving succubi must have wanted to get something out of you, the ‘human’. I won’t ask whom you dreamt of, but… you have a thing for hair? It’s quite a unique fetish. Fortunately, it wasn’t too noticeable.”

Suppressing a myriad of thoughts, Nol pondered for a few seconds and then just nodded heavily.

The succubi had no food, so naturally, there was no breakfast. Only a morning court assembly.

Both Teest and Nol were given chairs. The two Players were still not allowed into the court and had to wait in the hall outside.

The boundary between day and night was unclear here. Even the definition of “morning” was determined by the state of the hourglass beside the throne.

The beautiful throne remained empty, with no sign of the queen named “Wilimina”. Nol looked at the vacant throne, resisting the urge to sigh.

“Last night, I felt violated.”

Teest was the first to speak among all the succubi, his tone solemn and sad. “I know you all are hungry, but how could you not even greet before preying on my lover?”

The room went silent.

“… Allow me to explain, Mr. Teest.”

The male succubus named Adonis—or Doni for short*—stood up. He wandered up to Teest and Nol and bowed with difficulty.

*Adonis (阿多尼斯). Doni (多尼). Generally, nicknames are given when the names of the characters (especially westernized) are too long.

Teest looked at him with a hurt expression, while Nol tried to mimic an offended look.

“We all know it was rude… Just like other groups, we wouldn’t touch a comrade’s lover. We are truly sorry, but the children are too hungry.”

Nol’s “offended look” almost faltered. “What?”

“You might not know,” Doni said, looking down. “The longer the lifespan of an immortal species, the harder it is to reproduce and the more precious the offspring. Since… Since we’ve been trapped here, no children have been born for many years. Children need a lot of life force to grow… We forcibly put the few remaining children to sleep, but they still need life force to sustain basic consumption.”

Speaking of this, he lowered his head even more. “If we told you outright, it would be like kidnapping the two of you to help. We thought just once—just once—and they could last a few more months. Maybe you wouldn’t notice, and we’d find another way by then…”

Dumbstruck, Nol gripped Teest’s hand and feigned ignorance. “I heard that succubi occasionally go out to hunt, and there are humans in your dungeons. Why not choose more prey?”

Doni seemed uneasy. He glanced at Teest, then quickly looked away. The other succubi remained silent, with only a few sighs echoing in the large space.

“I’m curious too.” Teest took the opportunity to question, clear and loud.

“…Because we can’t,” Doni answered bitterly after a moment. “When the Great Queen Hyacinth was alive, we could hunt normally. But afterward… many of our kin who ventured to the Dream Edge realm never returned. At first, two or three out of ten would disappear. Then that number rose to five or six. In the past twenty years, not one who went out ‘hunting’ has returned.”

“Hyacinth died over 150 years ago,” Nol said, trying to remain calm. “After 150 years, you should know the reason. Who is your enemy? Where are they?”

Perhaps sensing a hint of malice in his tone, Doni finally looked at Nol.

He let out a raspy, unpleasant laugh, then slowly shook his head.

“We only know the enemy is the Eternal Church,” he said slowly. “As for what methods they used… we don’t know. Really, we don’t. Every succubus who encountered them disappeared. Not one has returned with any clues in over 150 years.”

Nol silently gripped the armrest of his chair.

“The humans in the dungeons are invaders from the Eternal Church. If it wasn’t for them, we would have starved to death decades ago,” Doni continued. “You might think we’re incompetent, but apart from the tribes in the Shiva Realm, succubi from other countries were nearly wiped out. Even living this pitifully, we’ve lasted the longest…”

[Perhaps the invaders from the Eternal Church are being used as “food”,] Teest thought. [If the extermination continues, the species will become extinct, so why not just domesticate them and weaken their spirit—that’s probably what the people from the Eternal Church are thinking.]

[Then they dream more than the succubi,] Nol responded coldly.

[Haha!] Teest laughed unreservedly in his mind. [I’m growing fonder of your sense of humor, Mr. Lich.]

“I won’t provide life force for those children.” Nol hissed at the succubus Doni. “If you want to save them, go find your own food.”

Doni looked at Nol with an expected “sure enough” expression, his dim eyes showing no anger. “We were at fault first. We understand…”

“But I don’t.” Nol’s voice softened. He stood up and walked to Doni. “If it were my children I wanted to save, I would do anything for them. Dignity, honor, I’d throw them all away—if your manners prevent you from questioning me or rebuking me, then why don’t you plead with me?”

The queen was nowhere to be found, the children were dying, and their race was on the verge of extinction. The succubi lived methodically while slowly starving to death, calmly choosing the next heir, as if the world were still normal.

Was he crazy, or were they?

Doni lifted his dry eyes, looking at Nol with a gaze as lifeless as a true corpse. He said nothing.

Instead, Teest raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Nol’s straight back.

“Say it.” Nol stared deep into his eyes. “Say you want to survive.”

Doni stretched his mouth into an indecipherable smile on his mummified face.

“As I said before, I’m in charge of Lord Teest in the heir selection.” He politely changed the topic, took a few steps back, and bowed respectfully to Teest. “The contents of the heir selection have been decided.”

“Whoever successfully brings back the maddened queen will be the next heir.”

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The author has something to say:

Teest: (Sound asleep, suddenly grabbed in the middle of the night, and had his hair wildly tousled)

Teest: (Deep in thought)

Teest: …Buddy, you have a weird way of XP interaction.

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