Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 29: Homeowners’ Meeting

Teest couldn’t quite hold back his smile.

He was standing at the entrance of the cave roasting a second deer; the first one had already turned to bones. The monster couple ate as if a storm had passed, and more than half of Teest’s stored seasonings were consumed in an instant.

Nol was assisting on the side. He ordered the deer bones to align themselves, and then he began to cut the meat. He wasn’t too surprised by the couple’s eating manners—a criminal policeman and a doctor were professions that eat during overtime as if they’re in a battle; one shouldn’t expect them to eat slowly and savor each bite.

Moreover, Dr. Zhu was now a wolfkin, so she naturally had a huge appetite. Compared to her barbaric counterpart, Dr. Zhu was eating quite gracefully.

While the two were eating, Nol briefly explained the current situation. From this world resembling a game, to the dragon’s nest, Ye Meng, and the elderly couple, to Witch Lynn in Whitebird City searching for her sister… The couple listened while eating, occasionally exchanging glances, but didn’t interrupt.

“I think I understand now.”

Having finished three deer legs, Dr. Zhu wiped her mouth and then spoke in a delicate manner. “Looking at it now, when Lao Luo and I woke up, we were inside this… um, instance.”

Officer Luo, with a vigor that didn’t match his appearance, tore at the deer meat, causing his cheeks to bulge. “As for how we got here, we don’t have any clues. We—”

“Wait a moment.” Nol took out a puppet head from his bag and placed it in the center of the cave.

“Let’s discuss the details with Lynn,” he said. “I tend to see things from a gaming perspective, and she can provide a different viewpoint.”

“A homeowners’ meeting, that’s great!” Officer Luo said cheerfully. “Miss Lynn has a good name, directly usable*. If we go out, should we also get Western names? …Romeo and Juliet?”

*Clarity: Her name is [Linen] (琳恩) which is Lynn with a Western context.

“They both died in the end,” Dr. Zhu said coldly. “I’ll go with Julie. Easy to remember.”

“Then I’ll be Rosen, even easier to remember*,” Officer Luo replied.

*Clarity: Their western names are quite cheeky. Taking his surname [Luo] (罗) to become Rosen (罗森) while her surname [Zhu] (朱) becomes Julie (朱利). It is also why Luo Ruilin thought of Romeo and Juliet first (same starting Chinese characters of their surnames).

What are they even competing about?

Teest reverted to his novice village mode, speaking less and observing with interest. Nol set up the puppet head and sat next to Teest. He placed two forks on his own plate and patted Teest’s shoulder reassuringly.

[I couldn’t explain earlier due to the chaos. If you don’t mind, I’ll introduce you to them formally.] He conveyed mentally. [But let’s not mention the “Mad Monk” thing first. Officer Luo’s occupation is quite special.]

Teest smiled, and instead of responding with his skill, he attached himself to Nol’s ear.

“Of course I don’t mind, honey.” Covering his lips with his palm, he whispered, “Whether it’s an introduction or anything else.”

A few steps away, Dr. Zhu—Julie’s wolf ears twitched, and her expression became puzzled for a moment.

‘…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?’ Nol thought, torn between amusement and exasperation.

But he indeed felt relieved.

While explaining the situation to the neighbors, Nol kept glancing at Teest’s expression.

However, while his interactions with his neighbors were smooth and affectionate, being a native resident, Teest was bound to feel a sense of alienation. Whether treating Teest as a “friend” or a “dangerous person”, Nol did not want this to create a rift between them.

…..

Upon hearing that two more neighbors were found, Witch Lynn, who was on her journey, quickly found a forest to hide in, preparing for a magical video conference. Nol and Elf Rosen cast various isolation spells at the cave entrance, tentatively setting up the conference room.

The first homeowners’ meeting of the Joy Garden Tahe Community officially began, with the outsider guest Teest included.

“Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?”

Above the small puppet skull, the ghostly image of Witch Lynn appeared, hovering mid-air.

“We can hear you. We can hear you,” Rosen hurriedly responded. “I’m Luo Ruilin, and that’s my wife over there.”

Lynn looked at Julie, remaining silent for a good half-minute. When she spoke again, her tone was very natural. “Ah, Officer Luo. Do you two remember anything from before you arrived here?”

“It was the 31^st, right? I’ll start.”

Elf Rosen sat up straight, stretching his neck to seem taller. “That day, Xiao Zhu and I were resting. We watched a movie at home, had some drinks, and then fell asleep—we slept for like ten hours. I found it strange that there were no work calls. When I opened my eyes, I saw a wolfkin, and it scared me nearly off the ground.”

Julie grinned. “He yelled at me, ‘Don’t move, put your hands up!’ …When he’s nervous, he always has his left shoulder up. I recognized him right away.”

Rosen cocked his head.

“Someone used to love saying they were 1.94 meters tall,” Dr. Zhu continued leisurely, pressing a paw on top of Officer Luo’s head. “I haven’t heard that for over a month. I kind of miss it.”

Nol couldn’t help but smile.

It seemed he didn’t have to worry too much about these two… As expected from professionals used to life and death situations, their emotional state was surprisingly stable given the bizarre events they faced.

“Speaking of the transmigration…”

After the jest, Julie’s voice grew solemn again. “Lao Luo is a heavy sleeper, and I’m a light sleeper. I woke up around midnight that night, and everything was normal then.”

“Later, as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a huge noise, like an explosion. But I was in a half-sleep state, maybe dreaming… When I woke up again, I was here.”

‘It seems like something did happen that night,’ Nol thought. It was a shame that the university student was killed by the dragon. He would have been most likely to stay up late.

“Our transformations into monsters, in terms of species, gender, and age, seem to have no pattern…” Lynn murmured somewhat disheartened, probably thinking of her sister, whose fate remained uncertain.

“No,” Rosen suddenly interjected.

Though Officer Luo now appeared petite and adorable, when he put on a stern face, he still exuded an authoritative demeanor.

“I know that Ye Meng. She’s academically excellent. The student surnamed Cui also attends the nation’s top music university. They both became dragon hatchlings; the elderly couple were kind and unassuming, with no remarkable characteristics, and they turned into slimes.”

“You’re a diligent mechanical engineer, so a puppet witch suits your characteristics; my wife is a general surgeon, skilled in surgeries… Meaning, she’s adept at dissecting flesh and organs. This matches with the wolfkin monster.”

“In my opinion, the monsters we turned into correlate with our personal traits.”

Dr. Zhu showed her scalpel-like claws in agreement. “Yes, Lao Luo is the most cunning in their team, so it’s only fitting he became a sly elf.”

“What about gender?” Lynn frowned, clearly contemplating.

Julie said calmly, “When the species isn’t even certain, for the ‘transformation pattern’, gender might be as insignificant as fur color.”

Lynn: “What you said makes sense, but it doesn’t explain Nol’s situation.”

Indeed.

Nol had been silent. As the former frail “Will-o’-wisp”, he seemed to be the only exception to this theory.

“Maybe I’ve been working overtime so much that I’ve become inconspicuous,” he said with self-deprecation as everyone turned to him.

Rosen: “Don’t be like that, brother. Maybe it means you’re exceptionally radiant, even having a glowing effect.”

“The pattern won’t disappear. You can try to find more people to confirm. Given the current circumstances, you two should talk about this ‘instance.” Teest cheerfully brought the conversation back. “What do you mean by ‘role-playing’?”

The couple fell silent. After a while, Rosen sighed. “We’ve been wandering around for over a month and found over a hundred traces of human habitation. Most are in caves; some have survived longer than others… some of them left records.”

He took out two things—an old book and a parchment scroll. The languages on the two documents were completely different.

Everyone gathered to see, and even Lynn’s phantom leaned in.

“I’ve highlighted data related to the ‘hunter’.” Rosen’s voice grew serious. “To figure out the situation, we’ve been investigating… You all can read this, right?”

The book was a popular novel published a century ago; the pages were tattered and filled with dark red handwriting in the blanks. Many words were damaged by time and water stains, making them hard to decipher.

Luckily, Rosen had marked the important parts, and everyone began to read those key records.

[…Day 82: The snow hasn’t stopped. We’re running low on food, and I have to hunt, but I can’t feel my feet. Henry said he saw a figure in the distance and has gone out alone. May the Goddess protect him.]

[…Day 97: Henry says he found a hunter’s cabin, but he can’t approach it, as if it’s cursed. We decide to wait for the hunter to leave and then seek his help. May the Goddess protect us.]

[…Day 105: The hunter doesn’t communicate with us and chased us away with a crossbow. My foot is severely infected. I need medicine, damn it.]

[…Day 117: Our plan worked. The hunter fell into our trap. The house is now ours. He had it coming, haha. I need to treat my foot.]

[…Day 118: The hunter is dead. We can’t find the house, his body disappeared. There’s nothing left.]

[…Day 119: Henry screamed at me, as if he didn’t recognize me. He chased me with a crossbow. My shoulder is injured; my foot hurts. I’m in pain everywhere. Why?]

[…Day 120: Why? Why? Why? I don’t understand.]

The diary stopped there.

Nol then unrolled a parchment covered with half-beastmen script. The dates were from over 70 years ago.

[June 16, 651: Found a man dressed as a hunter. He had been bitten by a bear and was unconscious. We couldn’t save him, but Holden was pleased, thinking it meant others were nearby.]

[June 17, 651: Holden hasn’t returned. Nina keeps asking where daddy is, and I can’t answer her. Holden has never been this late.]

[October 28, 651: Caught four ducks. We have food for a couple of days. Nina’s 12th birthday is coming up, and I want to prepare. Still no sign of Holden.]

[November 9, 651: Found Holden dressed as a hunter. He didn’t recognize me and even pointed his crossbow at our daughter. Oh God, what did we do to deserve this?]

[December 31, 652: It should have been a reunion. But Nina and I can only watch from afar. Nina only sees hatred in her father’s eyes and believes Holden betrayed us. I can’t explain it. How did we end up like this? A deer injured my rib. I hope I’ll be okay.]

[April 1, 653: My worst fear happened. Holden was seriously injured during a hunt. Nina discovered it but didn’t tell me. She left him there, saying she would take me to the cabin to recover.]

[April 2, 653: Nina went out and never returned.]

[April 3, 653: Nina doesn’t recognize me anymore.]

[April 4, 653: She shot me with a crossbow. I couldn’t dodge in time. My time is running out. Nina, my baby, she’s only 13. Who will celebrate her birthdays now?]

Inside the cave, all was silent except for the howling wind outside. Nol’s grip on the parchment tightened to the point of deforming it.

“I get it,” he murmured. “When the old hunter dies, the system chooses a new one from the trapped people. The new hunter loses all memories before becoming one, living and dying alone here.”

Teest, munching on a piece of deer meat, casually said, “Hmm, that’s quite tragic.”

“That’s our assumption too,” Rosen solemnly added. “The worst part is, no one can escape, whether there’s a hunter or not.”

‘No,’ Noel thought. ‘I should be able to leave.’

He had teamed up with Teest and even received a mission. Teaming up was one of the most solid bonds in the game. The system likely wouldn’t forcibly separate them.

But Officer Luo and Dr. Zhu were in danger. He had to take them with him.

Nol twitched the corner of his mouth, attempting to show a relaxed smile. “I said Teest is my friend, and he is. But there’s something I didn’t clarify—he’s a ‘player’ and is also a local of Tahe.”

“With a player here, I suggest trying to clear the level. When the mission ends, the sealed instance will automatically provide an exit… It’s our best chance.”

Assuming this instance is “normal.”

……

The evening sky blazed, and Crimson sat on a farmhouse roof, admiring the sunset.

For the past week, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual in the Alva caravan, and Jack hadn’t contacted him. Judging by the days, the Rizzi caravan was almost at its destination.

[Blood Gnome’s Trade] was a system skill, so it couldn’t be wrong. Could it be that those two people didn’t travel with the caravan but happened to move in the same direction?

…Or Jack might be withholding information from him.

Crimson scratched his face, recalling the route of the Rizzi caravan. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and the corner of his mouth curled up in a grin.

“Using the ‘Night of the Hunt’, right?” Crimson chuckled to himself. “How could I forget about that? How cunning.”

He jumped down from the roof, approaching a farmer who lay prostrate on the ground. Deep gashes covered the farmer’s body, and his shirt was soaked in blood. The man gasped for air, his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears as he looked at Crimson.

“Demon… you… demon…” he cursed weakly.

“God says to have mercy on the weak. Honestly, I didn’t want to kill your wife and kids—that’s not my style.” Crimson squatted down next to him. “But I have to level up.”

With that, he raised his dagger, driving it straight through the man’s head. Swiftly, he sliced his palm, letting his blood mix with that of the dead man.

“In exchange for a life, I want to know the status of the player ‘Jack’ in fourteen days,” Crimson announced loudly.

The blood stirred, and the blood gnome appeared again. It gazed at Crimson in confusion, unmoving.

Crimson’s smile faded slightly. “In fourteen days, is the player ‘Jack’ alive or dead?”

The blood gnome remained still. It sadly released the corpse, pointed to where its eyes would be, and shook its head. Before Crimson could ask again, it disintegrated back into the pool of blood.

The body lay still, not sinking.

…The blood gnome can’t see? It didn’t even take the price.

Can the System’s divination skill also be wrong?

With a swift motion, Crimson drew his dagger, standing up. Anger flashed across his face. “Such an interesting opponent, and that guy kept it from me—damn it!”

He quickly pulled out a communication crystal. “Did Jack recently ask you about the ‘Night of the Hunt’?”

“Yes, Lord Crimson. Lord Jack inquired about the current number of participants in the ‘Night of the Hunt’ and requested to use the instance.”

“How many are there?”

“Currently, there are four people in the instance. Two potential targets for interrogation, plus Lord Jack. The instance is full,” the other party responded cautiously.

“…Fuck.” Crimson crushed the communication crystal in frustration.

No matter, as long as those two were still alive, they would meet again. Crimson dusted off his clothes, stepping over the blood puddles to leave the village.

Behind him, the small village was silent, with an overpowering scent of blood in the air. Crows circled overhead, their coarse cries breaking the silence.

The setting sun gradually sank into the darkness.

Inside the “Night of the Hunt” instance.

“Why don’t you just confess? In this day and age, still playing the ‘loyalty’ card?”

Jack sat on a simple wooden chair, cheerfully looking at the man in front of him. “Tell me about your side—their professions, skills, and items, and I’ll let you go.”

Lying in front of Jack was a handsome young man, nearly naked; his body curled up from the cold, and his skin turned blue.

His neck and limbs were shackled with thick iron chains fastened to large boulders. The chains had chafed his skin to the point of bleeding. Older blood stains beneath him had turned nearly black.

He didn’t respond to Jack.

Jack clicked his tongue, spitting on the man. “I’m not patient, and I don’t want to dismember you again—be glad you didn’t choose a female avatar; I’m not interested in men.”

“But last night it was me; tomorrow it’ll be the shadow wolf. You won’t be able to move, and it’ll keep eating you. It loves playing with human entrails. Trust me, I can keep you locked here forever if I feel like it.”

“Bullshit… If killed by the shadow wolf, the mission would fail… Once failed… I can leave…”

Jack burst into laughter.

“Idiot, the mission requires you to survive for fourteen days. Just yesterday, I killed you five or six times. If you could leave, you would’ve by now.”

Knowing more than his adversary seemed to bring him particular joy. “It seems you good folks don’t know. Nowadays, instances have errors—only we know where those errors are hidden.”

The young man didn’t reply.

After waiting for a while and realizing the man’s breathing had stopped, Jack saw the man’s body frozen in pain, his eyes murky and dim.

He was dead.

“Tch, committing suicide after just one day? Boring.” Jack kicked the body. “I wanted to bet on how long it’d take for you to go mad.”

He stepped over the corpse and approached the door. As it closed, the pale body disappeared into the shadows.

Not far away, a massive shadow wolf was half-sitting on the ground, its eyes burning like red coals. It tilted its head, looking at Jack with confusion, seemingly not understanding what kind of creature he was.

“Move along. Don’t stare at your grandpa.” Jack whistled at it. “It’s hunting time, dumb dog.”

The shadow wolf stared at him for a moment longer, then turned and ran swiftly into the night.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 28: Role Playing

“I only know one Rebecca.”

Mr. Rizzi looked at Nol with an expression of surprise and confusion. “I have a sister named Rebecca. She went missing nearby when she was five… but that was over thirty years ago. Have you met her? Everyone says we look very alike.”

Yes, you two do resemble each other.

Nol’s lips moved slightly, and he finally said, “No, sir, we haven’t met her… I’m looking for someone else, sorry.”

Mr. Rizzi hummed in response without showing much disappointment. “No worries, I understand. This place is strange; people disappear from time to time. You should be careful.”

“How so?” Nol tried to sound relaxed.

“For instance, the Great Dragon Mountains in the north, where there’s only one moon at night… it’s quite eerie.”

Mr. Rizzi shuddered as he continued, “People say that those who go missing near there never return.”

“That sounds ominous,” Teest remarked, seizing the opportunity to change the subject. “Sir, dinner is approaching. Would you like to try some mutton?”

He knew the answer. Caravan owners often travel with private chefs and wouldn’t be interested in crudely prepared boiled meat in saltwater. But the question served as a good way to steer the conversation elsewhere.

As expected, Mr. Rizzi politely declined and quickly left.

……

Afterward, Teest observed a series of the lich’s daydreaming moments.

Nol furrowed his brows, lost in thought. He was so engrossed that occasionally he’d freeze, as if turned to stone.

Like now, Teest exhaled loudly, impatiently nudging Nol’s hand. Nol held a spoon full of soup, which had cooled down as he’d been lost in thought for two minutes.

“The information is scattered; there are too many possibilities,” Nol said after returning to his senses, sipping the now cold soup. “I have some theories, but…”

“Eat your food,” Teest interrupted. “No one’s rushing you. Find more clues before pondering. Isn’t that witch placing surveillance puppets everywhere? She’ll find new clues sooner or later.”

“True,” Nol replied, biting his spoon, making his voice muffled.

The security of Mr. Rizzi’s caravan was commendable. Over a week passed and the journey remained relatively peaceful. Nol’s daily routine was wake, work, eat, sleep, and occasionally experiment with spells for entertainment. He even started to feel like he was in a regular job.

After a few tries, Nol grasped the pattern of the [Fallen Death].

If the corpse he consumed was weaker than a lich, his attributes would barely increase, or not at all. Nol longed for the Dragon Tomb Garden. Perhaps once the black candle awakens, he could use the “Acquaintance Portal” to get some takeout from the neighbors there.

Yet the black candle remained dormant, leaving him wondering how long it might sleep.

Today, the caravan entered a vast forest. The birds were chirping, the flowers were fragrant, and the grass was as thick as a carpet. The frequent passage of caravans had formed a flat dirt road, making the carriage ride smoother.

Nol, engrossed in a history book, didn’t mind as Teest moved from across him to his side, leaning on his shoulder to nap. Teest’s silvery hair draped over Nol’s shoulder, looking quite picturesque.

Suddenly, Teest frowned, opening his eyes. “There’s a large creature nearby.”

Used to such occurrences, Nol casually cast an invisibility spell on him, saying, “Go ahead.”

Five minutes later, Teest returned with a small piece of fresh meat. “Here, meat from the Poisonous Monitor Lizard.”

Nol pondered for a moment and closed his book. “That’s the fourth time. Even for a forest, the density of large monsters seems unnatural.”

“It’s just a probe,” Teest nonchalantly replied. “The Eternal Church is probably looking for us. They’re not the type to sit still after losing something.”

Nol looked at him in resignation. “You knew and still went after the monsters?”

“Why refuse when they come to us? Besides, you can consume them.” Teest wrapped the meat casually, yawned, and leaned back on Nol’s shoulder. “They’ve likely used divination to pinpoint the Rizzi caravan. Ignoring these monsters won’t change the fact that they’ll eventually attack. Engaging them here would expose us even more.”

Nol suspected that Teest didn’t really care about staying hidden and probably wanted the church members to confront them. Regardless, considering his limited knowledge about this cult, Nol welcomed their eventual confrontation.

Perhaps this was the thrill of fishing. He calmly reopened his book, immersing himself in history once more.

In the dense forest in the distance, the burly Jack showed a smile.

Sure enough, something was suspicious about the Rizzi Caravan. If it was just an ordinary mercenary, it would be impossible to silently take down those monsters. He had been staking out for over a week and hadn’t even seen the opponent’s face.

Jack had no plans to contact Crimson.

The last time they faced those two, Crimson got nothing but beatings, and he himself had to bear the injuries. They were close to “that place”; he could act alone and cleverly use others to achieve his goal.

Perhaps when he got the candle back, Crimson would be the one assisting him.

Thinking of this, Jack pulled out a blank envelope. He scribbled something on it and lit it directly.

With a flash, the envelope dropped in front of Teest.

[Coordinates: 104, 32, 15; Help, hurry!]

Nol picked up the envelope. It was a special area request letter for players, which could be sent to other players within a kilometer.

He frowned at this, wondering who would waste such an item in a deserted forest area. Either there was a desperate player nearby or it was the work of the Eternal Church.

However, if this really was the work of the Eternal Church…

“It looks like those two attackers were probably players,” Teest said, seemingly unsurprised. “They treat the world as a game, have great power and immortality… You have to admit, it sounds like ‘demons’.”

Nol hummed in agreement. While the Temple of Life was eagerly looking for players, there was no reason for the Eternal Church to just watch. Last time, he and Teest’s performances were exceptional. Those two probably sensed the players in them and thus made their move.

“Let’s go together. Some save people, some animals catch animals.” Nol took out “The Complete Recipe Book”.

Teest laughed. “I like that idea.”

……

“When that guy shows up, I have to thank him.”

Arriving at the coordinates, Nol raised his eyebrows at the mushroom ring below him. “I was wondering how to find this copy, and he found it for us first.”

The circle of mushrooms glowed a strange ice blue, hidden deep in the grass, barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

An entrance to a hidden sub-dungeon, or a trap.

Nol smiled at Teest and stepped on it. Under Teest’s curious gaze, he raised his right hand, bending each finger back into his palm—

“Three, two…” The surrounding scene quickly twisted and distorted, as if an old oil painting was thrown into a washing machine. A fog rose, accompanied by a rumbling sound as if the world was collapsing; the warm air of the forest disappeared, and the surroundings became icy cold.

“…One.”

The fog dispersed, and the two stood in a snowy forest in deep winter.

The vibrant colors of late summer faded, and the broad-leaved trees around them turned into dense deciduous pines and firs, with an endless expanse of gray in between. Cold wind howled, snowflakes fluttered, and the snow swallowed their calves.

[You have entered a hidden area.]

[You have triggered a hidden dungeon quest: Night of the Hunt.]

[Achievement Conditions: Kill the white wolf or survive for fourteen days.]

[Task Reward: Given by NPC “Hunter”, specific reward depends on the Hunter’s favorability.]

[Failure Penalty: Cannot accept this quest again within 180 days.]

[※The number of people for this quest is limited to 1~4 players; there is no team requirement.]

“Ah-choo!” Teest’s nose and ears quickly turned red, and he hurriedly pulled a coat out of his old waist bag. Nature was very fair—no matter how high one stack their stats, humans would still freeze.

“This task is quite rare. It will randomly appear in this forest. We’re quite lucky.” Nol remained pale, and there was no white steam coming from his breath. “Let’s find the hunter’s cabin first. You need to warm up.”

On the way, Nol explained the basics of the quest to Teest.

The quest wasn’t complicated.

After the quest starts, the shadow wolf symbolizing disaster would wake up. The strength of the shadow wolf would adjust according to the level of the players present and was basically unbeatable. It would hunt players day and night, and players could only do two things—

“Kill the white wolf, and the shadow wolf will fall asleep. That white wolf is just an ordinary wild beast but will be hard to catch,” Nol said. “Or persist for fourteen days without dying, and the task will end automatically.”

“No wonder it’s called ‘Night of the Hunt’.” Teest wrapped himself up. “Either the shadow wolf hunts us, or we hunt the white wolf.” He ignored the “run till the end” option.

“Kind of,” Nol said. “The Eternalist who lured us might also be here. With the shadow wolf chasing us, the opposition only needs to trip us up. We need to be cautious.”

Teest sniffed in agreement.

Since they knew the tricks, the hunter’s cabin wasn’t hard to find. Nol followed footprints, traces of logging, and the scent of burning wood, quickly locating the target.

It was a roughly built log house with half a meter of snow covering the roof. Gray smoke billowed from the chimney. Even in daylight, the lights from the windows were very noticeable.

Standing at the door, they could hear faint coughs from inside.

Nol and Teest exchanged glances.

“Hello, it’s so cold outside; can we stay here?” Teest stepped forward to knock, his nasal voice especially persuasive. “We’ll pay.”

The game’s setting dictated that the hunter would not refuse players, but considering the game rewards and relationship levels, they remained cautious.

The door cracked open, releasing a burst of warmth, and an elderly face illuminated by the firelight appeared.

The hunter looked to be around seventy, slightly chubby, with deep-set wrinkles. His wild gray hair reached his shoulders, and he sported a large, unkempt beard. He was clad in moose and bear skins, exuding an aroma of meaty broth and grease. Despite his age, his back was still straight, hinting at his once sturdy physique.

He looked indifferently at the two standing at the door. After about half a minute, he moved aside.

“Hunter,” he pointed at himself and introduced in a deep voice, his tongue clumsy as if he hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time.

“Teest, Nol.” Teest briefly introduced himself and Nol, quickly surveying the room’s interior.

The cabin was simple, consisting of one spacious room. A pot of soup simmered on the fireplace, its white steam drifting past a deer skull mounted above. Next to the fireplace was a rough chair, with a round table a few steps away. Jars and bottles sat on wooden shelves, their crude pottery gleaming warmly in the firelight.

The hunter’s bed and a long table filled with miscellaneous items each occupied a corner. The clutter on the table hinted that the owner wasn’t fond of reading or writing.

Teest immediately spotted several advantageous corners for combat. He then looked at the hunter and smiled politely. “We’ll set up by the long table; we promise not to disturb you.”

The hunter grunted in response and moved to the fireplace. “Soup’s in the pot. Serve yourself. Just this once. I don’t want your money, and don’t expect me to cook for you.”

“Can we trade for your stuff?” Nol inquired without glancing at the soup. “Not with money. We have sugar and spices.”

“I don’t have anything valuable,” the hunter replied without looking up.

Nol approached the cluttered table, lifting a letter opener from an inconspicuous corner. “We left in a hurry and missed many small items. If you don’t mind…”

“Have not used that thing in fifty years; take it,” the old hunter said after a sideways glance. “Salt or sugar, your choice.”

Teest packed some of both and left them on the shelf next to the fireplace. He then quickly returned to Nol’s side to inspect the letter opener.

With a deep brown handle and a slim, brass blade, it had a graceful curve but was tarnished and stained.

[Bad News: A worn-out letter opener that only reveals bad outcomes. When the user injures a target, it forcibly severs all system links between the user and the target. ※ Durable, but handle with care.]

Teest realized, “Could this be…”

[Exactly what you’re thinking of,] Nol responded mentally. [We can use it for a swift divorce.]

Instead of “Bad News,” he preferred calling it the “Blacklist.”

[I thought we’d face challenging quests to get the reward. Is it this easy?] Teest was amazed.

Nol smiled. [Ordinary people can normally dissolve teams or divorce. They generally don’t need such a niche item. Its value isn’t that high.]

Teest pretended not to hear.

Nol put the letter opener in his bag. Considering the Eternalist might be lurking nearby, he didn’t want to sever his ties with Teest just yet.

……

The night passed without incident.

The only “anomaly” was Teest’s efforts to keep his distance from Nol during the night. In summer, they’d comfortably sleep side by side. However, as temperatures dropped, Teest would flinch every time he touched the cold-bodied Nol.

Resigned, Nol got up in the latter half of the night to study new magic.

Throughout this, the old hunter was quite cold towards them. Treating them “like air” would be a polite way to put it. Even when Nol and Teest asked questions politely, he’d respond only once or twice out of ten times, mumbling incoherently.

Did the game system have to generate NPCs with such nasty temperaments? Nol wondered.

At dawn, the two were swiftly ushered out of the cabin by the old hunter.

“Get a deer, or at the very least, four pheasants or ducks. Get out of here,” the hunter said. The door slammed shut in front of Teest, blowing his long hair into disarray.

“Wow,” Teest exclaimed. “I thought my personality was bad, but there’s always someone worse.”

“Let’s go and explore the surroundings,” Nol suggested. “If we can hunt some big game, you might be able to make a fur scarf.”

“Do the Eternalist count as big game?” Teest muttered as he followed.

Nol looked up at the sky, avoiding that dreadful topic.

The snow was coming down as if it wouldn’t stop until the end of the world. Although the hunter was grumpy, he had lent them snow boots. With Teest’s wilderness survival experience and Nol’s [Listening] and [Smelling] abilities, their sturdy and lightweight boots quickly led them to prey. But they decided to go further to explore more areas…

“It seems there are no other people nearby,” Teest said as he roasted wild chicken over the fire at the entrance of a cave, the flames reflecting golden-red against his hair.

The pheasant was plump. Golden fat dripped onto the flames, causing it to crackle and pop. Teest simply sprinkled some salt and crushed herbs on it and roasted a few sweet potatoes, creating a perfect meal.

While eating too many sweet potatoes could be cloying, Nol preferred the white bread supplied by the Rizzi Caravan. Regrettably, while Teest had packed bottles and cans into his old waist bag, he hadn’t taken any bread.

“Unless something unexpected happens, there shouldn’t be any other people around here. Think about it, if there was a village nearby and the shadow wolf appeared, the villagers would be in big trouble,” Nol said, carefully biting into a chicken leg, trying not to get grease on himself.

Teest took a sharp breath. “So the hunter lives here all by himself?”

“That seems to be the case…” While games were games, reality was different. Hearing Teest’s words, Nol also felt a bit uneasy.

Suddenly, both of them froze. Teest drew his small hunting knife, and Nol grabbed his “The Complete Recipe Book”.

Behind a nearby rock, a head appeared.

It belonged to a beautiful and cute young boy. His golden short hair shone brightly, his eyes were astonishingly blue, and his long, pointed ears made him look like a forest elf from a fairytale, completely out of place in this snowy landscape.

His hand was grasping a stone, and the longing in his eyes was about to overflow.

Nol remained vigilant—despite the cute appearance, this creature was a “dwarf elf”, a kind of humanoid monster. Dwarf elves were innate magicians, slippery and cunning, and tricky to handle.

“It seems you’ve found me,” the elf said, his voice slightly muffled by his saliva. “Sirs, my wife and I haven’t eaten for two days. Please share some meat. I can perform healing magic. We can trade!”

Nol: “…” No, the elf’s had a strangely familiar tone.

Nol: “Earthstar?”

The elf gasped. “Nin-year compulsory education?”

“City A?” Nol continued.

The dwarf elf wiped his drool. “Copper pot mutton hotpot?”

“Yunshang Joy Garden?”

“Family—!” The elf eagerly opened his arms towards Nol but stopped just in time due to Teest’s threatening knife.

“I’m from Joy Garden. Both my wife and I are.” The dwarf elf scratched his head in embarrassment. “I’m Luo Ruilin, and my wife is Zhu Lijun… Do you remember?”

Nol was silent.

That memory was too profound.

This couple was famous in their community—Officer Luo, a policeman, and Doctor Zhu, a general surgeon. Known to be old classmates, they were famous for rarely being at home due to their professions. But for the same reasons, they had an excellent reputation in the community.

In Nol’s memory, Officer Luo was a tall man with a shaved head, standing at about 1.9 meters. Looking down at the dwarf elf, who was less than 1.6 meters tall, mixed feelings arose in his heart.

“Xu Yue. Building 7, Unit 1, Room 701,” he briefly introduced himself.

“Oh,” the dwarf elf recalled after a moment. “I remember Old Lady Meng in 501, who was quite a troublemaker.”

“She especially liked to curse people at the entrance of the building around four or five in the morning,” Nol added with a hint of nostalgia. “Teest, it’s okay. This guy is fine.”

The dwarf elf enthusiastically turned to Teest. “So, is he also—”

“No.” Nol shook his head. “He’s my friend, but he doesn’t live in Joy Garden.”

“Right, I’m his friend,” Teest said with a forced friendly tone. “We still have some chicken left. You can have it.”

“No, can I call my wife over? It would be better if we work together, right?” The dwarf elf’s eyes shone brightly. “Just be prepared; her appearance is a bit… abnormal.”

How could he describe his wife in such a way? Nol raised an eyebrow. But Officer Luo had always had a good reputation in the community, so maybe the situation was indeed special.

He turned to look at Teest, and Teest nodded. Only then did Nol say, “Let her come over. Let’s discuss the situation.”

“Honey!” The dwarf elf shouted loudly into the woods. “Honey, come over! We have our neighbors here—!”

Following his call, a shadow darted through the forest like the wind, moving so fast that it left only an afterimage. In just a few seconds, the shadow stopped in front of Nol and Teest.

Nol: “…………”

Teest took a deep breath, his movements a bit awkward. He almost instinctively drew his knife earlier—

The creature in front of them stood over two meters tall, with a massive wolf’s head, brown-yellow pupils, and sharp teeth. It was extremely muscular, its fur thick and dense, and its claws were as sharp as daggers.

Even in the icy and snowy conditions, it didn’t mind exposing its upper body. Underneath the fur, the contours of its eight-pack abs were notably prominent.

A wolfkin.

…More accurately, a male gray wolfkin.

‘Okay,’ Nol thought numbly. Mental preparation was indeed necessary.

“Which one of you is the neighbor?” The wolfkin spoke in a deep voice, looking quite at ease.

Before Nol could respond, the dwarf elf patted Nol. “This brother here.”

The wolfkin lowered her—his head to examine Nol. He was unsure what the creature was thinking, but its expression became serious after a moment.

“Your body temperature is off. Normal human temperature shouldn’t be this low… You’re a monster like us,” the wolfkin said. “Pardon my bluntness, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave.”

Nol’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve been here for over a month and found many clues. Simply put, this place traps all humans and humanoid monsters—the ‘Hunter’ is dying, and this place will pick a successor for him.”

“Even if someone is chosen, the others are backups. Once people come here, they can never leave again.”

The wolfkin sighed, showing off his sharp canine teeth.

“It seems this is like a role-playing game. It always needs a ‘Hunter’ to wait for the so-called ‘players’.”

---

The author has something to say:

Don’t think Nol’s card drawing luck is bad. His luck in drawing people (?) is really not bad.

Dragon Nest trio is waiting to grow. Outside, the starting combo of a mechanical engineer + criminal policeman + general surgeon is truly a golden team…

Of course, the most epic moment was drawing Teest, the Super Collector’s Edition SSR (?

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 27: No Love?

Teest swallowed the chicken in his mouth, looking at Nol with relish.

As the lich picked up the chicken, he immediately closed his eyes and pressed his hands together in a serious and devout manner, not knowing what he was praying for.

Nol was undeniably handsome, but the night made this beauty seem lifeless. Teest liked Nol’s eyes the most; they were full of life. When Nol closed his eyes like this, he looked like a real corpse—cold and distant.

Usually, when someone closed their eyes in front of Teest, they never got the chance to open them again. But he knew Nol could, and this left Teest somewhat perplexed.

As Teest tried to shake off this feeling, Nol suddenly opened his eyes. He took a long breath, and his face showed clear excitement. Caught off guard, Teest mentally shook his head.

“What did you get?” Teest asked.

Picking up another piece of chicken, Nol chewed happily, “‘Bloodline Suppression’. Not bad… The sauce is refreshing, though a bit bitter.”

Nol was truly satisfied. No matter how bitter the sauce, it wasn’t as bitter as the black coffee when working overtime.

Indeed, there were better skills in the dragon’s skill list. Talents like [Anti-Magic], [Dragon Breath], and [Species Morph] were comparable to SSRs*. Having been beaten down by reality for so long, Nol didn’t believe he had the luck to draw a golden card. He was content with getting an SR like [Bloodline Suppression], which wouldn’t be affected by curses.

*Specially Super Rare.

[Bloodline Suppression: As the apex of all creatures, you instill innate fear in other species. Only those with strong wills can resist. ※This is a passive skill and can be toggled on or off.]

He now had [Bloodline Suppression], [Listening], and [Smelling]—all excellent survival skills. He had added 240 to both his physical and magical defenses. Although he was still fragile, he wouldn’t die upon the slightest touch.

If all else failed, he had his “Working Knight”, Teest, and his 8-hour loyalty from [Betrayal Overture], which was exactly a working day.

“From now on, activate ‘Betrayal Overture’ every day at nine in the morning, from nine to five.”

Nol tried to suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth. “Ensuring a 30% attribute boost during the day, extending it only under special circumstances. What do you think?”

Teest: “…Okay.”

He always felt the timing Nol chose was odd. But if the two of them had to exchange a hand-kiss gesture three times a day, it would be even weirder and might draw attention.

“I will still reduce the attributes,” Teest added. “The closer to the big city, the more players. It’s safer to be low-key.”

They both agreed and quickly finished off the long-horned chicken.

Nol tapped the plate with a fork, and the chicken bones neatly scurried away, leaving a clean blue dish.

……

Four days later, the sky was just as clear.

Knight Eugene stood at the entrance of the Evergreen Church with an unusually expressionless face.

In front of the Evergreen Church was a square paved with white stones. Now, there was a conspicuous blot, like a stain on a white handkerchief.

It was the missing Lord Swain.

He was dead, with gold threads all over his body. The sun shone, making them sparkle on his pale skin like exquisite tattoos.

Lord Swain had returned to his human form, wearing a robe and fixed in a slightly bent waist with his arms in an outstretched posture by the golden threads. His face was sewn into a gentle smile. At his feet were lush shrubs, and in front of him were two “children” made of vines and flowers. Their petals were dewy and brilliantly shining in the morning light.

A scene filled with love and compassion.

Naturally, Eugene recognized it. The protector of the orphans, Gilmore the Compassionate, one of the famous devotees in the Book of Life.

The real Mad Monk had come.

After Lord Swain was rescued, Eugene even intensified the guards in Whitebird City. But the Mad Monk had mysteriously managed all this, displaying the body at the entrance of the Evergreen Church. Apart from the panicked crowd, he left nothing behind.

Seeing this, the public would only feel it blasphemous and cruel. But Eugene knew the irony within—just two days ago, the Investigation Knights had discovered a secret passage in the city lord’s office and found piles of children’s skeletons.

…May God forgive these unholy fanatics.

The Investigation Knights mobilized quickly, sealing off the scene. Eugene turned against the flow, his dark green cloak slicing through the air.

Not far in a dark alley, two cloaked figures, one tall and one short, watched everything unfold.

Watching as the city lord’s body was magically concealed, the shorter of the two laughed a few times. “How marvelous! We were right nearby, and yet we didn’t notice.”

His tone remained frivolous, unmistakably the assailant from a few days prior.

“The Mad Monk has been a veteran who hasn’t been caught for over a decade,” the taller one said in a muffled voice.

“Forget it, we didn’t come for him in the first place,” the assailant commented nonchalantly. “The precious artifact is gone, and now we have to explain upon returning. What a hassle.”

The taller one remained silent.

Their plan was simple—with the assistance of the city lord, they intended to offer the corpse of a massive dragon and numerous human lives as sacrifices to awaken the candle, thus creating a portal unique to the Eternal Church. In doing so, the Church would covertly turn Whitebird City into a stronghold for its fanatical followers without anyone noticing.

The teleportation arrays between the major cities were ancient relics, tightly controlled by various nations. Temples monitored them closely, requiring strict registration for those entering or exiting. Long-distance teleportation magic existed only in legends, with only a few ancient artifacts having such capabilities.

After all, according to the teachings of the church, “transcending space” was stepping into the realm of the gods.

The candle was essentially a movable portal; its importance was self-explanatory. Yet his companion merely found it “troublesome to explain if lost”.

…It was somewhat understandable, the taller one thought. After all, they weren’t truly loyal to the Eternal Church.

“What’s your plan, Crimson?” the taller one asked.

“What else can I do but chase down that candle,” Crimson, the assailant, replied. “The two individuals were rather interesting. I’ve never been bested quite like that before.”

Saying this, he took off his hood and gestured to a passing young man in the alley.

“Hey there, run an errand for me?” Crimson said with a warm and friendly smile. “We’re waiting for someone and can’t leave. Could you buy us two bottles of wine? I’ll give you five silver hooks for your trouble.”

It was broad daylight, and the young man readily entered the deeper alley. In the next instant, a cold glint passed across his throat.

Blood sprayed instantly, covering the walls. The youth died in mere seconds, collapsing into the growing puddle. Crimson slashed his own palm and let his blood mix with the pool.

“I offer a life in exchange. Show me the whereabouts of the foe who drew my blood,” he commanded in a tone akin to placing an order.

From the blood arose a gaunt, deep-red humanoid figure, no taller than an adult’s calf, with an indistinct face. The blood gnome pointed south.

The young man’s body slowly sank into the pool of blood, and the stone slabs beneath the blood seemed to turn into a marsh. When the blood gnome dissolved back into the liquid, the corpse completely disappeared without a trace.

“Towards Grape Collar. Both the Alva and Rizzi merchant groups went in that direction,” the taller one said solemnly. “Shall we draw lots?”

“I’ll follow Alva, you tail Rizzi. The mercenaries Alva hired are more vigilant; you might get exposed.” Crimson shrugged. “Once we find the whereabouts of those two, we’ll regroup.”

The taller one grunted, sounding somewhat dissatisfied, but he didn’t comment.

Crimson clapped his hands, and flames arose, burning away the pool of blood, leaving only charred marks behind.

The brief firelight illuminated Crimson’s deep red hair and similarly colored eyes. He was fairly good-looking, but there was an unsettling, manic energy about him that made him unlikable. He wore a golden earring in his left ear, engraved with the insignia of “World of Tahe”.

The gold had a faded red hue, as though it were stained with blood, much like the stubborn bloodstains on Bluebeard’s key*.

*Reference to Bluebeard, a French folktale. He has a room where he keeps all his murdered wives’ corpses. You can read the story in the Wikipedia.

Having dealt with the body, Crimson put his hood back on, and the two delved deeper into the dark alley.

“You have to admit, you’re no match for the Mad Monk,” the taller one suddenly remarked, sounding a bit aggressive. “The Temple has no clue about him, while you, like a dog, fled to our country and nearly got caught by law enforcement.”

“But I hunt strong men, while you only dare strangle girls,” Crimson retorted lightly. “Honestly, ‘Jack’ is a terrible ID. Mr. Liang, you should’ve been more thoughtful when picking your name… or were you paying tribute to that Jack the Ripper*, who also specialized in killing women?”

*Unidentified serial killer in London England in 1888 who murdered a series of women (mainly prostitutes).

“I have a preference for women. That’s normal. You and the Mad Monk are just religious fanatics,” Jack, the taller one, said with increasing irritation.

“Alright, let’s talk about the Mad Monk. He’s not of my kind. Even though his work is also god-themed, his results lack love.”

“Love? I see it as hatred,” Jack scoffed.

“No, no, you don’t understand. When the subject is a god, hatred is also a form of love.”

Crimson’s tone was somewhat fanatical, like discussing a familiar academic issue. “The Mad Monk is different. He’s mad, true, but he’s an arrogant and calm madman. I don’t think he cares about gods… Um, his works mislead more than they blaspheme.”

There was a silence that lasted for about ten seconds, then Crimson suddenly stopped.

“I need to correct one detail,” he suddenly said. “There’s a little bit of love in the Mad Monk’s work. The smile on the corpse—it’s different.”

The tall man, Jack, couldn’t be bothered to engage. “Change the subject. I’m tired of your melodrama.”

“Don’t underestimate the will of the gods, my friend. Think about how we got here—I, a foreign tourist, can understand, but you, a fugitive, being invited to test the game? In the end, you make up for my only shortcoming.”

“I’m not your tool,” Jack said in a deep voice.

“Who knows?”

……

Nol hummed a cheerful tune.

He and Teest were sitting in a carriage from the Rizzi Caravan. Apart from sacks full of potatoes, carrots, and onions, it was just the two of them. The sacks piled up high, leaving a frighteningly narrow space. But this couldn’t dampen Nol’s mood—

With Lynn’s collaboration, the dragon-skin notebook was perfectly upgraded. The cover of “The Complete Recipe Book” had been meticulously remade and integrated completely with the notebook, giving it a perfect aged look.

Its cover was now made of black magic-absorbing cloth, with “The Complete Recipe Book” and decorative patterns embroidered with ancient silver thread, excellent for guiding magic, with a witch’s magic circle hidden within.

The pages of the notebook became smooth and white, and a discreet emblem was added to the spine—a prototype emblem made with color-changing thread, currently displaying a distorted “68%”, reminiscent of a phone’s battery display.

When Nol wasn’t using it, the notebook could charge itself. The change in magic during use was also intuitive, so there was no need to worry about over-draining and damaging the item.

The item’s description had also changed—

[The Complete Recipe Book: A book of questionable material. Be careful. What’s recorded inside is definitely not recipes. As long as you don’t overuse it, it’s always ready to serve you.]

“You seem happy?” Teest crossed his arms, yawning, his body slightly swaying with the bumps of the merchant’s carriage.

“Of course I am. This is my external skill slot,” Nol said, hugging The Complete Recipe Book as if wanting to kiss it.

Last night, both had stayed up. Teest went out to set up the corpse, while Nol eagerly made modifications to the new notebook—

He had rewritten [Necromancy], and now it could summon intermediate undead creatures. High-level undead creatures mostly had higher intelligence. The summoning rules were incredibly complex, and Nol was still researching. After all, to manually recreate the program’s intricate judgments and massive calculations, he needed a lot of time.

Furthermore, Nol added [Death Intimidation], in conjunction with [Bloodline Suppression]. If the dragon’s [Bloodline Suppression] successfully induced fear in the target, [Death Intimidation] would activate on its own, applying a 5-second rigidity status to the target.

[Necromancy] [Hide in the Shadows] [Death Intimidation]… This notebook was becoming more and more like a necromancer’s tool.

Surprisingly, when he directly rewrote and created his own magic, the system had no reaction. Apparently, it only cared if anyone changed the system’s original magic.

Nol decided to only write original spells in the book to guard against possible prying from the system.

Of course, he didn’t tell Teest that these skills were original creations, and Teest didn’t ask. They had an excellent unspoken understanding on the “don’t ask about each other’s abilities” front.

Teest’s gaze lingered on The Complete Recipe Book for a moment, then shifted to the cloth bag next to Nol’s leg.

Before leaving, Nol claimed to repay the “dragon-skin notebook debt”, giving almost all the rewards to Teest. With the remaining change, he bought a coarse cloth shoulder bag filled with blood ink, cheap quill pens, and parchment, plus two history books.

The only thing out of place in that bag was a doll’s head the size of a chicken egg. Its face and hair were carved from wood and painted brightly. This thing had a movable mouth with a serious expression, looking like a cheap souvenir from travels.

Witch Lynn said it was a special item; they could communicate with her through it.

In reality, mostly Nol communicated with her using it. Teest didn’t even bother reading its item description. Teest could see that the witch was very wary of him, even a bit disgusted. It was evident that his Mr. Mage status, even among otherworldly people, wasn’t ordinary.

At the moment, Nol was looking at the notebook with satisfaction, as if it had bloomed with flowers only visible to a lich.

He was wearing the simple robe Teest bought for him, with his bag half-hugged to his chest, sitting very upright… just like an ordinary magic apprentice.

The front of the carriage echoed with the clip-clop of horse hooves, while the white cloth covering the carriage was occasionally puffed up by the wind. From this angle, all Teest could see was the world constantly receding. Bored, he decided to find amusement.

“You said before that you wanted me to take you back home. That was a lie, wasn’t it?” Teest broke the silence.

“Huh? Yes.” Nol admitted readily, still engrossed in “The Complete Recipe Book”. “Don’t worry, our destination hasn’t changed. I said, I know how to break the engagement—as long as I confirm that you’re a decent person, you can get rid of me.”

‘A decent person,’ Teest mulled over the phrase. Perhaps Nol was even crazier than him if he thought that Teest, the Mad Monk, could earn such a description.

Then again, only he suffered from “God’s Forsaken”. If they really separated, Nol could still team up with others. What would this lich do in the future? Marry and divorce other players crazily?

But Nol might be fine on his own. He was clever, and despite the dire curse upon him, he had found a preliminary solution…

What would happen to this lich if they separated? It was an intriguing question, and Teest found he couldn’t answer.

“Aren’t you afraid I’m just pretending to be good?” Teest asked casually. “You can’t really know someone’s nature.”

“Then consider me blind,” Nol said decisively. “I’m no superhero. I try my best, and that’s enough—I still have many peers to find and puzzles to solve. I can’t be concerned with world peace.”

“What if I want to keep you longer, intentionally harming the innocent?” Teest, supporting a shaky bag of onions, questioned again. “You’re an interesting companion; maybe I don’t want to part too soon.”

Nol finally looked up, meeting Teest’s eyes. Even in daylight, Nol’s irises shimmered with a hazy glow, the color reminiscent of the wings of a blue morpho butterfly. Beautiful, but not very human-like.

Nol, seemingly oblivious to Teest’s distraction, grew serious. “If you don’t want to part, just say so. We can discuss it. It’s that simple.”

“But in any case, our destination won’t change—maintaining a teammate relationship can only be ‘our choice’, not ‘a compulsion’.”

“You see, this is where you’re so naive,” Teest murmured. “‘Choice’ is a luxury, honey.”

“After all this talk, I feel like you’re subtly saying, ‘I want to keep teaming up’,” Nol mused.

Teest smiled. “What can I say? My curiosity knows no bounds.”

Nol put down the book, sighing deeply. “Then you’re in for a treat. I don’t even understand myself.”

‘Ain’t that the truth,’ Teest thought.

Take the night before as an example—Nol went to the witch’s place to get the amended notebook, and they stayed at her cabin overnight. In the middle of the night, Teest felt a sudden lightness beside him and woke up almost instantly.

Then he heard the door open.

He turned over and saw Nol standing at the entrance. Liches didn’t need much sleep, so perhaps Nol woke up and decided to get some fresh air.

Ten minutes passed, then an hour, two hours… Nol stood there, head down, unmoving. Like a statue or a particularly eerie scarecrow.

‘Strange,’ Teest thought. ‘Didn’t Nol despise the moon?’

Only when the morning sun neared the horizon did Nol return to bed as if nothing had happened. During their stay in Whitebird City, Teest had never seen such behavior.

“What happened last night?” Teest asked directly the next morning.

“What do you mean? I slept well and didn’t even dream,” Nol responded, puzzled.

So Teest didn’t press further. But when leaving the cabin, he took a longer glance at the doorstep.

Ordinary stones, moss, wooden frame. If there was anything unique, it was the stain of blood—when Hannah held Margaret, seeking help, she bled a lot at the doorway. The witch had cleaned it, but a faint red mark remained.

…It didn’t make sense.

After that incident, Nol showed no more anomalies, and Teest didn’t feel it was his place to probe deeper.

But his curiosity only grew.

Staying by Nol’s side seemed fine. Since Nol had obtained the Eternal Church’s candle, Teest wasn’t worried about a shortage of prey coming their way.

……

As the sun set, the carriage halted. It was time for dinner.

Skinning, cutting, deboning—all specialties of the Mad Monk. The lamb meat was fresh, and with a little salt, it was palatable. Teest’s cooking speed was four or five times faster than other cooks. Nol couldn’t help with the cooking, so his main role was to serve the meat and ladle out the soup.

“Not bad, quite efficient,” a cheerful voice remarked.

Nol looked up and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a fine silk robe. He was tall and sturdy, with a long face. His bright red hair shone like flames, and numerous freckles dotted the sides of his hawk-like nose.

“I’m the owner of this caravan, Levis Rizzi,” the man introduced himself amicably. “I’m glad to have two hard working young men like you onboard. Put in good work, and your diligence will be rewarded.”

Nol wasn’t paying any attention to his words. He stared intently at Levis’ face, swallowing nervously. Even Teest paused his actions, eyeing Mr. Rizzi intently.

He looked so familiar, strikingly similar to the female version of Mrs. Petty.

…I’m not Petty! I’m Rebecca! Rebecca from Whitebird City!

…My father’s a merchant. He’s rich; he’ll hire people to deal with you!

It was a memory from when they had just escaped the novice village. The shrill, fearful screams of the woman still echoed piercingly from their memories.

“I’m sorry,” Nol murmured. “Sir, I have a rather abrupt question.”

Mr. Rizzi laughed. “Don’t be so tense; just ask.”

“Do…do you know ‘Rebecca’?” Nol cautiously inquired.

Mr. Rizzi was taken aback.

---

The author has something to say:

Teest: Friend, you aren’t afraid of me. Is it because you’re also pretty terrifying?

Nol: (innocent)

————————————

For now, both of them have an 8-hour mutual buff, a standard 9-to-5. When Teest becomes a knight in the true sense, won’t it be equivalent to working 24/7… The “Betrayal Overture” probably refers to betraying the working class!

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 26: Mission Accomplished

When he returned to the log cabin, Nol was still reminiscing about the earlier scene—

When Witch Lynn touched the candle, it was as if she touched a cockroach from G Province, and she almost threw it away on impulse. She paused for a few seconds before picking up the staff again.

“I can’t identify it. It’s neither a magical tool nor an item with a soul. It’s a living thing.” Lynn said. “The aura of this thing makes me very uncomfortable. Where did you get it?”

Nol: “…From the Eternal Church.”

Someone grabbed it while running away, and then he casually woke it up—it was just as brutally simple as that. He still remembered the disgraceful behavior of the black candle, and Nol couldn’t associate it with any noble concept.

“In any case, all I can tell is that it’s asleep.” Lynn hesitated before concluding.

It seemed they could only wait for it to wake up.

After reminiscing, Nol sighed and looked at Teest, who was lying on the straw bed.

In the morning sunlight, Teest sat on the edge of the bed, curiously looking at the little girl opposite him—it was a broken female doll. She had black hair and cracks all over her body, with only one leg intact. At this moment, she leaned on a crutch. Her face was vigilant, staring at Teest.

Margaret Swain, the newly born Puppet Witch.

She had already transformed completely, but restoring her body would take time.

Nol was speechless. They had only left for a short while, and the infamous Mad Monk had caused more mischief.

“What did you just say?” Margaret’s voice was a bit sharp.

“I said, your father is truly dead. He’s in my bag.” Teest patted the suspiciously spacious old waist bag. “Do you want to see? I can pull out a bit, so you can say goodbye to him.”

Margaret seemed uncertain whether to show sadness, shock, or relief. She stood still, statue-like.

Nol massaged his temples. “Do you always have to be this frank?”

This guy had no intention of concealing his identity as the “Mad Monk”.

“But this girl needs to bid farewell to her family, to find closure. Otherwise, she’ll think about it her whole life, even if her family was scum.” Teest shrugged. “Once I display Swain’s body, Miss Lynn will find out sooner or later. Anyway, they won’t report me.”

Yes, even if the two witches were willing to report to the Temple in a suicidal manner, they wouldn’t have substantial evidence. Nol couldn’t help but press on his temples again.

Lynn quickly caught on. “The City Lord’s corpse? Displayed? …Are you the ‘Mad Monk’?!”

Now Margaret knew how to react—she staggered back into a corner, shivering all over, looking like she wanted to cry but didn’t dare. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to attract the Investigation Knights… I really didn’t mean to…”

It turned out that in the eyes of the natives, the horror of the Mad Monk even surpassed being “eaten alive by a beast”. Nol slowly wrapped his arm around Teest’s shoulder and semi-dragged, semi-carried him out of the cabin.

Teest grimaced in resignation but didn’t resist.

“That’s enough, Mr. Celebrity. Margaret has been traumatized enough.” Nol found a log to sit on and patted the spot next to him. “The air outside is fresher.”

Teest sat next to him, emitting a peculiar sense of deflation. “You’re really not afraid of me… Even though you’re the kind who’d vomit at the sight of a wound. Are all you people from the other world this contradictory?”

No, most people would be afraid.

Even knowing that those killed by Teest deserved it, ordinary people would find it hard to accept his oddity… But Nol simply wasn’t scared, just as he couldn’t genuinely fear this world.

‘Perhaps it’s because of my creator’s sentiment at work,’ Nol thought.

“How old are you?” Nol asked, gazing at the beautiful forest in the morning sun, changing the topic.

He had been curious about this for a while.

“Twenty-eight.” Teest turned to face him. “Asking this out of the blue, are you actually a centuries-old creature—”

Nol glanced at him. “I’m twenty-seven.”

Teest genuinely paused before smiling. “I didn’t expect to be older. Seems I should be more respectful to you.”

“We’ve already married. There’s no need to say that,” Nol commented somberly. “If you really want to play the elder, I’d advise you not to use ‘Dream Manipulation’ on your juniors—if you induce me a second time, I’ll do my best to grow a succubus tail on you.”

“Oh, you noticed.”

“You induce Mr. Kurt to apply for the requiem ceremony, induce me to let you go back to the city alone—was that your doing?”

“Yes, but you already know my identity.” Teest took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. “Inducing works better on those who have a high regard for me, and you…”

“I still think you’re a good companion.” Nol’s tone was sincere.

Teest fell silent, and the two were at a loss for words leaving the only sound of a slight breeze gently shaking the shrubs.

‘Twenty-eight years old’ Nol repeated in his head. If Teest wasn’t lying, this man became the “Mad Monk” when he was just a boy… at seventeen, sixteen, or even earlier.

Nol felt intuitively that this was a topic that shouldn’t be touched, at least not now. He wasn’t Conan* and didn’t have the ability to make a murderer confess his life story in just a few words.

*Japanese detective series where the protagonist is a high school detective that gets turned back into his prepubescent self and goes around solving murder mysteries.

“If necessary, I will use ‘Mental Barrier’. Liches are good at these things,” Nol said after a moment of silence. “But I don’t want to waste mana on this.”

“Alright, I promise not to induce you.” Teest looked up at the sky. “But I feel like I’m at a disadvantage. How about you make a promise too?”

Nol raised an eyebrow. He was upright and honorable. What more promises did he need to make?

Teest looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze for a while. “Promise me—when your opinion of me changes, let me know.”

“Why do you suddenly care about this?” Nol was surprised.

The Mad Monk didn’t seem like the type who cared about the opinions of others.

Teest responded with seriousness, “I need to know when my inducing no longer works on you. It’s crucial.”

Nol: “……” Then what did you promise just now? Thin air?

Teest was indeed a good companion, if one could overlook his peculiar way of thinking. Perhaps he shouldn’t expect too much—after all, he was using a cult member’s prop, so his own mental state was far from normal.

“Fine,” Nol said weakly.

Teest flicked his fingers.

Golden threads, like snakes, slithered out of the old waist bag. They intertwined and melted into a pair of intricate gold earrings. They looked exactly like Player earrings, but with a small, inconspicuous mark on the back, like a twisted trident.

“A deal is a deal.” Teest handed one earring to Nol. “You’ll find use for this sooner or later. Consider it a token.”

He gave Teest a tool to hide his real earring, and he returned a carefully replicated fake earring. Holding the tiny earring in his hand, Nol felt a sense of absurdity.

Still, he carefully kept it and placed it in the inner pocket at his chest.

Teest didn’t put away his earring immediately. He held his up and compared it with Nol’s from a distance.

“You’re more suited for the blue moonstone,” Teest said softly, with the gold in his hand reflecting the shards of dawn. “Sadly, we can’t change its design.”

……

At lunch, Hannah came to deliver the latest news. She remembered Teest’s warnings, so all the other kids were at the church. Only she came secretly, also to visit her twin sister.

Who would have thought she’d bump into the Mad Monk? Hannah’s scream pierced the sky, forming a cacophony with Margaret’s.

“Did you have to scare her?” Nol’s hand holding the fork twitched.

“After all, Margaret would tell her sooner or later. It’s better for me to teach her about the dangers of the world firsthand,” Teest mused while chewing on a roasted potato. “It’s so interesting!”

Lynn looked at him with a stern face but remained silent, apparently preferring to keep her distance from this dangerous individual. The witch was more focused on the parchment beside her, which contained information Nol had for trade—mainly details about important cities, landmarks, and attractions in Tahe.

Indeed, just before lunch, Lynn had declined Nol’s invitation to travel together.

“Two reasons. First, I don’t want to travel with the Mad Monk; he’s too dangerous. Second, I indeed have my own things to deal with,” she stated bluntly. “I know you want to help, but your upcoming actions won’t be centered around me—and I don’t want to wait a moment longer.”

Nol pondered briefly. “You’re looking for someone? A family member, or…”

Lynn’s expression darkened momentarily. “My younger sister. The day we transmigrated, I was sick with a high fever. She came to take care of me. She was supposed to be at boarding school… She’s still in high school.”

“You must have a good relationship.”

Lynn shook her head. “No, our relationship is average. We even quarreled that day. I told her she shouldn’t take leave during her busy school days, and she left angrily.”

She lowered her head, her voice filled with bitterness and melancholy. “I was so drowsy from the fever. I’m not sure if she went straight back to school or came to me again. I don’t know if she’s in this world, but I need to find her…”

Nol glanced instinctively towards the door of the wooden hut. Bloodstains still remained on the stone steps outside. Just the other night, Hannah, holding Margaret, had pleaded outside that door.

He believed he knew the reason why the shrewd and cautious neighbor had opened the door.

Though it was regrettable that they couldn’t cooperate, everyone was an adult, and one couldn’t force matters. The Puppet Witch was quite capable of surviving on her own. As long as they stayed in touch, Lynn’s safety wouldn’t be an issue.

At the dining table, the adults hadn’t finished discussing the follow-ups. Instead, it was Margaret who spoke first.

“I must return to the City Lord’s mansion,” she said. “After saying goodbye to my father… um, Lord Swain, I’ve done a lot of thinking.”

Nol looked at her curiously.

Margaret and Teest: one dared to look at a corpse, the other dared to display it. Their farewell to the body wasn’t heartwarming at all. Margaret glanced into Teest’s old waist pouch and promptly ran out to vomit. She’d been silent since then, and Nol thought she might have been traumatized.

“The appearance of a Puppet Witch doesn’t change. If you stay there for too long, you will be exposed,” Lynn immediately said.

“I know.” Margaret lowered her eyes. “So the ‘Margaret Swain’ that is going back isn’t me.”

Hannah’s fork and knife halted abruptly.

Margaret ran her fingers through her black hair. The black faded away, and the straight hair slowly curled. With the magic lifted, her brass-colored curly hair cascaded down.

Then she reached out and pointed to the still-shocked Hannah. Hannah’s short hair rapidly grew longer, turning pitch black and straight.

“I’ll hide my face, and Hannah will act as the heir. As for the discrepancies in knowledge and physique, let’s say she got traumatized, lost her memory, and wandered alone, leading to malnutrition. In fact, she knows more about this city than I do,” Margaret said. “I can’t grow older, but she can, right?”

Hannah reflexively wanted to refuse but swallowed her words. After a while, she carefully asked, “If I replace Margaret as the heir, can I take her back to live in Whitebird City?”

“This is a small border town, so it’s not so strict. As long as Margaret doesn’t expose herself in public and no controlling magic can be detected on you, even if the Temple suspects something’s off with her, they can’t force an identity check,” Teest casually said while picking up a piece of stir-fried meat. “This is power, future City Lord.”

“But I would be taking Margaret’s life…” Hannah murmured.

“You’re wrong,” Margaret replied seriously. “You’re giving me a new life. Hannah, you will make a great City Lord. Think about Little Spoon and the others.”

Hannah remained silent for a good five minutes.

“You’re wrong too.” Hannah finally smiled. “Let’s go together. ‘We’ will make a great City Lord.”

Margaret smiled and turned to Nol, bowing her head solemnly. “Thank you both for your assistance to Whitebird City. Once we’re back at the City Lord’s Mansion, I will prepare your reward privately.”

[You have met the general requirements for the quest “The Missing Lady”: Find the missing Margaret Swain (alive or dead)]

Just as Nol was about to reply, a ghostly system prompt emerged. Unlike during the time with the Lich, after the voice prompt, a pop-up appeared abruptly.

[Task Reward: Monetary Reward [General]; Friendship of the Lord of Whitebird City [Normal]]

[Do you want to settle the quest? Note: Settlement is considered giving up on “Perfect Achievement”]

Nol’s smile faded.

……

“The ‘Margaret’ found isn’t Margaret, and the ‘City Lord’ offering friendship isn’t the previous one… This quest is chilling,” Nol said.

That night, they stayed in the witch’s hut. Nol promised Lynn that he would keep an eye on the Mad Monk, so the two ended up on a straw bed in the living room.

The night was young, and the moonlight was just right. The two sat cross-legged, facing each other, discussing the situation.

Looking at it now, it seemed as if the system knew the fate of the sisters. It was a big deal, so Nol directly showed Teest the quest.

“Um, but the system isn’t that smart.” Teest was playing with Nol’s robe. “My quest also had a ‘Witness the Mad Monk and report’ condition. As soon as I took the task, the ‘Witness the Mad Monk’ part was completed.”

Nol: “…Pfft.”

“It’s funny, right? I guess the ‘Witness the Mad Monk’ condition is open to everyone, and the system has no idea who the Mad Monk is,” Teest said. “As long as it’s not omniscient and omnipotent, it can be dealt with.”

“You’re quite ambitious.” Nol laughed. “Challenging two gods isn’t enough for you?”

Teest shrugged and smiled indifferently. “It’s still questionable whether they exist. Over the years, I’ve hunted down the high ranks of the Eternal Church, blasphemed the Temple of Life, but the gods never punished me… Even the last Pope of the Temple that apostatized wasn’t punished by the gods.”

Nol felt a bit relieved. Talking to Teest, a local, was reassuring. Left to his own devices, he might become paranoid, which would only lead to more anxiety.

“I’ll go get something to eat,” Teest said, climbing off the bed in the early hours. “I didn’t eat enough during the day, and I can’t compete with those two little ones for food.”

He had only taken a few steps when Nol grabbed him.

“Wait.” Nol pulled out a small cloth bag. “Can you turn this into something edible for me?”

Teest opened the cloth bag, frowning at the scraps and shards inside. “What is this stuff?”

“Lynn is helping me modify the Dragon Corpse Notebook. These are the discarded trimmings,” Nol explained. “It’s part of a dragon’s body, so it’s worth a try.”

Teest: “.…..”

Teest: “You’re really ruthless, aren’t you?”

Nol flashed him a toothy grin. “Don’t worry. A good killer won’t be eaten by a bad Lich.”

Half an hour later, the two sneaked back to the dining table. Teest had caught a fat long-horned chicken and roasted it to a golden hue. He divided half of it for Nol, accompanied by a plate of gray-green sauce.

“Herbs, wild fruits, honey, plus the trash you provided. I’m not responsible if it tastes awful,” Teest stated.

Nol poured the sauce over it. The gray-green sauce contrasted with the crispy golden skin, which made the appearance somewhat acceptable… Though this was probably the most humiliating moment in dragon history.

He picked up a piece of chicken meat and decisively put it in his mouth.

---

The author has something to say:

Nol: Eat, eat, eat. I still have an empty skill slot.

Teest: Damn, I’ve really became a cook.

————————————

Answering a few questions that the comment section is concerned about:

1. As mentioned in this chapter, Miss Lynn will not join the team, but she has ways to stay in touch with the protagonist group. After all, she’s a character with a name in the supporting cast: remote technical support engineer.
2. In the early manuscript, Teest had another name (?). This name has not been discarded, but it’s not advisable to infer anything from it. Just read on and you’ll understand XD.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of this arc.

For those who haven’t read Nian Zhong’s work… Her novels have an underlying plot that is usually slowly revealed through each arc. Everything happens for a reason, and it will come together in the end. So if things don’t make sense right now, it doesn’t mean it’s an oversight.

As this novel is ongoing, I don’t know how many chapters there will be, but be patient with the plot. The best feeling is when all the puzzle pieces click together in the end.

The best example is Stray, which also happens to be western fantasy and is based on a similar setting to this novel. I strongly recommend you read that.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 25: Skill Evolution

Nol had two things confirmed.

First, to make a judgment about “witnessing the Mad Monk”, he indeed needed to find concrete evidence first.

Second, apart from normal Players and monster neighbors, a third abnormal presence had appeared in this world—Teest, who possessed Player privileges.

Teest had entered the game only in the last two months, while the “Mad Monk” had been active for over a decade. Considering Teest’s cautious attitude in the novice village, he was likely a native, an NPC.

Nol couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart.

Previously, he had only considered that when his identity was exposed, Teest might get angry at his concealment.

Nol was prepared to sincerely explain his reasons and express his apologies. After that, they could openly discuss modern matters. Perhaps Teest would be willing to collaborate with him, and together they could uncover the truth of the world.

But now, the situation had changed. Both of them were keeping secrets from each other. “The Demi-Creator from Another World” and the “Notorious Killer of Over a Decade”—it was hard to say which was more outrageous.

Nol lowered his hand. He had no intention of attacking Teest after all. He didn’t know why. He didn’t feel fear, but a sense of regret. He even felt like laughing a bit.

Thinking back now, there had always been something off about Teest.

Compared to other Players, Teest’s mental state was too stable. He was incredibly adapted to this world, seamlessly blending in with his words and actions, rarely using modern slang. In the novice village, instead of being open to listening, he seemed more like someone extracting information from other Players…

The more Nol reminisced, the more doubts he uncovered. He had considered these things before, but the belief that “all Players are compatriots” was deeply ingrained.

Were there any other native Players like Teest? How much did the people here know about “Tahe”?

“Mr. Mage, you don’t seem well. Let’s sit down and talk.”

Seeing Nol’s prolonged silence, Teest said, “You don’t really have a better choice anyway, do you?”

Nol glanced at the City Lord hanging in the air. He forced himself to calm down and nodded.

The two of them left the bedroom. Teest politely closed the bedroom door and lit the lights in the living room.

The living room was clean and tidy. The City Lord and the blood were locked behind the door. A single isolation spell made the previous scene seem like illusions.

As Nol settled at the table, Teest brought a platter of smoked ham and cheese, sliced peaches, and a glass of emerald-green freshly-made drink—it looked quite familiar, like something Mr. Kurt might prepare.

Teest even specially lit a three-headed candelabrum. The candlelight cast an ambiguous hue over the table, creating an atmosphere that was quite appropriate.

“Let me guess your questions—firstly, apart from myself, I haven’t discovered any other local ‘Players’.”

Teest twirled the translucent slices of smoked ham with a silver fork. The raw meat-like colors should have been enticing, but Nol had no appetite at all. He hadn’t touched the food and just stared at Teest.

“Secondly, Players come from another world. This world is like a game. The upper echelons of the Temple of Life and the Eternal Church must be in the know… Any other questions?”

Nol remained silent for a few seconds. “When did you find out about my situation?”

If Teest only considered him a local monster, there was no way he would share this information.

“You’re talking about the fact that ‘you’re also from another world’.” Teest stopped his fork movements. “I began to suspect at first and was completely sure when you saved the knight.”

“Facing Lich Valdorlock, you remained unnervingly calm. But when you saw the human body in tatters, you panicked and rushed to rescue. I’ve only seen this kind of innocence in that group of Players—you haven’t endured much suffering, have you?”

Nol had no response.

Whether facing a severely injured knight or seeing walls full of children’s skeletons, he indeed couldn’t suppress his instinctive reactions. Just like someone who had arachnophobia couldn’t smile and kiss a spider.

Only three types of people were adept at disguising their emotions—social experts, sociopaths, and those accustomed to living in danger. He was obviously none of those.

But so what? They couldn’t harm each other, and the situation was still under control.

Nol straightened his posture, clasped his hands, and put on a smile.

“How did you become a ‘Player’?” He calmly posed his second question.

“Last month, a sudden earring appeared on my left ear, and I couldn’t get rid of it no matter what.”

Teest raised his eyebrows in slight surprise and pointed to his left ear. “After that, I started hearing strange voices occasionally and seeing blue pop-up windows. It’s roughly something like that.”

With Teest’s cunning, he probably infiltrated the novice village on his own, intending to gather information.

Nol fell silent.

In other words, Nol and his neighbors awakening, Players arriving in this world, and Teest being granted the identity of a “Player”… all these three events had occurred during the same time period.

This was definitely not a coincidence.

Nol tilted his head slightly, and a pop-up window appeared out of thin air.

[Lich — Lv.20]

[HP: 100/100 [Permanently Locked] | MP: 100/100 [Permanently Locked]]

[Strength: 13 [-99.35%] | Agility: 8 [-99.35%] | Intelligence: 6,981 [+260%] | Physical Defense: 22 [-99.35%] | Magic Defense: 29 [-99.35%]]

[Status: Curse “Constitution Destruction [Undispellable]” permanently in effect; “Staff of Sacrifice” is in effect; “Guardian Oath” is in effect]

Teest narrowed his eyes.

“I guess you know how to display it,” Nol said with a smile. “Since you’re so curious about ‘Players’, I can help you understand the situation.”

“For example, I know that this so-called ‘Guardian Oath’ is actually the deceptive effect of the ‘Betrayal Overture’. I understand these things better than other Players do.”

After all, Teest could surely tell, so it was better to openly admit it.

“But we still have to part ways in the end,” Teest said leisurely. “I thought you would ask about the ‘Mad Monk’.”

Nol stood up. His hands rested on the edge of the table as the smile vanished from his face.

In the darkness, his eyes emitted a faint gleam, sending shivers down one’s spine instinctively.

“Lord Swain is a core member of the Eternal Church, and the ‘Mad Monk’ likes to display bodies at the entrance of the Temple of Life… Your actions are highly purposeful. You certainly didn’t choose to do things this way just for thrills. Teest, you have a strong aversion to those two factions.”

“Furthermore, I heard that the City Lord was abducted by Eternalists. I was deceived just now. It’s impossible for Swain to go obediently with strangers, and the Investigation Knights wouldn’t be so easily misguided. You must be well acquainted with the Eternal Church to impersonate them so perfectly.”

“So what?” Teest blinked, as if listening to gossip about others.

“So,” Nol speared a piece of cheese and stuffed it into Teest’s slightly open mouth. “My guess is that most of the people you killed were connected to the Eternal Church.”

“You’ve offended both factions to death. The Eternal Church wouldn’t go around publicizing its shameful deeds, and the Temple of Life wouldn’t kindly help you clear your name.”

There was something Nol didn’t say—not long ago at the bell tower, Teest didn’t need to risk saving him. That wasn’t something a heartless psycho would do.

“What if your guess is wrong?” Teest swallowed the cheese and said with a playful smile. “What if I’m just a freak who enjoys killing—”

“In that case, I won’t stand by and watch you kill innocents,” Nol said as the pointed fork gently touched Teest’s lips. “At worst, I won’t tell you how to break the engagement, and I’ll just keep a close eye on you… honey.”

He said the last sentence slowly and deliberately.

“Do you still care about the ‘innocents’ of this world?” Teest bit down on the fork’s tip, the laughter in his voice becoming even stronger. “Honey, you’re a bit too kind-hearted.”

Nol paused for a moment.

He couldn’t just say that this world seemed to be one he created, and he couldn’t bear to see it turn chaotic.

So Nol sat back down in his chair. “There’s nothing I can do. I’m just that kind of overly good person. After all, someone here is a legendary serial killer, and I need to balance the moral standards in this household.”

“Oh my, I’m starting to like you more and more.” Teest burst into laughter, waving his hand casually, and another pop-up window appeared in the air.

[Player ID: Teest]

[Fallen Knight — Lv.20]

[HP: 59,449/59,449 | MP: 11,280/11,280]

[Strength: 6,807 [+30%] | Agility: 2,824 [+30%] | Intelligence: 1,018 [+30%] | Physical Defense: 5,794 [+30%] | Magic Defense: 3,510 [+30%]]

[Status: Curse “God’s Forsaken [Undispellable]” permanently in effect; “Betrayal Overture” is in effect.]

Nol: “.…..” What the hell is this interface!

These values couldn’t possibly belong to a normal Fallen Knight. Even without the buffs, the strength was almost on par with that of his Lich before it was cursed… These attributes were more like those of a monster.

Suppressing his shock, Nol clicked on the curse explanation.

[※God’s Forsaken: Through deceitful means, you have deceived the divine. The gods no longer watch over you. You have lost the favor of the gods and will henceforth stand alone.]

Well, it seemed to make sense. Teest hadn’t lied back then.

But compared to a typical curse explanation, this note was a bit hard to decipher—if it were in the wording of “Tahe”, the system would probably just say “certain system function disabled for a period of time”.

“How about it?” Teest asked curiously.

“Did your attributes remain this high when you were still a knight?”

“Yeah, that’s why I’ve never shown them to outsiders.” Teest emphasized the word “outsiders”. “I guess it has to do with the differences in our origins.”

‘It’s indeed possible,’ Nol thought.

For the sake of fairness, the differences in basic values among Players weren’t significant. On the contrary, the attributes of human NPCs had little limitation—after all, the development team needed to leave room for “popular NPCs”, and every era needed a few incredibly talented heroes.

…But this was still a bit extreme.

The most powerful NPC that Nol had designed, the half-human, half-dragon “Dragonblood Hero Drake”, had attributes that were roughly on par with this. It was likely that Teest had experienced more before becoming a Player.

“Last month, did you ever write your name in suspicious places?” Nol forked a piece of peach meat for himself. “Or come into contact with suspicious idols, or meet strange figures?”

“No.” Teest brought the ham and peach together to his mouth, and the atmosphere between the two was oddly calm.

“What about your lineage?”

“My whole family is human, if that’s what you’re trying to ask.”

Nol was taken aback by his response. Indeed, Teest was a native, and he must have a family in this world. But considering that the “Mad Monk” had been committing crimes for over a decade, Nol decided not to delve into it.

“You’ve heard Players say that this world is a game. Do you not have any thoughts on that?” He changed the topic casually.

“Starting from the Dark Age, this world has existed for over two thousand years. You’ve only been here for less than two months.” Teest leisurely sipped his lemon water. “You do have vast knowledge, but you’re not all-knowing, are you?”

Nol closed the status panel and quickly processed this new information.

Great, he managed to stabilize Teest. As long as he forgot about the City Lord hanging next door, tonight could be considered successful. There was a long road ahead, and he had plenty of opportunities to gather information.

“Aren’t you drinking? I made it especially for you.” Teest suddenly pointed at that glass of green drink, and the ice inside had almost melted.

Nol instinctively smelled the mixed drink; a fresh hint of mint, sweet juice, and… a faint hint of blood.

“What did you put in there?” Nol cautiously placed the glass down.

“The blood of Lord Swain. A friendly gift.”

Teest casually toyed with his hair and had a nonchalant expression on his face. “I guess you can absorb power from food… Don’t look at me like that. It’s quite easy to guess. Don’t you know how amusing your eating expressions are?”

Nol couldn’t bring himself to take a sip, whether he imagined Swain in his human or monster form. He looked at Teest, then at the glass, then back at Teest.

Teest’s smile turned slightly shallower. “Don’t worry. Whether in spirit or flesh, Swain can no longer be considered human.”

“People call that thing a ‘Supplement Demon’. Just like some humans become skeleton soldiers after death, some become werewolves while still alive, and some become demons… it’s just another kind of monster. Believe it or not, I have no interest in hunting ordinary people.”

Nol recalled his dismal attribute values for a while, then thought about his neighbors scattered outside. In the end, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and picked up the drink, pouring it into his mouth.

The drink was refreshingly cold, the sweetness just right, and there was absolutely no trace of the bloody taste inside. Nol had to admit, Teest really had the skills of a cook.

He had just finished drinking about half of it when a strange skill appeared in the alternative options—

[Corpse Devour: Consume the corpse of a highly intelligent creature, randomly gaining a certain amount of attribute values; the younger the creature, the more attribute values can be obtained; this ability can only be used once per target; cooldown time is 7 days.]

This skill didn’t originally exist in “Tahe”, but it did seem useful. At least it showed Nol a glimmer of hope for recovering his attribute values.

Without hesitation, he replaced [Load-Bearing] with it, and as soon as [Corpse Devour] entered the skill bar, another prompt appeared.

[Similar origin skill discovered. Would you like to merge the skills “Heretical Devour” and “Corpse Devour”?]

[Note: Merging will create a new skill, and the new skill will retain the skills’ original origins, with other changes being unpredictable. Please choose carefully.]

Nol decisively chose “Yes”.

The core of both of these skills was devouring—gaining experience, skills, and attribute values through devouring. This mechanism wouldn’t change too much, and at most, the new skill might add some restrictive conditions.

Skills were something that grew stronger the harder they were to obtain, making them worth a gamble.

[Analyzing individual traits… Merging skills…]

[Skill Merging Completed.]

[Fallen Death [Novice]: Devour the flesh of the fallen, randomly gain 1 skill, randomly gain a certain amount of attribute values; this ability can only be used once per target; cooldown time is 1 day.]

[Note: Up to 3 acquired skills can be retained; the lower the target’s strength, the fewer attribute values obtained.]

[※”Fallen Death” can evolve with the holder.]

A rather strange skill name.

Nol read it again; if this skill were translated into common language, it would be something like “Fallen Leavers”, and it couldn’t really be called semantically incorrect.

The evolved skill was just to his liking—

The restriction of “highly intelligent creatures” had been removed, and the interval for gaining attribute values had been shortened from 7 days to 1 day.

The skill’s limitations were stricter as well. While [Heretical Devour] hadn’t specified whether the target was alive or dead, [Fallen Death] now had the “fallen” limitation, meaning he couldn’t just bite a powerful enemy to cheat.

If it weren’t for Swain’s utterly disgusting appearance earlier and Nol’s inability to fight melee, he would have seriously considered this.

The effect of “gaining experience points” was gone. Nol didn’t mind at all—killing enemies inherently produced experience points, and it was better to kill them first and then consume them.

Simply perfect.

Thank you for being here, dear Mad Monk. Nol looked at Teest with eyes full of softness. If Teest weren’t twisted enough, he would have almost missed out on such an amazing skill.

Teest was caught off guard by his gaze. “Ahem, it seems you’ve gained some nice power.”

“I didn’t receive any experience growth prompts. Has Lord Swain not died yet?” Nol asked. Since his identity was exposed, he didn’t mind using in-game terms directly.

“No, the resilience of the Supplement Demon is quite remarkable.” Teest nodded. “However, he has only a few minutes left. If you have any questions, it’s best to ask them soon.”

“When he’s dead, can you pour me another cup?” Nol handed the cup back to Teest with both hands. “Remember, wait until he’s dead.”

[Heretical Devour] shook for a skill once. What relation did it have to his [Fallen Death]? Let’s try again!

Teest looked at Nol, then at the cup, and back at Nol. His expression was somewhat complex. “You…”

“Yeah?”

“Forget it. I have a feeling that we’ll get along well.”

……

Dawn was approaching, and under the last traces of night, Nol and Teest entered the witch’s forest.

Indeed, miracles only happened once. Nol sighed inwardly.

Lord Swain quickly breathed his last, and they gained a decent amount of experience points, both reaching level 21. But when Nol tried his luck with the skill roll again, all he got was [Stay Up Late].

Well, this was his normal luck. The fact that he managed to get [Fallen Death] was quite lucky on his part.

The important thing was that after drinking the City Lord concoction and using [Fallen Death], Nol’s strength and agility each gained 2 points. Moreover, these were added directly to his weakened values—the curse only required equipment and item bonuses to be proportionally converted, but it didn’t restrict skills.

Thank the heavens, his future was no longer shrouded in darkness.

After communicating with the puppet, Lynn readily agreed to meet with the two of them. She had changed into a simple self-made dress, and she still wore a red square scarf around her neck.

“Come in. The house is a bit messy, don’t mind.” She opened the door for them.

The interior of the wooden house was quite spacious, indicating that Lynn had made some modifications.

She had covered the sunniest side with vines and dried straw, creating a row of beds. At the end of a long table was a tall wooden chair, and six wooden stools were placed on each side. A vase of fresh flowers stood on the table, and wooden plates were stacked in a pile. Among the six sets of knives and forks, a pair of chopsticks could be found. The plates still held leftover bones and fruit pits.

Several stacks of old books were piled on the table, while the rest of the surface was covered with drafts. The drafts were filled with mechanical views and cross-sections, as well as densely packed magical calculations.

Even as the Creator, Nol was slightly taken aback for a moment. “Miss Lynn, pardon my rudeness, but what did you do before?”

“I was a mechanical engineer at the Hongfu Group. Don’t let this appearance fool you. I’m actually 26,” Lynn said.

Nol had heard of this group, and it was quite famous domestically. “Do you… also have military-industrial operations?”

“No, but I only need to know the basic principles of weapons.” Lynn shook her head. “Puppet Witches have mechanical talents, remember? This is the world of magic.”

Nol felt a little relieved—honestly, compared to the combination of young and old in the Dragon’s Lair, the shrewd and composed Lynn seemed more likely to be of help.

On the other hand, Teest had already leaned in to study the blueprints with keen interest. Lynn didn’t mind. She poured them two cups of herbal tea.

“Have a seat,” she said. “This time, we can have a proper conversation.”

The teapot emptied and filled again, emptied and filled again.

Nol shared all the known information with Lynn. Of course, he omitted details about himself and Teest, only mentioning that Teest was an NPC who gained Player status. A bystander might have insights that could be helpful.

“I see… I have a conjecture and a question.”

Lynn pondered for a while. She pulled a blank parchment and picked up a piece of charcoal.

“Let’s start with the conjecture. In my view, ‘Players’ are the most genuine outsiders—they create their own avatars and come with system guidance. They know this is a game and possess immortality. That’s a significant advantage.”

She wrote down [Normal Players: Earthlings individuals who log into the game conventionally.]

“We are similar to Teest in that we were assigned roles post-birth.”

“Residents of the neighborhood are inhabiting monsters, possessing incomplete Player privileges. Teest, on the other hand, acquired Player status as a native… We don’t yet know if his privileges are complete. He probably isn’t willing to test that with death.”

“We weren’t given any guidance, completely ignorant of the situation. If it weren’t for you, Nol, I wouldn’t even know this world is related to a game.”

She added: [Bugged Players: Earthlings who entered the game through unknown means; Tahe natives (only 1).]

“I guess this world only needs normal Players. However, while the system was activated, we somehow got sucked in. We’re just bugs caused by system glitches… That’s my conjecture.”

Lynn wiped her charcoal-covered hands and took a sip of tea.

“My question is simple: Why do the ‘Bugged Players’ only come from our neighborhood?”

She looked up at Nol. “So far, you’ve encountered four bugged Players, and apart from Teest, they were all Joy Garden residents.”

Nol gripped his teacup tightly. He, as a “game creator”, lived in Joy Garden, and only residents of Joy Garden were pulled here. It looked suspicious from all angles.

That was why Nol was hesitant to reveal his identity. He feared that some of his neighbors might grow resentful, cause internal divisions… or even kill him directly.

He did want to help his fellow neighbors as much as possible, but he refused to be a scapegoat for certain individuals.

“And those two inexplicable gods that showed up—there’s more to this than meets the eye. Fortunately, we can both blend in as humans and gradually gather information.”

Lynn stared at Nol for a while, then suddenly changed the topic. “Nol, do you have time? I’ve prepared some potions. See if there’s anything useful for you.”

Before Nol could answer, Teest sat back on the straw bed. “You guys go ahead. I’ll take a short nap.”

Lynn led Nol to the cellar outside the wooden hut. The cellar was strewn with puppet limbs, and it was even more gruesome inside—it was pitch dark, with puppet parts suspended on the walls, and tables cluttered with metal tools resembling instruments of torture. It seemed to be her workshop.

“Take this.” She didn’t waste time and threw a small paper package to Nol. Opening it, he found a life-sized wisdom tooth brooch, with its root painted a dark red and a ceramic-like texture.

[Mirthful Grin: A puppet’s hidden tooth, allowing you to hide emotions like a doll. Usage: With the crown up, the function is enabled; with the root up, the function is disabled.

※Crafted with care by Witch Lynn.]

Nol pinned it on his cloak. His facial expressions suddenly froze, preventing him from making any expression at all. He then rotated the tiny tooth half a turn, and the rigid sensation instantly disappeared.

“What’s this?”

Lynn smiled wryly. “Mr. Xu, if I’m not mistaken, you’re the kind of guy who relies solely on brainpower and doesn’t engage in office politics.”

Every word hit the mark, and Nol could only nod honestly.

“We’re from the old conglomerate here, so it’s quite feudal. I’ve met my fair share of nasty people, probably more than your department colleagues.”

The witch’s expression turned disgusted. “Trust me, those old men play more dirty tricks than a palace intrigue drama—you’re the innocent type, and you’ll get taken advantage of within two months.”

With that, she shook her head. “This world has a lot of schemers. Instead of dividing your attention and concerns among the gods, it’s better to solve issues directly with items. You’re quick to react. Just control your expressions, and things will get much better.”

“Thank you.” Nol tucked the brooch into his cloak’s inner layer.

“By the way, you must have a high rank within the game development team, right? Could you be a game creator?”

Nol’s hand holding the brooch trembled slightly. This neighbor was too terrifying; truly a tough individual to have survived alone for over a month.

Lynn smiled. “When I mentioned ‘Bugged Players only come from the neighborhood’, your expression was a bit unnatural. Why do you think I gave you this?”

She then quickly suppressed her smile. “It’s true that this matter shouldn’t be publicized. It’s best if only you and I know about it. In the future, when discussing this topic, just say that you have friendly relations with colleagues in the ‘Tahe’ project team. Also, be cautious around Teest.”

Nol halted.

“I can’t read him.” Lynn was concise. “Better to be safe.”

‘It’s too late,’ Nol thought wistfully. Teest was the “serial killer” who had been lurking right under the Temple’s nose for over a decade, and they even got married.

“Understood. But first, help me with these. You’re an expert with items.”

Nol took out the Dragon Corpse Notebook and the Staff of Sacrifice.

“This notebook is crucial to me. I need to address its mana consumption issue. This staff… I want to know what the candle on top of it is.”

“As an exchange, I’ll answer whatever information you seek.”

Lynn glanced at the two items. “The notebook is manageable. I’ve researched the issue of recharging items. The staff…”

The moment she touched the candle, her expression suddenly changed.

---

The author has something to say:

Teest: Ta-da! I’m the Mad Monk!

Nol: Another glass of the City Lord’s Special, no ice, less sugar. The City Lord is about to die, thanks.

Teest:

Teest: I think we (in the unconventional sense) will get along well…

————————————

It’s really not that Nol is too naive. For dealing with schemers, one can reference those adept at networking and speaking eloquently like old pros (like Wei Xiaobao*). It’s not just about high intelligence; it’s another type of skill altogether.

*Referring to the protagonist of Jin Yong’s martial arts novel “The Deer and the Cauldron“. Although he is greedy, lustful, illiterate, and has low martial arts skills, he’s witty and righteous, which gets him out of a lot of trouble. || The author is saying that while Nol isn’t naïve, he’s also not as cunning and tactful, unlike Lynn, who has dealt with work politics and knows how to maneuver around (scheming) people.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 24: The Mad Monk

[Camouflage: During the skill’s duration, the user can reduce their own attributes by 30%~70%. Note: In actual combat judgment, buffs, item effects, etc., are all based on the “reduced attributes”. Use with caution.]

For half a month, had Teest been suppressing his own attributes? When facing Lich Valdorlock, did he hold back?

Nol was at a loss whether to be shocked, horrified, or…

“Haha.” Nol laughed.

“I thought you would be angry,” Teest remarked with surprise.

“On the contrary, Sir Knight.” Nol, currently half-carried by Teest, tugged at Teest’s cloak. “Thank you for your rescue and trust.”

“Ah, what should I do?” Teest’s voice was tinged with amusement. “I had already thought about how to deceive you.”

“You can try deceiving me later.” Nol’s tone turned serious. “Those two are still after us. We mustn’t let our guard down.”

They did indeed have higher average attributes, but the fact that their pursuers dared to chase them meant they had a backup plan.

“I know what to expect. We’ll probably have to fight soon.”

Teest swiftly leapt across rooftops. “Do you recognize that black candle? Given their attitude, it must be something valuable.”

“I don’t,” Nol admitted with a hint of disappointment.

Even though Teest had managed to snatch the candle, Nol still couldn’t decipher its properties. Since Swain had previously used it to contact the Eternal Church, it probably had some ability to connect spaces… Beyond that, he couldn’t speculate much.

……

Knight Eugene was very decisive, with all of the Investigation Knights key forces focusing on the City Lord. Nol and Teest broke through the encirclement smoothly and reached the edge of the forest.

The two pursuers were like leeches, stubbornly tailing them.

“I thought you’d throw the candle away. How boring,” one of the assailants remarked as they paused at the forest’s edge.

Holding a small hunting knife, Teest retorted, “If we threw it away, would you let us go?”

“Of course not.”

“I figured,” Teest whispered. He was the only one not wearing a mask, but his face was obscured by darkness woven by magic.

[Step to the right and close your eyes,] Nol suddenly said.

Teest reflexively moved to the right. Just as he raised his knife, a fireball the size of a fist shot from behind him—grazing his cloak and striking the assailant.

A basic fireball spell.

The assailant dodged with a sneer, rushing directly at Teest.

Boom—!!!

A blast of wind, mixed with debris and splinters, separated the two pursuers. The sudden explosion caught the assailant off guard, pushing him back.

Nol didn’t intend to give him time to recover, launching multiple fireballs into the night, turning the sky dark red. The scale of one’s magic was directly influenced by their intelligence attribute. Although his magical attack power wasn’t high, it was enough to disrupt the enemy.

While the assailant could mask his presence, he couldn’t hide the strong stench of blood. Every time he tried to attack Teest, flames would burst beside him, and when he turned to Nol, Teest would inevitably be right in front of him.

The area around Teest was constantly lit with flames. Shadows of surrounding objects were cast long, making it seem like countless shadows were bowing to him.

With his mana nearly depleted, Nol summoned skeletal hands from the ground with his other hand gripping the Dragon Corpse Notebook. The hands reached out, trying to grasp the assailant’s ankles.

The assailant was tripped by a skeletal hand, meeting the blade of Teest’s hunting knife. The sharp blade quickly slashed, opening a large gash in his throat and causing blood to splatter.

Without retreating, Teest’s “Betrayer”, glowing with flames, thrust into the assailant’s chest and heart.

The assailant instinctively arched his back. Teest decisively pulled out the hunting knife and, with a turn of the hilt, switched grips, stabbing it forcefully into the assailant’s left eye, stirring it with force.

The sequence was smooth and swift, with no unnecessary moves—a pure killing technique. After the attack, Teest jumped back, lowering his stance and watching the opponent intently like a hunter.

The assailant, drenched in blood with a crushed left eye, stood amidst the burning bushes, clapping. “Well done, both of you.”

As he spoke, the deadly wounds on his body healed quickly with a black glow. Nol looked at the other pursuer and saw a similar black glow.

Caught in the recent chain of explosions, the tall man was covered in dirt and grass. He cautiously knelt halfway to the ground, wrapped in layers of protective shields, with both hands equipped with prop rings.

[What happened?] Teest asked.

Nol quickly responded, [That guy used black magic to transfer injuries. His companion should have abilities like ‘Rapid Healing’ or ‘Damage Reduction’.]

Things were getting complicated.

High attack and agility meant low defense, so the assailant transferred all the damage to his teammate—if that big guy was really loaded with equipment and had astonishing endurance, they would face an indestructible and relentless enemy.

The assailant drew his dagger, laughing as he charged at Teest, his head wobbling dangerously on his neck.

[I have a question,] Teest thought calmly.

[Skip the introduction and just ask!]

[Are you dead?]

[Huh?] Nol’s casting hand slipped, nearly backfiring the magic.

The question was extremely rude, yet it didn’t sound insulting.

[You are dead, aren’t you?] Teest turned and charged towards Nol.

Almost reflexively, Nol wanted to run away, but he just wobbled in place. Teest, with the knife in his right hand, wrapped his arm around Nol and grabbed Nol’s wrist with his left, bringing it to his lips.

Soft lips touched the torn glove.

“I swear,” Teest whispered. “…Now say ‘I permit’.”

Watching the approaching assailant, Nol took a deep breath.

“I permit.”

“Good.” Teest’s voice held a hint of amusement. “Praise you, my generous master.”

Nol recognized this skill.

It was a Knight’s skill [Guardian Oath] — By pledging allegiance to a teammate, once granted permission, the skill took effect and lasted for 8 hours. During this time, the object of loyalty received a 30% attribute bonus, while the casting Knight endured a 15% attribute reduction.

Teest knew his attributes were pitiful, so why would he use this? And why ask if he was dead? Wait, Teest was a Fallen Knight. This wasn’t Guardian Oath!

Suddenly, Nol recalled a malicious skill: a high-level variant of [Guardian Oath] exclusive to the Fallen Knight, [Betrayal Overture].

The first half of [Betrayal Overture] was identical to [Guardian Oath], indistinguishable to outsiders. But it had a second part—

When the object of loyalty died, the Fallen Knight’s attribute reduction would be canceled; if the corpse was within 5m, the Fallen Knight would get a 30% attribute boost.

Fallen Knights would choose masters, deceive them, and eventually kill them. At first glance, this skill seemed despicably cunning, but there was a small loophole.

Some corpses could speak and actively accept allegiance.

Teest precisely exploited this bug. As long as they were no more than five meters apart, Teest could maintain a 30% attribute boost. And the “corpse” Nol, being his object of allegiance, also got a 30% boost.

[How cunning.] Nol clicked his tongue.

[It’s all thanks to you, Mr. Bad-Influence Lich.]

Red sword marks lit up again, as the assailant repeated his tactics to slice Teest into pieces. But before the marks could bloom, they exploded into shards.

Teest blocked all the strikes and countered, drawing blood.

It was time.

Decisively, Nol took his broken staff and thrust it into his chest.

Facing such a resilient opponent, overwhelming firepower was the best approach. If Teest wanted to play with bugs, he was more than happy to comply. The staff, missing its cursed magic core, could be temporarily replaced by cursed magical material instead.

Like a cursed Lich.

[Item: Broken Cursed Staff → Staff of Sacrifice]

[Item effect activated.]

The Staff of Sacrifice doubled the intelligence value. With teammate bonuses, Nol’s intelligence soared to 6,981, almost on par with a level 50 black dragon cub. Holding his Dragon Corpse Notebook, Nol unreservedly activated his summoning skill.

The ceiling of low-level undead—skeleton dire wolves emerged from the ground, their fangs shimmering with a dark glow. Considering the intelligence effect, they were all strong mutant rare individuals.

Under the night sky, amidst the smoke, the pack of wolves stood silently on the scorched earth. Countless ghostly blue eyes lit up in the dark, centered around the alpha wolf and the king by its side—

The blue flames in those eye sockets blazed intensely. Under their illumination, the ruby reflected a bloody brilliance. The horns on the mask were sharp, coiled, and crown-like.

The next moment, Nol, gently touching the alpha wolf’s bones, quietly vanished into the darkness.

[I will stay by your side,] Nol said. He remained invisible, standing next to Teest like a ghost.

[This time, we act together.]

“It’s an honor,” Teest whispered.

The alpha wolf howled, and the undead wolves stirred up the dust. Nol decisively drew power from the notebook and summoned a flock of skeleton raptors.

An exceptionally large bone eagle grabbed Nol and took him into the sky. It was obedient, and Nol felt as if he had an additional set of skeletal wings. Below him, Teest looked like a true knight. The man leapt onto the back of the alpha wolf. His sword sliced through the night, and his dark cloak billowed like a cape.

The undead wolf pack followed Nol’s will, tripping the assailant with their bodies like a swamp. Teest evaded beautifully, with eight or nine out of ten attacks missing him. Even if by chance they did hit, Nol’s healing spell would immediately follow.

Sword light and flames intertwined on the ground, and bone spikes rained from the sky. Despite their advantage, the end of the battle was nowhere in sight.

The assailant continuously lost his eyes and limbs, and his vital organs were destroyed but then regenerated. Even if the sword sliced off his head, and the wolf pack tore his body apart, the fragments would self-assemble and heal rapidly.

It was like attacking a mirage, only causing them pure pain.

The man’s cloak was soaked in blood, his face covered in bits of flesh, looking incredibly miserable. A corner of his mask was missing, revealing a deep red eye. His tone became increasingly delighted.

“God truly loves me.”

With his heart pierced, the assailant casually tore out his damaged heart and tossed it into the mud.

Drip, drip. Blood dripped through his fingers. He stepped on that chunk of flesh and laughed heartily.

“You two are so interesting—too interesting! You deserve a grander death.”

“Hey, this isn’t what we agreed on!” From within the protective barriers, the tall figure warned.

“God has brought them to us. Let’s enjoy the moment, my friend.”

The assailant stepped over numerous undead wolf skulls, widening the gap. “If we continue like this, we’ll just be exhausted. Since Swain has been exposed, let’s make the most out of him.”

He took out a blood-stained small bell from his waist and shook it gently.

The bell trembled and emitted sharp, mournful cries.

……

Inside Whitebird City, in a dark alley.

“We won’t kill you,” Knight Eugene, holding a skull missing its jaw, said in a cheerful tone. “City Lord, you’re an important suspect—for now.”

Behind him stood four Investigation Knights. All of them were expressionless, with long swords in their hands that were stained with blood.

Lord Swain had a wounded right arm, and his mask was missing. Numerous magical circles surrounded him, and his gaze was that of a trapped animal.

“You barbaric hypocrites.” Swain bared his teeth. “You’ll only torture what you want out of me and then burn me alive.”

Eugene’s smile didn’t waver. “Yes, but you can live a few more days. Friend, you’re out of options. Resisting will only make it worse—we just lost a brother, and I’m very angry now.”

He weighed the dead head in his hand and suddenly squeezed it, bursting the skull.

Swain opened his mouth to mock, but he suddenly shuddered. At the same time, the knights showed pain, quickly raising their swords. Eugene’s smile disappeared as he tilted his head, as if hearing something.

“…Looks like it’s going to be a long night.” He sighed.

A few steps away, Lord Swain let out an inhuman scream. A dim light illuminated him, and the air became icy and viscous.

Accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing, the City Lord’s figure rapidly expanded. He swelled larger than the nearby houses. His skin turned gray and bark-like, and his waist bulged with organs. His ribs turned outward, forming thin arms. They shook and gripped the ground, supporting his bloated body.

Steadying himself, Lord Swain slowly opened a massive mouth. It was torn by several eyeballs, which frantically looked outwards.

He lay on the ground, resembling a red spider covered in tumors. A dark red mist surrounded him, and the knights cautiously retreated.

The City Lord paid no attention to them. He emitted a painful shriek and, like a bead, leaped over the night sky, quickly crawling out of the city. The monster’s speed was frightening, and within seconds, it disappeared from the knights’ sight.

“That guy is a ‘Supplement Demon’, conservatively estimated to have consumed over 100 people.” Eugene chased without hesitation. “Leave two to guard the city. The rest follow me!”

When the monster fell from the sky, Nol was stunned.

The art team of “Tahe” had great taste, and every monster had its unique aesthetic. However, what was in front of him was so grotesque that it couldn’t be included in a video without blurring. Nol recognized the skull of the City Lord on the monster, and he felt a churn in his stomach.

Thankfully, he was now quite experienced in “how to suppress the urge to vomit”.

A black and red mist spread out in an instant. The monster, as if maddened, charged directly at Teest.

Nol frowned and ordered the wolves to shield Teest.

The moment the black-red mist touched the skeletons, their bones seemed to dry out instantly, turning to dust. The blue flames in the eyes of the skeleton wolves went out, forcing them to return to death.

This is bad.

Nol immediately summoned more skeletons to block in front of Teest, trying to trip up the monster.

However, the assailant’s onslaught didn’t stop. With the monster wreaking havoc, Nol was stretched thin, and deep wounds suddenly appeared on Teest.

His left shoulder was blasted to the bone by magic, his abdomen was pierced, and half of his right foot was chopped off. If he wasn’t riding on the back of a wolf, he wouldn’t even be able to stand.

Blood gushed, staining the alpha wolf’s skeleton red.

It seemed Teest felt no pain. He looked up, smiled at where Nol was, then reached into his pouch and threw a black candle towards Nol.

[Just in case,] Teest said.

[There is no ‘just in case’,] Nol replied solemnly, catching the black candle. He prepared to summon more flying skeletons to lift Teest to safety.

In a few seconds, Nol had a plan.

The assailant was still lurking nearby. Flying would limit Teest’s movements, but it was worth a try—the main force of the Investigation Knights would soon catch up. They might be able to hold off the assailant. If timed right, they could make a safe retreat.

However, as he was planning, something moved in his hand.

…Moved?

Before Nol could react, the black candle broke free from his grip and floated mid-air. Despite being summer, Teest’s breath became visible in the cold air.

The huge monster stopped moving, and the relaxed expression on the assailant’s face vanished.

“Impossible!” he spat, narrowing his eyes. “How do you have a dragon corpse with you?”

Nol clutched his counterfeit “The Complete Recipe Book” and didn’t reply. He focused intently on the black candle—its black wax tears moved like tentacles of a soft-bodied creature. Among them, a blue vertical eye slowly opened.

“I smell the remains of a dragon, the scent of hundreds of skeletons. Such a strong scent of death…” a deep voice murmured from the candle.

“Are you the one who woke me, mage? I am… Holy shit, this is a fucking battlefield!” After only speaking the second half of the sentence, the voice suddenly became shrill. “What’s that disgusting thing down there?”

Assailant: “.…..”

Teest: “.…..”

Nol: “…?” The sudden shift in tone threw him off.

“You, yes you, the mage with the mask!” The black candle darted towards Nol, repeatedly hitting his mask. “That thing below is hard to deal with. Do you have powerful acquaintances? Bring more!”

Nol sighed and dispelled his invisibility. “How?”

“Don’t worry about it… Oh, there’s a staff here. Great, don’t poke it in yourself. Pull it out quickly!” The candle continued to shriek. “Then imagine the person you want to find and where they are! The more detailed, the better!”

Reluctantly, Nol pulled out the Staff of Sacrifice from his chest. The candle moved its wax tears like limbs, clumsily climbing to the top of the staff and sitting on the magic core.

The Staff of Sacrifice hummed, but its effect remained. It seemed this item also counted as a “cursed magical core”.

Nol pondered the candle’s proposal. He didn’t have acquaintances in this world, but if he were to think of a powerful entity and its location…

He focused on imagining the Dragon Lord Subelbot and its golden cave. Meanwhile, the candle lit itself, and a blue flame shot three meters up.

The flame split open, revealing another space—

The Dragon Lord was sleeping on a shiny pile of gold. As the ring of fire appeared, it woke up and lifted its head, which got stuck in the flame. On top of Nol’s staff appeared a huge silver dragon skull, making it look like he was holding a disproportionately large dragon-headed hammer.

“What the hell is this?!” The stuck Subelbot roared.

Nol: “.…..”

Nol: “Hey!”

While the silver dragon was still enraged, he raised his magic staff, aiming the dragon’s head at the strange creature on the ground. Subelbot was taken aback. With the sudden appearance of a pus-oozing monstrosity in front of it, it opened its mouth and instantly breathed fire.

The dragon leader’s reputation wasn’t unfounded. The black and red mist quickly faded, and the City Lord monster lost half of its body. It let out a sharp scream and retreated.

The next moment, the flame at the top of the candle was extinguished, and the bewildered dragon’s head disappeared without a trace.

“Enough!” The black candle shouted. “Run quickly. I smell the scent of the Investigation Knights!”

Needless to say, Nol also noticed the rapidly approaching Investigation Knights. The remaining skeleton army quickly sank into the mud, with Nol only leaving behind the giant skeleton raptor. He dived down, grabbed Teest, and rushed into the depths of the forest.

The assailant left the monster behind and chased after without hesitation. He had only taken two steps when several ceramic teeth shot into his chest from the woods.

From where the teeth pierced, his skin turned black and purple and quickly rotted away. A few seconds later, the assailant’s head and shoulders separated from his body, falling limply to the ground.

It was the Puppet Witch! Lynn came to help… No, she might have been watching the whole time.

Before leaving, Nol freed up his left hand and gave the assailant the middle finger.

See ya little bastard. The Investigation Knights will beat you up for us.

……

“This distance is about right.”

Deep in the forest, Nol released the giant skeleton raptor. The two collapsed onto the thick fallen leaves, neither wanting to move. After half a minute, Nol calmed himself and struggled to Teest’s side.

“Don’t move. I’ll heal you.” He placed his hand on Teest’s shoulder.

“Don’t overdo it.” Teest patted his hand weakly. “Remember when I was seriously injured in the City Lord’s mansion? It’s best to keep a naturally weak state.”

Nol, who hadn’t recovered much mana, thought for a moment and agreed. He cast several healing spells targeting Teest’s left shoulder and right foot, making them whole again and stopping the bleeding from the wound on his abdomen.

As for the superficial wounds, Nol didn’t address them.

The healing drained Nol’s last strength. He collapsed next to Teest, both of them looking like two pitiful old socks.

…When they returned to the inn, Nol decided he must study pain-relief spells. Teest would need them sooner or later.

‘Fighting indeed helps strengthen bonds,’ Nol thought. This was his first real battle, and the subtle barrier between them seemed to have diminished a lot—

Before, when Nol saw Teest, he first thought “Player”, “teammate”, then “Teest”. Now… he only saw Teest.

“Do you want to meet the witch? Was that her just now? You guys will meet eventually, and it might not be convenient for me to be there.”

After a good rest, Teest finally had the energy for a chat. He removed his hood, revealing sweat-soaked hair. His face showed clear signs of fatigue. “I’ll go back, take a bath, and get some rest.”

‘That’s good,’ Nol thought. Teest was made of flesh and blood and indeed needed rest.

So Nol summoned a skeleton horse. The horse’s steps were steady, and even if Teest accidentally fell off, he wouldn’t get hurt.

His temporary knight stood up and gave a proper salute.

“Goodnight in advance and say hello to the witch for me.”

Teest mounted the horse. He yawned tiredly and looked unsteady. “I’ll avoid the Investigation Knights… When you return, make sure to check on the situation.”

“No problem.” Even if Teest didn’t mention it, Nol planned to do so.

After watching Teest leave, Nol stood up and walked deeper into the forest. Fortunately, before he could find the place from last time, the witch’s puppet came to him.

“Lady Lynn asks you to wait.” This time, the puppets showed no hostility. “She guessed that it’s inconvenient for you both to travel, so she’ll check the situation herself. Once she knows the outcome, she’ll meet you in person.”

‘That’s fine,’ Nol thought, sitting on a prominent tree root to wait. Without Teest, the forest seemed ten times emptier.

He tried talking to the black candle. Its vertical eyes were closed, and it didn’t respond, perhaps because it was exhausted.

Nol could only wait alone. He turned into a human form, took off his goat bone mask, and hung it loosely around his waist.

By the time Lynn found him, the night was still dark.

Her appearance was almost as Nol had imagined—slightly shorter in stature, with a youthful look, dressed in a sleek dark hunting outfit, emanating a modern aura.

Lynn’s hunting outfit was modified with a high collar. A dark red printed scarf was tied around her neck, and she wore thin leather gloves. The joints of the puppet witch were completely concealed, making her look almost indistinguishable from real humans.

Except for the crack on her forehead—a sign of injury for the Puppet Witch. Judging by the depth of the crack, she must have suffered a serious injury recently.

“Building 5, Floor 2, Room 302, Joy Garden, Lin En. Mr. Xu, hello. I believe this is our first meeting.”

Lynn was neither overly enthusiastic nor aloof. Like a skilled business partner, she greeted Nol with a smile, extending her right hand.

Nol hurriedly stood up and shook her hand. He was touched. Having been in this world for so long, he almost forgot this modern courtesy.

“Mr. Xu is too formal. You can call me Xu Yue or Nol… In front of outsiders, better call me Nol.”

Witch Lynn nodded and retracted her hand. “Where’s your knight partner?”

“He was too tired and went back,” Nol replied. “His situation is different from ours. To explain your situation to him, I need your consent first.”

Lynn paused. Her expression was slightly stiff, looking somewhat anxious. “He went back? Did you let him go back to Whitebird City on his own?”

“We hid our identities…” Noticing Lynn’s reaction, Nol suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

“This is a magical world. The Eternal Church surely has many tracking methods.” Lynn’s voice sounded bitter. “Nol, I know you’re from a game company, but are you sure this world aligns perfectly with the game? …You might not feel it as strongly, but to me, this place is undoubtedly real—a deadly reality.”

“In the real world, one can never be too cautious.”

‘Yes,’ Nol thought, stunned. The taste of victory was so sweet that he almost forgot the dangers of this world—this wasn’t just a game where you clear a boss and the battle ends.

Strange. He had always been cautious… Why didn’t he think of it earlier? Was he too exhausted?

“How’s the City Lord?” Nol asked urgently, dropping his casual demeanor.

“The City Lord was captured by the Investigation Knights and is probably being transported back to the city. But that doesn’t mean much. There are certainly more followers of the Eternal Church in the city. With the City Lord captured, they’ll only become more rampant.” Lynn pursed her lips.

Suddenly, a puppet climbed onto Lynn’s shoulder and whispered into her ear. Listening, Lynn frown deepened.

“You should come with me. We have a lot to discuss. By dawn, I’ll try to get a sense of the city’s situation. If your knight has been targeted by the Eternal Church, it’s probably too late. Going there will only lead you into a trap.”

“What do you mean?” Nol remained unmoved.

“Important message from the street urchins—the City Lord, shortly after being taken into the city, was abducted by the Eternal Church’s people. Those scoundrels are still causing chaos in the city… Wait, what are you doing?”

Without hesitation, Nol summoned a skeleton raptor, allowing the giant bird to grasp his back.

“I need to go back.” His tone was firm.

“The city must be on lockdown. You—”

“Let’s talk another day, Miss Lynn.” Nol soared into the sky. “I need to find my teammate… No, my friend.”

Thud. The bone mask slipped from his waist, landing on the ground covered by fallen leaves.

…..

Teest must be safe.

On the streets of Whitebird City, Nol ran breathlessly under an invisibility spell, his heart pounding. Why didn’t he insist on giving Teest a full treatment? Why did he let Teest return alone? He shouldn’t have let his guard down.

He had decided to become genuine friends with Teest, even willing to share the secret of his “transmigration”. Their collaboration was flawless, and Teest was a trustworthy companion.

Nothing should happen to Teest, or he would never forgive himself, Nol thought fiercely.

The night was quiet at the inn, the air filled with the rich scent of flowers. Breathing heavily and anxious, Nol approached that familiar room.

The door was closed, curtains drawn, and no light shone from within.

Taking a deep breath, Nol pushed the door open with a sudden force. The door creaked loudly, echoing in his ears. The dimly lit living room was serene, with fresh roses blooming on the table and a basket of fruit exuding a tempting sweetness. Yet beneath the pleasant aroma, Nol detected a faint smell of blood.

Teest’s bedroom door remained closed as always. He had indeed returned, but…

“Teest?” Nol called out with a hoarse voice but received no response.

The closer he got to Teest’s bedroom door, the stronger the scent of blood became. Nol smelled fat, fresh entrails, and exposed bone marrow.

“Teest—!”

Nol tightened his grip on his staff and burst through the door.

Drip, drip.

First, he saw the blood. Blood was everywhere, pooling and soaking into the carpet, spreading across the floor to his feet. In the blood floated tiny bits of flesh and eyeballs, scattered in small clumps.

Drip, drip. The blood continued to drop.

Then, Nol looked up and saw Teest.

Teest, with his flowing silver-white hair and wearing his long pajamas, stood barefoot in the pool of blood. Except for his feet, there was no other bloodstain on him. He looked out of place, as if he didn’t belong to this world.

The deep and shallow wounds on his body had already healed, leaving no trace.

In front of him, countless golden threads held by magic hung like a web, suspending a large silhouette. Nol recognized the face.

…It was Lord Swain.

The City Lord’s limbs and head were bound by the golden threads, hanging in the air like a marionette. His mutated parts had been cleanly sliced off and forcibly sewn back into human shape with the golden threads. The stitches, meticulous and even, gleamed like gold vines wrapping around him.

Lord Swain hung lifelessly, his eyes full of fear and despair. Yet, his lips were pulled into a smile by the golden threads.

That smile was soft and calm, completely contrasting with the rest of his tragic appearance.

Drip, drip. Blood oozed from the stitches and dripped from the City Lord’s toes.

A ball of unused golden thread rolled out of Teest’s old pouch. It rolled through the blood, causing ripples, before finally stopping at Nol’s feet.

The ball of golden thread brushed against Nol’s boots like an obedient little creature.

“Good evening, honey,” Teest said with a smile, his voice gentle and calm. “You shouldn’t have come back so early… Ah, you caught me.”

Nol tensed up, his fingers twitching on the grip of his staff. Images of them fighting side by side flashed in his mind, making the staff feel heavy as lead.

Teest raised his hands in a casual surrender gesture. In his right hand, he held the “Betrayer” in its hunting knife form. His golden eyes gleamed in the shadows. The room was pitch black, but this didn’t seem to trouble Teest. He slowly approached Nol.

Without thinking, Nol stepped back. Seeing this, Teest playfully flipped his left palm—and with a loud bang, the bedroom door behind Nol slammed shut and was locked.

Just as Nol wanted to back away, his back hit the solid door.

“He’s a psycho, a murderer, a blasphemer. He, she, or it has been running rampant for over a decade. Even the Temple doesn’t know if that guy is human.” 

Mr. Kurt once said.

Finally, Teest stood right in front of Nol. Leaning in so close that their noses almost touched. Teest’s gaze held no malice. It was more like an intriguing observation. The mixture of floral scent, baked biscuits, the smell of blood-soaked wood, and the mild soap fragrance from Teest combined into a peculiar sweet scent.

…A light fragrance tinged with the chill of death.

Nol held his breath, staring intently into those golden eyes. In the silent night, only the system’s prompt kept repeating in his head—

[You have successfully witnessed the “Mad Monk”. Please immediately report to the Temple of Life.]

[You have successfully witnessed the “Mad Monk”. Please immediately report to the Temple of Life.]

[You have successfully witnessed the “Mad Monk”. Please immediately report to the Temple of Life.]

……

Temple of Life, Evergreen Church, Medical Room.

“Failure is also God’s will, everyone. Don’t take it too hard. Although Swain escaped, at least Whitebird City is free from the control of a heretic… Ouch, take it easy, Reverend Father.”

Knight Eugene had already removed his armor. He was lying on the bed as the priest treated his wound.

Other Investigation Knights were also injured to varying degrees, and they were now gathered, lamenting their situation. Knight Manley, who had been recovering, hadn’t participated in the battle. He listened to the complaints with curiosity.

“Captain, I have a question.”

Manley waved his bandaged arm. “Why do you all believe that the City Lord framed the Mad Monk? Couldn’t they be accomplices?”

“You’re new to the team, so it’s understandable that you don’t know.”

Eugene sat up and looked out of the window at the four moons.

“Every victim of the ‘Mad Monk’ has always been a core member of the Eternal Church, without exception. That guy would never lay a finger on a fourteen-year-old girl.”

“Hmm, doesn’t that mean the Mad Monk is kind of on the side of the Temple? Wouldn’t it be better to tell the truth to the public? They firmly believe that he kills indiscriminately and are terrified of him.” Manley sighed.

“On the side of the Temple? That shameless heretic. He desecrates corpses and defiles both the Temple and its scriptures. Even if he opposed the Eternal Church, he harbors just as much malice towards the Temple.”

Eugene’s tone suddenly turned cold. “The fact that the Temple hasn’t issued a death warrant for him already shows we’ve given him some respect. Manley, the truth can’t be made public—people don’t need to know that a mere blasphemer’s investigative skills are superior to that of the Investigation Knights.”

“More importantly, this era doesn’t need an overly mad hero.”

---

The author has something to say:

Alright, Teest’s vest has finally fallen off! I’ve read various speculations before, lol.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 23: True Attributes

At 3 in the morning, Nol, wearing a goat bone mask and holding a broken staff, stood atop the church bell tower.

Teest also wore a black cloak. He had tied his long hair into a bun, and used the Player skill “Anonymous”. Underneath his hood was complete darkness.

From this scene alone, neither of them was up to any good.

A week had passed since they discovered the truth about Margaret’s disappearance.

The City Lord, using his daughter’s name, still refused to let people leave the city. On the surface, he appeared to be working well with the Investigation Knights.

The merchant leaders complained bitterly, but they were helpless.

Only Nol knew that during this period, the City Lord was busy fabricating the works of the “Mad Monk”. He didn’t voluntarily show them to Nol, and Nol didn’t want to inquire further. He was only responsible for extracting the City Lord’s plans. Asking anything more could lead to mistakes.

Tonight was the day of the City Lord’s operation.

Not far from the church, in a dark alley, an Eternalist was transporting a skeleton wrapped in golden thread.

It was the remains of a young girl. The skeleton was pure white, bound by gold thread in a praying position. At the legs of the skeleton were ripe fruits, the ribs stuffed with blooming red roses, and the eyes were filled with balls of golden thread.

A layer of white gauze covered the top of the skull, hanging down behind the skeleton like folded wings.

The skeleton’s mouth was slightly open, as if chanting a prayer. Its teeth were wrapped in gold thread, with the ends fixed below the cheekbones, looking like a creepy smile.

Although the idea of blaming the “Mad Monk” was Nol’s, seeing this scene still made him uneasy.

“That guy, after killing people, always dismembers the bodies and then stitches them back with golden thread. He even arranges the bodies into images of followers from the scriptures and places them provocatively at the church entrance—that guy even sews a smile onto them!”

The appearance of the corpse was consistent with Mr. Kurt’s description, but…

[This isn’t exactly stitching a dismembered body back together,] Nol murmured, rubbing the goosebumps on his arm.

[Well, this represents ‘Skeleton Girl Margaret’, a follower from the Book of Life.] Teest’s thoughts came through. [The Mad Monk likes to transform bodies into images of followers. It can be said that he’s ‘staying true to the original’.]

[You still read the scriptures from the Temple of Life?] Nol scoffed.

[Don’t you ever read books?] Teest scoffed back.

Below them, more Eternalists carefully cast illusions in the shadows. The City Lord, dressed in black, watched from a distance.

With the city sealed for several days and the limited number of elites from the Eternal Church, the City Lord had to personally oversee the operation. Under Nol’s continuous hints and insinuations, he genuinely didn’t want to face failure again.

The illusion quickly took effect, and the skeleton and its transporter disappeared. According to the plan, it would be transported to the front of the church, while Nol, the “powerful external aid”, would take care of the Investigation Knights nearby.

…Like hell he would actually lift a finger!

Nol dropped a message into the communication crystal, saying “Everything’s going smoothly”, and, along with Teest, peered around to watch the action.

As expected, as soon as the body entered the church’s security perimeter, there was an anomaly.

Numerous white flames lit up around the church, illuminating its vicinity as if it were daytime.

The flames were two to three meters high, separated by just half a step, burning in the air. Under the bright light, the illusion disappeared like a bubble, exposing the transporting Eternalists.

The flames weren’t limited to the vicinity of the church. Centered on the church, there were three rings of flames, encircling the distant Eternalists.

They looked like bars of a prison.

Knight Eugene stepped out of the church’s main entrance, followed by a dozen knights in silver armor. He smiled brilliantly, his expression no different from when he met Nol.

“Good evening, dear sinners,” Eugene greeted cheerfully, pointing his sword.

Before the Eternalists could react, their heads exploded. Blood sprayed from the severed necks, staining the carefully prepared skeleton.

The decapitated body slowly fell and hit the ground heavily.

Nol stiffened with a curious expression still frozen on his face.

“As expected, it’s not the Mad Monk,” Eugene said calmly, seemingly unsurprised. “Gentlemen, it’s time for praise.”

The knights behind him scattered, rushing towards the Eternalists hiding in various corners. Flames rose into the sky as magic clashed, and the clear sound of blades piercing flesh was especially sharp.

Only one female knight lagged slightly behind—she opened her tightly closed eyes, filled with bright white light.

Afterward, she seemed to sense something and dashed straight in the direction of City Lord Swain. With a smile on his face, Eugene followed closely behind.

Lord Swain had no desire to linger in the fight. Clutching the mask on his face, shadows danced around his feet like living creatures. His silhouette grew more and more hazy, blending seamlessly with the night.

[Let’s head back,] Nol suggested.

Born in a peaceful era, he had no stomach for the bloody spectacle of battle.

[Go back now?] Teest responded in disappointment. [The show has just begun.]

[We’ve achieved our objective. Staying any longer will only put us in danger,] Nol said, sincerity evident in his voice.

By now, the Investigation Knights could ascertain that the case wasn’t the work of the Mad Monk. And without Nol, the powerful ally, the City Lord had made several blunders in his operations. Regardless of whether Swain managed to escape, having captured many Eternalist, they were sure to extract some confessions.

In this way, without any further intervention, their mission would be a success.

However, a sense of unease gnawed at Nol.

One thing still puzzled him—Margaret had falsely claimed to have seen the Mad Monk. The disappearance case had nothing to do with the Mad Monk, so why was there a requirement in the mission to “witness the Mad Monk”?

Even if the Mad Monk were in Whitebird City, the quest description shouldn’t be written like that. It could seriously mislead the Players.

It didn’t seem like the work of an AI creating and releasing quests into reality. Instead, it felt more like a system summarizing events and mechanically extracting quests.

Suddenly, a strong scent of blood wafted from behind. Instinctively turning his head, Nol was met with the cold gleam of a sword blade mere inches from his face.

Teest had drawn his blade, the “Betrayer”, in the nick of time, deflecting the incoming dagger.

The assailant, a figure in a cloak and mask, gave a whistle and gracefully jumped to the other side of the bell tower. Beside him was another tall, similarly dressed figure.

In the dim night, four cloaked figures faced each other.

Nol’s senses were instantly on high alert. The two figures had approached without him sensing them at all.

They were skilled, and they meant harm.

“To think we’d have guests. What a pleasant surprise.” The assailant laughed, sounding quite young.

Knowing that the Investigation Knights were below, it wasn’t wise to stay here long. Just as Teest was about to pull Nol to make their escape, both froze in place.

…A petrification status effect.

“Not so fast.” The assailant’s tone was teasing and sly, akin to the flick of a snake’s tongue over the skin.

His mask was made of dark gray metal with a delicate black gem embedded in its forehead. After a few seconds, Nol recognized the damn item—

[Predator’s Gaze: Consumes 1,000 MP per use, unlimited uses. The item compares the average attributes of both teams. If the user’s side is stronger, the enemy team will be petrified for 30 seconds. If the enemy is stronger, the item has no effect, and the consumed MP won’t be returned.]

‘I’m sorry, Teest. It’s my fault,’ Nol lamented inwardly.

Regardless of Teest’s exceptional attributes, being averaged with Nol’s cursed ones significantly lowered their combined strength.

Worse, the assailant drew a high-grade magic stone from his pocket, which contained 10,000 MP. With this stone alone, he could control them for over five minutes.

Suddenly, Nol sensed a presence approaching rapidly—the metallic scent of armor.

[Petrification is the effect of an item, and that item needs to be activated manually every 30 seconds.] Nol quickly relayed this thought to Teest. [If you get a chance to escape, leave without me.]

[What about you?]

[I’ll figure something out.] Was Nol’s decisive response.

Teest was silent for a few seconds. [Why?]

[That item compares the average attributes of both sides. We lost and were petrified because I dragged you down,] Nol admitted candidly.

Being a Player, perhaps Teest wouldn’t truly die, but the penalties for death were severe, and the near-death experience would be genuine pain.

Even if they were truly married, Teest had no obligation to sacrifice himself for him, especially since they really weren’t.

[I understand.] Was Teest’s response.

In the very moment of their silent exchange, the person Nol sensed rushed up to the tower.

A young Investigation Knight with his sword radiating a brilliant light, charged at the assailant holding the magic stone. In response, the magic stone emitted a milky-white glow.

Now’s the time! Nol held his breath, waiting for the moment the assailant would be too preoccupied to notice…

In the darkness of night, countless dark red light traces burst open in an instant. These were the trajectories of the short sword’s blade, blooming like abrupt flowers on the young knight.

The knight halted in his movements, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Tiny droplets of blood oozed from his skin, slowly connecting into bloodlines. The next moment, the knight shattered on the spot into hundreds of fragments.

Blood and chunks of flesh instantly covered the ground, and the smell of iron and gore was so strong it was dizzying. Whether it was the sturdy armor or the soft skin, their edges were incredibly smooth, like cut butter.

From his appearance to his death, the knight’s end came in just a few seconds.

“Aren’t you going to say anything? Petrification shouldn’t affect your ability to speak.”

The assailant spoke with an air of casualness, as if he had just swatted a mosquito. He reached out to remove Nol’s mask, but the petrification effect kept it firmly in place, not budging.

The man grunted, suddenly lifting his short sword and plunging it into Nol’s eye socket, where a blue flame burned. The tip of the sword entered an empty cavity, but still caused damage.

[HP: 75/100]

“Interesting. A puppet? A golem? …Ah, I should ask your master.” The assailant held his sword, ready to turn to Teest—

“Are you a ‘Demon’ of the Eternal Church?” At this moment, Nol spoke in the muted tone of the undead.

This guy was dangerous. He needed to divert his attention to give Teest a chance.

“It’s actually kind of funny that you’re wearing a goat mask while asking that. Well… I can’t deny it. I suppose so.” The assailant turned back.

Nol had guessed right. This guy was quite talkative, so maybe he could gather more information. But just as Nol was about to speak—

A magic fluctuation from a communication crystal emanated from the assailant.

“My Lord!” The desperate cry of Lord Swain came through the crystal. “Please, please save me… I can’t deal with Eugene. I know you’re nearby! Please…”

“I decline,” the assailant replied cheerily. “What’s the point of this play without its main actor like you?”

“But we… You clearly…”

The assailant smirked. “Don’t you get it, Swain? Your clumsy framing has been exposed. We’re here to complete our mission. ‘Completing the mission’ and ‘helping you’ aren’t the same thing.”

“Good luck, dear Lord Swain.”

With that, he crushed the communication crystal.

He then turned to Nol and Teest, smiling as he took out a black candle from his pocket. Nol had seen this candle in the City Lord’s secret passage, and it still emanated a powerful sense of disharmony.

The assailant held it gently in his palm.

“Well, it’s time for work.” He stepped over the fragments of the knight’s body, leisurely approaching the two. “It’s an honor to be a sacrifice. You can thank me.”

“Thank you,” Teest said, naturally reaching out with his left hand and taking the black candle. The move was so smooth that it looked as if the assailant had just handed him a seasoning bottle.

Assailant: “…?”

Nol: “…???”

Before Nol could express his shock, Teest hugged his waist and leaped towards the base of the bell tower. Meanwhile, the system prompt echoed in Nol’s head—

[Your teammate has deactivated the passive skill “Camouflage”. Attributes refreshed… Enemy item in effect, recalculating average team attribute values…]

[Your team’s average attribute value is higher.]

[Petrification status has been removed.]

“Leaving alone isn’t fun,” Teest whispered in his ear amidst the howling wind.

“Let’s go together, Nol.”

---

The author has something to say:

End of free chapters! Entering VIP chapters after. Nol obtains a powerful weapon, Teest encounters a setback!

——

Preview of my next work. For details see the author’s column~

<Help!>

Recently, there’s been a terrifying legend circulating among the monsters: If, while hunting humans, you encounter a frail young man wearing a red T-shirt shouting “Help!”, you must not approach him, or else you might suffer immense psychological trauma.

Confident demons and monsters: Really? I don’t believe it. I’ll give it a try.

Later on, the monster leader, holding a cup of tea and speaking with a grave tone, said, “What exactly do you want?”

The young man in the red T-shirt shyly smiled. “I was wondering if I could join you guys. Is that alright?”

Monster leader: ?!?

A story of a clueless monster gong x peculiar-minded shou.

Pseudo-infinite flow(?) related. A bizarre adventure tale where the monsters are outrageous, but the humans are even more so.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

This is the last of the free chapters on jjwxc. If you’ve been enjoying the novel so far and are able to, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

The author’s note is a summary of her next work. I look forward to it, as I love infinite/unlimited flow, and of course, anything by Nian Zhong.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 22: Sharing the Same Bed

Teest had changed into a hotel robe—a linen nightgown that just went past his knees. Nol wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt Teest was somewhat gloating.

Who said he couldn’t manipulate dreams? He could figure it out! But thinking of the starting cost of the spell being 200 MP, Nol quickly compromised. “I can’t, and I’m not a succubus.”

“Then lie down quickly. Just holding hands will suffice.” Teest quickly took the left side of the bed, letting his long hair spread across a pillow.

Nol changed into the same kind of nightwear and climbed onto the bed with a bitter expression.

From infancy to adulthood, he had never shared a bed with anyone. With the added weight of another person on the bed, no matter how he lay, it felt awkward.

Both of them lay on their backs, with Teest’s left hand tightly holding Nol’s right hand. The curtains were drawn, surrounding them in darkness. Their body warmth was seemingly the only thing present.

The undead didn’t need sleep, just as some people didn’t need a nap—it was fine without it, but napping wasn’t bad either.

Nol closed his eyes, trying hard to feel drowsy.

“Haha.” Teest suddenly chuckled in the dark.

The sleepiness that Nol had just caught vanished. “Why are you laughing?”

“It’s like going back to being three years old.” Teest’s voice was filled with amusement. “I kind of miss my childhood.”

Nol: “…Alright, goodnight, little knight.”

The room returned to silence, which lasted less than two minutes—

“Pfft!” This time, it was Nol who laughed.

Teest: “What are you laughing at now?”

“I just thought of sea otters,” Nol said. “Did you know? They lie back on the water’s surface and sleep holding hands.”

Teest: “……”

Teest tried hard to stifle his laughter. “…Then goodnight, dear Mr. Sea Otter.”

With the atmosphere lightened, Nol relaxed, and he quickly fell asleep.

……

He was running.

No, she was running. Nol couldn’t feel Teest’s presence. His telepathic connection was also gone. He was experiencing some memories from Hannah’s first-person perspective.

Hannah ran through the forest, her feet touching the soft grass. Her emotions were almost blank, with fleeting scenes flashing in her mind—

Margaret Swain hid in an abandoned wooden house with a smile that was pure and genuine.

“I still wanted to see you,” she said. “You’re my little sister.”

“I’m the older one,” Hannah corrected. “Enough, Maggie. Now you know you’re not blood related. We’re both children of slaves. The City Lord must have bought you willingly.”

Hannah lowered her voice, and her tone became a bit harsh. “He hid the truth from you, dyed your hair black, and made everyone believe you’re his biological daughter. If he found out about me now—your twin sister—can you guess what he’d do?”

“Daddy won’t hurt you,” Margaret said. “When I realized our relationship, I was indeed a bit upset. But even without blood ties, Daddy has always been particularly good to me. He loves me.”

Hannah looked into those green eyes, identical to her own.

They differed in hair color, physique, and clothing, but the biggest difference was in their eyes—Margaret’s eyes were open and clear. She seemed to trust everyone.

“He always buys me the best things, hires the best tutors, never gets angry with me… Oh, the last time I got sick, he stayed by my bed all night and even made cream soup.”

“What you said—if I had a puppy, I could do all that for it too,” Hannah responded unhappily.

“Our grandmother used to tell us that there are only three kinds of love in the world—love for pets, love for gods, and finally, love for people. Often, these three kinds of love seem the same…”

Margaret interrupted her, “I’m not a pet! So tell me, how should I prove it to you?”

“You can’t,” Hannah replied. “Rather than worrying about this, think about what you’d do if he betrays you.”

Margaret opened her mouth, a hint of anger flashing across her face, but she quickly suppressed it.

“I didn’t come here to cause trouble.” Her expression turned serious. “Listen, Hannah, I want to save Little Spoon.”

Hannah looked up abruptly.

“I know she’s very ill. Tom told me. She needs a doctor—a regular one won’t do. She needs our family’s doctor. I must ask Daddy for help.”

Hannah didn’t make a sound. She wanted to say that Little Spoon would make it through, but she wasn’t sure. Just like she wasn’t sure if the City Lord was a “good person”. What if she got it wrong?

“Daddy loves the desserts from the Egret Restaurant the most,” Margaret continued, her expression a bit mischievous. “Lately, he’s been busy outside. I had someone deliver it to him, and he would definitely be thrilled. Then I’ll jump out and give him a surprise.”

“When the time comes, I’ll introduce Little Spoon to him. I’ll tell him she helped me a lot before, and Daddy will treat her illness.”

Hannah bit her lip, pondered for a long time, and finally nodded.

“Trust me, Little Spoon will be fine.” Margaret smiled again.

A wave of emotion suddenly overwhelmed Hannah. She felt anticipation, confusion, joy, and worry simultaneously.

“Why go to such lengths?” she asked. “It’s better for both of us to end this relationship. I won’t pester you… Little Spoon doesn’t even like you.”

“I know your friends always disappear. Daddy must be very distressed. As the heir to the City Lord, this is what I should do.”

“I also know, they’re more like family to you. You’d do anything for them.” Margaret kept smiling and continued, “…As Margaret, I’d do anything for my family too.”

Naive, innocent Margaret Swain.

The City Lord could easily see through her little tricks. She’d likely fail, Hannah thought.

“Thank you,” Hannah said, looking at that smiling face and suppressing her suspicions.

Nol sighed in his heart.

[If the Demon Lord hadn’t killed Young Kurt in front of me, and Maggie happened to witness it, I wouldn’t need to deal with the Investigation Knights at all. Do you know how troublesome it was to deal with Margaret? She’s my heir.]

The errand boy from the Egret Restaurant, Young Kurt, and the Margaret who wanted to surprise her father… Now it all made sense.

They were at the wrong place at the worst possible time.

……

Hannah continued to run in the dark forest, her feet stepping on vein-like tree roots. She gasped for breath, tasting the metallic flavor of blood in her throat.

A void of emotions gradually filled with panic. She was sweating profusely, but her insides felt cold.

Her memories continued to play back.

Just as Hannah guessed, on the promised introduction day, Margaret didn’t show up. Fortunately, she had given them enough money, and Little Spoon barely survived.

What Hannah didn’t expect was to see Margaret next at the Evergreen Church entrance.

After so many days, Margaret looked much thinner. Her hair was messy, and her nightgown was dirty. Guards blocked the view of the public while maids held Margaret, dragging her away from the church’s main door.

“Miss Swain is undergoing mental treatment,” they explained.

Margaret struggled desperately, looking at the church. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

“The City Lord is truly pitiful.” The people sighed. “How did his lovely daughter go mad?”

“He really dotes on her. Everyone knows that when Miss Swain was sick last time, the City Lord personally watched over her and even cooked cream soup.”

“Please don’t discuss this in public,” the guards instructed the church personnel proficiently. “Miss Swain is only fourteen. It’s not good for this to get out.”

Margaret froze in place. Everyone knew her father was the City Lord, and this was his city.

She looked at the church doors again, suddenly bit her tongue, and with a magical glow, formed a sentence in the air with her blood—

[I saw the Mad Monk.]

After doing all this, Margaret noticed Hannah in the crowd.

She smiled weakly, her green eyes hollow and terrifying. Then she mouthed words clearly.

[Pet.]

[Betrayal.]

[Run.]

But Hannah didn’t run.

She waited anxiously near the City Lord’s mansion day and night, unsure of what she was waiting for.

Margaret couldn’t have just gone mad; something was wrong with the City Lord. Hannah thought of seeking help, but who could she turn to? The local church close to the City Lord? Or the City Lord’s guards?

At best, since Margaret was the heir to the City Lord, her death would need confirmation from the Investigation Knights. As long as she didn’t resist, the City Lord wouldn’t easily kill her.

‘Please give up,’ Hannah prayed.

No matter what, first survive.

Yet her naive sister persisted. One night, Margaret, with an injured leg, tried to crawl out of the mansion gate. Her eyes were disturbingly determined, like a bird crashing into a cage.

This time, the City Lord didn’t drag her back to the mansion.

“This girl knows magic. The night is long and fraught with dreams*. We need to deal with her early,” the City Lord said irritably. “Let it be known she went mad, ran into the forest, and was attacked by wild beasts. Just like that.”

*(夜长梦多) Idiom referring to a long delay may give rise to trouble.

Margaret remained unusually calm. She allowed the guards to push and shove her, walking step by step away from the city and towards the forest.

Hannah could only follow from a distance.

She watched as they reached the depths of the forest and as they released the hungry monsters. Margaret fell to the ground, her entire left leg torn off in an instant.

One of the guards seemed to hesitate. His hand resting on his sword twitched, but a glance from the City Lord stopped him.

“She must be eaten alive by the beasts, not merely have her corpse gnawed at. The Investigation Knights can tell the difference.”

Blood flowed, soaking the fallen leaves a dark red. Perhaps due to some magic, Margaret didn’t scream. The only sound was the chewing of flesh.

Hannah collapsed among the bushes, her vision darkening. When she finally came to, everything was over.

Margaret… Only Margaret’s bloodied head and a portion of her torso remained. Her black hair was covered in blood and mud. Her eyes were half-open, with the corner of her mouth still holding a faint smile.

The heir to the City Lord had disappeared, and the Investigation Knights would be arriving soon.

Hannah finally realized Margaret’s intention. Whether it was her public claim of “seeing the Mad Monk” or her submission to death, she simply wanted to attract the Investigation Knights—a more powerful, neutral external force.

Naive, innocent Margaret.

The City Lord was clearly prepared, and your sacrifice was in vain.

…Yet, people always couldn’t help but do meaningless things. Hannah reached out her trembling hands towards the corpse.

……

Hannah ran into the deepest part of the forest. Her clothes were torn by thorns, her shoes were gone, and the soles of her feet bled without stopping. She didn’t know where she was. She just knew to head towards the darkest, most mysterious place.

In Hannah’s arms, Margaret’s remains were frighteningly light.

Exhaustion and despair intermingled. Hannah had only one thought left.

The oldest woman in the street used to tell the street kids that there were three kinds of love. She also told them that a terrifying witch lived deep in the forest.

Margaret had died not long ago, and her body was still warm.

Humans couldn’t save her, but what about monsters?

Her sprint became a brisk walk, which then turned into a stagger. Finally, Hannah found her destination. A decaying wooden hut, surrounded by parts of broken dolls. There was a faint light shining from its windows.

“Help!” she shouted with the last of her strength, banging on the door. “Help! Open the door!”

Silence from within.

“I’ll give you anything—my soul, my life, anything!”

Unable to stand any longer, Hannah slid down the door. “Esteemed One, I beg you. Please save her…”

She clutched the remains of her loved one, pleading until her voice became hoarse. Still, silence from within. Her foolish efforts seemed to have no results.

“It’s my fault… It’s me… If she hadn’t met me, she wouldn’t have ended up like this…”

She mumbled deliriously, finally choking back sobs in the vast darkness.

“Please save my sister. I beg you…”

Creak.

The door opened to reveal a doll that looked very much like a real person. She gazed down emotionlessly at Hannah’s tear-streaked face.

“How long has she been dead?” the doll asked.

“Not-not more than an hour…”

“Alright.” The doll—the Puppet Witch sighed. “Come in. I can save her.”

The tension left Hannah’s body. Before she could stand, she was dragged into the darkness by fatigue and blood loss.

‘Enough,’ Nol thought. He could guess what happened next.

[Puppet Legacy: Convert a female human NPC into a Puppet Witch. The converted must be alive or have died within 90 minutes.

※Unique skill of the Puppet Witch. Can only be used once.]

No wonder the City Lord was certain of Margaret’s death, yet the witch remained silent.

No wonder Hannah was reluctant to interact with the Investigation Knights. She wanted to protect not just Witch Lynn…

…But also a newly born monster, Witch Margaret.

Nol opened his eyes, looking at the inn’s ceiling. He found they were sore and filled with tears. They were Hannah’s emotions that hadn’t dissipated yet.

“It’s normal. I was also confused by these emotions at first.” Teest turned to the side without letting go of his grip. “Speaking of which, it’s my first time seeing a Lich cry.”

“What a coincidence, it’s my first time seeing it too,” Nol said with a hoarse voice.

“Do you need a hug?”

“I’m fine.”

“Alright, now we know the truth.” Teest finally let go of Nol’s hand and yawned. “Goodnight again, crying Lord Lich.”

With that, he turned over, facing away from Nol.

In just a few minutes, a cold sensation touched Teest’s neck and shoulder—Nol curled up, gently pressing his forehead against Teest’s back.

Teest pretended to be asleep and didn’t break the silence.

“Goodnight, Teest,” Nol murmured.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 21: Something’s Wrong with You

Sure enough, he knew something would go wrong! True to the reputation of a cult, even a phone call had to be made with a secret code. This was way too ceremonial.

Nol quickly regained his composure. He had limited knowledge about the Eternal Church and naturally considered the possibility of being exposed—as long as the target was alive, the plan wouldn’t be dead. Rather than switching from Plan A to Plan Z, Nol preferred to treat it as a flexible game.

[Don’t make a move yet,] he instructed Teest mentally.

Teest clicked his tongue loudly inside Nol’s mind.

“Do you respond to every gesture of a subordinate?”

Nol tried to use his most sinister voice. “Besides, I can tell you still doubt me. Why not use that girl to prove it?”

Lord Swain looked at him deeply. “Thank you for your understanding.”

The Lord’s close aide quickly brought the child. The little girl, as skinny as a chick, couldn’t break free from the grasp of the aide. From the newsboy cap and overalls she wore, it was obvious it was the street urchin Hannah.

Nol: “……” Kid, why is it always you?

On the way to the City Lord’s mansion, he and Teest were extremely cautious, making sure no one was following them. It seemed that Hannah’s tracking a few days ago wasn’t to monitor them, but she seemed more interested in the case itself.

[Interesting, what are you planning to do?] Teest asked with interest.

[Prepare the spell to conceal our presence,] Nol responded calmly. [I need your cooperation.]

[You’ve finally decided to confront this guy?]

[No. I’ll perform a trick for you first.] Nol flexed his fingers, silently preparing his spell.

Hannah suppressed the tremble in her body and bared her teeth at Nol, the “huge monster”. Her green eyes were wide open, full of hatred and fear.

“Fuck you! Monsters!” she cursed hoarsely. “Pussy liars, murderers, you all will meet a bad end!”

As Hannah cursed, she nervously looked around, trying to find a way out.

“This is my gift to you,” Lord Swain finally regained control and said politely. “Would you like me to kill her, or will you do it?”

Nol didn’t answer. He just stretched out his right hand and gently pulled.

Hannah, as if grasped by an invisible hand, was forced to walk step by step towards Nol. She screamed in both fear and anger, flapping her limbs like the final struggle of a drowning person.

Sadly, her struggles were in vain.

A cold wind swirled in the room, billowing Nol’s cloak, its tattered hem rolling incessantly. Like a vampire, Nol opened his cloak and wrapped Hannah inside, then tightened his arms across his chest.

Given the difference in their sizes, it was a terrifying embrace. A sinister light shone around the cloak, and the aura of death permeated. To Lord Swain, it seemed not to be a living being but an evil god.

The girl’s struggles and curses ceased. The cold wind dissipated, and Nol silently released the cloak.

There was a crisp sound. Ribs scattered, the skull bounced, leg bones rolled away—a child’s skeleton fell to the ground, shapeless.

The bones were pale and clean. Next to the scattered bones, the masked monster looked up, with blue flames flickering in its eye sockets.

Such a void death, Lord Swain didn’t even smell the blood.

When did the church get such a strange character? Or was it that he was too low-level before to encounter…? Either way, he couldn’t afford to offend this creature. For what’s to come, he would need him… or it.

Lord Swain, who had just straightened up, bent down again quietly.

“I like this gift,” Nol whispered. “Want to continue testing, Swain? Or do you want a polite embrace too?”

Swain swallowed hard. “My apologies, My Lord. Please give me a chance to make up for it.”

Got him! Nol sighed in relief internally.

Behind Nol, Teest was holding the unconscious girl, almost laughing out loud. The moment he embraced Hannah, Nol had relayed the plan into his mind. If Teest didn’t know Nol’s tricks, he might have been stunned too.

…The sequence of moves by Mr. Mage was comically terrifying.

Telekinesis, a life-class spell: Consumes 20 MP; moves objects within 100 kg over a short distance; only used for non-living targets.

So, while the girl was pulled over—Hannah couldn’t be the target, but her clothes could.

Cool breeze, a life-class spell: Consumes 10 MP; releases a cold wind within a radius of 1 meter around oneself; the cold wind lasts for 10 seconds and has no attack power.

Players would call it the “mage’s air conditioner”. Nol used it to set the atmosphere and cover his actions.

In the flutter of the black robe, Teest quickly grabbed Hannah from inside the robe, knocking her unconscious. His movements were incredibly smooth. The aura of the “Fallen Knight” disappeared, and Nol’s invisibility spell took effect at the same time, successfully hiding the girl.

Finally, there was the necromancer summoning, Nol’s original spell. Accompanied by a dim glow, he summoned the skeleton of a 13- or 14-year-old girl.

According to Nol, these skeletons weren’t even standard skeleton soldiers. They had no combat power, and their intelligence was limited. But when they heard that they were helping peers of the same age, they responded particularly positively.

Nol chose the best actor among them.

It was hard to imagine that someone could combine these seemingly weak spells to be so terrifying.

A good trick, Teest thought. It was indeed more interesting and safer than directly attacking the City Lord. This Lich was more dangerous and… more entertaining than he imagined.

What could Mr. Mage do if he wasn’t suppressed by a curse? Teest became a bit curious.

“Little girl, tell me, should I show him some sincerity?”

In a corner invisible to Nol, Teest leaned down and mouthed words to the unconscious Hannah.

“Like… um, consider him a half-friend.”

……

Before Hannah opened her eyes, she smelled a sweet scent.

She found herself lying on a large soft bed, with floral fragrances coming from the window. In Hannah’s memory, it was still night, but now the bed was covered with morning sunlight.

Fortunately, she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. There was no pain, and all her limbs were intact. The moment she opened her eyes, Hannah instinctively jumped up and leaned against the wall.

Across from her, Nol was holding peaches boiled in sugar water, while Teest was busy packing things in the room—to say he was packing, he only had one backpack.

“The City Lord thinks you’re dead, so it’s best to lie down for another two days and not rush out.” Nol placed the peaches on the bedside table.

Hannah looked at Nol in a daze. Nol sighed and made a horn gesture on his head.

“That’s me. I used a little disguise trick,” he said. “We knew there was something wrong with the City Lord, so we had to take action.”

Hannah opened her mouth, then sniffled hard, holding back her tears.

“Thank you,” she said with a heavy nasal voice.

After packing his backpack, Teest gently sat next to the bed.

“You’d better not frequently see the witch. It’s clear that you care about the disappearance case. I guess you have some clues. You don’t want to inform the Temple because you fear implicating the witch, right?”

Hannah shifted backward, clearly wary of the cunning of the old. “We are very careful.”

“Really? I suspect the Investigation Knights are monitoring all exits from the city. They didn’t act before simply because you are children,” Teest said. “Everyone knows that the Eternal Church doesn’t use children as couriers.”

Nol was amazed. This must be the ruthlessness of hardcore Players, interrogating an underage girl who just woke up.

“You, Margaret Swain, and that puppet witch.”

Teest’s gaze was focused. His golden eyes that in the sunlight, seemed devoid of warmth. They no longer looked like gold but resembled dead leaves.

“How are you all connected… Ouch!”

Before Teest could finish, he was pulled into Nol’s arms.

“Sorry, Miss Hannah.” Nol gripped the struggling Teest, gritting his teeth with a smile. “This guy’s emotional intelligence fluctuates a lot, and he’s currently at a low point.”

“It’s not like—” Teest awkwardly tried to break free, his voice muffled by Nol’s chest.

Watching the two bicker, Hannah relaxed a little. After a few moments, her viciousness returned.

“Since you risked your lives to save me, I can tell you about Margaret. I don’t like owing favors.”

She made certain that they treated her as a human before cautiously providing information. It was very likely that Witch Lynn taught her this.

“I have something to say.” Teest struggled restlessly against Nol’s chest. “Let go of me first—”

Nol reluctantly released him. “Be gentle.”

“Your account may not be trustworthy. I want to look directly into your mind,” Teest said.

Nol: “……”

Such a gentle remark; he shouldn’t have let this guy go.

“Of course, I mean using magic to see. You just need to fall asleep normally.” Sensing Nol’s piercing gaze, Teest explained.

[I will use “Dream Manipulation.”] He added telepathically.

Nol: “…?! “

His astonishment was evident.

Wait, brother, how do you have a succubus’s skill?    

Dream Manipulation, an exclusive skill of the succubus, could only be used on intelligent humanoid beings.

If the target was unsuspecting, the user could enter the target’s dream, retrieve their memories, or control the content of the dream. Even if the target was awake, “Dream Manipulation” could create suggestions or illusions. The higher the target’s affection for the user, the easier it was to be influenced.

But Players couldn’t even choose the succubus race. Though Teest had the looks, he seemed entirely human.

[Before being cursed, I acquired this ability through… certain means.] Realizing Nol was about to find his succubus tail, Teest moved away a bit.

Is there such a method? Nol pondered.

Whether it was a Player or a human NPC, they couldn’t acquire monster skills; hence, they needed to form contracts with monsters.

Considering the quest AI had gone haywire and R18G quests were available, receiving some bizarre rewards wasn’t impossible. Moreover, “Dream Manipulation” wasn’t too extraordinary; some black magic could produce similar effects…

[Let’s go with Dream Manipulation.] Nol decided to accept reality.

……

No, he didn’t want to accept it.

In the dead of night, in front of the double bed, Nol suddenly understood how Teest felt when being “proposed to”—Do we really have to do this? What’s it all for?

Hannah was a young girl, so the two adult males should avoid suspicion. Now that Hannah was sleeping in Teest’s bedroom, Teest naturally had to spend the night in Nol’s room.

And also…

“To bring you into a dream, we both need to be asleep, and I need to have physical contact with you… There’s no other way since you can’t do ‘Dream Manipulation’,” Teest explained with a shrug.

---

The author has something to say:

Teest: Hmm, half-friends, let’s add a little succubus shock.

Nol: (Pupils frantically quaking)

Hahaha, the great Miss Hannah will have a bedroom all to herself. The two of you should sleep in the same room. It’s against the law for couples not to—

————————————

Many years later.

Teest: I just thought of something.

Nol: Hmm?

Teest: Back then, in the eyes of Lord Swain, did you eat Hannah’s clothes, shoes, and everything in her pockets…

Nol:

Nol: Monsters can do anything!

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 20: Talented Actor

Magic candles burned on the candlestick. Instead of flames on their wicks, there were floating white orbs of light.

Knight Eugene sat at his desk with a golden bird perched on his shoulder. Eugene scratched the bird’s feathers with a faint smile on his face.

“Captain… Sir Eugene, are you listening?”

“Of course,” Eugene replied.

The knight reporting sighed. “Upon investigation, the son of Chef Gbagbo Kurt, apprentice Daniel Kurt, disappeared twenty-three days ago. His last sighting was delivering food to the City Lord of Whitebird City.”

“The meal was a blueberry cheesecake tart from the Egret Restaurant, reserved in the name of Margaret Swain. Miss Swain specifically requested thick cheese and honey instead of sugar. According to the restaurant, only Lord Swain eats like this.”

“What did Swain say?”

“He claimed he never received the meal and never saw anyone from the Egret Restaurant,” the knight responded. “He seemed distressed and kept asking if we had new leads.”

“Guilty or not, he’d act like that.” Eugene smiled. “Don’t be deceived.”

“Yes!”

They were lucky, Eugene thought. Just yesterday, Chef Kurt came to them—the grieving father arrived at the church requesting the highest requiem ceremony.

The top requiem ceremony cost sixty gold wheels. The church priest would place the deceased’s bones into a silver vase engraved with divine symbols and pray for them. Afterwards, a relative of the deceased would choose a gold wheel and engrave the exact time of death on it.

The gold wheel symbolized the sun. It was believed that by engraving the exact moment of passing on the sun, the soul would never fall into darkness.

For this, the priest would perform the “Bone Questioning” technique to get the exact time of death, down to the second. The technique was very intricate, making the high-level requiem so expensive.

When the results came out, there was an uproar.

The time of Young Kurt’s death had been revised. On the day he died, the last person he sought was the City Lord. This was intriguing.

“Have you brought up the reason for revisiting Young Kurt’s case to the City Lord?” Eugene asked.

“We informed the City Lord that there was an issue with the time of death, and it needed further investigation.”

“Good job. People make mistakes under pressure. Make sure to strengthen surveillance on the City Lord’s mansion. And don’t relax the investigation on the Mad Monk.”

Eugene dismissed the knight.

Looking back, the clues about Young Kurt’s case were too coincidental.

Without the Bone Questioning, they wouldn’t have revisited Young Kurt’s whereabouts. Only the top requiem ceremony used the technique. It was so expensive, few commoners would apply for it.

According to Kurt, he had mortgaged his property at a low price, and with the ten gold wheels given by the City Lord, he barely had enough money.

As for why he suddenly wanted to hold the requiem ceremony for his son, Kurt claimed his son appeared in his dreams, and given his recent streak of good luck, he wanted the best for his son.

While it wasn’t uncommon for parents and children to have mysterious connections, Eugene had his doubts…

The gold bird suddenly cried out and circled in the air, creating a ring of light. A letter appeared out of thin air.

Eugene swiftly opened the letter, quickly scanning its contents before placing it on the table.

Under the bright light, the black text stood out—

[Before Gbagbo Kurt came to the church, he had a brief conversation with Nol and Teest in the market area. Their behavior was normal. A stray child ran away from the scene but had no contact with the three.]

[Detailed report:]

[The identities of Nol and Teest are unclear, but they are not part of the “Saints”. They have been touring Whitebird City, spending lavishly and politely, without any suspicious behavior.]

[The two always travel together and are intimate. More than twenty young women tried to approach them but were rejected. According to hotel staff, they might be in a same-sex relationship.]

[Current speculation: Judging by their appearance and behavior, Teest might be the illegitimate child of Duke Alva and therefore doesn’t have a surname; Nol is his commoner lover, and they are on a journey.]

[These two don’t seem very suspicious. Suggesting to suspend the investigation.]

Eugene stood up, leisurely walking to the window. The gold bird returned to his shoulder. Through the night, he looked in the direction of the City Lord’s mansion.

“A noble illegitimate child and his lover? Hmm… It doesn’t feel like it.”

……

The City Lord’s mansion, main residence.

Nol never imagined that he would become a double-door refrigerator one day.

Before setting out, Teest thought it was also inappropriate to expose his height and build. He tore up a pile of bed sheets and wrapped Nol so tightly that one could ride a horse on his shoulders. Teest even lovingly modified Nol’s boots, so that when worn, Nol stood nearly two meters tall.

Finally, donning an extended, decayed black robe and wearing a goat-bone mask, Nol looked like a genuine monster… even though he already was one.

Nol had to admit that this appearance was indeed more intimidating—

Upon seeing him, Lord Swain instinctively took a half-step back.

“May everything be eternal,” Nol said in a raspy voice from a corner of the City Lord’s reception room. “You’re late, Swain.”

At this moment, the clock had just passed midnight. Teest, hidden by invisibility magic, vanished his presence and stood right behind the doubled-sized Nol.

“May everything be eternal. I was startled to find a note on the table… I thought…” Lord Swain, gazing at the blue flames in the mask’s eyeholes, spoke with an unstable tone.

It was a bone hand that Nol had sent to write the note. It was a convenient method, albeit with ugly handwriting. But did it matter? Would Lord Swain dare to complain?

“I’ve never heard of this form of contact before.” The City Lord exhaled slowly, regaining his composure quickly. “I need to verify your identity.”

“Sure, verify my identity,” Nol responded sarcastically. “Consider who is speaking—nine days ago, you assured us in the name of the Great Eternal Son that the plan was foolproof. And now? To date, no one has discovered the so-called death scene you mentioned, and you’re even posting notices all over the city.”

Nol’s tone was casual, but he was extremely cautious. With limited information, he needed to control the conversation’s direction— better to accuse than to be accused.

Then, Nol noticed Teest behind him, trembling slightly. That kid was probably holding back his laughter, which was quite annoying.

On the other side, Lord Swain didn’t suspect anything amiss. Sweat formed on his brow. “I’m sorry, My Lord. It’s just the protocol… No one informed me…”

“I didn’t come here to listen to your explanations,” Nol growled, recalling typical lines from game villains. “If you must ramble, I’d rather hear an explanation about another matter.”

Now, quickly explain about Margaret’s case and discuss that mysterious plan.

However, Lord Swain’s face turned pale in an instant. He drew a circle on his chest and slightly bent his back.

“Ever since the Investigation Knights arrived, I haven’t been in contact with any followers in the city, nor have I contacted the Demon Lord again.”

With a dry throat, the City Lord continued, “I don’t know where the leak is, but the Investigation Knight came to me today… I swear, I never meant to hide anything. I just didn’t expect you to come so quickly.”

After a moment of silence, Nol scoffed. “Where’s your reflection on this?”

Hurry up and explain in detail. He had no idea about this matter.

Teest seemed interested too, standing straight up and sneakily peeking over Nol’s shoulder. The two were so close that Nol could feel Teest’s warm breath.

Lord Swain gritted his teeth. “I shouldn’t have given that fatso those gold wheels! For some unknown reason, he insisted on holding the most expensive requiem ceremony for his son. Damn it, aren’t they in need of money?”

“They found out that the time of death didn’t match,” Nol whispered.

He wasn’t sure about the details of the requiem ceremony, but given the one problem with Young Kurt’s death, it wasn’t hard to guess.

“Yes, I somehow fooled them for now, but that Eugene will definitely become suspicious,” the City Lord replied.

With a bitter tone, Lord Swain continued, “Margaret’s remains are also missing, and they won’t leave anytime soon. My Lord, for the sake of our plan, I need…”

“You need our help,” Nol sneered. “How incompetent.”

At the same time, his mind raced, quickly deciding on the most suitable plan to discreetly hand the City Lord over to the Temple of Life.

The City Lord, who was about to be ensnared, held his breath, and the invisible Teest also leaned forward eagerly. It was hard to say whose anticipation was more palpable.

“Since you’ve caught the attention of Eugene Malloy, don’t contact the Eternal Church anymore. From now on, you can only wait for us to contact you,” Nol drawled, having already chosen his scheme.

“As for how to clear the suspicion, it’s simple. Before Margaret ‘disappeared’, she said she met a Mad Monk, so this case was done by the Mad Monk.”

It was just a matter of shifting the blame onto a colleague. After all, they were all from the dark side, so there shouldn’t be any conscience issues. If the Mad Monk became furious and exposed himself, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

Teest went into vibration mode, trying to suppress his laughter again. [Wow, you’re really cunning.] He sent his thoughts through with a tone full of admiration.

Lord Swain paused for a full half-minute. “You mean…”

“You’ve kept so many children’s remains. Just take one out and handle it properly, pretending it’s Margaret. The temple hasn’t caught the ‘Mad Monk’ for so long. One more time won’t make a difference. As long as you make it convincing, they won’t stay here for long.”

“……” Lord Swain frowned, seemingly considering the feasibility.

“I believe our Mad Monk wouldn’t mind.” Nol fanned the flames. “Even if there’s an issue, the church will back you up.”

Lord Swain pressed his lips together. “What if someone takes advantage of this to present the actual body? My Lord, I’m worried someone is deliberately opposing us.”

Congratulations, you’re right. There are many opposing you—Teest and I, Witch Lynn, the Investigation Knights, just to name a few.

“So, do you need me to chew your food and feed you too? One must face God’s trials on their own. Swain, you’re really not up to the task.” Nol took two steps towards the City Lord, his tone as cold as ice. “Of course, you can be hesitant and do nothing… Remember, the entire church is waiting with you.”

The muscles on the side of Swain’s face twitched, and his expression darkened.

Manipulating a cult member using modern workplace tactics shouldn’t be an issue, right? Nol felt a bit guilty, thinking he had turned into the kind of boss he loathed.

However, as long as he could incite Swain to act on his own, there would be plenty of evidence for the knights to seize—even if they didn’t, Nol had countless ways to make it apparent. As for the church’s plan, it was better left to the professionals.

With this, both he and Teest could just pull the strings from the shadows and remain uninvolved.

Nol clenched his fist under his sleeve. If he had a physical body, his palms would be sweaty.

“I…”

Just as Lord Swain began to speak, the bell in the meeting room suddenly rang. Lord Swain gave a slight bow to Nol, placing his left hand over his heart. About two seconds later, he put the inverted bell back in place.

“My Lord, we caught a little girl lurking around the mansion.” The copper tongue inside the bell seemed to have turned into an actual one, moving softly. “How would you like to handle it?”

After glancing at Nol in the corner, Lord Swain suddenly smiled. “Bring her here. I can make use of her.”

After saying this, he flipped the bell back. With his left hand still on his chest, his smile looked somewhat twisted.

“My Lord,” he whispered. “Why didn’t you respond with the church’s greeting?”

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The author has something to say:

Theatrical awakening moment! Applause (…

Nol: Damn, why does this guy get work calls in the middle of the night?

Teest: I knew we couldn’t slack off until the end…

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Official seal of the Temple, GET√.

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