Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 15

White petals covered Epoh’s body, making him seem as if he was sculpted from snow.

He closed his eyes again, seemingly indifferent to the mortal world around him, which had nothing to do with him.

He looked as peaceful as a pile of snow.

This gave Zhou Qian an illusion.

It seemed that once dawn broke and the ice melted, Epoh would vanish.

Letting out a silent sigh, Zhou Qian even found his own sigh abrupt.

Shaking his head, after giving Epoh another glance, he turned to leave.

Just at that moment, a red glow suddenly emerged from a spot five meters away.

Zhou Qian’s eyes sharpened; he knew another believer had been deified.

He halted, looking up, and met a pair of pale pupils.

Each previous time he’d encountered such a gaze, it had ignited the killing intent of the deified believer, followed by an attack.

But not this time.

The person slouched onto the ground and transformed into a cheetah in an instant. Surprisingly, he ignored Zhou Qian entirely, circled the huge tree once, and headed straight for the opposite bank of the lake in search of prey.

Zhou Qian obtained the Mark of Pain, which indeed stopped the believers from attacking him proactively.

Feeling relief at this, Zhou Qian’s brows furrowed slightly.

Because he realized something—the later a believer completed their deification, the stronger they were.

This cheetah, with just a single leap, crossed the long crystal bridge in a few strides. Locking onto his target, after a roar, he charged at Qi Liuxing, Yun Xiangrong, and Gao Shan.

……

On the other side of the lake.

Moments earlier, Gao Shan and Yun Xiangrong appeared as unexpected saviors, rescuing Qi Liu Xing from danger.

Gao Shan unleashed his ultimate skill, [Earth Shield Avalanche], which tripled his health while drawing all aggro to him.

Three believers immediately aimed their killing techniques at him.

Luckily, their techniques hit Gao Shan one after the other. While Gao Shan was enduring these massive blows, Yun Xiangrong swiftly healed him, barely keeping him alive.

When the first strike hit, Gao Shan’s HP plummeted to 30%.

A flurry of catkins arose as Yun Xiangrong promptly used her ultimate [Fluttering Catkins] to restore Gao Shan’s health to 100%.

The second strike was even more brutal, reducing Gao Shan’s HP to 10%.

In her urgency, Yun Xiang Rong used her basic healing skill [Catkins Return] twice, boosting Gao Shan’s health back to 70%.

Suddenly, the third strike landed, dropping Gao Shan’s HP to 5%.

Another [Catkins Return] lifted Gao Shan’s HP back to 35%.

Afterward, Yun Xiangrong’s expression became gravely serious. She had depleted all her MP and couldn’t use any more skills. Though she was at full HP, her MP was almost exhausted.

Gao Shan’s HP was at 35% with only 50% MP left, and his ultimate was still on cooldown and couldn’t be used again so soon.

Qi Liuxing had 80% HP left but only 10% MP, which wasn’t even enough to cast a basic skill.

With the three of them at such a disadvantage and the three deified believers barely scratching and readying their next attacks, things looked dire, especially with the roaring arrival of the cheetah-like monster on the horizon.

They were getting overwhelmed.

In a 3 vs 4 scenario like this, their chances of victory were almost nonexistent.

And Gao Shan was in the most danger.

His earlier skill, true to its aggro-pulling nature, drew the attention of all three deified believers. They were all eager to target him, and if they attacked, Gao Shan would be the first to suffer!

Realizing this, Yun Xiangrong quickly approached Qi Liuxing, almost in tears. “Save Gao Shan! You can’t just leave him!”

Qi Liuxing took a deep breath, telling her, “You run first. Head to the treehouse. I’ll handle this. I won’t abandon him!”

“But what are you planning to do?”

“I…” Qi Liuxing thought of a plan, asking Gao Shan, “Do you have anything that can teleport you instantly?”

Gao Shan pointed to the panel on his wristwatch. “Coincidentally, Zhou Qian sent a [Flying Rope] via trade.”

Earlier, during a scoring game, Zhou Qian had extorted two ropes from him. Unexpectedly, he returned one just in time.

After quickly accepting the trade, Gao Shan received the rope in his inventory and took it out.

Qi Liuxing instructed, “Later, you continue using basic skills to pull aggro. But don’t stand by the lake. They’re wary of the water now and won’t easily fall for it. You should stand at—”

He turned his head to look towards the forest. Qi Liuxing’s eyes locked onto a spot beneath a thick hanging tree trunk. Pointing at it, he said, “Let’s go there together now. You lure them there with your moves, then use the rope to escape up the tree. I will use the [Universe Teleportation Mirror]!”

Gao Shan quickly grasped the plan. “But it’s risky for you! Give the mirror to me; I’ll handle it!”

Qi Liuxing responded, “No, you’re not as fast as I am. A slight mishap could expose the mirror’s trap. There’s no time to argue. Leave it to me! Their cooldown is almost over. We have to hurry!”

Almost immediately after Qi Liuxing finished speaking, two winged creatures and a giant cat started attacking Gao Shan.

Qi Liuxing gave Gao Shan a nod, and the two quickly ran towards the pre-agreed location.

However, not long after they started, Gao Shan unexpectedly looked back to find that a cheetah had leapt towards them at an unimaginable speed, aiming directly for Yun Xiangrong, who was closest to him.

Without hesitating, Gao Shan immediately cast two [Mountain Hold] skills.

The cheetah’s aggression was successfully redirected, but three other deified believers rapidly approached him.

Qi Liuxing was immediately drenched in sweat.

Quickly estimating the distance, they weren’t far from the shore. There were no trees around, not nearly enough distance for the flying rope to be of use.

Fortunately, Qi Liuxing’s speed was exceptionally fast.

He grabbed Gao Shan by the shoulders and, with all his strength, rushed forward, narrowly escaping the murderous intentions of the believers close behind them.

Finally, they judged the distance to be just right.

Qi Liuxing shouted to Gao Shan, “Now!”

Gao Shan threw his rope, quickly ascending into the air just as the four grotesque believers were about to reach them.

At that moment, Qi Liuxing drew his long sword and swiftly gained the attention of the believers with a series of attacks.

The believers didn’t pursue the airborne Gao Shan but focused solely on him.

Taking a deep breath and mimicking Zhou Qian’s calm demeanor and provocative gaze, Qi Liuxing taunted, “Come on, chase me.”

Without waiting for a response, Qi Liuxing turned and sprinted forward at high speed.

The four believers immediately pursued him.

As they lunged at Qi Liuxing, a small mirror in his hand flashed brilliantly. Qi Liuxing quickly retreated, placing the mirror where he previously stood.

The mirror emitted a faint glow. The four believers, unable to stop themselves in time, rushed into it and were immediately transported deep into the blue depths below the lake’s surface.

The clear blue lake was instantly stained with blood, the stench of which permeated the entire paradise. But soon, the smell of blood dissipated, leaving only the fragrance of apples.

“We…”

“Did it…”

The three sighed in relief.

However, their statuses weren’t in good shape. Yun Xiangrong, after being grazed by the cheetah, had only 60% HP left and no more MP.

During the chase, both Gao Shan and Qi Liuxing had nearly depleted all their HP and MP.

But at this very moment, on the opposite side of the lake, another believer was seen undergoing transformation. They saw that he had evolved to have wings, sharp claws, and owl-like eyes that were three times larger than the previous believers.

With such speed, he could easily reach the three players in no time.

Truly terrifying.

The evolution and learning ability of these transformed believers were astonishing.

Having witnessed everything, even if the players could afford another [Universe Teleportation Mirror], he wouldn’t fall for the same trick.

[Target: Believer No. 19]

[Rank: A]

[Specialty: ???]

[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]

Upon seeing this message, everyone gasped in shock, looking defeated.

How could they possibly fight?

Compared to this Rank A monster, the previous Rank C believers seemed like mere minions.

Facing him alone seemed impossible, let alone dealing with the 13 others that would follow.

Apart from Believer No. 19, another person caught everyone’s attention.

It was Zhou Qian, who was walking leisurely from the Crystal Bridge.

When the players saw the transformed believer, their spirits sank.

But upon seeing Zhou Qian unharmed and not attacked by Believer No. 19, their excitement surged again—it seemed Zhou Qian had found a way to prevent them from being attacked by the disciples!

Perhaps they could all achieve the hidden accomplishment!

But Zhou Qian lived up to his reputation, shattering their hopes with just one sentence.

Under three pairs of hopeful eyes, Zhou Qian walked up slowly and said mercilessly, “Indeed, I found a way not to be attacked—harm the God Epoh to get the Mark of Pain. But this means you have to cross the bridge, enter the midst of the disciples, and personally harm the god.”

Zhou Qian had had flying ropes and Qi Liuxing to distract the not-so-dangerous believers earlier. And both of them were in top condition.

But now, the believers had become stronger. Moreover, the players had no such tools left, and their HP and MP were severely depleted.

The other three players couldn’t possibly obtain the mark like Zhou Qian did.

While dejected, Qi Liuxing caught Zhou Qian’s smile and tightened his grip on his sword, swallowing hard.

Using this brief gap, he quickly reviewed recent events, realizing he might have been used.

Zhou Qian had taken advantage of him and somehow made the couple return. They had exhausted all their coins, items, even HP and MP… but they gained nothing.

Only Zhou Qian, who couldn’t be attacked, stood a chance at the hidden achievement. Everyone risked their lives for the challenge, only to become stepping stones for Zhou Qian!

He had used each of them!

The next moment, before Qi Liuxing could react, a huge shadow appeared before him.

The transformed believer had silently and swiftly approached him.

After the transformation, Believer No. 19 didn’t immediately seek a target but observed the players. He saw that Qi Liuxing, with the highest level and strongest attack, posed the greatest threat.

So he decisively targeted Qi Liuxing first.

With wings spread, he lunged at Qi Liu Xing.

Just the wind from his wing flaps caused Qi Liuxing’s HP to drop.

[Player Qi Liuxing’s HP has dropped to 9%]

[Player Qi Liuxing’s HP has dropped to 8%]

……

In full health, he couldn’t withstand the believer’s attack.

And now, his health was critically low.

As the shadow completely enveloped him, Qi Liuxing closed his eyes.

He knew he was doomed, all because of Zhou Qian’s schemes. But unexpectedly, he was suddenly pushed away. To his shock, he peered into his eyes a bit and found it was Zhou Qian who had saved him!

However, he soon lost sight of Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian was forcefully dragged by the believer; his whole body was sucked into his huge wings, completely disappearing.

The mark Zhou Qian acquired made the believer not recognize him as a target. But once he intervened, he was seen as a threat. Or perhaps it was when Zhou Qian directly took the place of their target and they were unable to stop the attack halfway.

This was equivalent to sacrificing himself in order to block the believer’s ultimate move that was meant for Qi Liuxing.

He surely would die.

That was Qi Liuxing’s first thought.

With only 150 HP left, it was equivalent to just 15% of his total health.

It’s over.

Zhou Qian’s done for.

Regretting his earlier thoughts, Qi Liuxing shouted, “Zhou Qian! Don’t be afraid! I’ll save you with the Tick Tock Clock!”

But his voice quivered, for he knew the Tick Tock Clock had a condition—the body must be intact.

In cases where the body was shattered, like Dong Xiang’s, even a thousand Tick Tock Clocks wouldn’t help.

But what about Zhou Qian?

Seeing the posture of Believer No. 19, it looked like he was about to tear Zhou Qian’s body into pieces!

By then… Could he still save him with the Tick Tock Clock?

With a slight shiver in his shoulders, overcome by immense guilt and panic, Qi Liuxing suddenly knelt to the ground.

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 30%]

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 10%]

[Warning! Attention! Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 5%!]

Without even being directly hit by an ultimate attack, just like Qi Liuxing, merely from the wind stirred by the flapping wings, Zhou Qian’s health rapidly plummeted to a dangerous low.

When a player was on the brink of death, the system would send out a high-intensity warning.

This warning could be seen not only by the player themselves but also by others—Zhou Qian’s watch emitted an extremely bright red light, which shone through the transformed believer’s giant wings.

The other three players witnessed it, knowing well what this signified.

They all shared a similar thought.

Zhou Qian was extremely cunning and vicious, relentless in pursuing his goals, without any regard for how many people he sacrificed. He would only step over mountains of corpses and rivers of blood to reach the pinnacle he aimed for…

Yet unexpectedly, he dealt this most lethal blow to everyone.

Underneath the snowy wings, the red light blinked; it was Zhou Qian’s death alert.

In this critical moment, the transformed believer soared, rising swiftly to a height of about 5 meters, then he suddenly dove down, launching his real ultimate attack on Zhou Qian!

A force as mighty as thunder headed straight for him.

Everyone who witnessed this had only one thought—‘He’s done for.’

However, in the next instant, a surge of dark energy suddenly emerged, completely enveloping Zhou Qian’s body.

With a loud “boom”, the believer was unexpectedly flung backward in a flash, hovering in the air, confronting Zhou Qian from a distance.

Zhou Qian lay on his side on the ground, clutching his chest as he coughed up blood. Without a hint of concern, he wiped his mouth and smiled. Blood stained his lips and half of his face, making him look somewhat mad.

At this moment, his health stabilized at 5%.

Outside the game, in front of their mobile screens.

Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang both held their breaths.

“What-what happened?”

“That’s right! [The Little Boy’s Blessing]!!! Qian Ge has a Buff!!!”

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 14

Now, Qi Liuxing faced two choices.

First, directly use the mirror to escape to the treehouse.

Second, use the mirror to lure these three believers into the lake.

The first choice would undoubtedly push Zhou Qian directly to death.

As for the second choice, as Zhou Qian said, it would be a waste of the item.

After all, besides these three and the two that fell into the lake earlier, there were still a full fourteen believers on the opposite bank about to be deified.

The situation they faced would only become more critical.

This mirror was perhaps their last trump card.

However, if they abandoned these two choices, without a doubt, Qi Liuxing knew he wouldn’t live much longer. He was about to die.

Sweat poured from his forehead, back, and palms, layer after layer.

Just as he hesitated, and the three believers’ powerful impending attack was about to be formed—

The sky suddenly fluttered with green fluff-like objects, as beautiful as drifting catkins.

Feeling suddenly refreshed, Qi Liuxing noticed a prompt.

[Player Qi Liuxing, HP has recovered to 80%]

Almost at the same moment, the earth trembled.

Then the three deified believers simultaneously turned around, facing another direction.

Qi Liuxing also looked over.

A massive shield appeared out of thin air, smashing fiercely onto the ground, leaving a crater.

With the shield’s descent, all the NPCs’ aggro was forcibly transferred, targeting the person behind the shield.

As for the people emerging from behind the shield, it was Gao Shan and Yun Xiangrong.

……

On the other side of the Sin Lake.

Zhou Qian approached Epoh.

Not long ago, when he had just landed from the [Flying Rope], he was nearly attacked by a believer turned into a cat.

Qi Liuxing reliably diverted that person in time.

Zhou Qian momentarily felt safe and also confirmed one thing—he had entered the area covered with petals, but the believers still attacked him. Thus, the reason those 20 believers didn’t attack each other wasn’t due to the petals all over the ground.

Excluding the petals, not considering whether to eat the apple, the third factor that could be excluded was real and fake believers.

Believers worship the Great God and possess some psychic ability. But if this is the distinction, then the players posing as fake believers will almost never get the protection buff. Thus, with such a disparity in power between the two sides, the achievement rate for the hidden goal would never reach 10%.

After ruling out all possibilities, only one factor differentiated the 19 believers from the 4 players—the players hadn’t hurt the god Epoh.

Glancing back across the lake and seeing the young couple approaching and Qi Liuxing hadn’t used the mirror to escape, Zhou Qian smiled and continued forward.

He walked straight through the ankle-deep white petals and sat next to the equally white Epoh.

“My God, can you hear me?” Zhou Qian asked him.

In the sea of flowers, Epoh slowly opened his eyes.

Looking into Epoh’s eyes, Zhou Qian pointed to the deified believers not far away and asked, “They don’t attack each other because they hurt you?”

After a while, Epoh nodded. “They are all torturers, carrying the [Mark of Pain]. You don’t have this mark and are seen as outsiders. That’s why they attack you.”

“All the players thought that by not harming you, they could save themselves. But it seems that this very action has brought about their doom.”

Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to Epoh, almost touching foreheads.

In this position, staring into his eyes, he whispered, “You’re so cunning. Even I was deceived by you.”

[Player Zhou Qian triggered the key term: [Mark of Pain]]

[“Mark of Pain” function: Will not be targeted by deified believers]

[Method to acquire the mark: Hurt the god Epoh]

Those who hurt the god Epoh would bear the Mark of Pain.

The apples on the trees were born from Epoh’s blood and pain.

The believers who ate the apples infused with memories of pain would become gods.

So the deified believers carried the scent of pain. Even when they lost their minds, they would see those with the Mark of Pain as their own kind and wouldn’t target them.

After understanding this logic, Zhou Qian sighed and looked at Epoh with a kind of pity.

“It seems I must hurt you.”

Zhou Qian’s words truly shocked Yu Xian, who was watching on the screen.

Yu Xian: “No, that’s wrong! Before the Goddess left, she said something! The grand ceremony is over! Believers can no longer harm the god Epoh! Did Qian Ge forget?! Challenging such a big boss, he’s in trouble!”

Zhu Qiang’s face paled, apparently quite alarmed.

But he quickly regained his composure and said sharply, “No, no, no! You’re forgetting something!”

“What did I forget?”

“Qian Ge isn’t a real believer! The Goddess said that believers cannot harm Epoh, but she didn’t say anything about others!”

“Fuck! Qian Ge is taking advantage of this loophole in the wording?!”

Inside the game.

As expected, Epoh looked at Zhou Qian and said, “The grand ceremony is over. Believers can’t hurt me anymore.”

Zhou Qian gently replied, “What if I’m not your believer?”

Zhou Qian had the guts to say this because he realized that Epoh didn’t take humans seriously and didn’t really care if they were real believers. Even the Goddess could tell that five of the believers were suspicious, so how could the Great God Epoh not see it?

If he really cared, all four fake believers would be in grave danger.

But he did nothing, completely unmoved, showing he truly didn’t care.

This also implied that the initial scoring game shouldn’t necessarily result in a player’s death.

The Great God didn’t really care about the authenticity of the believers. The goddess had fake believers score each other, either as a formality or just to toy with humans. After all, luring believers to eat the apple suggested their true nature might be malevolent, rather than purely benevolent as it appears.

So, if Zhou Qian gave everyone 20 points and the other four agreed, all five might have survived until the 10 o’clock ceremony. Perhaps the goddess would have let all five attend the grand ceremony together.

Unfortunately, Dong Xiang was determined to put Zhou Qian in a life-threatening situation.

Zhou Qian had no choice but to protect himself.

Nevertheless, despite his judgment, Zhou Qian didn’t explicitly declare himself a fake believer. Instead, he used the word “if” to gauge Epoh’s reaction.

Epoh didn’t seem to care, not even raising an eyelid.

Seeing this, Zhou Qian laughed.

Then, with a gentle, almost beguiling tone, he asked, “Would you let me hurt you?”

Epoh replied with confusion, “You don’t believe in me, yet you want to harm me? How do you intend to harm me?”

Epoh’s question was also what the Yu Zhu duo were wondering.

What would Zhou Qian do to Epoh? Punch him? Slap him? Or even stab him?

Zhou Qian, not being a believer, harming Epoh especially after the ceremony had ended… Would Epoh remain indifferent?

To everyone’s surprise, Zhou Qian looked Epoh up and down, pondered for a moment, and then reached out to pinch a strand of his long hair.

“How about… I pull your hair?”

Epoh: ?

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: ???

The reason Zhou Qian considered pulling hair was due to its low risk.

Plucking a few strands from Epoh wouldn’t cause any real harm, hopefully not provoking his anger, but it would still allow him to acquire the [Mark of Pain].

So, under Epoh’s increasingly puzzled gaze, Zhou Qian decisively pulled out several strands and twirled them around his finger.

The forced separation from the scalp caused a slight pain that made Epoh frown slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Qian casually stood up and waved his finger at him. “Great god, continue your rest. Thank you!”

Epoh didn’t seem angry; he was just quietly watching Zhou Qian.

He was surrounded by white petals, and his features were exquisitely perfect. Blinking occasionally, he appeared innocent and harmless.

But was this his true appearance?

The believers who ate the apple transformed into various monsters.

So, if one were to strip away this beautiful facade, what would Epoh’s true form be?

The Great God Epoh likened humans to ants.

Humans and ants had vastly different appearances, each seeing the other as a monster.

Gods might possess appearances unimaginable to humans.

Perhaps they disguised themselves to prevent instilling fear in humans, like the beautiful goddesses and, of course, the current Epoh.

If you were to remove this innocent disguise, would your true appearance be terrifying?

Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind. Before leaving, Zhou Qian waved at Epoh. Thinking of something, he fondled the hair wrapped around his index finger, and a beautiful smile appeared on his face. He asked Epoh, “Do you know, in ancient times, what it meant when a girl gives her hair to someone?”

Epoh seemed to have no idea what he was talking about.

Looking at him, Zhou Qian slowly replied, “It means she wants to marry him.”

Yu Xian exclaimed, “Damn, he’s even flirting with the Great God Epoh?”

Zhu Qiang remarked, “I have a reasonable suspicion that he’s trying to probe something.”

Inside the game, amidst the giant tree’s branches and leaves, Epoh’s expression was serene and calm.

Seeing his unresponsive face, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes.

No reaction to lines outside the game’s script? Could it be… you’re truly just data in the game?

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 13

Within Apple Paradise, the canopy was filled with vast expanses of green trees. A gentle, constant light bathed the entire palace. Flowers as white as snow scattered across the horizon, and the lake gleamed with a blue as deep as the world’s rarest sapphires…

Against this backdrop, Zhou Qian hovered in midair, suspended by a single rope, and gazed distantly at Qi Liuxing.

His eyes and words possessed a powerful, bewitching force.

Qi Liuxing felt as if he had no choice but to follow Zhou Qian’s plans.

Even if what lay ahead was a treacherous path or an irretrievable hell.

Echoing in Qi Liuxing’s ears were the words Zhou Qian spoke not long ago.

“I lied to you before, and now I want to apologize.”

“Are you hesitating about using the Tick Tock Clock? If you use it to save me, it’s out of affection, not duty. Don’t feel pressured.”

“You have an innocent heart. It’s invaluable.”

“Only when you become a hero to everyone can you truly bear the title ‘Sword God’.”

……

18 was an age where one was most willing to risk it all and face all challenges head-on.

Qi Liuxing gripped his sword tighter; his gaze towards Zhou Qian became more resolute.

Zhou Qian spoke again. “Qi Liuxing, I won’t leave you alone in danger. If you chose to stay, please do your best to hang on. The young couple will come to help you.”

“Why would they help me? Can you foresee the future?”

“Yes,” Zhou Qian replied with a mysterious smile. “I can predict the future. They will come back.”

Qi Liuxing didn’t understand and wanted to ask further, but there was no time.

Across the lake, two more believers had completed their transformation.

Their pupils turned white, red light radiated from their bodies, and wings sprouted from their backs. After scanning their surroundings briefly, they both set their sights on Zhou Qian and flew towards him.

Zhou Qian, at Rank F, had a max HP of 300. Engaged with Believer No .1, he now only had 150 HP left.

These two transformed believers were both at a higher Rank C, with 4,000 HP. With their attack power, even a breath on Zhou Qian might have killed him.

There were three crystal bridges in total. The left one was already destroyed, and the middle one was where Qi Liuxing had set up a barrier. The barrier would automatically detect and block aggressive NPCs for three minutes but had no effect on players.

Thus, Qi Liuxing had taken the middle bridge.

Just as Qi Liuxing had stepped onto the bridge, the two winged believers almost reached Zhou Qian.

With a swift unsheathing of his sword, Qi Liuxing unleashed the [Divine Sword Stance]. Multiple sword qi immediately split and rushed towards the two.

Perhaps they had learned from the believer who died earlier by the lakeside when his wings broke; these two had skillfully dodged the sword qi, not even losing a single feather.

However, Qi Liuxing’s objective hadn’t really been to hit them.

He acted to draw their attention.

And he undoubtedly achieved his goal.

Initially, the two believers targeted Zhou Qian since he was closest. But after the attack, their hostility was drawn towards Qi Liuxing, and they both charged at him.

Using his rapid speed, Qi Liuxing turned and sprinted off the crystal bridge. The two winged believers couldn’t catch up to him immediately—the barrier had successfully stopped them. Whether they flew or burrowed, they couldn’t cross the bridge for three minutes.

With the immediate threat behind him gone, Qi Liuxing took a breath and relaxed a bit. He had looked back and seen Zhou Qian swing with the rope, landing on the opposite shore.

Hidden achievements were hard to obtain, but there was still a 10% chance.

Zhou Qian’s prediction was accurate. While the 19 believers ate the apples almost simultaneously, they hadn’t all transformed at the same time. Otherwise, being surrounded would mean no chance of survival for the players.

Now that four believers had consecutively transformed, with the fifth yet to come, as long as they continued at this pace and did not all transform at once, Qi Liuxing was confident. He could draw their hostility towards him while they attacked Zhou Qian one after another.

But Qi Liuxing knew in his heart that going on like this wasn’t the solution.

The barrier’s duration was about to expire, and the two winged believers would soon fly over. If Zhou Qian couldn’t find a buff in time, more and more believers would attack him.

Moreover, although the speed of those believers wasn’t particularly fast at the moment, their evolutionary capabilities would eventually make them astoundingly fast, at which point he wouldn’t be able to escape.

The best strategy was to lure them into the lake.

Especially those two believers about to breach the barrier.

But how?

Every second passed, and as the barrier’s time decreased, Qi Liuxing almost lost grip on his sword hilt, for his palm was slick with sweat.

Suddenly, a system prompt came from his wristwatch.

[Player Zhou Qian has initiated a trade request]

[Zhou Qian, as the seller, wishes to sell you the [Universe Teleportation Mirror]]

[Zhou Qian’s price: 0 gold coins]

[Universe Teleportation Mirror’s function: Set a teleportation point through the mirror to achieve instant teleportation]

[Teleportation range: Within 500 meters]

[Duration: 5 minutes]

Zhou Qian’s zero-price offer was clearly a gesture to give the item to Qi Liuxing. This mirror, a valuable escape tool, was known to cost as much as 3,000 gold coins.

Qi Liuxing couldn’t afford such an item at the moment.

The reason Zhou Qian could afford it was because he had collected a substantial amount of gold coins during the scoring minigame. Even so, this item probably drained nearly all his savings.

What remained of Zhou Qian’s money wouldn’t be enough to buy another mirror like this.

Thus, even though Zhou Qian had deceived everyone during the minigame, he was now not only risking it all alone but also gifting Qi Liuxing his only escape tool. Was it as he had previously said—he didn’t genuinely want to swindle everyone, but rather control the situation without wasting time on communication?

Moved by this gesture, Qi Liuxing quickly accepted the trade request.

In the trade interface, along with the item came a voice message from Zhou Qian.

“Here’s a strategy: use this mirror to deceive the believers into the lake.”

“The mirror can only be used for 5 minutes. Don’t waste it on just one or two believers. First, kite them. When a sufficient number of believers chase you, lure them all into the mirror at once.”

“Of course, if you become afraid or regretful and no longer wish to cover for me, you can use the mirror to escape to the treehouse. But—”

“I know you’re not that type of person. You’re the brave and fearless Sword God.”

……

On the other side of the phone screen.

Yu Xian remarked, “Seems like the Sword God is deeply moved? His eyes are red! But it’s understandable given Qian Ge’s gift after his earlier deceit.”

Zhu Qiang interjected, “Wake up, Lao Yu. And you too, Sword God on the screen. Think about when Qian Ge gave the mirror. It was after the winged creatures went to attack him, and only after the Sword God really helped distract them!”

Yu Xian was taken aback. “Ah, Qiang Ge, are you suggesting…”

Zhu Qiang: “If Qi Liuxing didn’t help, Qian Ge could completely abandon the hidden achievement and use the mirror to escape to the treehouse! You think this move isn’t cunning? The idea of ‘placing oneself in a deadly situation to then come out alive’? He had already calculated his way out and wouldn’t truly put himself in danger!”

“Qian Ge has never truly trusted Qi Liuxing!”

“If Qi Liuxing really ran away, given Qian Ge being Rank F, he would stand no chance. He could only use the mirror to escape! Abandoning the hidden achievement is still better than losing his life!

“But if Qi Liuxing stays to help divert those two monsters, it means he’s indeed decent and must’ve been convinced by Qian Ge’s previous words. In that case, Qian Ge would further entice Qi Liuxing by offering the mirror, making him willingly stay.”

“Think about it, why didn’t he offer the mirror earlier or later, but precisely at this moment? Would he really risk being attacked by two deified monsters just to swing? He’s taking a risk, but he’s also taking the opportunity to observe Qi Liuxing!”

Looking back at the phone screen, Zhu Qiang said earnestly to Qi Liuxing, “Thinking of not saving him is just a natural response, and you have a naive heart? Talk of saving the world is even more laughable…”

“Just take Qian Ge’s words with a grain of salt; don’t take them seriously! He didn’t dare trust you easily! I don’t think he really wanted to save the world either!”

Yu Xian came to his senses. “Damn! Qian Ge is incredible! Every word he says is like making a move in a chess game…”

Zhu Qiang: “Isn’t it? Qian Ge went to the other side of the lake for clues, letting Brother Sword God provide cover, diverting attention… and now even letting Brother Sword God kite around while luring the enemies into the lake… Qian Ge is ruthless.”

Yu Xian muttered, “He’s ruthless to others, but also to himself. There are so many monsters ‘deifying’ on the other side of the lake… He only has 150 HP; if he’s not careful, he’s really done for.”

“What’s with that look on your face?”

“I think you’re not entirely accurate. I wouldn’t say Qian Ge is using Qi Liuxing. He truly wants everyone to get the hidden achievement. It’s just that his methods are too extreme and too much of a gamble.”

“I think you’ve been brainwashed by him too!”

“By the way, wait… what did Qian Ge mean by ‘the couple will definitely come back’? Did we miss something? When did he set this up?”

“I don’t know. In any case, Qian Ge is just incredible. Let’s keep watching.”

Inside the game.

Two deified followers with wings were temporarily stopped by the barricade for three minutes; the other believer hadn’t completed their deification yet.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Qi Liuxing took out a mirror from his bag. After understanding how to use it with the system panel, he quickly adjusted the coordinates, setting the mirror’s teleportation point above the lake surface.

After preparing everything, he temporarily returned the mirror to his bag and looked toward the other side of the lake.

Epoh was by the trunk of the giant tree, surrounded by apple-filled tree crowns. Underneath the apples stood clusters of followers who had eaten the apples.

Zhou Qian was walking towards Epoh, step by step, entering the encirclement of the followers.

This scene made Qi Liuxing’s eyelids twitch.

Then, about 30 meters away from Zhou Qian, a red light suddenly appeared.

The fifth deified believer was born!

The believer radiated a red glow, and his body hunched down with all four limbs on the ground. It was covered with shiny black fur. He opened his mouth and let out a “roar”, seemingly transformed into a cat.

Pacing back and forth on all fours, he narrowed his eyes menacingly, eventually setting them on Zhou Qian.

With pale pupils locked onto Zhou Qian, murderous intent filled the eyes of the deified believer. In a flash, before he pounced on Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing quickly acted.

An arrow shot towards the other shore, aiming directly at the cat-like believer.

[Item: Precision Shot*]

*(百步穿杨) Idiom referring to superb archery skills and, by extension, someone who’s very strong. It comes from a story in ancient China of a famous archer who could consistently hit a willow leaf from a distance of a hundred steps.

[Function: Select target to shoot; range 1,000 meters; 90% accuracy]

With a crisp sound, it was the noise of a blade piercing an eyeball.

After letting out a very mournful cry, the deified believer immediately turned to look at Qi Liuxing and charged towards him.

Once again successfully drawing Zhou Qian’s aggro, Qi Liuxing’s palm gripping the sword was sweating again.

He didn’t use his skill just now, of course, because he only had 60% MP left.

He could only try to attract aggro using items.

He succeeded, but he had no moves left after that.

Qi Liuxing had no items left in his bag that could attract aggro, and his MP bar was only enough for one major move, or three regular Sword God stances.

But the giant cat was rushing over from another crystal bridge without barriers.

And with the three-minute timer counting down, those two winged men behind the barrier were already staring at him, seemingly ready to pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

The situation was dire. Qi Liuxing realized he could only buy Zhou Qian another two minutes at most.

From the moment the first believer began to ascend, Qi Liuxing had been calculating in his heart.

The time gap between each believer’s ascension was about two minutes.

After the birth of the believer who turned into a cat, there was less than two minutes until the next believer’s ascension, and then they would attack Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian must find the so-called buff within these two minutes. Otherwise, everyone would be done for.

What Qi Liuxing had to do was hold off these three deified believers for these two minutes and prevent them from returning to the other side of the lake to attack Zhou Qian.

Compared to the leisurely pace of the first believer crossing the bridge, the giant cat moved incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it reached Qi Liuxing and immediately swung its paw.

The space in front of him seemed to be torn apart by five lightning-like claw marks.

Almost instinctively, Qi Liuxing dove to the ground.

He barely avoided the lethal blow. Though he wasn’t hit directly, his HP had sharply decreased by 1,000, dropping directly to 50%.

Probably due to the skill cooldown, the giant cat didn’t immediately launch a second attack on Qi Liuxing. It just stared at him with murderous white pupils.

Those eyes clearly conveyed, “You’re already dead.”

To make matters worse, the three-minute barrier restriction was up, and the two winged monsters fluttered their wings, suddenly coming up to Qi Liuxing.

At that moment, the giant cat glared fiercely at Qi Liuxing, raising its paw, clearly preparing for a second round of attacks.

Surrounded by three such high-level monsters, Qi Liuxing was in grave danger and had to use his ultimate move.

With the [Divine Sword Second Stance], his long sword soared into the air, autonomously drawing a circle in mid-air.

Countless sword shadows immediately emerged from the ring of light, almost illuminating the palace dome before swiftly attacking in all directions.

It was clearly an AOE* skill, and the swords moved like a rainbow, seemingly able to annihilate everyone in an instant.

*Area of effect. An attack or defense, such as a spell or skill, that affects all characters within a specified range of the target place or character.

Even the Yu Zhu duo watching from the phone screen were shaken by the sword’s brilliance.

The two were following Zhou Qian’s perspective on their phone screens, but across the lake, they still witnessed the astounding scene.

“Damn, that’s so powerful! Truly a Sword God! Killing someone every ten steps, never leaving a trail for a thousand miles!!!”

“Indeed powerful! No wonder it consumes half of his MP.”

However, 10 seconds later.

[Believer No. 9 HP has decreased by 3%]

[Believer No. 6 HP has decreased by 3%]

[Believer No. 15 HP has decreased by 3%]

Qi Liuxing: “……”

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: “……”

Such fierce moves, yet the score was 0-5.

Those gua sha* masters’ reputations were truly deserved.

*Traditional Chinese medicine in which a tool is used to scrape people’s skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matters form blood statis within sore, tired, stiff, or inured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flows to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery. || In this context, it’s basically making a joke of Qi Liuxing’s moves only to barely make a dent on the monsters (like gua sha doesn’t really hurt you even though it looks severely bad).

These NPCs were simply ridiculously strong.

Even Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but curse.

Then he faced the most dangerous moment since entering the game—all three believers were about to unleash their ultimate skills on him.

His pupils uncontrollably dilated, and Qi Liuxing looked enraged.

He quickly pulled out an item from his bag—a mirror.

Should he… Should he use it now?

---

The author has something to say:

Can you guess what the real buff is?

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 12

Qi Liuxing looked up towards the opposite shore, the bright red of the apples reflected in his eyes. He said, “It’s because they all ate the apples! Wait a minute—”

Before Zhou Qian could explain, Qi Liuxing quickly understood the crux of the matter.

If eating the apples meant that the believers wouldn’t attack each other, then the solution to this instance was simple: players just needed to eat the apples.

After consuming the apples, players might lose their sanity temporarily, but they wouldn’t face any attacks. They could comfortably clear the dungeon.

At first glance, this method seems to align with a 70% average clearance rate.

However, on second thought, it was illogical.

Without certainty regarding any hidden intentions of God Epoh, players would naturally be hesitant to consume his apples.

And after witnessing the transformation of the first believer, most players would undoubtedly be discouraged from eating the apples. They couldn’t be sure that they wouldn’t turn into a monster and face unforeseen consequences.

Hence, the most straightforward way to clear the instance couldn’t be by eating the apples.

Qi Liuxing agreed that 70% of players cleared the dungeon by employing the guerrilla tactics Zhou Qian mentioned earlier.

Given this, the reason why the transformed believers didn’t attack each other might not necessarily be related to consuming the apples.

As Qi Liuxing was pondering, he suddenly noticed Zhou Qian emerging from behind a tree. “There might be a hidden buff on the opposite shore that prevents them from fighting there, like the white petals or perhaps… the presence of God Epoh himself.”

Then he said something that left Qi Liuxing utterly stunned. “I need to go to the opposite shore.”

Seeing Zhou Qian willingly head towards the other side, Qi Liuxing felt he shouldn’t care about his well-being but couldn’t help himself. He made a gesture to stop him. “Are you out of your mind?”

The believers on the other shore were already consuming the apples. Even though their transformations were at different stages, they would eventually turn into monsters like Believer No. 1.

Believer No. 1 couldn’t find a target on the opposite shore, so she crossed the bridge in search of players.

Now, Zhou Qian dared to directly approach the opposite side, plunging himself into the horde of monsters. Was this some kind of suicide mission?

“There’s a saying: ‘Without destruction, there’s no construction¹.’ Or perhaps… ‘Place oneself in death ground and one will live².’ To obtain rare rewards, one must be adventurous.”

¹(不破不立) Idiom referring to the new cannot be established without destroying the old.
²(置之死地而后生) It’s a term originally used to refer to a battle where the army is placed in a situation where there is no way to retreat and only die in battle, thus they have to march forward and kill their enemies. Now it’s a metaphor for cutting off one’s retreat in advance so one can make up one’s mind to achieve success.

Zhou Qian turned and smiled at Qi Liuxing. “Moreover, Xiao Qi Didi*, I’m not the person you think I am… I don’t just use people for my benefit.”

*Younger brother (弟弟)

“Choosing to stay and explore the hidden achievements was my decision. So, I didn’t trick you into taking risks on the other shore. If I do find a protective buff, then everyone benefits.”

“You—!”

Qi Liuxing furrowed his brows, truly puzzled about Zhou Qian’s character.

Without looking back, Zhou Qian simply waved. “I tricked you in the treehouse because I had no other choice. Otherwise, I would have died.”

“Now, I want to apologize. You might not accept it, but I fear I may not have another chance.”

“What do you mean, Zhou Qian…”

Did he say this because he’s prepared for death?

Is he truly willing to risk his life for everyone’s benefit?

Should I use the [Tick Tock Clock] to save him if something happens?

I can save him…

Zhou Qian’s voice echoed again. “Are you hesitating about using the [Tick Tock Clock]? If something happens to me, saving me would be a favor, not an obligation. I understand if you choose not to. Don’t feel pressured.”

“……”

Qi Liuxing couldn’t form a coherent response before Zhou Qian quickly dashed onto the bridge.

On the semi-transparent crystal bridge, Zhou Qian and Believer No. 1 stood at opposite ends, their gazes locking.

Facing Zhou Qian, the first believer abruptly raised her sharp-clawed hands. Although she walked slowly, something else was rushing rapidly towards Zhou Qian—the monstrous fetus connected to her waist.

With a swift lash of its bizarre blood-red umbilical cord, a baby’s head lunged at Zhou Qian, baring its teeth.

The echoing laughter of the baby surrounded Zhou Qian, almost causing double visions as countless blood-red baby heads seemed to surround him.

Just by being attacked by the baby’s laughter, his HP started to plummet rapidly.

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 70%]

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 60%]

……

In a fleeting moment, Zhou Qian tried desperately to gather his senses. As he did, the apparition vanished, and the baby head connected by the umbilical cord was almost within his reach.

Suddenly, the umbilical cord shot up high. The attached baby head followed quickly, opening its mouth, which was dripping with blood, and swiftly lunged at Zhou Qian.

Witnessing this scene from the lakeside, Qi Liuxing and even Zhu Qiang and Yu Xian in front of their phone screens, all held their breaths.

At the last moment, Zhou Qian quickly took out a rope from his bag and threw it towards a thick branch hanging above the lake.

[Item: Flying Rope]

[Function: When thrown, it adheres to any target within 100 meters with 100% accuracy, allowing for an exhilarating flying experience. Adhesion duration: three minutes.]

Zhou Qian had snagged this from Dong Xiang.

The rope quickly attached itself to the tree trunk. After testing its grip, Zhou Qian pulled hard, propelling his body upward.

The moment his feet left the ground, there was a loud boom. The baby’s head missed and slammed into the bridge, shattering the crystalline structure!

The bridge collapsed instantly. Believer No. 1, caught off guard, plunged into the lake. Her fate was evident—torn to shreds by the water.

A mist of blood arose and then dispersed. Watching all this, Qi Liuxing felt a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

Looking back at Zhou Qian, he saw him swinging back and forth over the lake, like he was on a swing. The rope tightened around his slim waist, creating a beautiful silhouette. With a confident smile, Zhou Qian looked back at Qi Liuxing, seemingly assured of his victory.

This boosted Qi Liuxing’s confidence. Maybe the situation wasn’t as difficult as they had initially thought. Zhou Qian had earlier guessed that the god-like believers would mimic the goddess in creating bridges. But now it seemed they lacked this skill, so if they could destroy the other two crystal bridges and stop them from crossing, it might work.

Just as Qi Liuxing was about to share his thoughts with Zhou Qian, he realized how naive he had been.

On the opposite bank of the lake, another believer underwent transformation, radiating a red glow with white pupils. He stood stunned by the destroyed bridge for a moment. Then, imitating the flapping of a bird’s wings, he unexpectedly grew a pair of wings!

Qi Liuxing exclaimed in shock, “The transformed believers can evolve!”

The believer before had transformed her unborn baby into a weapon. Now this one learned to fly to cross the river!

With a single flap, the believer took flight, seemingly catching a scent. His pale eyes settled on Zhou Qian in mid-air. He sniffed, confirming the scent, and lunged at Zhou Qian!

[Target: Believer No. 17]

[Rank: C]

[Skills: ???]

[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]

“Zhou Qian, watch out!” Qi Liuxing yelled as he rushed forward, wielding his sword.

Using the [Divine Sword Stance], he unleashed multiple slashes of invisible sword qi* towards the winged believer. The believer was caught off-guard, injured, and started to plummet to the lake’s surface. However, he quickly flapped his wings and regained altitude, charging again at Zhou Qian.

*Vital force forming part of any living entity. You can think of it as energy.

[Player Qi Liuxing: Energy decreased by 400, 80% remaining]

[Believer No. 17: Health decreased by 1%]

After quickly checking the system panel, Qi Liuxing: “……”

‘This creature’s vitality is too high. It’s like I’m barely scratching it. How can I even attack it?’

Zhou Qian’s voice echoed from above. “Qi Liuxing, don’t take him head-on! Aim for his wings, get him into the lake!”

Qi Liuxing, being a Rank D player, wasn’t a novice. Before Zhou Qian’s reminder, he had already used the [Divine Sword Stance] once more, this time aiming at the believer’s wings. Caught off guard, the believer’s wings were severed, causing him to plummet into the lake and explode into fragments.

Meanwhile, Qi Liuxing’s energy was down to 60%.

Hanging in mid-air holding a rope, Zhou Qian glanced across the lake and asked Qi Liuxing, “What’s your ultimate move?”

“[Divine Sword: Second Stance]. Using it once will consume 50% of my energy. To fully recover, I’ll have to wait till tomorrow.”

Zhou Qian: “…”

The game was most lacking in items that restore energy.

In other words, it was challenging to replenish energy through artificial methods like consuming potions.

Given his current energy, Qi Liuxing could either use his ultimate move once more or use three regular skills in succession.

But there were still 17 believers undergoing divine transformation.

Furthermore, after becoming gods, these believers have shown astonishing evolutionary abilities.

They could grow wings, and they might even be able to see through the players’ scheme to lure them into the lake.

The difference in strength between the two sides was just too vast.

How could they fight?

Qi Liuxing immediately said to Zhou Qian, “Let’s give up. This instance doesn’t kill all the players directly, so the divine transformation speed of the believers is different. While the other 17 believers haven’t completed their apotheosis, let’s hide in the treehouse!”

“No,” Zhou Qian replied.

Qi Liuxing, standing by the lake, looked up and saw Zhou Qian’s cold, indifferent, yet incredibly firm profile.

“We must seize the time to go to the other side of the lake and find a protective buff while the 17 believers haven’t all completed their apotheosis.”

“Zhou Qian, you’re insane!”

“Those who enter the game… are probably all insane.”

With a light laugh, Zhou Qian glanced across the lake, turned his head, and stared into Qi Liuxing’s eyes.

His deep black pupils seemed to hide a powerful allure.

He asked, “What about you? Where’s your madness?”

Qi Liuxing replied, “I’m not mad! I can just see ghosts…”

“To be precise, I can only see one ghost. He’s always with me. My parents just think I’ve lost it.”

“The doctors say I have severe schizophrenia*.”

*Mental disorder characterized by continuous or releasing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking.

“When the game approached me, it said—the living can die, the dead can live.”

“So, I thought, those without desires won’t be chosen by the game.”

“What’s your obsession, being so young? Do you want to resurrect that ghost from hell?”

“I…” Qi Liuxing’s grip on his sword tightened. He didn’t speak, but there was a fleeting look in his eyes, as if recalling some sad past.

Noticing Qi Liuxing’s expression, Zhou Qian suddenly remembered how he had returned 500 gold coins to him in a previous game.

Maybe this boy is genuinely honest.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qian said enticingly, “Though in this instance, you see the believers hurting the Great God Epoh. How can you be sure that Epoh won’t harm humans?”

“The boy in my side quest died from his divine power. Epoh, while granting the wishes of the believers, doesn’t care whether they are good or evil.”

“So, maybe Epoh will threaten all of humanity, and our hidden mission is to thwart his conspiracy and save the world. So—”

“Would you like to save the world with me?”

Qi Liuxing: “…”

After a moment, he clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, “Zhou Qian, don’t try to trick me. The NPCs in this dungeon are fake; this isn’t real. It’s just a game!”

Zhou Qian: “The game is fake, but the choices you make in it reflect your true nature. Do you want to be a bad person?”

“Xiao Qi, even if you can watch me die, can you really ignore all the innocent people who might be harmed by Epoh in the future? Can you really stand by as countless people die at his hands?”

“You…”

“I believe you’re not like that. You won’t let Epoh’s plans succeed. You’ll save me and everyone else.”

“You have an innocent heart, which is precious.”

“You’re not worthy of the title ‘Sword God’ yet. But once you’ve saved everyone and become everyone’s hero, you’ll be worthy.”

“Do you really want to flee in this situation with your aspiration to become the ‘Sword God’?”

Looking at Qi Liuxing, Zhou Qian smiled and extended a final invitation. “Two more believers have just transformed. Apart from them, there might be several more who will complete their transformation soon. They will obstruct me from getting to the other side of the lake.”

“You draw their attention and cover for me, and I’ll go across the lake to find a buff that will protect all of us. Let’s cooperate.”

---

The author has something to say:

How to coax a teen with “chuunibyou”? Of course, become a “chuunibyou” with him!”

Save the world, starting with me!

PS: Due to the urgent situation here, Zhou Qian has “morally kidnapped” Xiao Qi for a moment, but he did “not control” anyone, and this is certainly “not PUA“. It’s okay to play with tropes, but please don’t misunderstand Zhou Qian~~~.

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 11

Regarding what Qi Liuxing had said, Zhou Qian didn’t answer for the moment and just looked towards the opposite bank of the lake.

The goddesses had completely disappeared, leaving only snow-white petals covering the ground. The Great God Epoh was peacefully asleep amidst the flowers, as if he had entered a long slumber.

At this moment, the believers probably didn’t have the time or intent to continue hurting him.

They wanted to become gods. They were eager to pick the apples.

At that moment, the 19 believers were rushing one after another across the three bridges.

The branches with apples were quite high, not something one could easily reach by simply raising their hand.

So, presumably, after these believers reached the other side of the lake, they couldn’t immediately get to them. They would have to climb trees and help each other by stepping on shoulders to get the apples.

Before they got their hands on the apples, Zhou Qian took out a spherical object from his bag.

[Item: Flash Bomb]

[Function: When thrown on the ground, it emits a flash and smoke that confuses the vision of regular enemies. Lasts for three minutes.]

This item was something Zhou Qian had acquired from Gao Shan during the scoring game.

Holding the flash spray bomb, Zhou Qian quickly walked to the head of the bridge, fiercely throwing it towards the opposite bank. Instantly, colorful fog that also flashed rose, turning the dreamy and tranquil scene into something reminiscent of a peculiar nightclub.

In front of the mobile phone screen.

Yu Xian: “Damn, my eyes are going blind from the flash. What kind of fantasy punk style is this?

“I almost had a bizarre thought that after these believers eat the apples and transform into gods, they might just start dancing right there. The scene would be too beautiful…”

“Ahem, anyway, what does Qian Ge want to do?”

Zhu Qiang analyzed for a moment. “The purpose of this item is to obscure vision. It’s hard to say how much advantage it can provide in a fight, but right now… Qian Ge probably wants to use it to slow down the believers from picking apples.”

Yu Xian: “But didn’t he say not to stop them from eating the apples?”

Zhu Qiang: “He’s coming down from the bridge. Let’s watch!”

Inside the game.

Four players gathered on the shore, and Zhou Qian finally answered Qi Liuxing’s previous question.

“The four of us, trying to stop 19 people from picking apples, have no chance of winning. Even if we try our best, some will succeed in eating them. By that time, those who have transformed will be gods, but our HP and MP will be emptied. How would we escape?”

Qi Liuxing asked, “So what do we do? Try to destroy the three bridges?”

Zhou Qian shook his head. “It won’t make much difference. The bridges were conjured by the goddesses. Don’t forget, they became gods after eating the apples. So, even if the transformed believers lose their senses, you can’t be sure they won’t make a bridge.”

Gao Shan: “So what do we do? Just wait for all 19 of them to become gods? The difference in power is too vast!”

“This game is only at level one. The method to clear it is simple. We don’t need to confront the NPCs directly.”

Zhou Qian explained, “After eating the apples, the believers will lose their senses and attack us. But if they can’t see us, how can they act? So, we just need to find a place to hide during the time they’re picking apples.”

Gao Shan couldn’t help but ask again, “That sounds easy, but where do we hide?”

Yun Xiangrong reacted quickly. “The treehouse! That’s it… The hiding place, the game told us right at the beginning!”

“We started at the treehouse area, which is far from here and relatively concealed. Even if the believers slowly search their way there, we can still play guerrilla warfare with them. We’re more familiar with the terrain over there! We just need to hold on for an hour, and then we can leave Apple Paradise and pass successfully.”

Gao Shan seemed to have an epiphany. “This flash bomb can last for 3 minutes. The believers successfully picking apples would be a matter for at least 3 minutes later. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry and hide in the treehouse!”

After saying this, Gao Shan and Yun Xiangrong looked at each other, nodded, and turned to head towards the treehouse.

However, Zhou Qian suddenly spoke up, stopping them. “Wait.”

“Why are you wasting time? We only have 3 minutes!” Gao Shan said anxiously.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qian replied, “Sorry, using this flash bomb to hold them back for 3 minutes wasn’t actually to buy us time to hide. I just wanted to use these 3 minutes to persuade you to agree to my other plan.”

Gao Shan, Yun Xiangrong, and Qi Liuxing: “…”

“What I’m about to say is the main point. Not stopping the believers from eating the apples, playing hide and seek with them in the treehouse. Doing these two things, players can clear this level by just enduring. But if—”

Zhou Qian looked at the other three and said, “If it’s just like this, the gameplay is too mediocre. We can’t get any special rewards.”

“What do you mean…” Gao Shan was a bit hesitant.

Zhou Qian explained, “The pass rate for this instance is 70%. The initial scoring game is the first checkpoint. The probability of all five of us getting through without injury is too low. The usual way most likely involves 5 players going in and 4 coming out, so the survival rate for players at this stage is generally 80%. This is close to the average pass rate. This means that most people can safely get through the next escape segment and successfully pass. But don’t forget—”

“There are hidden achievements in this instance.”

“Believers, abused gods, apples nourished by pain and godly blood… there must be a purpose behind these images. If we just leave like this, we haven’t helped anyone in this story.”

“We need to fully understand the story behind the instance to get the real hidden achievements and the most special rewards. So—”

Zhou Qian then looked towards the other side of the lake.

Three minutes were about to pass. The colorful smoke was slowly dissipating.

With an intrigued look in his eyes, Zhou Qian continued, “The system message says that after eating the apple, one will lose their sanity for a period of time. But what happens after that period? What will happen to the believers? Is Epoh just sleeping with his eyes closed the entire time?”

“So, my suggestion is to abandon the plan to hide in the treehouse. We should witness the entire storyline here, so we know how to trigger the hidden achievement.”

After Zhou Qian finished speaking, the three players were silent for a full three seconds.

The first to respond was Gao Shan. “This is too dangerous! If we play it safe, we can survive. But staying here, 4 against 20, we are very likely to be wiped out! We can’t risk our lives for a hidden reward! We… we won’t stay here. We’ll go to the treehouse!”

“But I need you,” Zhou Qian said.

On hearing this, both Qi Liuxing and Yun Xiangrong couldn’t help but chuckle.

Why should Zhou Qian assume that just because he needs them, they will risk their lives with him?

After all, the probability of getting the hidden achievement was only 10%.

Zhou Qian, seemingly oblivious to the looks from his teammates, said earnestly, “I’m currently a Rank F player, a combat weakling without any skills. That’s why I need your help.”

“You three, healer, DPS, and tank, each with your own skills. We can form a team, with me as the commander. Follow my plan, and we can surely get the hidden achievement.”

Before the others could rebut, Zhou Qian continued, “You came here for special rewards. Why are you afraid to take risks now?”

“Or let me rephrase—why did you agree to play this game in the first place? Can you achieve what you want by always playing it safe?”

Yun Xiangrong took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Qian. “This is gambler behavior.”

Zhou Qian smiled. “I am indeed a gambler. But when I win at the gambling table, it’s never due to luck but strategy and precise execution. For just a level-one instance, as long as you listen to me, achieving the hidden achievement isn’t hard.”

Yun Xiangrong pressed on. “How can you guarantee that?”

Zhou Qian replied, “Based on the special intel I got from the side quest.”

Glancing again at the other side of the lake, Zhou Qian’s expression became a bit more serious. “We don’t have much time. I can’t explain everything to you now. I’ll give you ten seconds to think. Those willing to stay, just follow my command.”

……

In front of the phone screen, both Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang shook their heads.

“What kind of intel does Qian Ge have? He has only three pills at most, which can limit the actions of only three godly believers.”

“My former boss used to paint us rosy pictures, just like Qian Ge.”

“Yeah, I know the outcome. Your company went bankrupt, and you lost your job.”

To the other players, it seemed Zhou Qian was drawing an unrealistically promising picture…

Soon, through the phone screen, the Yu Zhu duo saw the choices made by the other players.

Yun Xiangrong and Gao Shan chose the safe route, heading for the treehouse; Qi Liuxing surprisingly chose to stay.

Before turning to leave, Yun Xiangrong said to Zhou Qian, “I’ve realized how difficult it is to get a hidden achievement in such an instance. You can’t possibly succeed.”

Seemingly not hearing that at all, Zhou Qian just looked at Qi Liuxing with a smile, praising sincerely, “Truly worthy of being the highest-ranked Sword God among us!”

Qi Liuxing coldly looked at Zhou Qian. “I am indeed willing to stay and continue to explore the plot. But I won’t listen to your commands. I won’t believe a word you say anymore.”

Ah, it seems that when they played the treehouse scoring game, he had left a deep psychological shadow on this young man, hadn’t he?

As the conversation reached this point, Qi Liuxing solemnly added, “Also, being called a ‘Sword God’ or something, I’m nowhere close to that. It’s just a title gamblers use to cheer me on.”

Zhou Qian chuckled upon hearing this, only for Qi Liuxing to continue, “Once the 19 NPCs eat the apples and become gods, I’ll decide if I should flee to the treehouse and forfeit the hidden achievement based on the situation.”

“My basic attributes are all pretty good; I can fight, endure hits, and run fast. So, I am confident I can escape unscathed. But I’m not sure I can still escape safely with you slowing me down. I’m telling you this now, so don’t blame me for being heartless or unemotional later.”

“No. You’re neither heartless nor emotionless. You will save me,” Zhou Qian said confidently.

Qi Liuxing, a young man not yet 18, didn’t hide his emotions well.

He feigned indifference and sternly said to Zhou Qian, “Why do you think so? You cheated me out of my money and items, and now you expect me to save you?”

In the end, he couldn’t help but add, “Why are you so shameless?!”

For a young man who seemed to have received a good upbringing, using just the phrase “shameless” to insult someone when angered was quite restrained.

Even though Dong Xiang was indeed a scumbag, Zhou Qian had a slight feeling that the proportion of good people he encountered in this story seemed a bit too high.

However, real-life experience told Zhou Qian that most people in the world were untrustworthy. The only thing that truly bound everyone together was “interest”, especially substantial interest.

With that, Zhou Qian gave Qi Liuxing a meaningful look and said with a smile, “You want to stay, which means you really want the hidden reward. That means the special information I have is useful to you.”

Casting a glance at the silhouette of a couple in the distance, Zhou Qian approached Qi Liuxing in the last second of the smoke bomb’s 3-minute effect, stared into his eyes, and slowly said, “Qi Liuxing, keep me alive. I’ll help you win.”

……

Leaning against an apple tree, Zhou Qian hid himself with only half of his head peeking out, looking towards the opposite shore of the lake.

One of his legs was casually bent, giving off a somewhat carefree vibe.

Yet, his demeanor exuded a calm and relaxed aura, making people want to follow him instinctively.

Across from Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing stood upright with a long sword in hand.

Being labeled as a “Sword God” was the highest honor for a chuunibyou* like him. He always demanded of himself to stand as straight as a sword.

*Also known as middle-second syndrome or eighth-grader syndrome, is a Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves they have hidden knowledge of secret powers.

But now, he realized Zhou Qian’s posture seemed a bit more stylish.

So, leaning against a tree, Qi Liuxing unconsciously imitated Zhou Qian’s posture, bending one leg as well.

However, he remained stoic, forcing a straight face, and gave Zhou Qian a cold look, pretending he didn’t care about what Zhou Qian was saying.

Casually taking a barrier from his bag, Qi Liuxing threw it in front of one of the crystal bridges. “This barrier can last for three minutes. If all 19 of them rush over, it might block them for a bit, buying us some time to escape.”

Zhou Qian’s attractive eyes squinted slightly. “Not bad.”

Qi Liuxing asked, “So what exactly is the special information you have?”

Zhou Qian: “Actually, whether I tell you or not, it doesn’t matter much.”

Qi Liuxing: “?”

Zhou Qian: “Because apart from those three pills, I didn’t get any special information.”

Qi Liuxing: “…?! You—!”

The fact that even this was a ruse by Zhou Qian made Qi Liuxing furious. He glared at Zhou Qian. “Are you out of your mind? You have no info?! How do you, a Rank F weakling, expect to deal with 19 divine believers? Need I remind you? Your HP is only 300! One hit from my sword might kill you!”

Zhou Qian didn’t respond.

He stared at the opposite shore and then stood upright. “Remember Believer No. 1?”

Qi Liuxing asked, “The pregnant woman?”

“Yes.” Zhou Qian nodded. “It seems everyone’s transformation rate is different. She and the two men next to her ate the apples at the same time. Now she’s transformed, but the two men haven’t.”

Qi Liuxing quickly looked across the lake and immediately spotted the pregnant woman.

She stood out in the crowd, emanating a red glow that made her impossible to ignore. At the same time, her pupils had turned white, making her eyes look vacant, as if she had lost her sanity.

Opening her mouth, she suddenly let out a roar, and then something bizarre happened.

She crouched down in pain and screamed as if she was giving birth.

A round, fleshy blob covered in blood crawled out from her body. It was connected to her by an umbilical cord, wrapped around her waist. Her hands suddenly grew sharp claws, flailing about as if searching for a target to attack.

“Fuck—”

The sight was so grotesque and eerie that Qi Liuxing, who was always trying to maintain his cool swordsman demeanor, couldn’t keep his act up. His voice involuntarily pitched up in shock. “Is this what they call becoming a god? This looks more like turning into a monstrous zombie! She’s… She’s looking for a target, right? Damn it, she’s coming this way!”

Across the lake, the transformed Believer No. 1 was indeed approaching.

With every step, she left a bloody footprint. As she walked past other followers who were either eating or trying to pick apples, she headed straight for one of the crystal bridges, which had no barricades, and slowly walked towards their side of the lake. Throughout this process, her nose twitched continuously, as if sniffing something. Her eyes darted from left to right, and her arms flailed more violently.

[Target: Believer No. 1]

[Rank: C]

[Skills: ???]

[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]

Qi Liuxing, after accessing her data through his watch, gripped his sword tightly and prepared himself for combat.

Unexpectedly, he heard Zhou Qian asking him in a rather relaxed tone, “Hey, let me quiz you.”

Qi Liuxing looked at him incredulously. “Are you out of your mind?”

Zhou Qian casually gestured towards the lake’s other side. “The believer consumes the apple, loses her sanity, emits a red glow, and shows high aggression and strong killing intent… So why didn’t she harm other believers and instead headed straight for us?”

---

The author has something to say:

The illusions spun by Qian Ge taste as delicious as the divine apples.

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 10

Across the lake.

A vast shadow on the ground was steadily approaching Zhou Qian, completely engulfing his silhouette.

Accompanying the shadow from the sky was a gigantic branch.

The branch was covered in countless leaves, looking as if they were opening their mouths, ready to bite and tear at Zhou Qian’s flesh.

The other two believers faced a situation similar to Zhou Qian’s.

Their faces turned pale, and their eyes displayed immense fear.

It’s over. These snake-like vines, with their gaping mouths, would surely tear them apart! They were naive to think they could actually harm a god!

Believer No. 2 was the first to react, turning to run.

Perhaps because he had harmed Epoh the most, he now appeared the most panicked.

But luck wasn’t on his side. Just as he was about to step onto the crystal bridge, he misstepped, plunging into the lake.

In an instant, his body was torn apart, blood misting the air, swiftly consumed by the silent waters.

Believer No. 1, running behind him, narrowly stopped at the edge of the lake upon seeing his fate. She immediately turned around, quickly kneeling towards the giant tree and Epoh.

She bowed her head repeatedly, pleadingly saying, “I… I was wrong! Great God Epoh! I was wrong!”

“But you said we could do whatever to you—”

“No. I shouldn’t have! I was wrong! I shouldn’t have been so selfish! All of this is my fault! I shouldn’t have directed my life’s resentment towards you! I’m sorry! I…”

Throughout this ordeal, Zhou Qian glanced back only briefly before returning his gaze forward, calmly watching the demonic leaves approach him.

In the next moment, Zhou Qian was entirely consumed.

He stood tall and straight, like a blade, unwavering in place. He was immediately swept up and enveloped by the leaves, disappearing from sight.

Almost everyone held their breath, thinking Zhou Qian was surely doomed.

But soon, the leaves retreated from his body.

He emerged untouched, with all the blood stains on him gone.

It turned out the leaves only absorbed the god’s blood from him, not intending to kill him.

With his hands casually in his pockets, Zhou Qian smiled as he looked in the direction of the Great God Epoh.

He had guessed right again.

He deduced from two points that God Epoh wouldn’t harm anyone with the leaves.

First, it defied logic. If Epoh wanted people to torture him and then kill them afterward, it made no sense.

Considering it from a conspiratorial angle, if Epoh had ulterior motives in being tortured, then he would need all 24 followers to complete the ritual. If he killed them now, the remaining would be scared off, ending the ritual.

So from any perspective, it made no sense for him to kill.

As for the second reason, Zhou Qian had quickly checked his watch for information.

In the current stage of the game, when faced with hostile entities, the system would always provide information such as their HP and attack levels.

However, when the leaves approached, the system detected nothing.

From this, Zhou Qian deduced the leaves meant him no harm.

Indeed, he emerged unscathed, as did Believer No. 1.

The only one to meet an unfortunate fate was Believer No. 2, who frightened himself into the lake.

Zhou Qian felt no pity for him. If one does no wrong, they fear no retribution. It was his own harm towards Epoh that made him so afraid of retaliation.

However, this situation seemed too lenient for Believer No. 1.

Zhou Qian glanced at her and heard the goddess say, “Please Believers No. 1 and No. 3 return to the other side of the lake. Now, Believers No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6, come forward to meet the Great God. You can do whatever you want to him.”

……

The 24 followers were divided into 8 batches. After returning to the lakeside, Zhou Qian watched as the remaining 7 batches approached God Epoh, each employing various cruel methods on him.

Apart from the three players, including Zhou Qian, all other followers took action.

If Believers No. 1 and No. 2 were a bit restrained due to caution, the rest became increasingly brutal upon realizing there were no repercussions.

In their everyday lives, bound by morals and laws, many wouldn’t dare act out their darkest desires.

But now, with the opportunity provided by God Epoh, it undeniably unleashed the darkness within them.

Mad emotions were like contagious germs, infecting everyone in an instant, fermenting the violent factors in their blood to the extreme.

Originally there were some believers who were unwilling to harm the Great God Epoh. But at this time, the kind-hearted people seemed to be treated as monsters. In the end, either under coercion or threats, they still acted against the great god Epoh.

This turned into a feast of humans torturing the god.

The climax of this feast was when a believer took an ax he brought and cut off Epoh’s leg. When he threw that leg into the lake, the believers erupted in jubilation.

As things progressed, the brutality of the followers was astounding. Seeing someone chop off a leg, another follower seemed to want to compete and actually decapitated Epoh’s head and threw it into the lake.

Witnessing this scene, even Zhou Qian, who had almost lost his emotional experience, frowned deeply.

Among the young couple, Yun Xiangrong, who had always been calm, covered her face with both hands, unable to bear watching. The honest Gao Shan was already in tears. “How could they do such a thing? This is unbelievable.”

“There’s nothing surprising. In such a situation, if you are reluctant to take action, you might be killed as an outcast. This is the most terrifying aspect of human nature,” Zhou Qian said solemnly while his eyes narrowed as he looked at the opposite shore. “What’s more, they have also witnessed the fact that the Great God will not die no matter what. So they don’t have to take any responsibility and can vent as they like.”

Gao Shan couldn’t understand. “I really don’t understand. The great god clearly helped them! Why aren’t they grateful, but instead resent him?”

After a moment of silence, Zhou Qian said indifferently, “The reason is simple. If they get something too easily, people will take it for granted. As a Great God, he should fulfill their wishes without reservation. So, once the Great God disappoints them, they hate him.”

With a sarcastic smile, Zhou Qian added, “When Epoh was useful to them, they worshiped him as a god. But once he became useless… Well, you’re seeing the outcome.”

Except for the three players, each believer tortured the great god Epoh for a full 5 minutes.

When the last group of punishing believers returned, the giant tree on the opposite bank began to move again. Its branches wrapped around the broken body of the Great God, regenerating his limbs and head.

When Epoh reappeared, he looked the same with closed eyes, but his complexion had become paler.

Zhou Qian sensed something and looked at the giant tree behind Epoh. The entire tree was changing, and soon everyone’s attention was drawn to it. The giant tree was blooming!

Thousands of branches shook, and soon pink buds sprouted and quickly bloomed into white flowers.

In a flash, like a spring breeze overnight, the giant tree was full of snow-white flowers. With the blooming, a refreshing fragrance wafted over, even across the lake.

The fragrance seemed to have a magical power, making everyone feel relaxed and worry-free.

The flowers bloomed in an instant and also withered in an instant. The petals fell like snow, covering the ground.

The snow-colored petals fell all over Epoh’s body. His hair, his bare shoulders, even that freshly regrown leg, were all covered in petals. His face was ashen, almost blending in with the color of the flowers.

If not for the prominent nose, the faintly reddish lips, and those lowered black eyelashes, Zhou Qian would have had a hard time distinguishing him from the fallen petals.

Thousands of flowers withered, replaced by one fruit after another growing on the giant tree.

The fruits were full and juicy, a pure bright red.

They were apples.

In Apple Park, apples finally grew.

……

The voice of the goddess echoed from afar, as if from the clouds.

“Pain is also a way for gods to feel the world.”

“After descending on this land, the god experienced human joy, sorrow, desire, and envy… Now he has experienced pain and understands the emotions of this land and humanity.”

“The god’s suffering ritual has come to an end. No believer should harm him anymore.”

“The weakened god will return to his homeland to recover his spiritual power.”

“The doors of Apple Park will open in an hour. Those who want to leave can do so by then.”

As the goddess’s voice faded, Epoh, perched on the giant tree, closed his eyes.

The two goddesses looked at him, shared a smile, and turned to the believers, continuing in a sing-song manner.

“The apples of the Apple Park are born from the pain and blood of the Great God Epoh. Gods who consume them will become stronger; ordinary people who eat them will become gods, possessing great divine power.”

“If you want to become a god, hurry up and eat an apple.”

Most of the believers were still indulging in their excitement from the ritual. The words of the goddesses undoubtedly ignited their excitement even further.

“Really? Can we become gods?!”

“Just by eating apples?”

“If we have divine power, can’t we achieve our desires?!”

The goddesses replied in unison.

“Of course.”

“Not only humans, but animals can too.”

“In fact, both of us were originally animals. Only after eating the apples did we gain divine power!”

One goddess transformed into a rabbit, hopping onto a tree branch and disappearing into the jungle. The other turned into a snake, playfully hissing at the believers, its eyes not menacing but rather teasing. The snake then coiled around a nearby tree branch and disappeared.

As the two goddesses vanished, four players received system prompts.

[Main Quest Triggered: Exit the Apple Park to clear the level.]

[Tip: Consuming the apple grants divine power but may lead to a loss of consciousness for a short period.]

The first to ask was Gao Shan. “What does this mean? Can we also eat the apples? Should we?”

Zhou Qian turned his gaze from the system panel to the believers, all showing greedy expressions.

“What you need to consider,” Zhou Qian began, “is not whether we should eat the apples but what will happen to us after these believers consume them.”

Taking the system’s hint and the goddesses’ words together, it was easy to infer the next events. Believers would eat the apples, lose their minds, and attack the players indiscriminately. The gates of Apple Park would open in an hour. Until then, they were trapped.

“The current rank of the believers is at least E. What do you think their rank will be after becoming gods?”

“A believer fell into the lake and died, so there are 19 left. Even if they are all Rank E, they still outnumbered us by almost fivefold. If they were to become gods, we’re done for!” Yun Xiangrong worriedly said. “So many apples, so many people… How do we stop them? We’re in big trouble!”

There was a sound of a blade being drawn. Zhou Qian turned to see Qi Liuxing pulling out a shining long sword.

He lifted the sword, standing as straight as the blade itself.

The taciturn boy moved forward, declaring, “We must stop them from eating the apples. Right now, they are 19 ordinary people. Once they consume the apples… we can’t cope. We’ll die here!”

“Wait—” Zhou Qian suddenly called out.

“What?” Qi Liuxing gave him a disdainful glance. “Your little tricks won’t work here. If you’re scared as a weak non-combatant, you can hide behind me.”

“I won’t hide. In fact, I want to lead.” Zhou Qian was calm amidst the crisis. “We shouldn’t stop them from eating the apples. In fact, we should encourage it.”

“What do you mean?” Qi Liuxing obviously thought Zhou Qian was out of his mind.

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 9

“What is the purpose behind all of this?”

Gazing into Epoh’s eyes, Zhou Qian’s voice was gentle.

Epoh replied, “My believers believe in me. If I disappoint them, I must compensate. I have no other motives.”

Zhou Qian shook his head and laughed mockingly. “I don’t believe anyone can be so selfless.”

“I am not a person; I am a god.”

“Doesn’t a god have motives?”

Epoh shook his head again. “The power of a god exceeds that of humans by far. Humans hold no value to gods. Hence, gods have no reason to scheme against humans.”

Zhou Qian felt there was a mocking undertone in Epoh’s words, but he was momentarily at a loss for a retort.

In essence, Epoh’s meaning was simple.

The relationship between gods and humans could be compared to that between humans and ants.

Humans always looked down upon ants, never contemplating exploiting them. This was because it was meaningless.

In turn, no matter how hard ants tried, they would never understand human thoughts.

So, humans could never fathom the will of gods based on their own perspective.

Epoh’s actions now seemed like someone keeping ants as pets out of sheer boredom. He might benevolently do things for them, even get bitten by them, but there was no ulterior motive behind it.

As events unfolded and seeing the god Epoh repeatedly stabbed in the chest without any reaction, Zhou Qian inevitably reconsidered his judgment on the direction of this subplot.

In many legends, so-called wish-granting gods or immortals would often turn out to be deceivers.

They were either purely playing with human emotions or were up to some devious schemes, ultimately extracting a hefty price from humans.

Zhou Qian initially assumed Epoh to be no different.

But now he was beginning to think differently—perhaps Epoh truly was selflessly assisting his believers in fulfilling their desires.

“They’ve all had their turn. It’s yours now.”

“You can slice me into pieces. I won’t die.”

Epoh’s voice was incredibly gentle, as if discussing lunch plans while allowing others to hurt him.

Zhou Qian smiled warmly. “My God, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to protect you. Tell me, is there a way to do so?”

Epoh genuinely looked gentle.

While Zhou Qian’s gentleness was clearly an act.

Choosing not to harm Epoh was clearly a game strategy for him.

If there was some ulterior motive behind Epoh’s actions, players obviously shouldn’t harm him.

And if he truly was selfless, indifferent to bites from ant-like humans, then there would be no punishment for players who chose not to harm him. Thus, to avoid pitfalls in the game, the best choice for players would be to not harm Epoh.

Seeing Zhou Qian’s response, Epoh looked mildly surprised.

Curiously, he asked, “What do you want to do?”

Zhou Qian approached, knelt down, and, under Epoh’s pure and naive gaze, held his hand.

“As I said, I want to protect you.”

While Zhou Qian was conversing with Epoh, the other two believers continued to harm him.

Believer No. 1, a young girl with less nerve, didn’t dare use a knife. Seeing Epoh’s indifference, she kicked and punched him a few times while Believer No. 2 attacked him.

Compared to her, Believer No. 2 seemed far more unhinged.

His eyes looked as if they were stained with bloodlust, seemingly intent on venting all his anger, continuously raising his knife and thrusting it into Epoh’s chest.

“Squish,” “Squish”…

Over and over again.

The metallic scent of blood filled Zhou Qian’s nostrils, and throughout this process, he could feel Epoh’s hand getting colder and colder.

Once more, as the bloodied knife was pulled out, a mist of blood shot through the gaze shared between Zhou Qian and Epoh, covering Epoh’s face in fine droplets of blood.

Zhou Qian was sick, incapable of feeling any pronounced anger or sadness.

But because of some nightmarish past, he had always had a strong aversion to blood.

So, Zhou Qian went to the trading hall and spent 5 gold on a towel. Gently, he wiped clean Epoh’s immaculate face.

He realized that Epoh’s facial features were incredibly attractive, almost like a work of art.

Gazing at Epoh, he smiled and said, “Hmm. Clean and beautiful now. I’m very satisfied.”

A moment later, Believer No. 2 seemed to have grown tired. He withdrew his knife and sat down to rest.

However, Believer No. 1 didn’t feel she had vented enough and slapped again.

Judging by the force behind it, this slap was bound to swell up Epoh’s face.

Suddenly, Zhou Qian rose to his feet and grabbed the hand of Believer No. 1.

Looking coldly into her eyes, he said, “Think about the child in your womb. Accumulate some good karma for it. If you do too much harm, be careful; it might be born deformed.”

Having spoken, Zhou Qian faintly felt that something was amiss.

A rustling sound emanated from behind him.

Turning around, he saw the branches and leaves of the giant tree begin to stir.

This towering tree occupied half the space of the entire palace.

The Great God Epoh seemed to have sprouted from this tree, with most of his body wrapped in stems and leaves. Now, those vines on him began to move, appearing alive. For a moment, they didn’t look like branches but more like snakes, the kind that devoured people.

At this point, Believers No. 1 and No. 2 didn’t dare to act recklessly and quickly retreated to the edge of the lake.

Zhou Qian also took a few steps back but still remained quite close to Epoh, not going too far away.

So, the subsequent eerie scene was clearly and completely seen by him.

Blood had flowed over Epoh’s face and body, and naturally, the vines wrapping him were stained too.

However, with the tremble of the vines, they seemed to suck and swallow, and the blood on them disappeared.

There were several gaping holes on Epoh’s forehead, cheeks, shoulders, and chest, all caused by the knife.

Suddenly, a few moving vines, like tentacles, rose up and shot into those holes. During this, Epoh’s complexion became paler, without a trace of blood.

The entire situation was eerily bizarre, as if the tree had thrust its tendrils into him to suck out his blood.

Suddenly realizing something, Zhou Qian looked down at Epoh.

A long, bare leg stretched out, lying on the ground.

Previously, this leg was soaked in blood, and there was a lot of blood on the ground around it. But now, many leaves had moved over the leg and the ground, leaving behind a clean leg and a spotless ground.

After that, his leg regained its shine, and the blood on the ground also disappeared.

So, were these vines not just sucking the blood but also healing Epoh?

With that thought, Zhou Qian felt an ominous feeling.

He had just held Epoh’s hand and sat next to him.

Now, his face, hands, and body were also stained with some of Epoh’s blood.

Wouldn’t those vines…

His heart chilled. Lifting his head, he saw a massive branch sweeping towards him!

On the mobile screen:

“Fuck! Is Qian Ge gonna die?! My million dollars!”

“The other two believers won’t escape either! They injured the Great God and have lots of blood on them!”

“Qian Ge was wronged. He did nothing!”

Ever since witnessing Dong Xiang’s death, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang had been in prolonged silence.

The scene was too bloody, more real than countless horror movies they had watched.

Dong Xiang might truly be dead. The entire game seemed controlled by some mysterious power.

They suddenly realized that these players on the screen, including themselves, the gamblers, couldn’t escape.

At this moment, seeing Zhou Qian in grave danger, the two couldn’t help but speak up.

Inside the game, the three players on the opposite shore of the lake also cried out in alarm.

Gao Shan said, “Those leaves turned into snakes. Look, aren’t they opening their mouths?”

Qi Liuxing asked, “What’s going on? Will everyone who goes to the opposite shore die?”

Yun Xiangrong shook her head. “No, it seems that as long as you get stained with the Great God Epoh’s blood, you’ll be attacked. So, when we cross, we shouldn’t hurt Epoh or touch his blood. We should be fine then.”

Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but ask, “So, was Zhou Qian’s approach wrong? Was there no need to appease the Great God?”

Gao Shan’s voice rose. “This is bad. The vine is close to him! Why doesn’t he…”At this moment, Gao Shan, Yun Xiangrong, Qi Liuxing, along with Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang outside the game, were all thinking the same thing—Why isn’t Zhou Qian dodging?

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 8

In a wilderness far from the hustle and bustle, a magnificent and splendid palace stood tall and imposing. Yet, within this crystal-like palace, there were apple orchards, one after another, where not a single apple grew.

Deep within the apple orchard, a god resided.

The god’s facial features were so delicate and exquisite that they seemed opulent, and he possessed a pair of eyes as deep as the ocean and as radiant as crystal. Within his eyes reflected the green of the leaves and the blue of the lake water. His gaze was akin to a cloud looking down upon the world from the horizon or perhaps a leaf drifting with the wind. He observed the world with a detached demeanor, devoid of any emotion.

Yet, for some unknown reason, his body was tightly entwined with numerous branches and leaves, and he showed no intention of struggling. This was the legendary God Epoh.

Seeing Epoh open his eyes, the two goddesses in mid-air bowed to him. “Great God, this is an imposter believer who sneaked in. My sister and I have captured him! Should we execute him?”

Epoh appeared indifferent, not even glancing at them, merely closing his eyes once more.

The two goddesses in white looked at each other briefly, nodded in unison, and released their grip. Dong Xiang plummeted towards the lake below.

The moment Dong Xiang entered the lake, he was blasted into countless fragments.

A silent mist of blood spread out, staining a vast space red. Yet, it seemed there was a barrier around the lake; all the blood and flesh that splattered outwards halted at the edge, only to fall back into the lake.

A large portion of the lake was stained red.

Throughout this, there was no sound from the direction of the lake. The entire scene played out like a bizarre, colorful silent film in front of the believers.

On the surface of the lake, the dresses of the goddesses remained pure white, untainted by any filth.

Together, they chanted in unison, “[The Lake of Sin and Punishment] can cleanse everyone’s sins. May there be no lies or deception in this world henceforth. May the sacred lake water return purity to the world.”

After chanting the spell three times, the blood-red lake turned crystal clear.

The reflection of the green trees and the faintly visible dome of the palace on the lake surface suggested that no bloody massacre had ever occurred.

Witnessing this, the four remaining players realized one thing: They must never touch the water in that lake.

Having dealt with Dong Xiang, the two goddesses continued to hover over the lake. They exchanged glances and conjured three bridges on the lake, crystal clear in appearance.

One of the goddesses returned to the lakeshore and waved her hand. Each believer suddenly had a numbered tag around their neck.

She said, “The tags are randomly numbered from 1 to 24. Please proceed to meet the Great God Epoh on the other side of the lake according to your number. Three can go at a time. Let’s see… Who is the first lucky one to meet God Epoh?”

Zhou Qian looked at his tag—he was number 3. He wasn’t the first to see the god but was among the first to cross the bridge.

Soon, the players with tags No. 1, 2, and 3, under the guidance of the goddess, took their positions on the three bridges. Zhou Qian was on the far left.

“Before crossing the bridge, if you wish, you can speak about how you feel the Great God has wronged you. Please speak in the order of your tags. Once you’ve finished, you may proceed to the Great God. Those who want to vent, please feel free.”

The goddess’ voice remained light and clear, exuding an air of innocence. But the words she uttered were rather peculiar. “Once you are before the Great God, you can do whatever you want to him. The Great God will never resist. Each believer has 5 minutes.”

Believer No. 1 was a pregnant woman with a protruding belly. She walked with a bit of difficulty.

Clutching her swollen abdomen, she began, “I was once very grateful to the Great God Epoh. Since I believed in him, all my wishes came true. I wanted to get into medical school, and I did. Then I fell in love with the most popular guy at the university. He originally had a girlfriend, but after I made a wish to the Great God, he fell in love with me. My wish came true again. But then… he died.”

“I-I’m pregnant now!” Her voice suddenly became more animated. “It’s a girl! He was so happy; he loved baby girls! But he died! I was with him through years of studying and the hardships of starting a business. We finally got married, and everything was perfect, but it all vanished… How can I accept this?”

The believer became choked with emotion, and there was a hint of resentment in her tone. “Of course I made another wish to the Great God! I want him to come back to life! But the Great God actually said… that his divine power has declined, and he cannot satisfy my wish…”

“How could this be… How could this be…!!!”

“Poor believer. The Great God feels very guilty towards you. Please vent your anger. The Great God you worship will always love and cherish you. He is willing to bear your wrath.”

The goddess said, “Next, please.”

Believer No. 2 was a man, about 50 years old, looking very thin, almost skeletal.

At the same time, he has dark circles under his eyes, always hunching his body, looking as if he’s been crushed by life’s burdens.

“I am a driver. I once thanked the Great God Epoh. He told me that I could make any wish. I don’t believe in sudden fortunes, and I have to earn my living. So, I didn’t directly ask the Great God for money! With my back injury, I just wished for my body to recover, to continue driving trucks…”

“My wish came true; my back injury healed. Later, my mother became increasingly frail, as if she was about to die… After all the hardships she went through raising me, it was finally my turn to repay her. How could she die? So I made another wish to the Great God, hoping she could live a long life and always be with me. But…”

His eyes gradually darkened, and he clenched his fists and said, “Indeed she lived longer. But now she’s completely incapable of taking care of herself and often gets sick…”

“If I were ten years younger, it wouldn’t matter. But I’m getting older, working late into the night, and I can’t drive anymore! I don’t earn much money… I can’t afford a caregiver, so I had my wife help take care of my mother. But she refused! She said I was a mama’s boy and divorced me… At this age, I can’t believe I’ve lost my home!”

“My wife… my wife is gone. My mother… My mother has dementia. She’s crazy all day, and I have to take care of all her needs by myself, I…”

So, your wish now is to let your mother die?

Zhou Qian frowned with disdain.

The believer continued, “I made a third wish to the Great God, hoping that my mother’s body could return to the health of her youth and that she could remember me again. But the Great God said he doesn’t have the power anymore…”

“How can I endure this kind of life? So, I made a wish to the Great God, begging him to kill my mother. But the Great God actually said—”

The believer’s eyes were fierce. “He said he still couldn’t do it!”

After the second believer finished his story, he crossed the bridge to the Great God.

Next was the third believer, Zhou Qian.

The priestess looked at him. “Believer No. 3, it’s your turn. Are you grateful to the Great God? Do you resent him?”

Standing on the semi-transparent crystal bridge, with the green forest inside the palace around him, not far in front was a Great God who seemed willing to be trampled on by his believers.

Setting his sights on the Great God Epoh, Zhou Qian answered the goddess’ question.

“I like money and sex. He satisfied me. But the person I loved the most committed suicide. So, I wanted the Great God to revive him…”

At this point, mimicking the tone of the previous two believers, Zhou Qian deliberately said, “But he said he couldn’t satisfy me anymore. How hateful.”

After finishing his story, under the guidance of the goddess, Zhou Qian walked over the crystal-like bridge, crossed the lake that could tear people into a million pieces, and finally reached the Great God Epoh.

At this time, Believer No. 1 had already taken action.

She approached the Great God Epoh, clenched her fist, and seemed to want to slap him.

But just as her palm was about to touch the high nose of the Great God, she hesitated.

Is it really okay?

He is, after all, a god with divine power…

Is this an act of disrespect towards him?

Will I face terrible punishment…

“What are you afraid of?”

The one who spoke was Believer No. 2. “We’ve all just insulted him mercilessly, and he didn’t respond! The Great God we believe in… Hahaha, he’s utterly weak now! He gave us hope and then gave us even greater disappointment! If not for him, I’d live a million times easier than I do now!”

After saying this, he drew a sharp knife and walked directly in front of Epoh, then slashed at his face. “I hate you!!!”

When Believer No. 2 threatened, his face was fearless, but when he slashed, he was obviously scared.

It was simply human instinct when facing a force many times stronger than oneself.

So, his slash was light, just lightly scratching the corner of Epoh’s right eye.

Blood droplets spilled out, rolling down, staining Epoh’s fair face with a vivid crimson mark.

Yet Epoh remained with his eyes shut, not so much as furrowing his brow.

Epoh’s reaction undeniably emboldened Believer No. 2. Taking a deep breath and hardening his resolve, he drove his blade directly into Epoh’s shoulder. Blood gushed out immediately, dripping incessantly down the green stems, falling with a constant drip onto the ground below, painting a large patch of earth red.

As Believer No. 2 continued to harm Epoh, Zhou Qian approached and said, “Epoh, you love and cherish your believers, even allowing us to vent our anger on you. Therefore, you surely won’t refuse to speak with us, right? Can you open your eyes and look at me?”

Just then, Believer No. 2 slashed across Epoh’s forehead.

Blood streamed down, tinging his long eyelashes and then filling his eyes. His deep blue irises were instantly awash in red, making the sight alarmingly visceral.

The reason Zhou Qian witnessed this was, of course, because Epoh had opened his eyes.

What kind of eyes were they?

Like age-old still water, slowly tainted with red, the deep-sea blue mingled with the blood red, forming a profound tableau. Regardless of the colors they took on, his gaze remained largely emotionless.

“Do you feel pain, Epoh?” Zhou Qian inquired.

Epoh silently locked eyes with Zhou Qian for a moment, then nodded. “If I didn’t feel pain, the believers’ venting would be meaningless. So, yes, I feel pain.”

Zhou Qian’s eyes narrowed as he asked, “Then, are you afraid we might kill you?”

The first two disciples had already shown such fervor, and those on the other side of the lake seemed ready to join. By the looks of it, Zhou Qian wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to consume Epoh alive.

“Gods do not die,” Epoh calmly stated, looking directly at Zhou Qian. “My dear believer, you cannot kill me; you can only inflict pain upon me.”

“Come, punish me in whichever way you deem fit.”

---

The author has something to say:

The inspiration for this piece came from the renowned performance artist Marina Abramović. In one of her performances, she anesthetized herself and lay motionless on a stage, leaving the audience free to interact with her as they pleased. At first, they merely applied lipstick and makeup, but as time went on, they turned to knives and guns, with the situation escalating out of control. Those interested can look it up.

I thought of this artist while reading “The Crowd“, a book on mass psychology. The idea of “blaspheming gods” seemed quite evocative, leading to this story about gods set in the backdrop of the Garden of Eden.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

The performance the author is referencing is Rhythm 0. Contrary to what the author is saying (I believe the author is confusing a few of her works together), she stood still for six hours while letting the audience do whatever they wished with 72 objects that she had placed on the table (of which included knives, guns, among other things).

The Crowd is a book written by Gustave Le Bon. In it, Le Bon claims that “an individual immersed for some length of time in a crowd soon finds himself–either in consequence of magnetic influence given out by the crowd or from some other cause of which we are ignorant–in a special state, which much resembles the state of fascination in which the hypnotized individual finds himself in the hands of the hypnotizer.”

In layman’s terms, he believes that when one is part of a larger group, they act more on impulse than they would otherwise if they were isolated. The group gives them a sense of power and security, allowing them to act as part of the group. This is a psychological phenomenon call groupthink.

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 7

Inside the treehouse.

The first to make a video call to Zhou Qian was Dong Xiang.

As soon as the call connected, Dong Xiang’s face turned livid as he demanded, “What the hell do you mean?! Do you want to get rid of me most? I’ve never seen someone as despicable as you!”

In response to Dong Xiang’s rage, Zhou Qian calmly replied, “First, mind your words. You’re seeking my help, not the other way around. Second, I don’t necessarily want to kill you. I’m a rational person, and my principle is to maximize benefits—”

“If you return those two [Dalong, it’s medicine time.] to me and add some gold and items, I might consider giving you extra points.”

……

Just 10 minutes later.

Zhou Qian had negotiated a deal with everyone.

Previously, his Dalong pills were divided between the Dong Qi duo. Now, they were back in his possession. Not only that, but he had also amassed 2,500 gold and numerous valuable items.

While checking his inventory, Zhou Qian received another call request. He looked up and saw it was from Gao Shan.

Zhou Qian squinted thoughtfully before answering, “What?”

Honest and straightforward Gao Shan looked pretty angry. “Are you collecting money and items from everyone? Everyone’s bribing you! But who are you going to help?!”

Looking at Gao Shan, Zhou Qian’s eyes twinkled, and he suddenly asked, “How much do you love your Rongrong?”

Gao Shan looked somewhat panicked, then glared at Zhou Qian warily. “What are you trying to do?! What you said before… it wasn’t true, was it?”

“Which statement are you referring to?”

Zhou Qian feigned innocence, then smiled at him. “Oh, are you talking about what I said to you alone before entering the treehouse—’You’re very much my type. I want to fuck you’?”

On the other side of the screen.

Both Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang exclaimed, “Holy shit.”

A gay guy among us?

“You misunderstood, Shan Ge.” Zhou Qian sincerely waved his hand. “I can tell you love your girlfriend. I said that to provoke you, hoping you’d hit me.”

“Sure enough, you did punch me, which helped me deceive Dong Xiang and Qi Liuxing, making them think I had a way to drive a wedge between you and Rongrong. It was all strategy. Don’t take it personally.”

Gao Shan: “…”

“I’ll sincerely apologize to you and Rongrong for the offense.”

“…”

“I know you’re straight.”

“No shit!”

“Although I might not be that straight—”

“……”

“But rest assured, you’re not my type.”

“………………”

“But I am curious—”

Suddenly, Zhou Qian’s tone changed, and malice appeared in his eyes. “If I had to choose between you and Yun Xiangrong to die… who would you want it to be?”

Zhou Qian had suffered great losses, even being sold out by his own father.

It was hard for him to believe that there were good people in this world.

The words “Human nature is evil” had been deeply ingrained in him.

By posing a life-or-death question to the young couple, Zhou Qian could easily imagine Gao Shan begging him in tears—

Showing immense pain, but the words would be ruthless.

Humans were selfish.

He would definitely choose to let his girlfriend die.

But Gao Shan’s response was unexpected.

Almost without hesitation, he told Zhou Qian, “I’m willing to die for Rongrong.”

Zhou Qian was taken aback. “What did you say?”

Gao Shan replied, “I said I’m willing to die for Rongrong. Please give Rongrong more points. You can give me zero, I don’t mind. Zhou Qian, I don’t know you, but I think you… you’re really a bad person.”

Zhou Qian nearly laughed.

This straightforward man couldn’t even insult properly. In his extreme anger, he could only come up with the words “you’re bad”.

But looking at Gao Shan’s expression, for some reason, Zhou Qian suddenly felt he couldn’t laugh.

“I can’t imagine why someone like you exists. Are you enjoying this feeling… of playing with other people’s lives? Forget it, do as you please… If my death pleases you, then do it. As long as you spare Rongrong.”

“So you’d just give up your life like that? Should I call you stupid?”

Zhou Qian looked at him with a frown, noticing another incoming call notification. Glancing at the caller’s identity, Zhou Qian’s amusement resurfaced.

“Look, it’s your Rongrong, contacting me alone. Do you want to know… if I throw the same question to her, what choice will she make?”

“To be honest… I don’t know,” Gao Shan said hoarsely. “And I don’t want to know. Rongrong is smarter than me. In fact, I hope she will choose to let me die. Anyway, I just want her to live.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian looked at him thoughtfully, his eyes turning into a mocking smirk, as if finding Gao Shan amusing.

“People like you will never understand.”

Gao Shan’s expression suddenly turned stern, his tone threatening like never before. “But you have to stick to your word! Kill me, fine. But you can’t harm Rongrong. Otherwise, even as a ghost, I will never let you go!”

He said this last line through gritted teeth.

His tone was so convincing that it seemed if Zhou Qian broke his promise, Gao Shan’s spirit would defy all obstacles and return from hell, just to tear Zhou Qian apart and avenge his Rongrong.

After a while, Zhou Qian laughed.

Staring at Gao Shan before him, he sighed as if reminiscing about a distant past. Then he muttered to himself, “Interesting. In my lifetime, I never thought I’d meet someone like you. In 22 years, I’ve only ever met one other eccentric like you.”

When Zhou Qian said this, his expression was entirely different than usual, as if he had become another person.

Who was he talking about?

Was his participation in the game related to that person?

Did he want to save that person?

Perhaps his heart isn’t as wicked as he portrays?

But Gao Shan didn’t have time to ponder. Zhou Qian quickly ended the video call.

Zhou Qian then started a conversation with Yun Xiangrong.

With a defiant attitude, Zhou Qian posed the same question to her.

Compared to Gao Shan’s straightforward answer, Yun Xiangrong’s was clearly more logical.

She looked at Zhou Qian and laughed. “Are you doing this for fun? Trying to make us betray each other while you enjoy playing with our emotions?”

Zhou Qian remained silent. Yun Xiangrong continued, “I’m willing to give you gold coins and items in exchange for your points, just as a precaution. After all, you seem like a psycho. If I anger you, you might act irrationally.

“But rationally speaking, I’m a healer, and Shan Ge is a tank. You need us in the later stages. So, I’m most likely sure you won’t kill either of us.”

“Then who do you think I want to die?” asked Zhou Qian.

Yun Xiangrong replied, “Of course, it’s Dong Xiang. He’s severely injured, and I don’t want to waste my mana healing him. Besides, his theft ability might not be useful in upcoming tasks. It would be wiser to keep a damage dealer like Qi Liuxing.”

Zhou Qian didn’t say much and quickly hung up the call.

In reality, he wasn’t just toying with them. He genuinely wanted to gauge their character, nature, and intelligence. He certainly got the answers he was looking for.

A minute later, Zhou Qian received a call from Qi Liuxing.

Upon answering, he heard an angry Qi Liuxing, who still had the voice of a teenager, demand, “Who are you going to help, Dong Xiang or me?”

Zhou Qian replied with a smirk, “Give me another thousand gold coins, and I’ll give you a higher score than Dong Xiang.”

Qi Liuxing retorted with a hint of amusement, “Dong Xiang still has one chance to call. I bet you’ll say the same to him.”

“You both are trying to bribe me with gold and items to eliminate the other,” Zhou Qian replied leisurely. “From what I see, both of you are willing to betray your teammates. Hey, I should choose the one with relatively better morals. What if, after leaving this treehouse, you try to betray me?”

Qi Liuxing quickly argued, “I just gave you 500 gold coins out of pity. Doesn’t that speak for my character? I truly just want to protect myself. I don’t want to take advantage of you!”

Pretending to just remember, Zhou Qian nodded slowly. “Right. There was that. I almost forgot if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Qi Liuxing: “…”

Zhou Qian continued, “But that alone seems insufficient. Keep convincing me. For example… how much do you know about Dong Xiang?”

Upon hearing this, Qi Liuxing took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his rage towards Zhou Qian, replying, “Had it been someone else, I would never betray them in such a situation. But Dong Xiang is different—”

“In the last instance, I saw with my own eyes how Dong Xiang poisoned many teammates just to monopolize a rare item. He didn’t really save me; I was just lucky enough not to be poisoned. He pretended to save me to fish for information, to see if I knew he was the real culprit.”

“I acted as if I knew nothing and even thanked him for saving my life, just to avoid raising his suspicions. So, what I’m doing now isn’t betrayal. I’m avenging our teammates!”

“I see.” There was a pause before Zhou Qian smirked as he looked at the LCD screen. “You’ve convinced me. Let’s send Dong Xiang straight to hell then. However…”

“What do you mean, ‘however’?” Qi Liuxing frowned.

Zhou Qian grinned. “You’ll need to transfer 1,000 gold coins to me. I’ve initiated a trade request. Kindly approve it.”

Qi Liuxing: “…”

Zhou Qian earnestly added, “Once we clear the level, any remaining coins will be settled accordingly. I’m not trying to scam you. I just believe it’s best if I decide how we allocate the money and what items to buy.”

“After all, I don’t want to waste time arguing with you.”

Qi Liuxing: “…”

Time ticked away.

With only 3 minutes remaining in this phase, Zhou Qian finally got a call from Dong Xiang.

It was evident from Dong Xiang’s voice that he was distressed.

Through the LCD screen, Zhou Qian could see that Dong Xiang was sweating profusely due to extreme fear. The loss of fluids and salts made his whole body tremble.

“Zhou… Zhou Qian, Qian Ge, Lord Zhou, you’re not planning to kill me, right?”

With difficulty, Dong Xiang swallowed. “I have a super rare item called the [Tick Tock Clock]. Despite its name, it can resurrect someone! I’ll give it to you if you spare me. Please give me the points. Oh, and I’ll give you all the gold I have. There’s no need to kill me!”

The [Tick Tock Clock]? The item he obtained by killing many teammates?

But it seemed that such a powerful item had strict conditions for use, like it could only be used to save others but not oneself. Otherwise, Dong Xiang wouldn’t be so terrified now.

Zhou Qian nodded. “Alright, hand over the [Tick Tock Clock].”

“You… I can’t trust someone like you easily!”

Through the screen, Dong Xiang’s eyes had turned a dead gray.

“Zhou Qian, open the trade window. Let’s set our terms transparently. You give me the points, I give you the [Tick Tock Clock]. Cash on delivery! I’ll only trust you with the system’s oversight!”

Zhou Qian seemed to understand, nodding in acknowledgment, but his gaze soon turned ice cold. “Suddenly, I neither want your money nor the [Tick Tock Clock]. I just want you dead.”

“You—!!! I’ll kill you!!!”

Dong Xiang roared, his voice echoing through Zhou Qian’s treehouse. Through the LCD screen, Zhou Qian could see Dong Xiang’s eyes, bulging and bloodshot, filled with rage.

Seemingly at his limit, Dong Xiang suddenly stood up, hurling his fist at Zhou Qian, or rather, the LCD screen. As he shattered it, Zhou Qian’s face fragmented into countless shards.

However, from those fragments, Zhou Qian’s pale face and intent-filled eyes stared back. The last thing Dong Xiang heard was his raspy, eerily calm voice that seemed to come from the depths of hell.

“Go to hell, Dong Xiang!”

……

At exactly 10 PM, the players, under the guidance of the goddesses, gathered by the lake with other believers.

After the ethereal bell tolled ten times, one priestess held Dong Xiang by his wrists and another by his ankles. They lifted him into the air above the lake and suspended him there.

Dong Xiang had already fainted, seemingly unaware of what was about to happen.

Not long ago, after the treehouse scoring game ended, the goddess announced the results.

“The lowest score is Dong Xiang, with only 0 points.”

After announcing the results, the two goddesses reached out their hands towards Dong Xiang with smiles, as if inviting him to play a game. “Let’s go, you’ve deceived the Great God. We will execute you in front of him!”

“Fuck off!” Dong Xiang suddenly pulled out a whip. “Let’s die together!”

The two goddesses sighed softly, looking at him with pity.

“How can a mere mortal think of killing a god?”

“Yes, sister, he’s both pitiable and foolish!”

Seeing that the goddesses were about to make a move, Dong Xiang suddenly knelt down. “Sister Goddess, I was wrong, I was wrong. I… I am ready to die. But before I die, can I say one last word to my friend?”

Dong Xiang kept kowtowing on the ground, blood and sweat dripping from his forehead, soon leaving a stain where they mixed on the ground.

Everyone initially thought he had gone mad.

Does he have a plan now?

Zhou Qian glanced at Dong Xiang and soon saw the two goddesses agreeing to his request.

Then, Dong Xiang took out an item from his bag.

It was easy to guess that it was the [Tick Tock Clock].

Is he trying to use this item to save his life?

Holding such a precious item and kneeling on the ground, Dong Xiang shuffled over to Qi Liuxing, tugging on his pants leg. “Brother, I can only rely on you now. This item can be used to revive teammates. Make it tick, and it can replace my heart. Please save me, okay? In the last instance, I saved you!”

Qi Liuxing pressed his lips together, then subconsciously looked up at Zhou Qian nearby.

Except for the person involved, only Zhou Qian knew the full story behind this.

Zhou Qian smiled, pondering the situation.

Zhou Qian smiled and met his gaze thoughtfully.

The young Qi Liuxing’s acting skills were clearly lacking. He could pretend, but difficult expressions were too much for him.

Qi Liuxing took a deep breath and emotionlessly said to Dong Xiang, “Alright. I promise.”

His expression was clearly just perfunctory.

Sure enough, Dong Xiang immediately noticed.

For a moment, Dong Xiang seemed to collapse, as his last glimmer of hope was shattered.

A liquid puddle appeared beneath him; a result of incontinence due to extreme fear.

The elegant goddesses could no longer bear it and quickly used their powers to knock Dong Xiang out.

One of the goddesses used her power to take Dong Xiang away. “This filthy body will defile our paradise. I’ll take him to change his clothes. Sister, you take the remaining believers to the ceremony.”

The other goddess nodded in agreement, leading the remaining four players towards the lake.

All 24 believers were arranged in three rows.

Zhou Qian stood at the end, in a corner position.

Ahead of him were two rows of heads, then the two goddesses holding Dong Xiang above the lake.

Further away was the god Epoh, with his eyes closed.

After what felt like ages, the winds in the palace ceased.

The tree shadows stopped swaying, and the features of God Epoh became clear.

After another chime, he opened his eyes.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

That’s debatable on if Zhou Qian will be doing the fucking.

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 6

Inside the treehouse, through a video call, Zhou Qian saw with his own eyes Yun Xiangrong and Gao Shan filling out their voting papers.

Both of them had written “Yes” on their papers.

Upon personally witnessing them place the scorecard into the sealed black box, Zhou Qian hung up the group chat with great satisfaction.

The treehouse returned to its quiet state.

Then Zhou Qian took out a blank scorecard and wrote five names on it, along with five scores.

Surprisingly, it turned out:

[Gao Shan: 0 points], [Yun Xiangrong: 10 points];

[Dong Xiang: 30 points], [Qi Liuxing: 30 points];

Lastly, [Zhou Qian: 30 points].

Next, Zhou Qian tapped on the touchscreen, lighting up Qi Liuxing’s avatar. But instead of initiating a private chat with Qi Liuxing, he continued to select Dong Xiang, initiating another three-person group chat.

Zhou Qian’s call request wasn’t immediately answered. It’s possible that the Dong Qi duo were privately chatting. He waited for 5 minutes before the video call was connected.

Upon realizing they were in group chat mode, just like the young couple, both Dong Xiang and Qi Liuxing looked very surprised. They had assumed Zhou Qian would chat with them separately, trying to sow discord and make them betray each other. Unexpectedly, Zhou Qian initiated a group chat.

The screen magnified their astonished expressions. Zhou Qian maintained a standard fake smile, waving at them and holding up his paper.

“…Did you understand what I said earlier? I’m giving each of you 30 points. The two of you are tied for first, and the last one will be Gao Shan with 0 points. I will get him eliminated.”

In front of their mobile screens, Zhu Qiang and Yu Xian kept exclaiming “Holy fuck” in disbelief.

“What does this mean? I don’t get it. Didn’t Qian Ge just about secure his victory after video chatting with the couple? What’s this performance for? Is he testing his teammates?”

“I don’t know. I don’t get it. But wait. The Goddess said once the scorecard enters the black box, the box will be sealed. This is the main reason the couple believes Qian Ge.”

“Right, Qian Ge already dropped the scorecard! His black box should have been sealed! How will he deceive Dong and Qi? He doesn’t know magic!”

Inside the game, Zhou Qian had no idea someone could see him or that his progress would influence someone else’s chance of winning 1 million yuan. He simply negotiated with the two through the screen, using his scorecard.

Dong Xiang, who was beaten badly by Li Dafu, undeniably hated Zhou Qian. His first response to Zhou Qian was, “Fuck off!”

“Fuck you, Zhou Qian! I don’t care about your tricks. I don’t care who you give high or low scores to! Xiao Qi, let’s not bother with these tactics. Just vote no!

“I’ll remind that couple later! Tell them never to trust Zhou Qian! My facial injuries are the best proof! We definitely won’t lose.”

Zhou Qian calmly responded, “Really? Don’t you want my special intel?”

Just as Dong Xiang was about to speak, Qi Liuxing, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. “Why did you… target Gao Shan? This is very strange…”

Zhou Qian simply said, “I don’t know about you two. But I’m from the Spring Hill Mental Asylum. So is Yun Xiangrong. To be blunt, she and I greenlit* Gao Shan.”

*(绿) It’s a slang term that basically means to cuckold someone.

Qi Liuxing: “…”

Dong Xiang looked stunned and then sneered maliciously.

Zhou Qian continued, “You saw it earlier, right? Before entering the treehouse, I spoke a few words to Gao Shan, which visibly upset him, and he wanted to hit me. I simply told him the truth.”

On the mobile screen, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang were baffled.

Yu Xian: “No way, did Qian Ge really say something like that to Gao Shan?”

Zhu Qiang: “Probably not… No, definitely not! Their group chat seemed harmonious earlier!”

“So, Qian Ge is just bluffing Dong Xiang and Qi Liuxing.”

“Yep. But I really wonder what Zhou Qian said to make Gao Shan want to hit him, yet not turn them into enemies…”

Inside the game.

After some more dramatic discourse among the three, Zhou Qian said, “That’s the situation. Gao Shan knows that Yun Xiangrong greenlit him. And since Yun Xiangrong saw him wanting to hit me, she would guess what I told him. From her perspective, Gao Shan might betray her as well… But I’m the kind of person who dislikes trouble.”

“I’m giving each of you a score of 20. If your ranks are the same, then the type of votes will matter, leading you to betray each other. But instead of talking to the two of you one by one, I might as well just send Gao Shan away.”

At this point, looking at Dong Xiang, a submissive expression appeared on Zhou Qian’s face. “Dong Ge, I know we had some unpleasantness today. But to be fair, if you hadn’t stolen my invitation first, none of the subsequent events would’ve happened, right?”

“Li Da Fu was killed by me. You saw it clearly. That was my side mission. Now that the task is completed, of course I have obtained special intelligence. Think about it, you were the main contributor in killing Li Dafu. Are you really willing to miss out on this special piece of intelligence?”

Zhou Qian smiled helplessly and sincerely said, “Dong Ge, you’re Rank E and even have a Rank D Sword God to help you. I’m just Rank F, and I don’t have any skills. If you wanted to kill me, wouldn’t there be a thousand ways? Why let me die in this petty game?”

The Dong Qi duo were silent for a long time.

The first to relent was Qi Liuxing.

“It’s feasible. Neither of us will lose; plus, we can get additional intelligence. Moreover… you haven’t blackmailed us for coins or props. However—”

Looking at Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing said, “Open the system trading window, and we’ll trade under system supervision. I want to ensure that you’ll put that scoring paper of yours into…”

Before Qi Liuxing could finish, Zhou Qian had already placed the thin scoring paper into the black box.

Seeing this, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang were shocked.

Yu Xian: “Am I seeing things? Can Qian Ge really do magic?”

Zhu Qiang: “I have a vague feeling, as if I’m starting to understand something…”

Inside the game, Zhou Qian opened the system control panel and said to the two, “I’ve put the scoring paper in the black box in front of you. This is my sincerity. Now it’s your turn to cast a positive vote for me. As long as you both give me positive votes, I can provide you with special information about this instance.”

But Dong Xiang didn’t immediately agree.

He laughed, his eyes shifting from surprise to malice.

“Okay, Zhou Qian. I can give you a positive vote. However, just intelligence isn’t enough!”

“You started with 300 coins, right? Give 150 to me and Qi Liuxing each. Also, give us all the props you’ve acquired! We can proceed through the trading window!”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian looked anxious, displeased, and hesitant. He then said with a frown, “I don’t have 300 coins anymore, only 295. I can give them to you. But the props…”

Seeing Zhou Qian showing weakness, Dong Xiang finally vented some frustration with a delighted expression.

But the look he gave Zhou Qian remained malicious. “Killing Li Dafu wasn’t an easy task for you. You must have gotten valuable props! Hand them over! Or no deal!”

“Zhou Qian, you’re asking us now! Act like someone who’s begging! Look sincere! You said earlier that you’re in control of this game, quite capable, huh? Now, kneel. Hahaha…”

After that, Zhou Qian desperately pleaded through the screen, emphasizing his struggles as a new Rank F player, and it was hard for him to get props.

But as Dong Xiang pointed out, the passive one now was Zhou Qian.

He was like a fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others.

In the end, Zhou Qian, with no other choice, lost 295 coins and all of his [Dalang, it’s medicine time.].

He was left penniless, without any props or skills.

Watching him, Dong Xiang laughed triumphantly.

How could a player like Zhou Qian, without skills, coins, or props, survive in the upcoming plot?

The trading line could directly grab items from a player’s bag and teleport them to another player.

Soon, the Dong Qi duo got the item information on their system panels.

Of course, when seeing the name of the medicine, both couldn’t help but grimace.

But in the end, the two happily divided the three pills.

Qi Liuxing gave two of the pills to Dong Xiang. “The name of this medicine is a bit odd, but it’s useful. It can limit the NPC’s actions. My attack power is high, yours isn’t. You take two, I’ll keep one.”

“You keep all the coins!” Dong Xiang feigned generosity, giving all the coins to Qi Liuxing.

The two profited immensely, while Zhou Qian was left with nothing. His only gain was two more affirmative votes.

However, after a while, Zhou Qian received a notification on his system panel. Raising his wrist, he opened the message to see that Qi Liuxing had transferred 500 gold coins to him, along with a note: [I don’t like taking advantage of others. All I want is to ensure I’m not eliminated. I’m returning the money to you. The extra is for the items we bought from you.]

Upon seeing the message, Zhou Qian didn’t say much. Through a video call, he watched as Qi Liuxing and Dong Xiang each placed an affirmative vote into the ballot box. He took a deep breath and thanked both of them before ending the call.

As soon as the video call ended, Zhou Qian’s obsequiousness and feigned smile vanished. Instead, his face appeared colder, with eyes that shone subtly.

Nothing happened for a long time. It was only after 10 minutes that the voice of the Goddess echoed in everyone’s ears, “There are only 10 minutes left to score. Li Dafu, please hurry up.”

Hurry up and score? What? Li Dafu, who is actually Zhou Qian, hasn’t scored yet?

This was the question in everyone’s mind, except Zhou Qian’s.

With a playful glint in his eyes, Zhou Qian tapped the screen, lighting up the portraits of Qi Liuxing, Dong Xiang, Yun Xiaorong, and Gao Shan. He then made a call. Four shocked faces appeared on the screen, all eyes on Zhou Qian as he showed three pieces of scoring paper to the camera.

On the first sheet, two young couples and Zhou Qian each had 30 points, Qi Liuxing 10 points, and Dong Xiang 0.

On the second, Qi Liuxing, Dong Xiang, and Zhou Qian each had 30 points, Yun Xiaorong 10, and Gao Shan 0.

These were the scores everyone had just seen Zhou Qian put into the ballot box.

The last sheet was blank.

Holding it up, Zhou Qian grinned at the camera. “Let me introduce myself. I’m good at card games and have a fast hand, so I’m a master of deception. When you thought I put the score sheet into the box, I actually didn’t. You can think of it as a bit of magic.”

Seeing their stunned expressions, Zhou Qian’s smile grew wider. “The Goddess never specified the order for placing the score and vote sheets. This gives me a chance to regain control.”

“All four of you gave me affirmative votes, but I haven’t scored yet. Even if I don’t score, you’ve already accepted whatever result I give. Thank you for trusting me!”

With a mischievous smile, Zhou Qian continued, “So now… how should I distribute these 100 points? Let’s go back to the beginning. Bribe me, with game gold or valuable items. I’m open to offers. The game has only 10 minutes left. Please hurry.”

With that, Zhou Qian ended the video.

Watching from their mobile screens, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang were stunned for a good ten seconds.

“Fuck, Qian Ge is brilliant.”

“He’s more than that! If it were me, I’d have panicked when everyone decided to give negative votes. Apart from waiting for the end, what else could I do?” the other replied.

“Qian Ge not only remained calm but also quickly thought of a solution to make everyone betray one another. He’s something else!”

“Yeah, who would have thought that his real goal wasn’t just to survive but also to extort gold coins and items!”

Being able to quickly assess the personalities and relationships of four teammates, finding the gaps to exploit; crafting a lie about possessing special information, using it to create a prisoner’s dilemma; and finally leveraging his items, gold coins, and supposed information to make one group betray another for scores and survive.

From the Yu Zhu duo, this was already a very high-end strategy. In the face of extreme adversity, Zhou Qian’s wit, courage, observational skills, and willingness to act humbly made all the difference.

Such advanced gameplay was just used by Zhou Qian as a very deceptive feint…

This was almost unbelievable.

Trade everything for one life? Zhou Qian would not be willing.

A Rank F player, without skills, lacking gold, and missing props…

Then he would find a way to earn everything he lacks.

Stuck in the most unfavorable passive situation?

He would take control over everyone from the highest point.

Yu Xian: “His strategies are so deep. When he went to talk privately with Gao Shan and provoked him, he had already planned out every step… I just wonder what he said at that time.”

Zhu Qiang: “Shh, look, someone is calling him!”

---

The author has something to say:

The origin of this game is based on a classic economic game theory model called [Pirate Game]. Pirates divide 100 coins, and if the proposal made by one of them is not satisfactory to the other pirates, he will be thrown into the sea to feed sharks. For details, you can search it on Baidu.

However, I’ve made significant changes here, introducing settings like tree houses, dealing with tied votes, and the consequence of receiving a negative vote leading to death, etc. So essentially, it’s entirely different now.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Further elaborating on the Pirate Game, you can go the Wikipedia or read below.

It’s a mathematical game:

There are five rational pirates (in strict order of seniority A, B, C, D and E) who found 100 gold coins. They must decide how to distribute them.

The pirate world’s rules of distribution say that the most senior pirate first proposes a plan of distribution. The pirates, including the proposer, then vote on whether to accept this distribution. If the majority accepts the plan, the coins are disbursed and the game ends. In case of a tie vote, the proposer has the casting vote. If the majority rejects the plan, the proposer is thrown overboard from the pirate ship and dies, and the next most senior pirate makes a new proposal to begin the system again. The process repeats until a plan is accepted or if there is one pirate left.

Pirates base their decisions on four factors. First of all, each pirate wants to survive. Second, given survival, each pirate wants to maximize the number of gold coins he receives. Third, each pirate would prefer to throw another overboard, if all other results would otherwise be equal. And finally, the pirates do not trust each other, and will neither make nor honor any promises between pirates apart from a proposed distribution plan that gives a whole number of gold coins to each pirate.

The results:

To increase the chance of their plan being accepted, one might expect that Pirate A will have to offer the other pirates most of the gold. However, this is far from the theoretical result. When each of the pirates votes, they will not just be thinking about the current proposal, but also other outcomes down the line. In addition, the order of seniority is known in advance so each of them can accurately predict how the others might vote in any scenario. This becomes apparent if we work backwards.

The final possible scenario would have all the pirates except D and E thrown overboard. Since D is senior to E, they have the casting vote; so, D would propose to keep 100 for themself and 0 for E.

If there are three left (C, D and E), C knows that D will offer E 0 in the next round; therefore, C has to offer E one coin in this round to win E’s vote. Therefore, when only three are left the allocation is C:99, D:0, E:1.

If B, C, D and E remain, B can offer 1 to D; because B has the casting vote, only D’s vote is required. Thus, B proposes B:99, C:0, D:1, E:0.

(In the previous round, one might consider proposing B:99, C:0, D:0, E:1, as E knows it won’t be possible to get more coins, if any, if E throws B overboard. But, as each pirate is eager to throw the others overboard, E would prefer to kill B, to get the same amount of gold from C.)

With this knowledge, A can count on C and E’s support for the following allocation, which is the final solution:

A: 98 coins

B: 0 coins

C: 1 coin

D: 0 coins

E: 1 coin

(Note: A:98, B:0, C:0, D:1, E:1 or other variants are not good enough, as D would rather throw A overboard to get the same amount of gold from B.)

---

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