Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 72: Shaken

On the same day that Shu Jun set off.

Without Shu Jun, the temperature around Zhu Yanchen dropped. Hu Yan managed the players’ side, and Yu Jin managed his own team well. Zhu Yanchen didn’t participate in these matters. He went straight to Ai Xiaoxiao’s research area and found a room to contemplate the “Suppression” weapon.

Before the Old Fourth left, they brought him a lot of equipment. Even so, many of Ai Xiaoxiao’s medical instruments had to be “temporarily requisitioned”. In response to this, Ai Xiaoxiao, who was focused on researching erosion treatment, was quite displeased.

“They are all my precious babies. Can’t you be gentler with them? Even if they don’t break, I still need to charge for wear and tear.” She pounded her chest and stomped her feet. “And I don’t like having people in my field of vision when I’m researching—”

Now that Ai Xiaoxiao knew about the intimate relationship between Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen, her remaining fear of Zhu Yanchen vanished without a trace.

Marshal Zhu’s cold and stern temperament could no longer intimidate her. After observing him for so long, she felt that he was like a clamshell. When Shu Jun was around, he cautiously opened up, but as soon as he left, he would quickly shut himself tight again, which she found quite amusing.

Ignoring her, Zhu Yanchen took the data and left.

“Wait!” Without receiving compensation for the wear and tear, Ai Xiaoxiao raised her voice. “I have some strange data here that I need an expert like you to look at.”

Maintaining a closed clamshell-like aura, Zhu Yanchen slowly turned around and followed Ai Xiaoxiao into her research room.

Although Ai Xiaoxiao had made a mess of herself, the entire research room was orderly and organized. In the middle of the room was a large liquid tank, and Monday was inside, twisting and turning like a peculiar-shaped ribbonfish.

“Since he has all those people following, Shu Jun could only bring an ordinary sword,” Ai Xiaoxiao explained. “He entrusted it to me.”

When Monday saw Zhu Yanchen enter, the direction of the sword’s hilt nodded towards Zhu Yanchen, and it happily continued to swim. Seeing that it didn’t call for help like before, Zhu Yanchen turned to Ai Xiaoxiao with a puzzled expression.

Ai Xiaoxiao understood his questioning look and took a white pill the size of an apricot from a dish on the side, tossing it into the liquid tank. Monday eagerly swallowed it, happily flipping its sword body a few times, and even allowed Ai Xiaoxiao to touch it with gloved hands.

“I call it ‘erosion candy’. It loves to be active, so I added something to appease it. During this period, I’ve been studying the erosion choice of intrusion, and it seems to be working well.”

Ai Xiaoxiao withdrew her hand from the liquid and casually threw a white pill to Zhu Yanchen. She then picked up a stack of documents and tapped them on the table. “This thing has a similar level of erosion to your body. Do you remember when Mr. Shu was particularly fascinated with your body for a period of time?”

Zhu Yanchen examined the white pill in his palm and furrowed his brow.

“Of course, I’m referring to his appetite,” Ai Xiaoxiao added mischievously. “Take your time to look at the data; I’ll give you a general overview.”

“The erosion of food by the Erosion Swamp has certain requirements. If the erosion level is too low, it is not easily digestible. If the erosion is too thorough, there will be no nutrients left. To the Erosion Swamp, you are like perfectly grilled meat—neither undercooked nor burnt, fragrant, crispy, and delicious.”

Ai Xiaoxiao threw another erosion candy into the liquid tank, and Monday happily spat out a string of bubbles.

“But for you, this conclusion shouldn’t be new. What I want to talk about is other issues.”

Zhu Yanchen ignored her comparison to grilled meat and quietly examined the data, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

“Oh, I haven’t mentioned it yet, but you’ve already figured it out?”

“They have a very low efficiency when it comes to consuming food. If they were to completely erode a portion of food from scratch, the energy it takes for them to consume it…”

“They only eat the most succulent bite.”

Ai Xiaoxiao clapped her hands casually.

“It’s simple. They don’t have time for mediocre food. Currently, the Erosion Swamps are eroding frantically, which can be seen as a compensatory behavior—because the current survival environment isn’t suitable for them, they instinctively over-reproduce. As a result, the more they reproduce, the more they lack food, and the more they lack food, the less they want to focus on digestion. In the end, they can only erode more space and search for more ‘succulent and effortless’ food to continue reproducing.”

“In short, it’s a straightforward and brutal vicious cycle. They don’t consider issues like depleting their resources. After all, the world is so vast, and they haven’t eroded it all yet.”

Zhu Yanchen keenly grasped the key point. “The current survival environment is not suitable?”

“Yes, I’ve conducted many experiments with this little guy.” Ai Xiaoxiao pointed at Monday, who responded by moving its sword body in anticipation, eagerly waiting for the next erosion candy. “It has some form of intelligence and better judgment than the average Erosion Swamp—take a look at this.”

Ai Xiaoxiao manipulated some data by the liquid tank, making a series of changes. The pressure, temperature, and elemental content in the tank fluctuated on the adjacent screen, causing Monday to tremble all over.

“Feels good!” It expressed its satisfaction vigorously, sounding quite content.

“You see, it’s more intuitive this way.” Ai Xiaoxiao sat back in her chair.

Zhu Yanchen stared at the numbers on the screen, his furrowed brow remaining unchanged.

“So, there’s only one question,” he said softly. “At first, it’s understandable for them to engage in indiscriminate probing. But given the current situation, why does the Erosion Swamp still maintain this state?”

They remain in an unsuitable survival environment, rampaging and biting indiscriminately.

“You know the answer.” Ai Xiaoxiao kicked the nearby cabinet with her foot, spinning in her chair.

He did know the answer. Zhu Yanchen tightened his grip on the stack of reports in his hand. With Sigma present, the mindless Erosion Swamps wouldn’t make decisions on their own.

…Continuing the matter of the player system was even more wrong than he had imagined.

“I have to return to the city,” Zhu Yanchen said firmly. “Thank you, Dr. Ai. This data is very valuable.”

“Why go back to that ghostly place?” Ai Xiaoxiao opened the lid of the liquid tank and threw a few erosion candies at Monday.

“I have some information to look up. I remember a predecessor had written a similar paper. I didn’t think I would need it before Sigma existed, but now I must go back and take a look.”

“Why not have Dong Lao bring it out for you?”

“He can’t access it, and he shouldn’t know about it,” Zhu Yanchen said decisively. “That paper didn’t make it into the database; only the hard copy was left. My father deliberately took it down. I saw the original in the storage room of the Zhu Rong Memorial Hall—it’s Mr. Tang Heyu’s ‘Observation of Dispersed Erosion Path and Geographical Distribution Conjecture of Erosion Substance’. I need the data from it.”

“Tang Heyu? I’ve never heard of this person.”

“He researched anti-erosion instruments before.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t elaborate.

Zhu Yanchen did know this person. When he was a child, his father rarely came home. On one occasion, his father was at home, and Tang Heyu even came to their house for a meal. Later, his mother mentioned that “Uncle Tang” was his father’s closest friend. Unfortunately, later on, Tang Heyu had some mental issues, and Zhu Sheng gradually had less contact with him.

Zhu Yanchen had no interest in the gossip of the older generation. Initially, he only wanted to overthrow the player system and study the behavior of the Erosion Swamp. In order to find information related to the player system, Zhu Yanchen secretly sneaked into Zhu Rong Memorial Hall. During the search for old books, he accidentally discovered the paper in the data room and decided to check the details.

Tang Heyu was born into the business-oriented Tang family but had a different mindset. He had a keen interest in studying the player system. However, he always prioritized design and practice and didn’t leave behind many papers. During his peak, he even competed with Zhu Sheng for the leadership position.

In the past, Tang Heyu and Zhu Sheng had a very good relationship, so good that their friendship remained unaffected even during the competition for positions of power. They would even go out for a drink together after campaign speeches.

Unlike the composed Zhu Sheng, Tang Heyu was witty, humorous, lively, and straightforward. He was originally a promising leader, but unfortunately, he met an untimely end—

After publishing his first and only paper, Tang Heyu gradually started drinking heavily, showing signs of mental instability. At the height of his alcoholism, he wouldn’t remain sober for more than two hours a day. The Tang family couldn’t accept such a male head, so he was quickly sidelined from power and stepped down from his top position.

No one knew what happened to Tang Heyu. Zhu Sheng had made repeated visits in the early stages to persuade him, but it resulted in him being hit on the head with a bottle, causing a huge uproar. After that incident, Zhu Sheng never set foot in the Tang residence again.

No matter where he searched, he couldn’t find any more information.

Speaking objectively, Tang Heyu’s paper was well-written. However, Mr. Tang chose a tricky topic—disintegrated erosion and the Erosion Swamp were too different, and there were too many conjectures in the paper, so Zhu Yanchen didn’t bother to read it again.

Unexpectedly, after going around in circles, he had to search for it again. Xia Liang couldn’t handle this task as only senior researchers could enter the memorial hall. Asking others was also unreliable.

He had no choice but to change back into Xia Yufeng’s appearance and make the trip himself.

Fortunately, the people from the Old Fourth hadn’t left yet. It would only take half a day to ride the caravan to Y City. Zhu Yanchen immediately packed his belongings, disguised himself as Pan Shu’s procurement officer, and joined the Old Fourth’s traveling caravan.

Coincidentally, he could also show the prototype of the “Suppression” weapon to the experts of the Old Fourth. Moreover… it was time to release the information collected from X City to test the waters.

That night, another Marshal was also busy.

Since bringing Luo Duan back, Yi Ning had been extremely cautious. In order to obtain more intelligence, he wished he could attach a continuous 24-hour surveillance camera to Luo Duan.

However, Luo Duan ate and drank as he pleased, smiling and conversing with him as usual. He occasionally asked about the chaos at the Reunion Festival and the current situation of Groundwater, and Yi Ning used “activities” to evade his questions.

As he looked at Luo Duan, he instinctively felt that something wasn’t quite right. This synthetic person maintained a subtle distance from him, acting reasonably and intimately, always making him subconsciously regard the other as a “friend” or “kin.”

But they were neither friends nor kin.

It was just that Luo Duan was too honest, and Yi Ning couldn’t figure out what he wanted. This person neither assassinated him nor contacted the outside world. He calmly drank tea in the heavily fortified command center, and no matter how he looked at it, he didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives.

Yi Ning’s head started to ache from thinking too much.

Fortunately, at this time, there was new information coming in, giving him a chance to change his focus—

“What is this?!” Yi Ning gasped sharply.

“My elder sister’s boyfriend’s younger brother showed it to me, saying it’s footage from inside X City. Someone discovered this thing at the edge of the erosion zone—everything in that suitcase was destroyed, but the recording chip was intact, and they didn’t find the owner.” The assistant trembled, looking flustered. “Marshal, th-th-this is fake, right? People at the edge of the city are spreading it, saying that the Erosion Swamp has mutated…”

A distorted city, a bizarre head lurking between it, and four-legged creatures crawling everywhere. If someone had created such a complex fake video, it would be a remarkable feat.

“Send people to investigate the true source of the footage and also find the technicians from the Tang family. Let them see if it’s fake.” Yi Ning pinched his nose bridge. Those horrifying images were still spinning in his mind. “Don’t panic. The ruins in X City are in the heavily erosion zone, and ordinary people wouldn’t be able to retrieve data from there.”

The assistant visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. “Y-Yes, it must be fabricated. How could the Erosion Swamp mutate like that?”

He patted his chest and tried to reassure himself. “Besides, even if it’s real… you can’t obtain equipment like that for filming without a lot of money. Others may not know, but I’ve been with you for so long, don’t I know?! Only the upper echelons of the three major families can afford to play with such things. Why would they cause trouble for themselves…”

Yi Ning held his breath, his expression suddenly tensing. “What did you say? Say it again.”

The assistant was taken aback. “I said the three major families…”

“The previous sentence.”

“To…to obtain equipment like that for filming, you need a lot of money, right?”

Yi Ning’s mind was struck like lightning, and all the previous confusion suddenly found an outlet.

Zhu Yanchen.

Zhu Yanchen was a cautious person to his core, and he was also strong in combat. How could he be easily captured by a mutant beast? Not to mention that the mutant beast arranged by the Tang family wasn’t even used; it was some unknown mutant beast that unexpectedly abducted him.

At that time, he felt that something was off, as if Zhu Yanchen had known about his plan in advance.

The reason Yi Ning didn’t think deeply about it was simple—Zhu Yanchen disappeared just like that, and Zhu Sheng brought back a puppet. If Zhu Yanchen had his own plan, there wouldn’t be complete silence.

But now the echo had come.

Yi Ning repeatedly examined the footage, and the expression on his face gradually disappeared.

Zhu Yanchen used his plan and disappeared beautifully. Even if the Tang family only intended to give Zhu Yanchen a minor injury, the plan and actions would undoubtedly leave traces and attract Zhu Sheng’s attention. In this way, even if Zhu Sheng couldn’t catch any evidence, his focus wouldn’t be on Zhu Yanchen as the “victim”, naturally not prompting a thorough search in the heavily erosion area.

What happened after a successful disappearance?

Zhu Yanchen wasn’t the kind of romantic person who would intentionally fake his death and elope with someone. If this record was true, Marshal Zhu might have personally gone to the ruins in X City…

Yi Ning only knew that Zhu Yanchen opposed the player system, but he didn’t expect him to be so paranoid.

Marshal Zhu wasn’t an impulsive person and always acted with caution. So what did he discover? Were those horrifying images related to the player system? In such a critical moment, why would he sacrifice his life? What did he want to prove?

According to the assistant, the damaged suitcase was found at the edge of the erosion zone, with no owner to be found. It made sense since a normal person wouldn’t last long in the heavily eroded area of the ruins in X City…

“…In addition to what you just mentioned, help me investigate one more thing.”

Yi Ning heard his own voice speaking in an extremely dry tone.

“Have someone carefully examine the papers Zhu Yanchen left at the research institute,” Yi Ning said.

The assistant nodded vigorously and hurriedly left the room. Yi Ning then looked up at the flickering light tube above him with a wry smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

Before, he had hesitated about whether or not to go along with Zhu Sheng and accept this new player system. His only concern at the time was how to handle the issue of unemployment among the resident players once the player production suddenly increased.

But in just a few days, the residents of the settlements had been abandoned by Zhu Sheng, and the potential flaws of the player system were about to be exposed.

“If the video is real, Zhu Yanchen’s research is real, and the flaws in the player system are real… Concealing the truth, abandoning the people, clandestine operations. They’ve done a great job.”

In the unlikely event that all those things were true, the player system couldn’t be widely implemented until the flaws were resolved. Humanity needed to stand united and concentrate their efforts on combating the mutated Erosion Swamp.

At that point, he and Zhu Sheng would no longer share a common stance.

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The author has something to say:

Marshal: Thank you for the invitation. No sacrifice was made. To be honest, I was actually planning to go with the Tang family’s mutant beasts. ← But then a childhood sweetheart fell from the sky, and Marshal Zhu conveniently caught him.

Shu Ge: ?

Monday: (Chewing happily, worldly troubles are not important)

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 71: Quarrel

The corridor was wide, and more and more people gathered. Instead of trying to stop them, Shu Jun secretly had someone open the communication devices and broadcast the argument to various rooms. The players knew to make space for them, and their position offered a good view, allowing them to hear the conversation clearly. The broadcast quality was quite good.

There weren’t many people that Yu Jin called for help—just over a hundred at most. On the players’ side, many were watching the commotion, and they overwhelmingly outnumbered Yu Jin’s group.

Hu Yan was also squeezed among the players. When he saw Shu Jun approaching, he struggled to swim through the crowd until he separated from the group.

“What’s going on?” Shu Jun asked him in a low voice.

“I don’t know how it started exactly. But Yu Ge, cough, Yu Jin said that the ‘Crooked Head’ guy has been mouthing off. He’s arguing with Chai Xuyang from Groundwater. They’re worried since they haven’t seen Luo Duan…”

“Get to the point,” Shu Jun said patiently.

“Well, they started arguing, and Chai Xuyang made the first move. Yu Jin has been trying to calm things down, but both sides were getting worked up, and he couldn’t stop them.” Hu Yan’s voice became softer.

“He must apologize today so we don’t have to see these people causing trouble daily. Yu Ge, this matter is something you really can’t intervene in,” the Crooked Head guy said with a cold voice, carrying a gloominess that didn’t match his age.

Yu Jin was caught in the middle, unable to do much. Even his vibrant golden hair appeared somewhat dull.

“Damn it, I should twist your cabbage head off first.” Chai Xuyang’s voice became hoarse. “It’s already good enough that we’re not killing you. You don’t even have a shred of dignity. Who are you showing off to? Who?”

“What? Do I have to kneel down and present something to you? Do I owe you?” The Crooked Head guy sneered, making his deformed upper body appear even more terrifying.

“You hit the nail on the head.” Chai Xuyang’s eyes turned bloodshot with anger, and he clenched his fist tightly. “You people here, all of you know about the player system, right?”

“I fucking know,” the Crooked Head guy replied nonchalantly. “For those who hang around in the settlement all the time, who wouldn’t know? We understand much more than that bunch of idiots in the city.”

The atmosphere among the players became restless, and tension increased. Several impulsive individuals wanted to rush forward, but they were held back by members of the Blackbirds.

Chai Xuyang raised his voice. “You all know very well that you’re stepping on our corpses to live comfortably. And now you dare to claim righteousness? They say ignorance is bliss, but you all clearly knew we existed—”

The Blackbirds who were blocking the way, became less resolute, and the players surged forward a few steps. The young humans on Yu Jin’s side had serious expressions and showed no signs of backing down.

Shu Jun put his hand on Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder, gestured for him not to act, and continued to watch.

Seeing that no one was stopping him, Chai Xuyang poured out his panic-fueled grievances. “You all live peacefully while we are destined to die for you? We’re supposed to be your tools, unable to live past thirty? Ah? Even if you give little respect to us, you shouldn’t have such a nonchalant attitude.”

He paused for a few seconds, seeing the Crooked Head guy staring at him with twisted eyes, not responding. Chai Xuyang believed he had rendered the other side speechless and raised his voice to continue.

“Indeed, you wouldn’t understand—what it feels like to realize you’ve been deceived when death is at your doorstep, what it feels like to have friends and family die without any explanation. To humans, we are nothing more than chickens or ducks waiting to be slaughtered. How dare you people get offended—”

“Wow, you really understand, don’t you?” the Crooked Head guy responded sarcastically. The crowd surged again. Many instinctively wanted to use their abilities, and the air was filled with the restlessness of erosion, but Shu Jun suppressed it.

“Even if I die, I’ll drag a few more down with me. You, who have knowledge, are all worthless!”

“So self-righteous?” The Crooked Head guy laughed. His laughter was terrifying. He extended his deformed legs and stumbled forward. “What? How about we switch places? If you don’t cause trouble for us, you can enjoy good food and drinks until you die, supplied by the stronghold? As for ‘the other side’, we know a little bit too. That place is like a paradise with blue skies, birds chirping, and fragrant flowers. You can have whatever you want there. It’s like heaven on Earth.”

His voice was shrill and unpleasant, but in the midst of the chaos, it carried even farther.

“No sickly parents to take care of, no siblings born with missing noses and eyes, and you get to be healthy—yes, your lives may be short, but am I living any longer? Let me tell you today, my heart, liver, spleen, and lungs are already twisted, and they’ve been soaked in erosion. I won’t live past thirty either.”

The Crooked Head guy twisted his deformed body, growing more confident. “I count the days one by one, feeling uneasy everywhere, working hard every day just to get some food, unable to sleep properly. If it weren’t for Yu Ge being a good person, I probably wouldn’t have survived until today. You’re worried and fearful before you die, but I’ve been worried and fearful since I can remember. So, Mr. Synthetic, are you willing to switch places with me?”

“I wasn’t talking about you as an individual, I—” Chai Xuyang retorted with a strained voice.

The Crooked Head guy let out a string of sharp laughter, followed by a cough. “Why should I reason with you? I have my own problems just trying to survive. Can I even control others?”

“You hate humans; fine, it’s understandable. Let me ask you one thing today—do I deserve to die as a person who knew but didn’t seek justice for you? Do my brothers, who are in the same situation as me, deserve to die?”

He pointed in the direction of the settlement. “Should those children who can’t even wipe their own snot also deserve to die?”

Chai Xuyang was stunned and couldn’t come up with a response for a moment.

“Should they die?” The Crooked Head guy stared closely at Chai Xuyang. “Can’t you say something?”

“Are you implying that not only should we not resist, but we should also be grateful?” After holding back for a while, Chai Xuyang couldn’t come up with a response, so he changed the topic. Although he said that, the hostility on his face had indeed lessened.

The Crooked Head guy laughed even more happily. “Growing up in the settlement, I understand quite a bit about being a bad person. When you can’t make it through, you do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means looking a bit unsightly.”

“Nowadays, resources are scarce everywhere, and legitimate work is hard to find. I’m not a good worker, and I require more medication than the average person. I understand if others want to give up on me. But do I deserve to die? Why should I? Others have their reasons, and I have mine. If I want to live, I’ll give it my all—that’s why I’m supporting you synthetics, hoping that you can make some progress and at least break this deadlock.”

Chai Xuyang pursed his lips tightly and his face tensed up. The radicals behind him gradually came to their senses and stopped struggling.

“So in the end, you shouted at a useless person like me for half a day but couldn’t come up with a solution yourself. Have you considered that when you revealed your heavenly life to the city, many people probably thought that humans had done everything they could and had settled everything from the beginning?”

The Crooked Head guy became more spirited as he spoke.

“Why argue about wiping us out or feeling grateful? To put it plainly, if you can live your life, then live it. If you can’t, raise your voice and let it be known. Everyone wants to live well. It’s that simple. Given the situation, it’s not necessary to focus on someone’s faults and make a fuss about it.”

Shu Jun slowly hooked the corners of his mouth as the signal broadcast continued uninterrupted.

Chai Xuyang was quite angry but realized that he wasn’t entirely justified. After hesitating for a while, he picked up the Crooked Head guy’s crutch that had fallen to the ground.

“…I shouldn’t have acted impulsively earlier. I apologize,” he muttered meekly.

“That’s good. At least you’re still human, not one of those idiots who either prosper under my rule or perish miserably—idiots who just want to kill people as soon as they appear.”

The Crooked Head guy’s mouth still stunk, but it didn’t sound like he intended to continue the argument.

Then the two of them exchanged a few more words, and the tense atmosphere from before had completely disappeared. The players gradually dispersed, many of them wore thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Yu Jin wiped his sweat and felt relieved. He patted the Crooked Head guy’s back and took out a can of meat from his bag, handing it to him. The dinner bell rang, and the corridor completely cleared out, returning to its previous desolate appearance.

Only then did Zhu Yanchen turn his head and ask, “Did you know they wouldn’t escalate the conflict?”

“In Luo Duan’s team, there are no overly impulsive individuals. After spending a long time on the battlefield, everyone knows when to listen to others. Yu Jin also knows how to distinguish between important and trivial matters. He won’t bring people who don’t understand social customs.”

Casually leaning against a supply box, Shu Jun relaxed his posture.

“Moreover, just now, when I saw those two, their gestures and movements showed no killing intent. At worst, they will part ways without hostility. Maybe they can even have a productive conversation—that’s what I thought.”

Marshal Zhu excelled in overall planning, but he mostly dealt with astute individuals and rarely encountered people who were rough around the edges, making it easy for him to overlook details. Seeing Zhu Yanchen’s serious and inquisitive expression, it took him a while to suppress his playful thoughts.

“Whether they part ways or have a productive conversation, it will let the players know the thoughts of some humans. In fact, there’s a saying among unconventional thinkers—we’re not afraid of arguments; we’re afraid of two-eyed creatures who only recognize ‘categories’ and believe only in themselves. In other words, it’s actually a good thing if they can argue normally.”

At this point, A’Yan would surely understand.

Sure enough, Zhu Yanchen nodded. “Those two just now were able to express their own views. They saw the other party as someone they could have an ‘equal exchange’ with.”

Instead of viewing them as the “other race” that should be killed on sight.

“What else?” Shu Jun smiled, squinting his eyes.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t answer, but his black gem-like eyes focused on Shu Jun. Shu Jun enjoyed breaking this sense of calmness and couldn’t resist extending his claw tip to lift Zhu Yanchen’s mask, lightly tapping the other’s soft lower lip. “One more kiss, and I’ll explain further.”

The two squeezed into a dark corner, and Zhu Yanchen pressed Shu Jun against the crate, kissing passionately. Shu Jun allowed Zhu Yanchen to lightly bite his lower lip, squinting his eyes while enjoying the warmth of the other’s body. His claw tip mischievously pricked and teased Zhu Yanchen’s back.

“I know what you want to say.” After the long kiss ended, Zhu Yanchen smoothed out Shu Jun’s tousled hair. “You want the people in the settlement to speak their minds, so you can identify the point of instigation for Zhu Sheng, right?”

To resist the synths, Zhu Sheng would inevitably incite the people in the settlements to take action first. The settlements were already filled with a group of lawless individuals, and if their emotions were truly stirred up, colliding with vengeful synths would only add fuel to the fire.

Today, it seemed that these people truly held grudges against the synths.

Marshal Zhu clearly understood this in his heart but deliberately chose not to mention it. Shu Jun licked his tingling lips and looked at Zhu Yanchen’s curved mouth, starting to suspect that a certain fox surnamed Zhu was doing it on purpose.

“Yes, now that the vaccine has been administered, we can relax for now.” Shu Jun stretched his body as he spoke with a tone filled with amusement. “There shouldn’t be any major conflicts anymore, and Hu Yan can handle it. I can now go out with peace of mind.”

After saying that, his fingers reached Zhu Yanchen’s neck and slowly trailed from the Adam’s apple to the chin. “Stay at home and behave yourself. Don’t wander around. If you can develop a suppression weapon early, I’ll let you kiss me for three hours straight.”

Zhu Yanchen looked at him with amusement and firmly grasped that mischievous hand, speaking sincerely. “…Be careful on your journey.”

Indeed, they didn’t have much leisure time.

The disruption of Luo Duan in Y City could only buy them a little time. The number of exploration teams searching for synthetics was increasing. The situation was tense, and they had to stay ahead of Zhu Sheng.

For example, they needed to arrange the children who were still in the stronghold in advance.

The children weren’t regular players and naturally didn’t participate in the festivities. Most of the time, they stayed on the “other side” and only entered the real world for training purposes.

As soon as the rebellion in Luo Duan occurred, Zhu Yanchen immediately proposed a possible way to handle Zhu Sheng—suspending the <Erosion> practical class on the “other side” and keeping the children inside the hibernation pods.

Zhu Sheng wouldn’t easily destroy them until the attack strategy of the synthetics was confirmed. For the synthetics wandering outside, these children were valuable… or rather, bait.

The current situation was chaotic, and the United Government hadn’t yet found the main force of the synthetics. The defense of these special strongholds wasn’t particularly strong. When they officially clashed, these strongholds would become impenetrable. It was necessary to strike early.

Zhu Yanchen had research tasks to attend to, so Shu Jun decided to lead a small team himself for a swift and decisive assault. He waited for two days until the impact of the conflict had escalated sufficiently, and then he started calling the names.

Upon seeing the members of the small team, Hu Yan almost gasped for breath. “Captain Shu, why didn’t you pick people from the Blackbirds?”

The list had about thirty names, all the most extreme “Luo Duan-style” players, without a relatively calm individual among them.

“I can handle them. You go borrow people. If someone explicitly refuses and can’t be convinced no matter what, put them on the backup list for the next round.”

“Alright…” Hu Yan rubbed his temples. He didn’t quite understand this approach, but looking at it from another perspective, Captain Shu wouldn’t joke about the safety of the children. Although the people on the list had poor moods, they were still capable soldiers—after all, less experienced soldiers rarely experienced life-and-death separations.

Before setting off, Zhu Yanchen prepared almost a dozen emergency tactics, only leaving out the blueprint for the stronghold’s restroom.

Although Shu Jun was mentally prepared, the separation was more difficult than he had anticipated. Zhu Yanchen had to cover his entire face in front of others, so he couldn’t bite the mask. He could only bid farewell honestly. “That’s enough, A’Yan. If you keep preparing, we’ll have to bring a whole cart for our boxed meals.”

Except for Shu Jun, the temporary team had gloomy expressions. Chai Xuyang, who had caused a conflict earlier, was also part of the team, and compared to others, his mood was considered good. This person had a respectable reputation in Groundwater, so Shu Jun decided to make him the temporary team’s vice captain.

The stronghold where the children were located was quite unique. It was situated in the area formed after the merger of two cities and was converted from the old stronghold before the merger. These “nurturing strongholds” had relatively safe geographical locations but were also close to the city.

According to Zhu Yanchen, once the synthetic embryos stabilized, they would rapidly mature to the age of nine. Memories before the age of nine were mostly randomly generated and instilled by the player system. People generally didn’t remember much about their early childhood, so as long as some significant memories and knowledge were instilled, fragmentary memories would suffice.

After the age of nine, the children would enter school for education. During this period, those with poor physical condition or extreme personalities would be screened out, and once the remaining children reached sixteen years old, they could be divided into combat teams. After a year of team evaluations, most synthetics would enter combat teams at the age of seventeen.

As for those who were excluded, they would be used by military schools as teaching squads, allowing young human commanders to “learn from real-world trial and error”.

Under Zhu Yanchen’s coordination, the mortality rate among synthetics had been decreasing in recent years. Marshal Zhu himself disliked the player system, so the cultivation of young synthetics had slowed down. But even so…

“How do we take the children with us? No matter how we think about it, there are thousands of them,” Chai Xuyang asked. “Setting aside those who can become combatants, what about those around ten years old? We have such a small team, we can’t even transport enough protective suits, and we certainly can’t let those kids cross the erosion zone without any protection.”

“Who said we’re taking them with us?” Shu Jun used the wind to push the sled while responding in a cheerful voice.

“If we’re not saving people, then why are we going?” Another person retorted impatiently. “Are we just going there for a stroll?”

“A stroll would be quite nice.” Shu Jun laughed. “Not only are we going for a stroll, but we’re also going to earnestly attempt to kidnap people, although in the end, we’ll have to fail.”

Everyone on the sled stared at Shu Jun; their expressions turning serious.

It’s always amusing to tease his own Grand Marshal. These people simply didn’t understand his words, Shu Jun thought sadly. He sighed, adopting a more serious tone. “We’re already struggling to provide for the adults in terms of supplies, let alone taking care of children. Our energy can’t keep up, and we’re lacking in terms of resources—just providing basic healthcare for children is beyond our capabilities.”

“The reason we’re going to kidnap people boils down to two things.”

Shu Jun cleared his throat and glared at a few people who were eager to argue.

“First, we want Zhu Sheng to know that we intend to kidnap these children, forcing him to bring out the highest level of defense. To cut off our abilities, the only thing they can do is desperately purify the erosion substance, preventing us from utilizing our powers. This way, when we eventually strike against Y City, the children won’t be caught in the crossfire.”

“Secondly, it’s to report our safety to Zhu Sheng’s top leadership. By informing him in advance, we’re indicating that we don’t intend to take the route of mad destruction—to prevent Zhu Sheng from searching for us everywhere and in order to concentrate his forces to protect Y City, he might decide to dispose of the children first.”

If they truly wanted to perish together, they probably wouldn’t rescue those young “burdens” who couldn’t be considered combatants.

Although the players on the sled were radical, they still had some sense. They hated humans, but they wouldn’t hate their young comrades, who were still of a tender age. Once Shu Jun explained their purpose, no one opposed it.

They had accumulated quite a bit of anger and were just waiting for an opportunity to release it.

As if understanding their thoughts, Shu Jun added, “This time, no killing allowed.”

“Why?!” Someone immediately exclaimed. “We can let go of the people in the settlement, but those in the strongholds are all lackeys of the United Government. Why shouldn’t we kill them?”

Shu Jun pinched his brow. “I won’t go into long explanations, but I’ll mention one point. Everyone heard the Crooked Head guy’s words. The civilians in the city don’t really understand the player system. If we engage in mass killings here, we’ll only push them towards Zhu Sheng’s side. If you want to give Zhu Sheng the title of ‘Justice’, then go ahead with the killing.”

There was a collective hum of agreement within the temporary team, and no one continued to oppose.

After being deceived for so many years, these veteran players felt sick to their stomachs. If they were to be falsely accused again, that feeling would increase tenfold. After hearing Shu Jun’s words, they even felt an urge to “tear off the skin of the three major families and let the citizens see the truth with their own eyes”.

Sitting at the front of the sled, Shu Jun turned his face to feel the wind.

Things were going slightly smoother than he had anticipated. He hoped there wouldn’t be any problems on Zhu Yanchen’s side.

However, at critical moments, whatever one feared would come to pass. Just as they quietly crossed the wilderness, Y City fell into chaos once again.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 70: Conflict

Underground Stronghold, Grand Hall.

This was the largest room underground, utilizing the architectural structure buried deep beneath for over two hundred years. Its structure was stable and spacious, easily accommodating two to three thousand people. The core part of the players consisted of only around a thousand individuals, leaving plenty of space in the Grand Hall.

For those who couldn’t enter the Grand Hall, Shu Jun arranged large rooms with broadcasting screens and simple communication devices. According to the list provided by Zhu Yanchen, Shu Jun had already given a heads-up to most of the high-ranking members of the teams. He had always enjoyed discussing tactics with people and never held back, so the team captains generally had a positive impression of Shu Jun. While they still had some doubts about the situation, they hadn’t caused any major disturbances.

Seeing that their emotions were mostly stable, Shu Jun didn’t rush them to believe immediately. He assured them that there would be unified proof.

“It won’t be chaotic.” Shu Jun responded confidently to Hu Yan’s concerns. “Managing people is my expertise. Lao Hu, you were panicked because you were the only one who knew about ‘that side’, so it’s normal to be afraid.”

As long as they had a group of powerful comrades, even if the problem couldn’t be solved, people would feel somewhat reassured. The team captains were all exceptional soldiers, with strong mental resilience, and they had been thoroughly screened by Zhu Yanchen based on their life experiences. If anything happened, this group of people could handle it.

If Luo Duan wanted to launch a surprise attack, then he would infiltrate layer by layer.

Shu Jun stood in the Grand Hall.

To give the players a sense of familiarity, Shu Jun didn’t hastily find random clothes to disguise himself. He dressed quite formally. Yu Jin had found someone to repair his equipment overnight, and he wore a set of close-fitting mechanical armor. Shu Jun also stuffed ten kilograms of mutant beast meat into Monday’s mouth to ensure it wouldn’t make any noise. With the armor strapped on and the black sword on his back, although he looked different from before, the former captain of the Blackbirds still exuded his charismatic presence.

Shu Jun turned on the screen, and the buzzing conversations in the Grand Hall came to a halt. Most of the players were still waiting for information on this “temporary mission”, and their posture appeared quite relaxed.

Shu Jun let out a breath and clenched his claws around the speech written by Zhu Yanchen. Shu Jun had a straightforward and tough nature, more suitable for the battlefield than for swaying hearts and minds. As someone who had spent many years in high positions, Zhu Yanchen had polished Shu Jun’s speech, turning his directness into sincerity.

Despite not sleeping all night, Shu Jun had memorized it.

His voice reverberated in the Grand Hall, neither sharp nor coarse, incredibly pleasant to listen to. However, as his words poured out, people gradually became uneasy. Even though Zhu Yanchen’s refined speech was gentle and clear, the voices of doubt grew louder one after another.

Those who had lost loved ones remained in a daze, while those accustomed to comfortable lives were the first to react.

“What a mess!”

“Is this a joke? It’s not April Fool’s Day yet. Are the officials doing such activities?”

“I need to log out urgently! What’s going on? Why is the terminal not responding?!”

People instinctively looked at their superiors or team captains, but most of the captains were still focused on Shu Jun. The leaders remained motionless, and the team members couldn’t just walk away in confusion, so they had no choice but to stay in place.

Here it comes. Shu Jun closed his eyes. He had already explained the situation, but to prove it, they couldn’t have all thirty thousand people take Hu Yan’s path.

“Now that all the players are here, we can conduct a survey.”

Shu Jun casually waved his hand at the screen behind him.

“For those who grew up closely with their parents, with the presence of elders by their side, press ○; for those whose parents were busy with work, deceased, or rarely present due to long-term absence, press ×. You have options on your terminals, so choose correctly.”

They had all undergone human selection training, and Shu Jun’s character was already considered deviant. Most players were calm and courteous, so they wouldn’t make random choices in important moments.

People looked at each other and pressed the options one by one.

The real-time count on the big screen kept increasing, and finally, the players completed the registration—

The column marked “○” showed a blood-red number 0.

“This is wrong!” someone shouted with a strained voice. “When I was studying, I had classmates who had a good time with their families. There’s a problem with this survey!”

“Were any of those ‘close classmates’ formally admitted to the teams?” Shu Jun calmly responded. “You can mention one if there was.”

The person fell silent.

“There are indeed many people from schools, but many of them are specially designed NPCs, created to ‘run alongside’ everyone. That’s not unusual. Does anyone else have objections? Those who selected ○ and it didn’t display, those who chose incorrectly, or those who have seen counterexamples, can all voice their protests.”

Gradually, no one in the audience spoke up.

“Second question.” Shu Jun gritted his teeth. “For everyone present, if you have a parent or child relationship with a previous-generation combat player, press ○; if you don’t have such a relationship but have seen classmates like that without similar comrades, press ×.”

The audience fell silent.

The media of “that side” often publicized famous combat players. They would be portrayed as having children in the media, but there had never been news of “the son or daughter of former player xxx becoming the new generation xxx”.

The children of those elite players either settled abroad with their parents or studied <Erosion>-related majors but ultimately chose not to pursue this profession, gradually fading from people’s sight.

The column marked “○” still showed a blood-red number 0.

“Finally,” Shu Jun continued mercilessly, “For those who have maintained close contact with former teammates who left the team for a long time, press ○; for those whose former teammates have traveled far due to various reasons, are no longer around, and contact has gradually diminished, press ×.”

This time, there was a terrifying silence in the audience.

The red number 0 after the “○” was glaring, like blood.

People were accustomed to seeing the world from a self-centered perspective, and their circles of life were ultimately limited. Even if they felt something was wrong, they would generally consider it an isolated case and not think about it further. Even if they noticed it multiple times, they would attribute it to the retinal effect*.

*A visual phenomenon that affects visual search. As retinal eccentricity increases (i.e. the light of the image enters the eye at a larger angle and approaches peripheral vision), the observer is slower and less accurate to detect an item they are searching for.

But the players here were indeed the entire sample.

The great hall remained silent for a long time, and a sob could be heard from somewhere in the corner. This sob seemed like it would ignite the atmosphere—if Shu Jun hadn’t asked everyone to put away their weapons beforehand, there might have been even more intense reactions. Some had already attempted to activate their abilities to destroy something, but unfortunately, under Shu Jun’s “Suppression”, the surrounding erosion remained silent, without any resonant response.

“I understand everyone’s feelings,” Shu Jun said calmly, “but you must know the truth—due to the Reunion Festival, the command center led by Zhu Sheng has decided to destroy us. I can’t lead you to fight with your eyes closed.”

“Most of you here are under 26 years old. Although the lifespan limitation sounds horrifying, we still have time. As long as we achieve peace as soon as possible, the birth of a treatment plan is inevitable. Look at me. I have also been fortunate enough to survive—I will use all my strength to ensure that you survive.”

People were still shocked and dazed, unable to recover for the most part.

“I can assure you, first of all, that in the time to come, you won’t need to fight against the Erosion Swamps or advanced mutant beasts. As for the next phase of resistance, we already have plans and will discuss them with the team captains.”

“If these are not enough to convince you, you can wait for the ‘official’ response. If this is a virtual world, they won’t be troubled by a loss of communication and will surely handle it promptly.”

Believers and non-believers, though all in a daze, felt a sigh of relief at his words.

Seizing the opportunity, Shu Jun continued, “Lastly, let me introduce you to these two—Yu Jin, the leader of the settlement, has helped many teams as an NPC known as ‘One Eye’. And this is Smoke, who has often discussed tactics with me before. The members of the Blackbirds should remember him… They are both humans, but they have long fought for our safety and rights. We are not alone.”

In moments of despair, the most dangerous thing was indiscriminate hatred that saw things in black and white. If not handled properly, this anger could easily turn into racial conflict. Shu Jun didn’t understand things like managing economics, but he had led the team for years and understood a bit about people’s hearts.

He didn’t expect to eliminate the hatred, but he could narrow its scope in advance.

Yu Jin had never seen such a situation before, and after being pushed onto the stage by Shu Jun, he couldn’t even speak coherently. Smoke, experienced and powerful, managed to calm the restless atmosphere considerably. He wore a mask himself, looking like a high-ranking figure from somewhere.

In this way, Shu Jun busied himself for a long time to the point his head became numb with fatigue. Fortunately, the speech ended, and not many people collapsed—captains who were mentally prepared took up the responsibility and started gathering their teams. Acquaintances huddled together, comforting each other, and the situation didn’t descend into chaos.

“These people—Hu Yan should pay special attention to them.” An hour later, Shu Jun was lying horizontally in a liquid tank, muttering to himself. “Does Dr. Ai know how to provide psychological counseling?”

“She only causes psychological problems in normal people,” Zhu Yanchen calmly replied, putting on medical gloves.

Considering that all the patients had been transferred to the underground base, Ai Xiaoxiao had brought all the examination equipment along. With the synthetic humans completely escaping and Y City suffering from the Erosion Storm and was now under martial law, she boldly stayed in the underground base. It wasn’t until today that all the examination equipment was finally adjusted and officially put into use.

Dr. Ai had taken on the task of helping the synthetic humans and studied it more diligently than anyone else. She didn’t even bother to take care of her appearance, running around the medical area disheveled. She practically ate and slept in her own research room, unable to be pulled away by anything.

But compared to Shu Jun, she was more interested in Monday—

“Mr. Shu, you must have a thorough physical examination, and there’s no way to avoid touching you. I’m afraid someone will get jealous,” Dr. Ai threw Shu Jun to Zhu Yanchen and took Monday away. “Anyway, everything is available here. Surname Zhu, you take care of it yourself.”

In front of Zhu Yanchen, Shu Jun felt completely at ease taking off his clothes. There were no outsiders, and they had seen everything they needed to see, so there was nothing new to see.

He lay flat in the liquid tank, looking at Zhu Yanchen, who was wearing a white coat. When they first met, the man’s skin was so pale that it resembled fabric, but now it had a healthy glow, much more pleasing to the eye.

Soaking in the cool and slimy solution, Shu Jun felt a long-lost sense of relaxation. Zhu Yanchen’s movements to take blood samples and tissue samples were very gentle. They chatted aimlessly as they went along, and Shu Jun almost fell asleep.

“Speaking of psychological counseling, Xia Liang is very good at comforting people.” Seeing Shu Jun gradually sinking deeper into the tank with a gurgling sound, Zhu Yanchen took the initiative to speak. His fingertips traced over Shu Jun’s bare chest and then followed his collarbone upward. Shu Jun suddenly woke up.

Indeed, Xia Liang had an endearing appearance, and her outward personality was gentle and harmless. Unfortunately, she wasn’t as carefree as Ai Xiaoxiao and had to stay in Y City for now.

“She’s not here, so someone has to do this job.” Shu Jun frowned. “It’s difficult to bring someone like Luo Duan back to normal, but many people are just temporarily fixated and can still be persuaded.”

“What will you do if you really can’t persuade them?” Zhu Yanchen asked calmly.

He slightly bent over and looked directly into Shu Jun’s eyes.

“I don’t expect to persuade everyone back. For some people, living like this is more painful than death.” Shu Jun sighed repeatedly. “I just want… everyone to have a chance to consider it carefully.”

“I’ve talked to Ai Xiaoxiao.” Zhu Yanchen lowered his voice. “She still has over a dozen empty hibernation pods. Although they can’t synchronize with the ‘other side’ since it’s far from Y City, it’s still possible to maintain the current state using existing data… If someone really wants to collapse, we can let them enter and take a break.”

“You truly are my Chief Strategist.” Shu Jun extended his arm, covered in numerous wires, and hooked Zhu Yanchen’s nape, kissing him on the corner of his mouth. “I’ll go talk to Hu Yan later.”

Zhu Yanchen stiffened from the kiss, and he furrowed his brows in thought for a few seconds before earnestly returning the kiss to Shu Jun’s lips. Marshal Zhu’s actions were careful and cautious, as if afraid of being seen by the goddess of fate.

Shu Jun found Zhu Yanchen’s actions amusing and simply grabbed hold of Zhu Yanchen’s collar, turning the light kiss into a deep one. The pristine white uniform was easily scratched by his sharp claws, leaving a few visible marks.

Zhu Yanchen’s hand stroked Shu Jun’s waist, and the warmth transmitted through the gloves was scorching.

“Hey, surname Zhu, do you have any of Shu Jun’s…Sss.”

Ai Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and then took a sharp breath of cold air. “You two, tsk, you two sure know how to have fun, ah?”

Forget about the goddess of fate; when they kissed, neither of them wanted to let go, not even keeping it a secret from Dr. Ai.

Seeing Ai Xiaoxiao enter, the two immediately separated. Zhu Yanchen straightened his collar, still wearing a serious expression. Ai Xiaoxiao looked him up and down and then let out a loud whistle. “I’m not in the mood to care about your affairs. Shu Jun’s blood sample should be shared with me. I’ve made some discoveries.”

She didn’t close the door tightly, and from the gap, the mournful cry of Monday could be heard, along with a series of gurgling bubbles.

Zhu Yanchen walked to the experiment table, took a small tube of blood, and handed it to Ai Xiaoxiao. Ever since Shu Jun fused 100% with the Erosion Swamp, his blood remained red even when it was outside of his body for a long time.

Ai Xiaoxiao had obviously noticed this as well, and she raised an eyebrow at the test tube. “What are the examination results? If it’s convenient, give me a copy too.”

“The Erosion Swamp has completely fused with his cells.” The pressure of treating synthetic humans was on Ai Xiaoxiao, and Zhu Yanchen didn’t refuse. “Different from the mimetic cells in my body, the Erosion Swamp has modified his healthy cells, truly participating in the internal circulation.”

“…Hmm.” Ai Xiaoxiao glanced at Shu Jun’s examination data and scratched her disheveled long hair. “But based on the data alone, he’s a complete Erosion Swamp, just with a unique form. Zhu Yanchen, you have some interesting taste, don’t you?”

A human and an Erosion Swamp kissing—she had never seen that before. Perhaps that’s the courage of an immune person.

“Thank you,” Zhu Yanchen answered calmly.

“I wasn’t complimenting you.”

“I know.”

“…” Ai Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhu Yanchen’s hand resting on Shu Jun’s back and rolled her eyes. “Forget it, it’s none of my business.”

“Let’s continue.” When Ai Xiaoxiao left, Zhu Yanchen gently pressed Shu Jun’s chest with one hand, guiding him back into the liquid tank.

“Continue the examination or continue kissing?” Shu Jun raised an eyebrow.

“The examination.” Zhu Yanchen wore a serious expression. “Our schedule is full, and we can’t delay any further.”

Then, he took out a small notebook, scribbled and drew for a while, and looked up earnestly. “There’s been too much going on lately, and you must maintain regular and sufficient rest. Excluding sleep time, I can allocate thirty minutes for a serious kiss with you… after the examination. Is that okay?”

Marshal Zhu asked very seriously, yet cautiously.

Shu Jun supported himself on the liquid tank and laughed loudly. “Do we need a special arrangement for that? A’Yan, why do you become so stubborn when it comes to your own matters? Half an hour? Aren’t you afraid of getting tired of kissing?”

“Never tired,” Zhu Yanchen whispered softly.

Shu Jun paused and his eyes gradually softened. “Alright.”

In the following days, Y City continued to recover its internal construction and only sent out a few scouts to the various settlements. The people from the Old Fourth were keeping a close eye on them, blending in with the residents and spreading some true and false information, causing the scouts to wander aimlessly like headless flies.

It was unclear whether they were still digesting the truth, but the players’ emotions remained relatively stable. Shu Jun would go out to hunt some mutant beasts and use “Suppression” to disperse the erosion, making jerky out of them to serve as rations. However, even so, the mouths of thirty thousand people couldn’t be filled, and resources were gradually nearing depletion.

Shu Jun decisively moved on to the next step, having Yu Jin bring down some trusted human confidants to interact with the players. Afterward, these thirty thousand people would have to be relocated in batches. If they attacked and shouted for violence upon seeing humans, it would be like sending themselves as food to Zhu Sheng.

But as they had anticipated, conflicts still erupted.

Yu Jin’s confidants were all naturally deformed young people who couldn’t survive in the city. Most of them were saved by Yu Jin from the brink of death and generally harbored resentment towards the command center, so the likelihood of them betraying them was low.

The Old Fourth engaged in mobile business, but staying for too long would raise suspicions. When the people from the Old Fourth left, these individuals took on the tasks of transporting supplies and repairing the underground base.

However, on the first day the young people entered, the conflict suddenly exploded.

When Shu Jun arrived, both sides were crowded in the wide corridor; one group on each side, with a space in the middle where three people stood.

On the human side stood Yu Jin, who was comforting his subordinates. One of his subordinates was missing a leg, had no neck, and half of his face was buried in his shoulder, making for a rather eerie sight.

Yu Jin was sitting in the middle of the corridor, his crutch thrown far away. It was clearly knocked over by someone on purpose.

Shu Jun recognized the people on the players’ side. On the day he announced the truth, that young man had been sitting alone in the corner with a clear expression of hatred on his face. There were many people gathered behind him; most of them with a satisfied look. Further away, the players watched the commotion with indifference, showing no intention of intervening.

Zhu Yanchen sighed and was about to step forward, but his arm was stopped by Shu Jun.

He furrowed his brows and looked at Shu Jun with confusion.

Shu Jun, without blinking, looked at the three people at the center of the commotion, his lips pursed. “Let them continue arguing.”

With that, he turned his head.

“A’Yan, you can’t intervene in this matter. Let me take a good look at how they argue first.”

“What if the situation worsens…” Yu Jin’s people weren’t military personnel. They only voluntarily followed Yu Jin in their daily lives and didn’t have much sentiment towards the players. Even though Zhu Yanchen knew they disliked the United Government, he still couldn’t rest assured.

“If the situation worsens, we can intervene in time. By then, I, as their leader, will go and apologize, even kneel and make amends if necessary.” Shu Jun stared ahead, his gray-white eyes emitting a faint light in the dimness. “Until then, we need to keep a close eye on it.”

He wanted to see how the first “small-scale war” would erupt.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 69: Zhu Sheng

Xia Yufeng sat in the car, looking melancholy as he gazed at the street.

Zhu Sheng had granted access to all the research data at the command center, allowing every researcher the opportunity to access the core information. Even the Zhu Rong Memorial Hall, which housed authentic relics of Zhu Rong, had been opened. Zhu Sheng’s decisive actions were as swift as ever.

As the designer of the player system, Zhu Rong’s artifacts were highly valuable. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t have had the courage to issue such an order.

Originally, Xia Yufeng thought that he had nothing to do with this chaos. He knew nothing about the Erosion Swamp, and Zhu Yanchen was the true researcher. However, that surnamed Zhu had ulterior motives and never did his job during critical moments. After being threatened by Zhu Yanchen, Xia Yufeng pondered and came to only one conclusion.

Zhu Yanchen was displeased with Zhu Sheng’s authority and wanted to seize power.

He didn’t even consider the current situation, with the synths turning against them. That person still had the mindset of a human, despite everything. Even if Zhu Yanchen didn’t like the player system, Zhu Sheng had made improvements. Who knew what he wasn’t satisfied with? Xia Yufeng was frustrated but couldn’t voice his grievances.

Because of Marshal Zhu’s caprice, he now had to do troublesome tasks. The car continued to move slowly, heading towards the direction of the Tang family.

Zhu Sheng wanted the Tang family’s private research data.

The Tang family had always supported Yi Ning, so Zhu Sheng was willing to send “Zhu Yanchen” himself to request it, giving face to the Tang family. Xia Yufeng had heard about it. The ancestors of the Zhu and Tang families had a good relationship. Two hundred years had passed, and their relationship had cooled due to power struggles, but they didn’t prohibit interaction between the younger generations.

At least Xia Yufeng had spent time with Zhu Yanchen before. He had heard his family talk about the Zhu family’s affairs. Tang Heyu, the male head of the Tang family, had been a good friend of Zhu Sheng. He had great talent in developing anti-erosion devices.

Later, Xia Yufeng didn’t know why, but Tang Heyu’s behavior became increasingly strange. He lost interest in business and spent his days drunk, breaking off ties with Zhu Sheng and leaving the management to his wife, Tang Mei. This time, Xia Yufeng was going to meet Tang Mei.

“Sure.” Tang Mei had a smiling face and spoke quite straightforwardly.

As a business magnate, the Tang family didn’t have a large house; they hired skilled home designers instead. The interior of the house was grand, with rare and elegant furniture reminiscent of the high-end style before the apocalypse.

Tang Mei wore a string of black pearl necklace around her neck and a custom-made cheongsam. She appeared to be around fifty, with a round and slightly plump face, shiny black hair, and no signs of aging.

“It’s rare for Lao Zhu to send his precious son over.” She observed Xia Yufeng, who was disguised as “Zhu Yanchen”, for a moment. “I knew it. He’s coveting our convoy’s protection technology. The safety of the public is a significant matter, and keeping it hidden would be stingy. Of course, I can hand over the protective patents. Even if you didn’t come, I had intended to do so.”

She casually pinched the handle of the teacup.

“But I can’t give it away for free. We have spent a considerable amount on supporting those researchers. I don’t ask him for money, but if our technology is to be shared, it must be with Yi Ning.”

Xia Yufeng didn’t dare to negotiate, so he maintained a stiff expression, pretending to be nonchalant.

While he didn’t have many other skills, he was quite adept at reading people. Zhu Sheng had no intention of letting him take it back. This was a way to urge the Tang family to quickly hand over their things so that the public could benefit from them sooner.

Tang Mei narrowed her eyes, then smiled again. “That old fox… With the synths disrupting the voting, he took the opportunity to cling to his position. Xiao Zhu, you…”

“Zhu Yanchen is here?” a hoarse voice interrupted, followed by a strong smell of alcohol.

Xia Yufeng wrinkled his nose as he said, “Uncle Tang.”

Tang Heyu had long, white, greasy hair and a scruffy beard on his cheeks. He appeared untidy—unlike Zhu Sheng, whose appearance was dignified, he looked more like an old beggar.

Seeing her husband barging into the reception room, Tang Mei’s expression turned a bit cold. “Heyu, even if you’re meeting with the younger generation, you should at least tidy up a bit.”

“W-What are you doing here?” Tang Heyu’s speech was slurred.

“Zhu Sheng wants our erosion-resistant patents. The cost of military equipment is too high, so he probably wants to distribute them for the use of the citizens.”

“Erosion-resistant… is just… just bullshit!” Tang Heyu stared with bloodshot eyes. “The most… the most valuable thing, I’ve already given it to him. He’s so greedy. Hic! A man’s desires are insatiable…”

He looked dazedly at the air for a moment, then glanced at Xia Yufeng. “Chenchen, I… see your research. You seem like a courageous person, but in the end, you’re still a softy. A crow can’t give birth to a golden phoenix*. Father and son are the same…”

*(乌鸦是不行的生金凤) Idiom referring to someone of low status or inferior ability cannot produce exceptional offspring or achieve greatness beyond their capabilities.

“How unimpressive,” Tang Mei said coldly, giving a piercing glance at the guards in the room. “My husband is drunk. Take him to sober up.”

Xia Yufeng didn’t dare say a word as the elders clashed. He watched as the intoxicated old man flipped him off and received Tang Mei’s apology with a stern face. Xia Yufeng left the Tang family with almost nothing, except for a small basket of fruits given by Tang Mei.

However, he overheard something interesting.

“The most valuable thing, I’ve already given it to him?… Hmm.” Zhu Sheng pondered over the words for a moment, then shifted his gaze, as if reminiscing about something.

Xia Yufeng anxiously waited, but when Zhu Sheng spoke again, it wasn’t about the same topic. “He said that Zhu Yanchen’s research is ‘like of a kind’?”

“He did.” Though Xia Yufeng had heard others say that Zhu Yanchen’s research was only for personal gain and unrelated to any meaningful discoveries.

“Retrieve it and let me see.” Zhu Sheng sighed. “Let me know when there are results.”

“Yes.”

As Xia Yufeng left, Zhu Sheng watched his figure for a moment. Then he adjusted his cane and slowly made his way to the Zhu Rong Memorial Hall.

The Zhu Rong Memorial Hall was meticulously decorated. After the X City disaster, the Zhu family donated Zhu Rong’s personal belongings to create this memorial hall. Zhu Rong’s portrait hung in the center of the hall, depicting a young and slender figure with features that bore some resemblance to Zhu Yanchen.

However, Zhu Rong had no heirs. Zhu Sheng was well aware that it was all a coincidence.

Zhu Sheng didn’t particularly like his second son. When Zhu Yanchen was young, Zhu Sheng only saw him a few times. His son was thin and small, timid in his presence, barely lifting his head, and at most murmuring a few “dad” while looking at the floor.

It was for a synth who Zhu Yanchen first showed his determination.

At that time, Zhu Sheng was at the peak of his career, busy with governmental affairs, and had never cared about his wife’s rehabilitation. During the time when he was accompanying his mother for “that” break, Zhu Yanchen actually went and made friends with a synth.

He didn’t usually see his son exhibit such social skills.

Zhu Sheng’s initial reaction was to kill the synth child. However, he was stopped by the researchers at the time—who pointed out that the child had an extremely high resonance with the erosion substance and was bound to become a top-tier “weapon” in the future.

Synthetic children weren’t very valuable, but good seedlings were precious. Killing him would be a waste, so giving his son a lesson was enough.

“I’ll give you three choices,” he said to the panicked Zhu Yanchen. “First, I kill it—”

The young Zhu Yanchen froze in place, his eyes turning red.

“No!” he shouted, which was rare for him.

“Then kneel down and talk to me properly,” Zhu Sheng said casually.

The young boy looked at him with eyes as if the sky had fallen, and then slowly bent his knees. “Father, I beg you. It’s… It’s all my fault… I didn’t say anything to him… It’s all my fault…”

“Are you angry?” Zhu Sheng grabbed Zhu Yanchen’s arm and lifted him up from the ground. “Are you feeling upset? Do you think I’ve gone too far?”

His usually timid son bit his lip and remained silent.

“This is power.” Zhu Sheng let go of his grip and patted the dirt off Zhu Yanchen’s clothes. “…This is what you weren’t interested in before.”

Zhu Yanchen remained silent.

“If I weren’t in power, your friend would have only one outcome: death. Remember that.”

“I’ll remember.”

“Alright, I won’t kill him. You still have two choices. His body is valuable, so I can choose one that won’t be used and extract his thoughts for you to keep as a pet. Or I can erase his memory of you and let him continue to stay on the other side. Which one do you choose?”

Zhu Yanchen stared at him with his dark and eerie eyes that were unsettling.

“…Let him continue to live,” the young boy answered after a long silence, enunciating each word.

“A good answer.”

At that moment, there was a glimmer of fire in Zhu Yanchen’s eyes. It was the first time Zhu Sheng saw bloodthirst and determination in his own son. This was good, he thought, pleased. The child could be taught.

After that, Zhu Yanchen’s studying and training became even more intense. He absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Zhu Sheng wasn’t surprised—his child was still young, with a simple character and a short-lived temper. When Zhu Yanchen grew up, he would likely abandon those naive ideas and properly inherit his legacy.

But Zhu Yanchen didn’t.

His obsession not only didn’t dissipate over the years but instead grew heavier. The young Zhu Yanchen climbed his way to the position of Marshal with his tactical prowess. Yet, he didn’t let go of his research on the erosion substance, nor did he agree with further improving the player system.

Fortunately, human energy was limited, and Zhu Yanchen expended most of his energy on tactical command. True, he spent a considerable amount of time in the command center doing research, but according to the people in the command center, Marshal Zhu didn’t produce any notable results.

Yet, Zhu Yanchen continued.

This behavior always reminded him of an old friend who had become a wreck.

Zhu Sheng walked to the glass display case in front of the portrait and looked at the journal lying quietly inside. Among the various peculiar research equipment, it didn’t stand out. The notebook was already quite old, fixed open to a page filled with scribbled words and formulas. Zhu Sheng hadn’t dabbled in the relevant field, so he couldn’t understand what was written on it.

Below the notebook, there was a horizontal metal plate with the words “Zhu Rong’s Manuscript” inscribed on it, accompanied by some elaborate explanations. At the very end, there was a small line of text—

[A gift from Tang Heyu and Zhu Sheng.]

Zhu Sheng placed his hand on the glass and his expression gradually darkened.

He had been too soft-hearted. If he had intervened earlier, Zhu Yanchen wouldn’t have continued to be obsessed with erosion substance research, and he wouldn’t have been ambushed on his way to the outpost to collect samples.

…Just like if he had intervened earlier, Tang Heyu wouldn’t have become a wreck either.

Zhu Sheng raised his head and looked at Zhu Rong’s portrait.

“This system of yours really causes a lot of trouble,” the old man said wearily, letting out a long sigh.

He stayed in the spacious and bright room for a while, then turned his back and walked towards the dim door. As the old man left, the lighting gradually dimmed making the small line of text below the portrait seem as if it was written in blood.

[If you’re not afraid of sacrifice, prosperity shall surely follow.]

---

The author has something to say:

Do you still remember Zhu Rong by the Daming Lake* (…

*It refers to remembering something from the past. This became a popular catchphrase online, spawning from what Ziwei said to the emperor in “Huan Zhu Ge Ge” (“Your Majesty, do you still remember Xia Yuhe by Daming Lake?”). This is referencing how the emperor played around with Xia Yuhe during his southern tour and promised to take her back to the palace, but never did. Xia Yuhe then gave birth to the emperor’s daughter, Xia Ziwei, who then confronted the emperor later by saying this. || In this context, the author is saying to the readers do they still remember Zhu Rong?

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 68: Meeting

The atmosphere inside the underground stronghold was somewhat heavy.

As the players gradually regained their consciousness, the initial excitement faded away, and restlessness began to set in. Hu Yan followed Shu Jun’s instructions to continue delaying time, but this was not a long-term solution. The players had set aside seven days for the festival events, and now there were only two days left. After these two days, everyone had their own arrangements on the “other side” and would be eager to “go home”. If they couldn’t stabilize people’s emotions, the situation could easily spiral out of control.

Hu Yan didn’t have much ambition or power. After following Shu Jun, he hadn’t faced many setbacks either. He did have talent, but he preferred to stay in his comfort zone and rarely extended himself.

Now that he became a team captain, the iron hat was firmly placed on his own head. Hu Yan finally realized how difficult it was to lead a team properly.

Not to mention soothing the emotions of others, he himself was unwilling to accept that “this is a war”. The peaceful life was too intoxicating, and despite his anger, he missed his previous life. At this point, a plate of fresh fruit, a scoop of ice cream, or a bubble bath were all luxuries, only to be experienced in dreams.

If it weren’t for Shu Jun’s insistence on pulling him back to the real world, he would instinctively deny reality. Even if he accepted it, it would be shattered jade for a lifetime; indulging until the end was also an option, and there were many others who chose the latter like him.

Seeing Luo Duan taking action, Hu Yan felt a sense of fear.

Luo Duan could surely guess the mindset of people like him and would take them to the brink of destruction. Fortunately, Shu Jun appeared and gave him a glimmer of hope for a good ending. However, he had no idea how Captain Shu would handle this mess. Shu Jun was only interested in tactics and disliked playing politics. Hu Yan was worried to the point of a headache.

He sighed while eating, sighed while showering, and wished he could sigh even in his dreams.

The breakfast ration consisted of packaged compressed biscuits and a mouthful-sized nutrient solution. Each team leader had someone open the wooden crates and distribute them individually. The water in the ruins was running and was relatively clean, but not hot, so they had to figure out a way to heat it themselves. The corridor lights were dim, and mutated insects occasionally collided with the light bulbs, making a soft clicking sound.

Hu Yan sat melancholically on a wooden crate, nibbling on the biscuit, and reminiscing about the hot milk and pastries on the “other side.”

“Why are you here?” Hearing a voice, Hu Yan looked up. Yu Jin was carrying a cloth bag and casually walking towards the conference room.

“It’s well-ventilated here,” Hu Yan instinctively replied, then realized that Yu Jin was a “human”. However, this person had always been kind to the players, so he couldn’t be angry at him.

“Why are you here?” He couldn’t be bothered to change his tone and casually asked.

Seeing his usual reaction, Yu Jin breathed a sigh of relief and raised the bag in his hand. “Here, canned meat from my private stash. I heard from Dr. Ai that there are a few people here with poor health, and just consuming nutritional supplements isn’t enough.”

“That’s thoughtful of you.” Hu Yan got off the crate.

“Besides, the people from the Old Fourth will be here later, and I have to attend the meeting.” Yu Jin turned, his lone eye scanning around. “Shu Jun, ah, let’s just call him Gray Claw. Gray Claw asked me to come. After all, I’m the head of this settlement.”

“Oh, I see.” Hu Yan still felt awkward and couldn’t find a topic. Yu Jin looked at him for a while. His broad face showed some concern as well.

“The synths have been kind to me, and you’re also reasonable. We have a friendship, yet it’s come to this. When all these thirty thousand people come to their senses, what will happen to the people in the settlement?”

Yu Jin’s gaze darkened a bit, shaking his head.

Yes, Hu Yan thought in his heart. They ultimately represent two different groups. Including the self-interests of the Old Fourth, how could Shu Jun gather this handful of sand together?

Half an hour later.

The meeting room in the underground settlement was well maintained, with good ventilation and no unpleasant odors. The walls were coated with a light-colored layer of material, and the air wasn’t uncomfortably damp. Although the room didn’t have many intimidating devices, it was bright and spacious, creating a comfortable atmosphere.

In the center of the room, there was a long rectangular table with four chairs on each side. Two narrow chairs were placed at the front, and behind them was a portable screen. Currently, the screen only displayed the time, with the rest of it blank.

Hu Yan and Yu Jin entered the room together and awkwardly chose seats at a distance from each other. Five people from the Old Fourth arrived, all wearing strange masks with dice-like dots on them.

Hu Yan took a few extra glances at the masks, which had dots ranging from two to six. Even the colors followed the pattern of a dice, with only four dots being blood-red.

Ignoring the seated Hu Yan and Yu Jin, the five individuals from the Old Fourth took their places at the table, displaying distinct differences in status. The person wearing the mask with two dots had the best position, while the person with six dots sat in a corner.

The room fell into complete silence, and the members of the Old Fourth also appeared distant from one another. Everyone stared at the time, waiting for the meeting to begin.

Finally, Shu Jun walked into the room with someone by his side.

He didn’t wear a mask, exposing his face openly. The individuals wearing masks hesitated for a moment and began whispering among themselves. Hu Yan had known Shu Jun’s identity from the beginning, but his attention was focused on the person next to Shu Jun—someone who had a sturdy and handsome figure, slightly taller than Shu Jun himself, resembling the Mr. “Family Member”.

The Family Member wore a mask with a blood-red dot, giving off an eerie feeling.

The “One Dot” from the dice had finally appeared.

Hu Yan felt a bit dizzy. In <Erosion>, he had always acted together with Shu Jun, but when did the captain get involved with the people from the Old Fourth?

“That’s the captain’s mask.” Two Dots spoke up in a sharp and uncomfortable tone, revealing a young male voice. “Our captain is a woman.”

“I’m just borrowing it,” Smoke responded coldly. “This is the captain’s authorization document. Take a look for yourself.”

As he spoke, he threw a card out. The card flew directly to the front of Two Dots and was signed with a flamboyant “Ai”.

Two Dots nodded with a meaningful expression but didn’t say anything further. He turned his gaze to Shu Jun. “Is this the captain of the Blackbirds? Wasn’t he dead?”

“I faked my death by accident.” Shu Jun wasn’t thrown off by the other party’s tone and changed the topic swiftly. “I called you all here today for one thing—to rely on your assistance when the players calm down, gradually bringing people to other settlements.”

“Captain!” Hu Yan stood up anxiously. “Leaving aside how to stabilize them, we can’t separate!”

Two Dots crossed his arms and looked at Hu Yan with interest.

“We won’t be divided and fall apart. The original squad structure will be maintained, with around two thousand people per settlement.”

Shu Jun clapped his hands.

“There are dozens of settlements around Y City. Finding suitable hiding places won’t be a problem. Settlements have a large population flow, so hiding in the woods is the best approach. Lao Hu, with thirty thousand people gathered together, the consumption of food, water, and daily necessities is not a small number. Given enough time, it will inevitably be discovered. If we’re all gathered together, it will also be easier for Y City to catch us. And when that time comes…”

At this point, Shu Jun glanced at Yu Jin.

“When that time comes, everyone in this settlement will be implicated.”

“But… if someone in the settlement exposes us at that time, won’t we all be finished?” Hu Yan clenched his teeth.

“We’ll discuss that later.” Smoke spoke with an unquestionable tone. “Just in case, I will arrange the fastest retreat route.”

“But…”

“I’m not sending you to fight,” Shu Jun said calmly.

Hu Yan stood frozen in place.

“From now on, everyone’s goal is to concentrate their efforts on self-preservation. Once everyone knows the truth and I ask them to protect humanity, wouldn’t that be like pouring cold water on a hot pan?”

The whispers among the members of the Old Fourth grew louder, but Shu Jun ignored them.

“During this process, everyone should work together with the people in the settlement to live their lives as best as they can. As for Blackbirds and Groundwater, I have other arrangements.”

“Then who will deal with the command center? To put it bluntly, our lifespan is limited. The command center can afford to wait, but we can’t.”

“That’s a secret. Lao Hu, important tactics can’t be exposed prematurely.” Shu Jun winked mischievously. “Rest assured, I have my ways.”

“As for the players’ lifespan… we already have someone working on researching it, and she has achieved some good results,” Smoke continued.

Both individuals exuded a reassuring aura, and while Hu Yan’s heart was still uncertain, he felt a strange calmness.

“What about the settlement?” Yu Jin glanced at Hu Yan and raised his hand. “What benefits can we get? Well, it’s not that I’m asking for anything from you… How should I put it? It’s not likely that the leaders of every settlement have connections with the players. If you want to stay here for the long term, you’ll need some leverage. Even if I convince the people here, I’ll need some good excuses.”

“Protection and resources,” Shu Jun’s expression became serious. “Apart from the policy issues at the command center, settlements struggle to develop due to two main reasons.”

“The residents either have congenital defects or acquired disabilities, resulting in limited labor capacity… Living near the erosion zone accelerates their health deterioration.”

“Whether they live an honest life or scavenge in the erosion zone, they are susceptible to attacks from mutant creatures, leading to casualties.”

Two Dots from the Old Fourth tilted his head slightly, showing some interest. “That’s true. What’s next?”

“We will provide anti-erosion medication. Although it cannot cure serious illnesses at this stage, it will certainly help prevent erosion in daily life. In the future, more effective new equipment will be available, surpassing the effectiveness of purifiers, but only synths can use them.”

Shu Jun had already discussed related topics with Zhu Yanchen. With Sigma and Luo Duan lurking around, they hadn’t been idle during the Reunion Festival.

Zhu Yanchen obtained some data on the “Suppression” ability and had already begun weapon trials. The situation was similar to the medication—they were easily compatible with synths, but further development was needed to make them usable by ordinary humans.

The players themselves possessed “anomalies”, which could be easily transformed into “suppression”. Even if they weren’t powerful, small-scale “suppression” was much more effective than the current purifiers.

This was a valuable bargaining chip.

“As for the attacks from mutant creatures, that’s even easier to deal with.” Shu Jun smiled faintly and tapped the table with his claw. “For us, low-level mutant creatures are no threat at all. Those that can still interact with humans can join exploration teams or border patrols—of course, all of this must come with compensation.”

Medication and suppression could save lives, and hunting mutant creatures could earn money. In the current tense situation, trading these for rewards and a place to stay was quite a profitable deal.

Even if someone in the settlement exposed them, the small team would just retreat. It would be the informant who harmed everyone’s interests and undoubtedly faced a grim outcome.

Yu Jin scratched his head. “I don’t have any objections. It sounds good to me.”

“Let me mention the benefits for the Old Fourth while I’m at it.”

The Old Fourth was purely profit-driven, and Shu Jun didn’t plan to wait for Two Dots to ask. He continued directly.

“You know, a batch of machinery has been sent to the Old Fourth’s merchant caravan recently. You can use it to establish underground bases in various settlements. A few people can hide, while the majority can be used as warehouses, saving a considerable sum. Additionally, with player assistance, the settlements will prosper, and you can benefit from it—after all, you can take the opportunity to sell complementary products for medications and equipment.”

Those machines were bought by Zhu Yanchen himself, so they couldn’t let these people take advantage for free.

“It’s just a small profit.” Two Dots didn’t sound interested. “It’s not worth taking such a big risk.”

As expected.

Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen exchanged glances, their smiles deepening.

“What if we make the Tang Family disappear?”

This time, not only Two Dots, but Three, Four, Five, and Six Dots also froze in place.

“Embarrassingly enough, I only recently learned about the Old Fourth’s affairs.”

Shu Jun stood up from his chair, walked over to Two Dots, and casually sat on the edge of the table. His black claws slid across the surface, leaving behind faint marks.

“The Tang Family dominates trade and monopolizes various cities. You small fries have a close relationship with the settlements just to get their leftovers. Have you ever thought about what would happen if the Zhu family’s new type of synthetics appeared and started being widely used in various aspects… Do you think you’ll still have a meal to eat?”

“The Tang Family hasn’t bothered with you because the benefits from the settlements are too mediocre. But if they don’t lack manpower, they naturally wouldn’t mind swallowing the mediocrity. When the Tang Family’s tentacles extend to the settlements, the Old Fourth might not exist anymore. Either you’ll be incorporated or forced into bankruptcy.”

Shu Jun leaned down; his gray-white eyes filled with coldness.

“You helped us originally just to protect yourselves. I understand that very well. A little ‘small profit’ is a great addition. But greed is good. I like greedy people.”

After speaking, he glanced, intentionally or unintentionally, at Zhu Yanchen.

“A’Yan is also a senior member of the Old Fourth. He can guarantee—we will ensure that the Tang Family collapses. Is the price enough now?”

“Hearing this…” Two Dots remained silent for a long time before speaking again. “Mr. Shu, are you not only seeking to protect synths, but also planning to overthrow the command center?”

“Yes.” Shu Jun raised a finger and made a quiet gesture near his lips. “I know what you want to ask, but unfortunately, I cannot disclose the details of the upcoming plan.”

“The Old Fourth is not a military force, and we don’t have that much trust between us. This guarantee…” Two Dots took a deep breath, about to raise an objection.

“Greed is best with some limits.” In a corner invisible to Zhu Yanchen, Shu Jun’s pupils contracted as he lowered his voice. “I have many ways to coerce you, but for the sake of someone’s face, I still want to get along with you all.”

Two Dots froze, feeling something cold and moist circling his ankle before vanishing like a ghost. He couldn’t see what it was, but he could guess to some extent.

The Old Fourth received information that among the rebellious synths, there was one—or maybe several—who could manipulate erosion to a certain extent and trigger an Erosion Storm. If this person could…

He immediately swallowed his objections and decided to stop there. “…I have no objections.”

Anyway, even if the synths couldn’t eliminate the Tang Family, they wouldn’t suffer any losses. It was better to stay away from this monster.

Shu Jun nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing Two Dots convinced, the other representatives didn’t oppose any further. After negotiating the details with them for over an hour, the members of the Old Fourth signed the agreement and slowly left.

Apart from Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen, only Yu Jin and Hu Yan were left in the room.

“Now that the troublesome people are gone, I’ll just say it directly.” Hu Yan glanced at Yu Jin and then turned his head. “Team Captain, can we really overthrow the command center? The resources are concentrated in the cities, and the three major families will do everything to preserve their positions. On our side, it’s either the synths or those who haven’t received much education—”

“Who are you referring to?” Yu Jin stood up, raising his voice.

“Uh, I mean those who may not be suitable as leaders.” Hu Yan changed his wording halfway. “Not to mention the three major families, even the ordinary people in the city won’t accept it. The number of people in the settlements is too small, and without new firewood, the fire won’t burn for long.”

“That’s why I kept the two of you here.” Shu Jun smiled. “Those people from the Old Fourth are too money-oriented, but I can trust the two of you. Come on, A’Yan, take off your mask.”

Shu Jun’s words were full of pride, and it was hard not to notice.

Zhu Yanchen raised the corners of his mouth behind the mask, then smoothly removed the mask.

Yu Jin sat back on his chair, sweat forming on his forehead, and the legs of the chair produced a series of squeaks from friction. Hu Yan’s gaze scanned Zhu Yanchen’s face, from eyebrows to mouth, and from mouth to nose. A stifled scream escaped his throat.

Is there anything scarier than finding out your sister-in-law is a man?

Yes, when your sister-in-law is a member of the Old Fourth.

But is there something even more heartbreaking?

Of course, Hu Yan was witnessing it right now.

Their team captain, at some point, had gotten involved with an important NPC—who happened to be their nominal superior, a marshal from one of the three major families.

…He even called this person “sister-in-law” in front of Zhu Yanchen multiple times. Thinking of Marshal Zhu’s cold and aloof personality, Hu Yan felt a strange sadness welling up in his heart.

“Lao Hu, A’Yan has helped me a lot along the way. To be honest, I can talk to you here mostly thanks to him. With him around, the citizens won’t be instigated by Zhu Sheng to fight to the death,” Shu Jun said.

“He mentioned family and relatives,” Yu Jin stared at Zhu Yanchen, shifting the topic away from tactics. “Isn’t he your boyfriend, right…”

As a born-and-raised human, he was just as shocked as Hu Yan.

“Nonsense!” Hu Yan responded in shock. “Team Captain, that’s just a coverup, right? You’re only trying to hide Marshal Zhu’s identity—”

“He is indeed my boyfriend,” Shu Jun said calmly. “But don’t worry, Lao Hu. I’m not foolish enough to prioritize him over everything else.”

Hu Yan let out a choked cry.

“…You shouldn’t have said that.” Zhu Yanchen sighed, placing his hand on Shu Jun’s shoulder. “I am part of the Zhu family, and this could potentially affect some players’ perception of you.”

“Your identity won’t be revealed to too many people, so the impact isn’t significant. As for Lao Hu… he has followed me for so many years. It’s better than letting him figure it out on his own.”

Hu Yan vigorously shook his head, wishing he didn’t know anything.

“I’m not worried anymore,” Yu Jin said dreamily. “Marshal Zhu has this attitude, and Marshal Yi Ning is good to us. Regardless of who wins in the end, the settlement won’t suffer… Oh no! Wait! Didn’t you give a speech recently about producing new synths—”

“That wasn’t him,” Shu Jun chuckled and shook his head. “It was just an actor arranged by Zhu Sheng.”

“Oh… Oh, I see…”

“So, you want to eliminate Zhu Sheng and have Zhu Yanchen take the leadership position,” Hu Yan muttered, his gaze towards Zhu Yanchen gradually changing. After a moment, he moved closer to Shu Jun and spoke in a low voice.

“Team Captain, are you sure he’s not using you? Once he takes the stage, he could change his stance, and we’ll be left with nothing.”

“You don’t need to trust the ‘Madam’.” Shu Jun couldn’t help but laugh. “Just trust this marshal.”

With that, he stopped teasing and said, “Or rather, do you think I would prioritize personal matters over your lives?”

Hu Yan was momentarily stunned, and his breath relaxed slightly. “Team Captain…”

“It’s alright. You never needed to understand me in the first place. If you don’t believe it, you can still take people and run away later.”

“…I believe you.”

“Thanks.” Shu Jun smiled and patted the back of Hu Yan’s head. “To be honest, it’s good that you have a questioning mind. If you accepted everything without hesitation, I would be worried instead.”

“Now it’s time to meet my little team leaders. Let’s go, Madam, ah, A’Yan—”

Zhu Yanchen: “…”

Y City, Command Center.

Zhu Sheng stood silently on the research floor while researchers ran around him, sweating profusely, resembling a school of fish swimming through glaciers. Finally, someone walked up to Zhu Sheng with small steps, panting heavily.

“Zhu Lao, there is still no news from the settlement. The 30,000 people haven’t been found. And… the previous black-robed figures have also disappeared…”

“How are the restoration projects in the city going?” The old man’s voice was steady, devoid of any panic.

“Still… progressing smoothly.”

“Not bad.”

“However, there are no results yet regarding the research on synths and the Erosion Marsh.” The person wiped away their sweat. “I remember that Marshal Zhu was involved in related matters before. Should we reach out to him…?”

“No need.”

There was no need to reach out. His true son had long since passed away, turning into a set of white bones in the erosion zone.

“Open up full access to the database, including the Zhu Rong Memorial Hall, and let everyone search for information while strengthening security.” Zhu Sheng placed his hands on the top of his cane. “That’s it. Those who haven’t finished their tasks should continue.”

The tip of the cane tapped against the ceramic floor, making a faint sound. After walking a short distance, Zhu Sheng halted his steps.

“In addition, pass on my instructions. Continue exploring the settlements and keep an eye on them,” he whispered softly. “The synths aren’t foolish. With a team of 30,000 people, they will either be taken to desolate lands with no way back or find a place to hide.”

He looked towards the flickering fluorescent lights, then slowly closed his eyes, as if the lights were blinding his vision.

“Compared to the number of people, the true calamity lies in the one who can control and manipulate those 30,000 people.”

---

The author has something to say:

Indeed, he is a great calamity, and moreover, he is your son-in-law.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 67: One Touch

Until the two of them sat down at the Longevity Tavern, Zhu Yanchen still hadn’t reacted. He would occasionally glance at Shu Jun, and every time he shifted his gaze away, it was as if Shu Jun would evaporate on the spot.

Shu Jun felt like laughing, but the bittersweet emotions prevented him from doing so—

He understood Zhu Yanchen too well. Sixteen years had passed, but his A’Yan’s essence remained unchanged.

Zhu Yanchen always liked to anticipate the worst possible outcomes. When they discussed tactics back then, Shu Jun had asked about his motives, and his response was simple.

[To prepare myself mentally in advance, so that when things really happen, I won’t collapse.] The young Zhu Yanchen had answered in this manner.

Until this day, Marshal Zhu must have considered every negative development. He must have thought about dying alone, about being powerless to save himself and watching his friend die before his eyes, and maybe even about breaking down in reality and turning against him.

If Shu Jun had chosen to destroy everything like Luo Duan, in the end, they would have inevitably faced each other on the battlefield.

When they first started working together, as a qualified leader, Shu Jun naturally had similar considerations. But now, with his memories restored, whenever he thought of the silent weeping Smoke from back then, he softened immediately.

What kind of emotions was Marshal Zhu pondering all this with?

Judging from his current reaction, Zhu Yanchen had most likely prepared himself for the worst psychologically, only to be caught off guard and fed a candy, leaving him dazed.

As for Zhu Yanchen’s feelings, Shu Jun never doubted them, nor did he feel the need to question them—once he regained his memories, their bond was already deep enough, and if Zhu Yanchen wanted to strengthen their cooperation, they could continue to develop their friendship. Unless Zhu Yanchen’s mind had been eaten away by the Erosion Swamp, he wouldn’t come up with such a cunning idea at this tense stage.

Since they were mutually attracted and Shu Jun knew that Zhu Yanchen tended to overthink, he chose to cut off his wild thoughts in one go. It was better to prevent him from suppressing his emotions further and becoming negative in unnecessary places.

‘You like to overthink, don’t you?’ Shu Jun thought to himself. Zhu Yanchen must be well aware that even if he could kiss him due to the “confusion after memory restoration”, his acting skills wouldn’t be enough to carry himself through the whole act—they had already gone straight to bed together, and physiological reactions didn’t lie.

Thinking about last night, Shu Jun’s throat felt a bit dry, so he slowly sipped his porridge.

As he peeled off Zhu Yanchen’s uniform with his claws, Zhu Yanchen’s gaze slid over him, trying to find any traces of reluctance, but naturally, he found none.

Once he was certain there was no reluctance, Marshal Zhu, who had been repressed for so long, erupted like a long-dormant volcano. His desire was too intense, and Shu Jun was almost startled. He had thought Zhu Yanchen would have a more detached and restrained demeanor, considering it was obviously his first time, and he should know when to stop, but unexpectedly, his actions became more and more intense.

Shu Jun could tell that Zhu Yanchen particularly enjoyed his response to his actions. Each gentle kiss would exchange for more intense movements combined with a sudden acceleration of heartbeats and breaths. In the end, Zhu Yanchen tightened his grip on Shu Jun’s hand and held him tightly in his embrace. Then, as usual, he lightly kissed the top of his head.

The two of them slept in each other’s arms, and there seemed to be a strange magnetic force between their bodies. Once their body temperatures connected, it was difficult to separate them again.

A dreamless night.

Now that he was no longer human, a bit of body soreness wasn’t much of a problem. Shu Jun was quite satisfied with the results of last night’s operation. But to his surprise, as the night passed, Marshal Zhu had a stern face and a gaze filled with self-doubt, as if saying, “I definitely didn’t get enough sleep.”

Realizing this, Shu Jun found Zhu Yanchen looking at him again.

“What’s so interesting behind my mask?” Shu Jun toyed with the pickled vegetables with his chopsticks. “If you don’t eat soon, your porridge will get cold.”

“Mm.”

Hearing this uncertain “mm,” Shu Jun chuckled. He poked a plump little steamed bun with his chopsticks and stuffed it into Zhu Yanchen’s mouth. “Hurry up and adjust your state. The people from the Old Fourth will be here soon. If you keep up this appearance, they might think I poisoned you.”

Zhu Yanchen carefully chewed the steamed bun.

“A’Yan.” Shu Jun finished his porridge and sighed. “You should accept reality too—I like you too. Is it so hard to accept that?”

“It’s going too smoothly.” Zhu Yanchen swallowed the steamed bun and responded seriously. “I have some concerns.”

“Concerned that I’m tricking you?”

“No, I’ve just never been this happy before.” Zhu Yanchen murmured. “I’m afraid something will happen…”

He forcibly swallowed the second half of his sentence and started eating the steamed bun again. Despite wearing a mask, Shu Jun couldn’t help but cover his face.

Alright, Marshal Zhu hadn’t thought about the nature of their relationship again. It was just that this person had experienced so much hardship. Just as he made it past one bend, he started to doubt and worry again—as if accepting happiness would bring about misfortune.

Shu Jun gritted his teeth and wished the war would end the next second.

“Stop doubting, or I’ll perform ‘choking on a steamed bun’ for you later.” Shu Jun responded with a sinister tone, stood up, and grabbed another basket of steamed buns.

The Longevity Tavern was even livelier than before. With the construction of the underground base, the people from the Old Fourth came more frequently. The flow of people increased, and business in this remote place gradually improved. It happened to be the time when Y City was cracking down on the Old Fourth, so their caravans began to spread to the surrounding areas, so the locals had no suspicions.

Unfortunately, this lively atmosphere wouldn’t last long.

After yesterday’s unrest, the command center would definitely send troops to various settlements. The movement of merchants would certainly be affected, and it would be even more difficult to carry out large-scale operations in the name of the Old Fourth.

After the sweet moments, they would have to face the bitter reality. Shu Jun’s mouth drooped as soon as he left the tavern. On the other hand, Zhu Yanchen returned to his normal state and took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

“What’s this?” Shu Jun unfolded it and saw it filled with codes and names.

“It’s my summary from yesterday. I noted down players who have a calm personality, are less easily provoked, and have some command authority,” Zhu Yanchen said in a deep voice. “You can make use of this for today’s operation.”

Shu Jun had a good idea in his mind, but Zhu Yanchen’s list was more comprehensive than his own as a player.

“…How do you even know all of this?”

“I remember each and every person. If you’re unsure, you can come and ask me.”

“No, I mean, just relying on combat…” I can’t see any of this intelligence.

“I worked with Dr. Ai and created a device that can invade the player system. Do you remember? Before the Reunion Festival started, you helped suppress a group of ‘goods’. They were synthetic humans that Dr. Ai rescued, and they used that device to connect to the player system… to continue living ‘over there’. At that time, time was limited, so she probably didn’t have time to explain.”

No, knowing Dr. Ai’s personality, she might not have wanted to explain at all. Shu Jun only saw a huge cargo box and a bunch of demands. She even got angry when the box was bumped, let alone opening it for him to see.

She allocated an area in the underground base as a clinic, and the door was tightly locked. Shu Jun himself couldn’t even enter, let alone the people who came to work in the settlement. Now thinking back, perhaps those synthetic humans and the device were all inside.

“You contacted me using that device?” Shu Jun understood. “No wonder you could simulate chat content in advance.”

“That device took many years to perfect before it could safely transmit information. Initially, when it was completed, I could only observe from the outside.” Zhu Yanchen nodded. “For this group of players, I watched as they joined their squad.”

“I see.” Shu Jun raised an eyebrow. “Did you happen to watch me more?”

Zhu Yanchen’s ears, visible outside the mask, turned slightly red. He solemnly admitted, “Yes.”

…When he couldn’t bear it any longer, he would indeed go and check on his friend on the other side. Although they were close yet far, seeing that person alive and well gave him the strength to continue.

“Anyway, you’ve been a great help.” Shu Jun didn’t tease him further when Zhu Yanchen fell into his thoughts. Instead, he carefully put away the paper. “Thanks a lot, Chief Strategist.”

He took a step closer and kissed Zhu Yanchen’s mask. The latter was shocked for a few seconds before catching up with him.

Y City.

“Why did you bring him back again?” Yi Ning’s assistant exclaimed. “Isn’t that the captain of Groundwater? Zhu Lao is now determined to exterminate the synthetic humans, yet you brought him into the city. It’s like walking into the firing line…”

“He’s useful.” Yi Ning flipped through the documents in his hand.

“But that’s not the kind of usefulness I’m talking about.” Yi Ning put down the documents and raised his eyes. “Since Luo Duan is so single-mindedly following me, I want to see what his motives are. He might be involved with the cloaked figure that appeared at that time.”

“But…”

“The purifiers in this area have doubled recently, and the erosion level in the water is low. His abilities have been weakened by more than half, and I can handle him.” Yi Ning started reading the documents again. “You all just act clueless and keep an eye on him. Be careful not to leak any information.”

“What if it’s fine?” The assistant was sweating nervously. “Hiding a synthetic human is going against orders.”

“If it’s fine, then I have to protect him even more,” Yi Ning said. “Groundwater is the second-ranked large-scale squad, and Luo Duan carries great prestige. Keeping him in my hands gives us negotiation leverage when the synthetic humans come knocking.”

He took a sip of tea, his expression turning cold. “With Zhu Sheng as a target in front, I don’t want to directly confront those synthetic humans.”

The young assistant’s expression suddenly became lively. “Marshal Yi, although I respect you, I will never betray humanity. Once the synthetic humans turn against us, they won’t hesitate just because we return a hostage. In the face of danger, we should stand united!”

After speaking, he was about to turn and leave, motivated by righteousness.

“Come back!” Yi Ning sighed helplessly, opened the display screen, and projected a map.

The assistant, seeing that Yi Ning didn’t reach for his gun, hesitantly moved back.

“This is Y City.” Yi Ning pointed to a small area on the map the size of an egg.

Scattered around Y City were dozens of settlements. Compared to the huge Y City, the settlements were as small as peas, with the largest being no bigger than peanuts. Further out were military strongholds the size of rice grains.

“Y City is one of the achievements of humanity over the past 200 years. If I remember correctly, it’s a fusion of six cities.” Yi Ning casually pointed to a corner of the map. “See those small cities? They’re Y-1, Y-2. There are even more further away. During the process of merging cities, some abandoned areas are left behind, as well as citizens with limited capabilities. They gradually form settlements. Job opportunities are limited, and those people can’t survive in the city, so they can only live in areas with less erosion… For the slowly forming city, they are the ‘residue’.”

“I remember all of this.” The assistant nodded obediently, and his earlier enthusiasm faded away. He usually didn’t participate in tactical discussions, but he had some vague impressions of these things.

“The synthetic humans want to destroy humanity, so they must start with Y City. If they destroy the brain of Y City, the still-forming small cities will collapse on their own. Thirty thousand people aren’t a small number, but the population of Y City is in the tens of millions. They can’t swallow it all at once. Zhu Sheng’s plan is obvious; he will definitely mobilize the surrounding settlements as the first line of defense—to exhaust the synthetic humans in the first wave, giving Y City more time to prepare and minimize the losses.”

The assistant was also promoted by Yi Ning from a settlement, and upon hearing this, he fell silent.

“With things having reached this point, these synthetic humans must be dealt with. I understand that.”

Yi Ning lowered his voice. “There are many ways to handle them. For example, let them return to the strongholds as usual and give them euthanasia while in sleep. Or divide them and offer surrender. There will always be people willing to accept reality rather than perish… Zhu Sheng, on the other hand, will choose the most extreme method. Yes, his approach is the ‘safest’, but the settlements will inevitably be sacrificed.”

“I understand. Now that the synthetic humans have escaped, they definitely won’t go to the strongholds. Are you… using Luo Duan to pretend to surrender a portion of them?” the assistant asked.

“Yes, Zhu Sheng has his own way, and I have mine.”

“I’m sorry, I acted impulsively earlier…”

“It’s alright.”

Neither of them noticed a weak black thread crawling through the cracks in the wall, winding through the pipes, and returning to Luo Duan outside the several rooms.

Although the purifiers had weakened the erosion in his body, he still retained his adept eavesdropping abilities.

…To some extent, Luo Duan and Yi Ning had an understanding. Luo Duan’s mouth curled into a smile as he rubbed the erosion thread in his hand.

Yi Ning didn’t disappoint him, after all.

---

The author has something to say:

Actually, if Shu Ge hadn’t met Marshal Zhu, he would have undoubtedly become the boss who would destroy the world. Come to think of it, Marshal Zhu created a route that was like time travel with his own strength (?

Shu Ge also abducted the most powerful talent in the human camp early…

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 66: Night

With Zhu Yanchen taking charge at the front, and Dong Lao—Xia Liang—going to the back of the team, the formation was tightened. The thirty thousand people wandered through the wilderness and marshes, finally reaching their target settlement… the ruins nearby.

The massive base was hidden beneath the ruins of a small town.

With the help of machinery, the underground base was solidly constructed. The lighting was fully operational, making it look quite legitimate. Once the base was completed, the people from the Old Fourth took the machinery and sent it to other settlements.

The thirty thousand people entered the underground one by one. The base had already been divided into large areas according to the teams, with sufficient rooms in each area. The players were accustomed to carrying compressed sleeping bags and rations with them, so supplies weren’t initially scarce.

To prevent the residents of the settlement from getting nervous, Shu Jun led the team to enter the ruins from the uninhabited side. The settlement was a distance away from the ruins, and apart from the workers who had inspected the underground area that day, no one noticed this team.

It would take time for Shu Jun to settle the team, so Zhu Yanchen decided to return to the inn first. Uncle Pan had no idea that this person had brought thirty thousand people back, and he happily greeted Zhu Yanchen as usual.

“We have too many people, and the food isn’t quite enough.” Facing Zhu Yanchen, Ai Xiaoxiao displayed the authority of a captain from the Old Fourth. “It’s better to resolve the issue as soon as possible. The command center has been keeping an eye on the Old Fourth recently, and too frequent transportation of supplies might raise suspicions.”

“Mm.” Zhu Yanchen sat upright at the table, jotting something down on a piece of paper.

“As for those people, I’ve roughly checked them. The purification medicine was administered in a timely manner, so they won’t have any aftereffects.” Ai Xiaoxiao stood up. “For now, that’s all I can do. The Old Fourth has people here, so you can have them take care of things. I’ll return to the city first.”

“Take Dong Lao with you.” Zhu Yanchen paused his pen. “Be careful on the way.”

Ai Xiaoxiao’s eyebrows nearly reached her hairline. “Is the sun rising from the west? Marshal Zhu is concerned about others? How come you’re in such a good mood?”

“These are the new blood samples from Shu Jun, as well as the data about ‘Suppression’. I collected quite a lot this time.” Zhu Yanchen ignored her and pushed out a small box. “Take a look at it when you go back, and also tell the people in the Old Fourth who handle firearms to get ready. I might experiment with something soon.”

“Alright.” Ai Xiaoxiao yawned and tucked the box into her pocket. “It’s late at night, and I’m going to rest. That old man should still be at the underground stronghold, right?”

“Yes.”

“Got it. I’ll drag him back.”

Underground stronghold.

After traveling for a while, Shu Jun didn’t immediately reveal the truth to everyone. He simply stated that it was arranged by the game and instructed each team leader to take care of their members, while also distributing the next batch of food. The people were already tired, and with food in hand, they quickly settled down and fell asleep peacefully.

Shu Jun was well aware of the situation in the Blackbirds. He singled out the team leaders who had experienced minimal hardships and had a “happy family” background and instructed them to share a room with Hu Yan so that he could gradually reveal the truth to them.

Even if they couldn’t accept it for the time being, preventive measures still needed to be taken.

With everything arranged, Shu Jun didn’t feel any fatigue. He looked down at his claws. Previously, he had been someone who carried the Erosion Swamp, but now he was an Erosion Swamp that had taken on a human form. The slight sensation of foreign matter in his body had disappeared, and he felt light and agile.

However, his actual condition still had to wait for the results from Zhu Yanchen’s side.

Thinking of Zhu Yanchen, a sour feeling welled up in Shu Jun’s heart. Seeing that the situation was relatively stable, he left his communication device behind and gave a few instructions to Hu Yan before turning and heading towards the inn.

As it turned out, Captain Shu appeared confident and proud when he first left for the inn, but as he got closer to it, he became somewhat hesitant. The sensation of the other person’s lips was faintly lingering, so Shu Jun deliberately took a few detours, bought some snacks, and then returned to the inn relatively calmly.

The room was the same as before, and Monday was still snoring in its usual position. Zhu Yanchen sat at the table with a straight back and was focused as he wrote something. He had changed into clean clothes. His uniform showed no wrinkles, and the white gloves were brushed with a warm orange glow from the lamp.

Shu Jun had seen this scene many times before. However, after that kiss, it felt like this was the first time he had seen it, so every detail seemed unfamiliar to him.

Marshal Zhu’s clothes fit him snugly, the fabric hugged his body perfectly, and his movements revealed beautiful muscle lines. Just looking at his arms, they were thicker than “Smoke’s” thighs from sixteen years ago.

His facial features still carried a trace of that Smoke. The weak boy from before had grown into a mature adult, with the roundness in his facial features mostly disappearing and replaced by a deep and heroic contour. The fear and timidity were nowhere to be found; only composure and concentration, as well as the oppressive aura unique to a strong individual.

When Shu Jun entered the room, Zhu Yanchen turned his face slightly, and the coldness between his brows and eyes melted away, instantly softening his expression.

All the calculations in Shu Jun’s mind instantly turned blank. He maintained a calm exterior, but inside, chaos was brewing. It wasn’t like he hadn’t suffered before. What the hell was he trying to achieve with a damn draft? If he wanted to do something, he should do it without any written notes.

During a life-or-death crisis, he could express his emotions with a kiss. But now, the surroundings were calm, and he couldn’t keep using that move to express his feelings. However, in sixteen years, there were too many things to say, and every word and sentence got stuck in his throat, making it impossible to utter even half a word.

“The underground base is resting, so we can take a break as well.” After a moment, Shu Jun raised the bag in his hand. “I bought some snacks. Let’s have a good chat.”

Zhu Yanchen nodded. He set down his pen and tidied up the table. Shu Jun pulled a chair and sat across from him, arranging the snacks, creating an atmosphere as solemn as a political negotiation.

As high-ranking figures on both sides, their identities were certainly fitting.

“No need to force it.” Seeing Shu Jun trying hard to symmetrically arrange the drinks on both sides, delaying the opening remarks, Zhu Yanchen took the initiative to speak. “Back then, we were still young. Regardless of how deep our friendship was, it was ultimately just friendship. You just regained your memories, so it’s possible to have mixed feelings.”

Shu Jun instantly released his grip, abandoning the drinks, and stared intently at Zhu Yanchen.

“As you said, I wasn’t clear-headed back then. If that incident affected our cooperation…”

“A’Yan, do you like me?” Shu Jun sensed the conversation veering off track and decisively interrupted. “Not in a friendship way.”

Zhu Yanchen was taken aback, then lowered his eyes without answering.

Shu Jun leaned his elbow on the table, leaning forward. “What? Even if I misunderstood, you didn’t just regain your memories. You should be able to distinguish your feelings.”

“This is unrelated to the issue we’re discussing.” Zhu Yanchen raised his eyes again. His gaze was sharp as a needle. “I just don’t want you to misunderstand your own emotions.”

Shu Jun rested one knee on the chair and his pupils contracted. He leaned in closer, as if he would pounce in the next second.

“Is that so? Now I’m more curious about your thoughts.” Today, he was determined to crack open this steel walnut.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t avoid Shu Jun’s approach but instead met his gaze directly, sighing. “If you act impulsively and misunderstand your feelings, and we end up together, only for you to regret it later—I don’t know if I can calmly let go.”

Shu Jun’s heart tightened, and a mix of sweetness and bitterness flooded his heart.

By unspoken agreement, he understood the underlying meaning behind Zhu Yanchen’s words. If he misunderstood this affection and later realized his mistake, it would be difficult for them to even remain friends.

However, Zhu Yanchen didn’t know that the romantic seed in his heart had grown strong and resilient, impossible to be trampled on.

Indeed, at the age of eleven or twelve, their feelings couldn’t be associated with love. Shu Jun had seriously contemplated whether he had mixed up his emotions and mistakenly labeled his heartache and pity as love.

If he were younger, he might still agonize over it for a while. But now, Shu Jun was well aware—among the handsome men in the Blackbirds, he had no interest in those with good looks or figures. Yet now, his gaze was glued to Zhu Yanchen’s collar, which spoke volumes.

He yearned for this person, he cared for this person, and subconsciously, he envisioned a future that included this person. Shu Jun didn’t know when Zhu Yanchen’s heart had been moved or how it had happened. He only knew that in his life, there probably wouldn’t be another person as special as him.

“You don’t know if you can let go calmly?” Shu Jun pondered Zhu Yanchen’s response for a moment, then smiled and replied, “Then don’t let go.”

Zhu Yanchen pursed his lips.

“I’ve considered you as a brother a long time ago, so why bother tormenting myself?” Shu Jun sat back on the chair, shaking his head with a smile. “Let’s forget about it.”

“Forget about it?” Zhu Yanchen’s expression went blank, and he stiffened for a moment.

“I’ve planned it carefully before.” Shu Jun supported his cheek with one hand, sounding serious. “I really thought it through, A’Yan. The speed from strangers to friends, and from friends to lovers, was too fast. I thought about going on proper dates, guiding slowly, starting with holding hands, taking it slow—”

He elongated his tone.

“After all, Grand Marshal Zhu, you’ve been holding it in for sixteen years and even found a girlfriend who likes women as a cover. You probably don’t understand much about love and relationships. In case your feelings for me are only a strange form of friendship, I shouldn’t take advantage of you. You can leave anytime.”

Zhu Yanchen remained motionless, and a glimmer of light appeared in his pitch-black eyes.

“But now you’re saying that you’re worried you won’t be able to let go calmly. A’Yan, let me ask you again. Make it clear—do you like me?”

Zhu Yanchen’s throat bobbed and his expression became complicated. After a few seconds of silence, he uttered, “…Mm.”

“How much do you like me?”

Zhu Yanchen didn’t answer that question. He interlocked his fingers tightly, exerting force until the gloves wrinkled deeply. Shu Jun met that intense gaze, seeing suppressed desire and even a hint of obsessive madness in Zhu Yanchen’s eyes.

“Then, should I prove that my feelings for you are more than just friendship?” Shu Jun wasn’t intimidated by that gaze, and the smile on his face deepened. “That’s easy—just stay still, and I’ll kiss you again.”

He got up from his seat, grabbed Zhu Yanchen’s collar, and decisively kissed him.

This time, Zhu Yanchen’s lips were warm, and he carried a clean and comforting scent. Shu Jun didn’t hold back, using his tongue to part Zhu Yanchen’s teeth and deepen the kiss. At first, Zhu Yanchen seemed to be caught off guard, but after a moment, he responded.

After the sound of the table and chairs scraping, Zhu Yanchen leaned against the wall with his back while his hand reached around to embrace Shu Jun’s waist.

Shu Jun’s waist was slim but sturdy, making it effortless for Zhu Yanchen to hold him. Leaning against the wall for support, their lips and tongues intertwined, completely engrossed in the kiss.

As the kiss prolonged, Shu Jun found himself at a disadvantage—he had to be mindful of his sharp fangs to avoid cutting Zhu Yanchen’s lips. With distractions reduced, his breathing was completely dictated by Zhu Yanchen. Whether it was due to excitement or a lack of oxygen, a tingling sensation surged up his spine, as if his brain was about to melt. The surroundings became blurry, enveloped in a fog, and a sense of fulfillment made his whole body tremble.

“Do you think,” after a mind-boggling kiss, Shu Jun wiped his mouth contentedly, and his gray-white eyes were full of playfulness, “that this tastes like friendship, my Grand Marshal?”

Before Shu Jun finished wiping his mouth, Marshal Zhu tightly embraced him. Zhu Yanchen buried his face in the crook of Shu Jun’s neck. Their bodies pressed closely together, sharing each other’s warmth and scent with every breath. Shu Jun relaxed his body, allowing Zhu Yanchen to hold him tightly.

Given the unspoken consent, Zhu Yanchen exerted more force with his arms, as if he wanted to merge their bodies.

The world seemed to stand still, and Shu Jun could feel his body temperature rising. If they continued like this, things might escalate. However, the atmosphere was too warm and pure, and he couldn’t just forcefully separate from Zhu Yanchen.

“Alright.” After contemplating for a moment, Shu Jun playfully bit Zhu Yanchen’s earlobe. “You’ve had a long day outside, so you should rest early.”

Remembering that Zhu Yanchen was ticklish, he mischievously blew air into his ear. “You like me, and I like you. We can consider ourselves in a romantic relationship, and your boyfriend won’t disappear just because we sleep.”

The kissing and hugging had been quite intense. Shu Jun thought that they had made enough progress for today. Considering A’Yan’s situation, he wanted to be considerate.

However, the next second, the world spun around. When Shu Jun reacted, he found himself being pressed onto the bed. Zhu Yanchen looked down at him from above. His dark eyes stared intensely at him as if he wanted to devour him alive.

“Um…” Shu Jun swallowed nervously; his mind was still stuck on the “innocent date” stage and hadn’t made the transition. “A’Yan, aren’t you tired?”

“No.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice was slightly hoarse.

“Really not tired?”

“.…..” Zhu Yanchen ignored him. He lowered his head, and retaliated by biting Shu Jun’s throat. Then he took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm down the burning atmosphere. “I’m going to take a shower. It’s better to rest early.”

“But didn’t you just shower? You changed clothes, but your hair isn’t completely dry.” Shu Jun chuckled. “Now you want to shower again, or are you planning to take a cold shower?”

Glancing at Zhu Yanchen, who was attempting to cover his lower body with a thin blanket, Shu Jun decisively got up. “Wait for me.”

At this point, it was pointless to refuse—they were both nearly thirty. One had wiped the gun, and the other had fired. There was no need for awkward excuses.

Instead, they might as well indulge in their altered friendship and “prove” their feelings to the end.

Before Zhu Yanchen could react, Shu Jun, in a graceful battle stance, rolled off the bed and picked up Monday. He wrapped it in three layers of cloth, put it in a box, and placed it in the wardrobe. Monday was sleeping comfortably and ignored him, just protesting with a few hums.

Then Shu Jun went straight to the bedside table, rummaging through it, and found the small gift of golden ointment he had received from before—a large tube of lube.

He couldn’t bring himself to use it to lubricate armor scratches in the past. The entire tube had never been opened, but who would have thought that he would use it for its intended purpose for the first time.

His speed was extremely fast, and just as Zhu Yanchen was about to flip over and get off the bed, Shu Jun pushed him back down.

Shu Jun straddled Zhu Yanchen’s body, decisively and neatly removing his shirt. Zhu Yanchen’s hand caressed his bare chest; the fair wrist against the slightly darker skin created a striking contrast.

Zhu Yanchen’s gaze gradually became fiery.

“You said you’re not tired. Don’t regret it later,” Shu Jun teased him. “Hey, hey, don’t undress yourself—I’ll do it. I’ve been wanting to try it for a long time.”

He pushed away Zhu Yanchen’s hand from his collar and skillfully unbuttoned each button, revealing his strong and beautiful chest muscles, followed by his well-defined abs. The light danced on his pale skin, casting deep shadows beneath his collarbone. The dim, warm light thickened the atmosphere, and the air gradually became hot and dry.

The corners of Shu Jun’s mouth curled up, and his claws lightly touched Zhu Yanchen’s chest before retracting. He leaned down, ready to deal with those bothersome white gloves—

He pressed his index finger against Zhu Yanchen’s palm and slowly hooked it off with his sharp claw. The fabric was gradually cut open, revealing the fair palm. Zhu Yanchen’s palm was moist and hot, and his breathing gradually became more rapid, indicating some nervousness.

Yes, until now, he was still winning in terms of momentum. Shu Jun picked up the lubricant with satisfaction, but then he froze on the spot.

…What should he do next?

When it came to teasing his Grand Marshal, Shu Jun had imagined a few scenarios while they were kissing, smoothly playing them out in his mind. However, he never thought they would reach this point on the spot—putting aside any reservations, Zhu Yanchen’s body was still human, and he probably didn’t have much strength left.

Shu Jun gulped.

They said that a soldier should not engage in an unprepared battle. Some things required more than just courage.

Regretfully, he had appeared so confident before. Now that the arrow was on the bowstring, Mr. Shu couldn’t figure out how to proceed smoothly. He didn’t even know where to put his hands.

Zhu Yanchen used his forearm to cover his eyes and let out a soft laugh.

“There’s a term called ‘walking into a trap of one’s own accord’,” he said in a low voice as he grabbed Shu Jun’s wrist that held the lubricant.

As he spoke, he maintained his usual composed demeanor. However, with his uniform wide open and his palm as hot as a branding iron, Shu Jun’s head filled with a rush of blood, and he obediently let himself be flipped back under the other man.

“A’Yan, you’ve been planning this for a while.” Shu Jun loosened his grip, surrendering. He retaliated by biting Zhu Yanchen’s neck, leaving a faint red mark with his sharp teeth. “You definitely secretly looked it up.”

After enough biting, he licked and kissed Zhu Yanchen’s earlobe. “…Then please teach me well, Commander.”

Zhu Yanchen fixedly looked at him. “Can we leave the lights on?”

“Of course we can.” Languidly stretching his body, Shu Jun hooked his hand around Zhu Yanchen’s neck. “Don’t be nervous. I’ll cooperate well. Besides, you can’t hurt me—”

As if finding the air insufficiently scorching, he lowered his voice. “—And I won’t need to clean up afterward.”

As it turned out, Mr. Shu once again overestimated himself.

Zhu Yanchen was always quick to learn, and their bodies were perfectly compatible. After a brief period of adjustment, Shu Jun gradually lost control of his own body. The sensory overload exceeded his limits, and he dared not move on instinct, afraid his sharp claws might scratch Zhu Yanchen.

Moaning, he used his claws to grasp the headboard, attempting to pull his body away a bit to catch his breath amidst the tsunami-like pleasure. However, Zhu Yanchen’s hand lightly covered his hand, slowly prying open his claws, pulling him back by the waist.

The dim golden light filled the room; everything was gentle yet wild, and the entire world was burning. Gradually, the rhythm of their breaths finally synchronized.

Relying on his strong physique, Shu Jun finally reclaimed some control. The pliable erosion substance supported his back while also gripping Zhu Yanchen’s nape. In the scorching onslaught of nerves, Shu Jun propped himself up, kissing away the sweat on the tip of Zhu Yanchen’s nose.

He couldn’t remember when they stopped; all he remembered was waking up with their fingers tightly intertwined.

“I think, now that we’re in this kind of relationship, in addition to goodnight kisses, we should also have good morning kisses.” Zhu Yanchen opened his eyes, and Shu Jun pecked his lips. “Sounds good, let’s settle on that.”

Shu Jun watched Zhu Yanchen’s gaze shift from confusion to daze, then gradually becoming warm. “Your body—”

“Alright, alright, I’m a huge living erosion swamp. What could happen to me?” Shu Jun swiftly dressed, pressing down on something at random. He picked it up with a momentarily amused expression. “Honestly speaking, I’m more concerned about whether you’re okay.”

The lubricant that Yu Jin had given them was now empty and devoid of content, with only the packaging remaining.

Shu Jun looked at Zhu Yanchen, then at the packaging in his hand, and back at Zhu Yanchen before letting out a whistle.

Zhu Yanchen: “…”

“The brand is good. Looks like we’ll need to buy more.” Shu Jun couldn’t resist teasing him, as Zhu Yanchen seemed a bit stiff. “Get up. Let’s hurry and have breakfast. We still have things to do afterwards.”

“Shu Jun.”

“Hmm?”

“Come closer.”

“What…” Shu Jun hadn’t even finished asking when Zhu Yanchen hugged him.

The embrace was gentle and quiet. Shu Jun slowed his breathing and allowed himself to be held for a while. When Zhu Yanchen finally let go, Shu Jun felt as if he had been polished like a tarnished silverware, and the atmosphere around him became much brighter, devoid of the initial repression and suffocation.

Shu Jun took a deep breath. In such chaotic times, this feeling was unrealistically good.

They drew close again and couldn’t help but share another kiss. Shu Jun stood up, opened the closet, and took out Monday, who was murmuring softly. He could feel Zhu Yanchen’s gaze sticking to him the whole time.

“Alright, stop looking and get up.”

Shu Jun’s voice carried a playful tone.

“I told you, it’s just sleep. Your boyfriend isn’t going anywhere.”

---

The author has something to say:

Congratulations to the two male guests for leaving their single status behind!

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Well, he was certainly pent up for 16 years.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 65: Return to the Team

Near the festival venue.

Hu Yan appeared calm on the surface, but inside, his heart was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.

He quickly assembled a makeshift boat from stones and arranged the core forces of the Blackbirds to propel the fleet. The stone boat swiftly moved across the damp mud, but its capacity was ultimately limited. At most, one boat could accommodate four to five hundred people, and Hu Yan couldn’t support dozens of boats at once.

Fortunately, the battle players were well-trained and didn’t scatter. Everyone relied on their abilities and stuck closely behind the formation. The procession of thirty thousand people was vast and powerful, with various abilities on display, which was so conspicuous that it made Hu Yan want to cry.

Fortunately in the unfortunate, Y City had somehow raised its alert level. Vibrant purification mist scattered around, providing them with cover.

However, with so many players, it was only a matter of time before they were intercepted by Y City’s military. Hu Yan felt tears welling up as he knew the truth but couldn’t explain it. He could only swallow his saliva in frustration.

“Head south first.” An old man squeezed through the crowd at some point.

“Dong Lao?! When did you—”

“Just go south when I tell you to. No more nonsense. Don’t let the formation break, be wary of people from Y City infiltrating.”

“The weather in the south isn’t right. There might be an erosion storm.” Hu Yan sighed as if his teeth were hurting. “Dong Lao, I understand the need for a detour, but this direction…”

“Activate the purifiers. We have doctors in the team, and the medical support can keep up.” Dong Lao’s tone was cold. “I brought a few military purifiers to protect the front and rear of the formation. The rest can use temporary purifiers to cope. The time should be enough.”

It had to be said that, after knowing the truth, Hu Yan had some reservations about humanity. Although Shu Jun made him believe in Dong Lao, Hu Yan still felt uneasy.

Given the urgent situation, he had no choice but to listen to the old man.

As a result, the erosion storm in the south had not yet formed, but heavy rain fell at the venue. Carried by the wind, the rain clouds moved towards Y City. Unnatural flooding became more widespread. Y City was low-lying, and the real erosion storm formed right behind them.

“Luo Duan,” Hu Yan muttered, his face under the mask turning pale. “There was more than just him in the sky just now. How many people do they have?”

Even with the manipulation of the weather, the previous Luo Duan was definitely not this powerful. The scene of Luo Duan killing his teammate flashed before his eyes, and before he could digest it, another reality pressed down on him.

“Most likely, it’s an illusion.” Dong Lao looked towards Y City. “They’re using erosion substance to create false figures, disturbing the judgment of the command center.”

Hu Yan struggled for a moment and finally asked directly, “Why are you helping us?”

It was no different from betraying humanity.

Dong Lao tightened his wrinkled hands on the edge of the boat. After a while, he smiled indifferently. “If I told you it’s for the sake of righteousness, would you believe me? Even if you believe, can you feel at ease? No matter what, it won’t be easy. What’s the use of asking these questions?”

Hu Yan turned his head in annoyance.

“But we will have pleasant cooperation,” Dong Lao—or rather, Xia Liang—lowered his voice and added, “The leaders on both sides are quite interesting. They might be able to cross these hurdles.”

The old man raised his eyes, looking at Y City, which was on the verge of being engulfed by the storm. “Captain Hu, you should focus on leading the team. Y City has activated Level-A defense. At most, there will be some issues with the above-ground and underground structures. Zhu Sheng won’t give up on pursuing us.”

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

At the venue, Luo Duan stood at the center of the storm with his large black robe concealing his face.

After assimilating with the small Erosion Swamp, his abilities had increased several times over. Although he couldn’t control the wind like Shu Jun, he could manipulate moisture and make countless moves.

There happened to be wind blowing from the south during this time. As long as he took advantage of this wind and made some adjustments, the erosion storm would sweep over Y City. During the festival, Y City strictly enforced Level-B defense, which wouldn’t be enough to withstand this sudden storm.

Y City’s buildings would be severely eroded, and the citizens would be affected, putting immense pressure on the local medical system. His actions would cause significant destruction, something the command center would have to take seriously. With the homeland stained in blood and public grievances boiling, the situation aligned with their interests, and Zhu Sheng would inevitably make a thunderous move.

Once the hatred ignited, war would inevitably follow.

However, for some reason, that imposter posing as Zhu Yanchen suddenly increased the level and purified the air around Y City. The storm could still form, but it wouldn’t harm people. At most, it would flood some underground facilities and damage a few roofs. This level of contradiction wouldn’t incite public grievances among the city residents. It might even have the opposite effect—such trivial matters would distract the United Government and require them to send people to clean up the mess.

His preemptive move didn’t hit the mark.

…But it was fine.

Luo Duan watched as the storm raged on. The black rain beat down on the vibrant plastic flowers and the lush artificial lawn. The colorful lights went out, and everything gradually turned into shades of black, white, and gray.

In any battle, he couldn’t rely on just one plan, especially in such a significant event.

In the current situation, Luo Duan had also considered a fallback plan. Seeing Yi Ning’s team quickly retreating, Luo Duan curved his lips, and his pitch-black eyes gradually returned to normal. Taking advantage of the raging storm, he descended slowly and discarded the troublesome cloak.

Naturally, Yi Ning had brought several military-grade purifiers, but he gave them all to the surrounding residents. The guards quickly formed a defensive formation, using the purifiers to cover everyone and advanced toward the nearest settlement.

The Marshal’s special vehicle had excellent erosion resistance, so Yi Ning could have easily taken the car back to the city. However, this young Marshal gave it to the elderly and children, wrapping himself in only an erosion-resistant oilcloth and followed the rest of the team.

…Just as Luo Duan had guessed.

The oilcloth couldn’t completely block all the rainwater. Despite being tightly wrapped, a few drops of rain still touched Yi Ning’s skin. The black rain was a hundred times more corrosive than acid rain, and since Yi Ning had given away the strongest purifier, his wet skin began to ache slightly.

Yi Ning adjusted the oilcloth on his body and quickened his pace.

However, as he walked, the splashing raindrops disappeared. A huge umbrella suddenly appeared above his head.

Yi Ning hurriedly looked up—looking around, he saw that everyone in the settlement, around tens of thousands of people, had large, translucent umbrellas above their heads.

“Luo Duan?!” Yi Ning was surprised. “You didn’t go with Hu Yan and the others?”

“The weather in the south doesn’t look right. I took two people to check it out, but we encountered an erosion storm on the way back.” Luo Duan made a concerned expression. “I faintly saw Hu Yan’s team on the way, so I had my people follow them.”

“Why didn’t you leave together?”

“There was no mention of this rain in the weather forecast, so I was wondering if it was the start of some disaster…” He left that sentence hanging perfectly, knowing that Yi Ning would understand—Luo Duan was always a careful player who enjoyed delving into the game’s background. He was here to see if there were any prelude tasks for an unexpected event.

“But it seems I was overthinking it. I didn’t find anything unusual.” Seeing Yi Ning’s changing expression finally settle on “I understand”, Luo Duan smiled. “It’s difficult to catch up with them now, so I’ll stick with you. Anyway, you have purifiers and emergency medicine. You’re just lacking protection from the wind and rain.”

“What about Groundwater—”

“…It’s okay. They are always resourceful and have their own ideas.”

Luo Duan lowered his gaze.

“And there will be someone to take care of them.”

Yi Ning felt no sense of unease. Instead, he became more worried about other aspects. After all, he had been in the position of Marshal for long enough to know what Zhu Sheng would do after the recent incident.

The power struggle between him and Zhu Yanchen had not yet reached a conclusion when it was interrupted by those black-robed synthetic humans. Taking advantage of the chaos, Zhu Sheng could legitimately postpone his retirement and continue controlling the command center.

Yi Ning also listened to the fake Zhu Yanchen’s speech. The new synthetic humans led by the Zhu family were waiting to be put into use, and this incident conveniently allowed Zhu Sheng to focus on destroying the old models.

…Speaking of which, the Zhu family was also responsible for the defense of Y City. The fake Zhu Yanchen wouldn’t raise the city’s defense to Level-A without reason. Even if it wasn’t intentional, he could still use this opportunity to gain popularity. When the vote was held again, the fake Zhu Yanchen would naturally have more supporters.

In short, once the chaos ended, the Zhu family would benefit everywhere.

Yi Ning furrowed his eyebrows slowly.

The opposing Zhu Yanchen, who had opposed the advancement of the player system, was no longer around, and he and Zhu Sheng had no fundamental conflict that would lead to this. If the black-robed people were indeed arranged by Zhu Sheng, it meant that he was treating the health of ten thousand people as a joke.

If Luo Duan hadn’t appeared in time, even with purifiers protecting them, the health of those ten thousand people would have deteriorated significantly. The settlement was remote and had no way to compare with the subsequent medical facilities in the city.

He couldn’t hand over the settlement residents to such a leader.

“What exactly happened just now?” Luo Duan, seizing the opportunity, naturally added fuel to the fire. “I heard someone say that a ‘warrior’ claiming to be one of us appeared in the square. Marshal Yi Ning, was that your arrangement?”

“It wasn’t me.” Yi Ning was still deep in thought and spoke with a heavy tone.

“Don’t mind me. I was just asking.”

“Marshal Yi Ning!” Before Yi Ning could respond, a guard rushed over, panting. He unexpectedly glanced at Luo Duan and pulled Yi Ning aside.

The guard spoke in a low voice, but it was futile against Luo Duan, who had spent many years lurking in the command center and honing his eavesdropping skills. Luo Duan pretended to look at the storm while clearly hearing everything.

“There’s been a development from the communications unit. Zhu Sheng has dispatched troops.”

“So soon?”

“They said it’s to prevent the synthetic humans from escaping. Now that they’ve realized it, it’s better to eliminate them as soon as possible. However, there’s some damage to the city’s buildings, causing a bit of chaos. Zhu Sheng only sent a small team.”

Yi Ning sighed. “Based on this situation, the priority now is tracking.”

And then they could leave the task of extermination to the fake Zhu Yanchen. Yi Ning shook his head in anger—regardless of whether Zhu Sheng arranged the black-robed people or not, reducing the number of pursuers and focusing on tracking were deliberate decisions. Once the time dragged on too long and the frontlines were stretched, the various settlements would undoubtedly be the first to suffer.

The settlements, filled with the elderly and infirm, would be wiped out, and the old model synthetic humans would be gone. The new synthetics would enter the market without even facing employment contradictions.

The more Yi Ning thought about it, the more horrified he became.

“After I send you to the settlement, can you help me contact the main force? The storm was too intense just now, and I was too focused on protecting myself that my communication device got drenched.” Luo Duan seized the opportunity perfectly.

“You’re coming back with me to Y City.”

“But what about the mission—”

“An unexpected task. This is an order.” Yi Ning’s expression turned serious. “You’re coming back with me to Y City.”

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and his expression became complex. “The situation has changed recently. Stay by my side for now.”

Luo Duan looked at him for a moment and smirked. “Understood, sir.”

In the south, amidst the storm.

“Someone is pursuing us.” A member of the Blackbirds responsible for scouting caught up. “What’s going on, Captain Hu? Is this really a mission? It’s getting too intense, isn’t it?”

“Ignore them. Let’s pick up the pace.” Hu Yan gritted his teeth.

“They’re lightly equipped, and we can’t shake them off!” The Blackbirds member felt helpless. “Boss, we need to pay attention to the arrangement of the purifiers and make sure no one falls behind. If we forcefully increase our speed, the team will scatter—”

“It’s almost time,” Dong Lao suddenly said.

“What do you mean by ‘it’s almost time’?”

“Those two should be here soon. If they don’t come, we’ll have to start the battle early. It’s fine if it’s the one surnamed Shu, but I don’t think your sister-in-law would like that scene.”

“???”

As if casting a spell, as soon as Dong Lao finished speaking, the wind around the team instantly became still.

Outside the main force, the wind suddenly intensified. The pursuers had just steadied themselves when they were entangled by unknown things around their chests and flung away. The small team was scattered in an instant. Everything happened too quickly for them to see anything clearly. A few seconds later, the pursuers found themselves face down in the mud, with demonic black winds roaring and swirling before them.

Since they were separated from the main force, no one wanted to enter such a storm and die in vain. According to regulations, if they couldn’t regroup, they would dejectedly turn back.

“I must say, the feeling of throwing people is quite satisfying. I like this move.”

Someone landed on the bow of the makeshift boat, their voice filled with laughter.

Shu Jun supported Zhu Yanchen as they landed on Hu Yan’s boat. Unlike the fully armed Zhu Yanchen, Shu Jun didn’t wear a face mask this time and showed his face openly.

“Captain Shu?!” The Blackbirds team member who brought the news instantly became excited. “W-Why are you here? Are you a special guest for the event?… And why did you change your appearance?”

“Something like that.” Shu Jun lightly hopped onto the deck. “What do you think of my new look? Isn’t it cool?”

Hu Yan’s throat tightened. “Captain Shu…”

“With me here, everything will be fine.” Shu Jun smiled and patted Hu Yan’s head with his claw. “You’ve worked hard maintaining so many boats… Go and rest for a bit.”

Hu Yan’s eyes turned red, and he trembled as he exhaled. “Okay, I’ll slowly tell you what exactly happened.”

“Mm.”

“Next, head east. I’ll adjust the route. Even if we manage to shake off the vanguard pursuit team, it’s better to be cautious.” Zhu Yanchen patted Dong Lao’s shoulder and spoke with a calm voice. “We’ll take everyone to the new base.”

“Who are you…?” The Blackbirds team member hesitated to recognize the person who was wrapped up tightly that even their voice was muffled.

“That’s your sister-in-law.” Shu Jun answered on behalf of Zhu Yanchen, his tone relaxed. Zhu Yanchen chuckled softly, not bothering to correct anything.

Then, he glanced at the team member who was about to pass out. “Well, I hope Uncle Pan and the others are prepared. We have quite a few guests this time.”

He waved his hand, and underneath the boats, where no one could see, decayed hands made of erosion emerged from the soil and pushed the boats forward with great force. They escaped the storm area, and the wind easily gathered in one place, making Hu Yan’s fleet of thin-shell boats go even faster.

Dozens of thin-shell boats broke through the gray mist and rushed toward the horizon. Shu Jun sat at the bow, looking in the direction of their destination. The wind brushed against his cheeks, and Shu Jun suddenly realized that he hadn’t felt this kind of sensation in a long time—

The lingering smell of blood and mud lingered in his nostrils, and the surrounding darkness was full of terror, yet everything was filled with hope.

---

The author has something to say:

Marshal: ? Sister-in-law. (Jots it down in his little notebook in his mind)

Shu Ge, be careful.

——

Me while outlining: I need to write this and that and also this, in short, this battle situation…

Me while writing: I want them to roll around in the sheets.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 64: Warmth

His body that was enveloped in the Erosion Swamp, gradually warmed up. The contrast between pain and comfort made Zhu Yanchen feel a bit dizzy. Something warm and soft was squirming and taking shape on his body. He opened his eyes wide, but the sticky darkness covered his eyeballs, making it difficult to see clearly.

Could it be that he was experiencing hallucinations on the brink of death?

He could hear the Erosion Swamp surging around him, making a sound like the ebb and flow of tides, as if some colossal creature was about to emerge from the vortex. Shu Jun completely fused with the Erosion Swamp. If he were to abandon rational thinking and lose his humanity in the midst of mental torment, an unprecedentedly powerful Erosion Swamp would be born.

However, the clamor gradually subsided, and the warmth around him increased. It was no longer the warm Erosion Swamp that enveloped him, but a human embrace.

Indeed, it must be a hallucination.

Zhu Yanchen sighed in his heart. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he saw two points of silver-white light in the darkness. They drew closer and closer, and then something warm and soft covered his lips.

It was a kiss, shallow and cautious, gentle and delicate, pure without a hint of desire. It felt as if the slightest exertion would cause him to shatter.

Shu Jun was indeed kissing with caution.

He didn’t know how to handle the overflowing emotions in his chest. The past bits and pieces were pieced together, his heart swelled, making it difficult to breathe. Rationality and madness retreated from his mind, and he could hardly think, leaving only uncontrollable emotions.

Zhu Yanchen was awake, he knew it. Those eyes as deep as ancient wells were half-closed, piercing through the darkness, quietly focused on him. Despite the surging emotions, Shu Jun’s movements were extremely slow, giving the other enough time to evade.

But Zhu Yanchen didn’t move.

Even though he had healed the other’s injuries, Marshal Zhu’s lips were still cold, carrying a hint of blood.

Previously, when he learned that Zhu Yanchen had dedicated his life to researching the Erosion Swamp, Shu Jun thought of him as a stubborn researcher. Now he deeply understood what it meant for him to have been “researching the Erosion Swamp for sixteen years”.

For a moment, Shu Jun even wished that “Smoke” was just an ordinary child. If he hadn’t been born into a privileged family, according to Zhu Yanchen’s persistence, he could have boldly opposed the player system and formed a decent resistance organization.

In that case, even if the path was limited and the contradictions were unsolvable, his friend could live freely and strive for a clear conscience.

But Zhu Yanchen ultimately chose to stand in a high position, attempting to solve this problem personally.

As a leader himself, Shu Jun knew what this represented—Zhu Yanchen couldn’t simply disregard and abolish the player system. If he couldn’t find a suitable reason, he would undoubtedly be overthrown by his ambitious competitors. While upholding the well-being of synths, he also had to shoulder the responsibility for human welfare.

In the current situation, this path was akin to a moth flying into a flame.

Even if he knew he couldn’t save him, even if he knew that changing everything would only be achieved through gradual progress, his once timid friend had become the first drop of water without hesitation.

“A’Yan, I thought you were a stable person.” Shu Jun moved his lips away and whispered softly. “Why are you so…”

He wanted to say foolish, wanted to say crazy, wanted to say stubborn, but in the end, he swallowed his words. Thinking back to when they first met, when this person deliberately acted distant, Shu Jun couldn’t even catch his breath.

He felt the urge to beat him up, but he didn’t even dare to embrace him too tightly. Fine, Shu Jun turned his head slightly and kissed Zhu Yanchen’s lips again.

The past couldn’t be regained, but from now on, he could at least be certain that the other person didn’t need to move forward alone.

To hell with waiting for the war to end before pursuing. This person was his—

Even if Zhu Yanchen didn’t have romantic feelings for him, this person was still his friend and family, and that would never change. The resentment instilled in him found an outlet; their thorns were smoothed away and transformed into determination and bittersweetness.

Shu Jun attempted to move his lips away again, and the darkness in his mind gradually dissipated, replaced by a mental script of how to sincerely explain this kiss later. But before he could finish that mental script, Zhu Yanchen kissed him back.

If Shu Jun’s previous kiss was cautious and tentative, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, carried with compassion and comfort, then this kiss in return was fierce and filled with complete longing and desperation.

Zhu Yanchen firmly held the back of Shu Jun’s head, kissing deeply.

Shu Jun was stunned for a few seconds by a mix of pure confusion and joyful tingling. He refused to be outdone. He pulled Zhu Yanchen closer, passionately responding.

As if the missing pieces of a puzzle had finally come together, a faint crack echoed in the depths of his heart. Their breaths intertwined ambiguously, warm exhalations turning into boiling water. Neither of them wanted to stop, allowing the heat to rise and their lips and tongues on the verge of melting.

In the end, Zhu Yanchen’s tongue grazed the base of Shu Jun’s incisors. His A’Yan exerted a slight force with his hands, and the two finally separated.

“We need to support the festival venue.”

After catching their breath, the two almost simultaneously spoke.

Their kiss was passionate, and after they broke apart, a strange awkwardness filled the air. Shu Jun racked his brains and spoke again—

“Is your injury okay?”

“How is your body?”

Once again, they spoke in unison.

The heat from their prolonged kiss dissipated, leaving behind an awkward silence.

“…Let’s go get Monday first.” After a long pause, Zhu Yanchen spoke, his voice carrying a strangely wavering tone. “We both need light and examination.”

“Ah, yeah,” Shu Jun quickly responded. He straightened up and helped the weakened Marshal Zhu to his feet. While his injuries weren’t a concern, his physical strength had been drained and wouldn’t recover for a while.

However, even when supported, Marshal Zhu’s steps were still somewhat unsteady. The Vine Erosion Swamp had reverted to an ordinary Erosion Swamp, and Shu Jun hadn’t absorbed a significant amount of erosion to trigger a major transformation. The erosion under their feet was knee-deep, making it difficult to walk.

“Where is Monday?”

“Go about 1,200 meters in that direction.” The two were close together, so Zhu Yanchen raised his hand to point.

“Okay.” Shu Jun exerted his arm strength and firmly held onto Marshal Zhu’s waist, resolutely carrying him in front. Unfortunately, Zhu Yanchen was larger in size, and Shu Jun wasn’t adept at carrying someone like this, so his movements were slightly awkward.

After contemplating in place for a moment, Shu Jun nodded. The Erosion Swamp stretched upward, forming numerous black withered hands, carefully cradling Zhu Yanchen so he could lie down more comfortably.

…A rather alarming princess carry.

Zhu Yanchen: “…”

The ambiguous atmosphere vanished without a trace. Shu Jun’s expression was too righteous, and Marshal Zhu kept himself stiff and almost straight, giving the scene a somewhat inexplicable sense of tragedy.

As a result, as soon as Monday spotted them, it yelled in a mournful voice.

“Zhu! Zhu—dead—dead—”

“Shut up.” Shu Jun gritted his teeth and placed Marshal Zhu on a clean stone slab. As soon as he touched the ground, Marshal Zhu, who had been as stiff as a rod, relaxed a bit and sat up properly.

There were many things hanging on Monday. Shu Jun pulled them off with a flick of his sword, and all the luggage appeared before Zhu Yanchen.

Marshal Zhu drank a whole bottle of replenishing liquid. He was soaked in sewage and blood, but his complexion improved a lot. Shu Jun opened a backpack beside him and started a fire. Then he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Zhu Yanchen.

Zhu Yanchen’s dark eyes were fixed on him.

Shu Jun’s gaze softened, and he didn’t speak to explain. He just held Zhu Yanchen’s hand and extended his other hand, hooking their pinky fingers together.

Zhu Yanchen withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and then exhaled a long breath, as if trying to release all the suppression of the past sixteen years.

The two remained silent. The environment here was even more chaotic and terrifying than before the war, but Shu Jun felt as if the whole world had been washed and became much gentler.

“Shu Jun, help me take down the instrument over there… The white one. I need to check your blood indicators,” Zhu Yanchen said after a few minutes of absentmindedness. His tone carried an unprecedented lightness.

Shu Jun didn’t move.

“What’s wrong?”

“You take a break first. We’ll check in ten minutes. Then you rest for another twenty minutes, and when your strength recovers, we’ll go to the festival venue.” Shu Jun took out a watch and started timing in a professional manner.

Then Shu Jun snapped his fingers. Several clusters of amorphous matter formed into balls from the Erosion Swamp. They warmed themselves by the fire and crawled towards Zhu Yanchen.

The latter looked at those strange balls with suspicion.

“You’ll catch a cold like this.” Shu Jun commanded the ball-like entities to move forward. “And you’ve always liked cleanliness. With so much dirt on you, you definitely can’t stand it. I just let them clean the water and dirt off you without hurting you. During this time, we can talk… talk about…”

He wanted to say, “talk about the kiss just now”, but his tongue couldn’t cooperate.

Shu Jun racked his brains, trying to draft his words, while a few warm, amorphous balls approached Marshal Zhu. They gently rolled over Zhu Yanchen’s skin, removing moisture and completely decomposed the bloodstains and mud, not even touching a single fiber of his clothes. The soft balls crawled over the freshly healed wounds. Their touch as gentle as fingertips brushing, causing Zhu Yanchen to furrow his brows and let out a soft hum.

This time, Shu Jun’s thoughts completely fell apart, and all that filled his mind were the words, “digging one’s own grave”.

“I… I didn’t mean anything else,” Shu Jun said uneasily, crossing his hands and almost scratching himself with his claws. “Just now, I, no, it’s not… just now I—”

Zhu Yanchen quietly looked at him.

Shu Jun took several deep breaths, closed his eyes for a moment, and his words regained the air of a warrior. “Forget it, it’s not good to keep holding back. Let me be clear, A’Yan, after we handle the issues at the venue, we need to have a serious talk.”

He approached decisively and grabbed a squirming, amorphous ball. The ball squirmed in his hand for a moment, then obediently played dead.

“I’m just using this thing without any other intentions,” Shu Jun said with a stern face and a very serious tone. “But when I kissed you just now, I did have another meaning—originally, I wanted to wait until the war was over to say it, but just now, I remembered everything, and I couldn’t control my emotions.”

“I am sober. I kissed you, and I acknowledge it.” He approached closer, his beastly eyes narrowing into a thin slit. “However, you seemed absent-minded just now, so it’s better to clarify this matter.”

“You might not be clear-minded,” Zhu Yanchen said softly. “You have been disturbed by negative emotions for too long, and your memories have just returned. Under such an impact, you might instinctively rely on me.”

He paused cautiously, showing no emotion on his face.

“I agree, we should make things clear. After all, we have more important matters now, such as the situation at the festival and your health…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when he was forced to swallow the second half of his sentence.

Shu Jun placed a soft, amorphous ball on each side of Marshal Zhu’s head, sandwiching his cheeks in between. That handsome face was slightly creased from the pressure.

“I finally thought of the right words.” Shu Jun’s nails were sharp, so he didn’t dare directly use his hand, but instead used the amorphous balls and indirectly squeezed Zhu Yanchen’s face. “Is this what you wanted, A’Yan? Huh? If I wasn’t so worried, I really wanted to knock your head off—talking about negative emotions messing things up, damn it…”

Shu Jun gritted his teeth and swallowed his harsh words. A’Yan had always been stubborn and being alone for so many years made it inevitable for him to be emotionally obtuse. With limited time now, it would be difficult to reach a conclusion in this “who took advantage of whom” debate.

“Your negative thoughts haven’t changed at all. Fine, let’s talk. After we’re done at the festival, we’ll close the door and have a serious talk.”

Shu Jun revealed his sharp teeth, speaking slowly and ending with a bitter smile.

They were partners, war companions. They couldn’t run away from it. Now, they didn’t even need to consider the future. Whether it was a long-standing affection or an impulsive moment, he absolutely had to hold onto this complicated situation and make things clear.

With this in mind, he let out a fierce hum. Shu Jun released Zhu Yanchen’s face and used one of the amorphous balls to wipe the other’s hair.

Lost in his frustration, Shu Jun missed Zhu Yanchen’s gaze.

Marshal Zhu stared attentively at the person in front of him; his gaze like a beast ready to pounce, filled with determination.

The flames flickered, illuminating those bottomless eyes. Zhu Yanchen reached out his hand, hesitating subconsciously for a moment, but then he curved his lips and decisively grabbed Shu Jun’s wrist.

“Time’s up. It’s time for your blood test,” he said. “…You’re right, we need to resolve the matters at the festival as soon as possible.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 63: The Final Promise – Part 2

Shu Jun remembered every detail of their parting.

In fact, he had a faint premonition about their separation. After the Reunion Festival, Smoke’s mood became increasingly sour. Smoke’s explanation was that his mother’s condition worsened, causing worry in his heart, but Shu Jun knew that wasn’t the whole story.

Smoke was hiding something, burying it in his heart like a hidden blade, the pain concealed beneath a forced facade. Shu Jun watched him suffer, feeling a burning anxiety in his heart, but he couldn’t forcefully press for answers—he had asked countless times, but Smoke refused to speak.

Smoke was usually closest to him, so he must have his own reasons.

All Shu Jun could do was be a little kinder to Smoke, attempting to dilute his sadness.

Shu Jun used to fall asleep quickly, but before their parting, he found himself unable to sleep. He would purposely listen to Smoke’s breathing rate, and if he noticed that Smoke wasn’t asleep, his chest would tighten, and he had no choice but to pretend to be asleep—if Smoke discovered otherwise, he would surely take the blame for the impact and feel even more sorrowful.

Thinking that Smoke was asleep, Shu Jun would gently kiss the top of his head and awkwardly embrace him, holding him tightly even if it caused discomfort. Once he was sure Smoke had fallen asleep, he would get up, adjust the blanket, and gently hold him against his chest.

As long as he did this, Smoke’s troubled brows would relax a bit.

Shu Jun did everything he could, trying to share all the interesting things he encountered with Smoke. But for some reason, even though Smoke would respond with a smile on his face, the sadness in his eyes grew deeper.

“Tomorrow, I have something important to tell you,” Smoke said after almost a year since they met.

It seemed that Smoke couldn’t bear it any longer and intended to come clean with him.

Shu Jun sat properly at home early, even preparing two cups of tea and adding some sugar, trying to make everything look presentable. But the tea grew cold, and Smoke didn’t show up—Smoke was a very punctual person and had never been late in the past year.

Finally, as Shu Jun pondered whether he should go out to look for Smoke, there was finally a knock at the door.

Smoke’s appearance frightened Shu Jun—he was gasping for breath, covered in sweat, and his expression appeared both frightened and desperate.

“Come in quickly.” Shu Jun quickly fetched a hot towel and poured the two cups of cold tea together, heating the mixture to a warm temperature, then handed it to Smoke. “What happened? What’s going on?”

“I can’t stay here for too long.”

Smoke gulped down more than half a cup of tea, wiped his face, and then placed his hands firmly on Shu Jun’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” He choked for a while before finally speaking, his eyes slightly red. “…<Erosion> isn’t just a game. Your world is.”

“A’Yan, what are you talking about?”

“I lied to you. I’m not from this world. I come from <Erosion>. Shu Jun, this world is all fake. Its education, propaganda, everything is tilted towards <Erosion>. But have you seen any other games? There’s only one dominant game, and it has lasted for over a hundred years, which is completely abnormal…”

Shu Jun had never anticipated that Smoke was holding such a shocking secret inside. Smoke’s state seemed off, perhaps he had experienced some major shock. Should Shu Jun apply for medical assistance?

“I’m begging you.” Smoke’s voice trembled with a sob. “Please believe me.”

Shu Jun bit his lip and withdrew his hand. “Go on.”

“You were trained as ‘living weapons’, much stronger than ordinary people, which is why you’re carefully controlled like this. In <Erosion>, when you die, you’re truly gone. There’s no changing professions, and real-life players simply don’t exist…”

“But on the Reunion Festival day, we saw Xu Kan.” Shu Jun murmured. “A’Yan, are you feeling unwell? Xu Kan did die in <Erosion>, but he seemed fine. There are so many people here, not everyone is a player…”

“That wasn’t Xu Kan at all. They were artificially created NPCs. Their entire family is. In this city, the vast majority of people are real NPCs.” Smoke closed his eyes in anguish. “Do you remember the night you took me home in the beginning?”

“I remember.”

“My mother was in such pain from her illness, so she came here to escape it, and I came to accompany her.” Zhu Yanchen spoke softly. “She always wanted me to explore more. On the night we met, I was alone and feeling sad, so I took a walk and got on a bus. You should have noticed something that night.”

Indeed, as Smoke mentioned it, Shu Jun also felt that something wasn’t quite right. The security in this city had always been good, and there was sufficient lighting at night. There were many shops open 24 hours, and there were people on the streets at all times. Shu Jun met Smoke near the city center, and Smoke looked terrified.

After knowing each other for so long, Shu Jun was quite familiar with Smoke’s personality. Smoke didn’t like to trouble others, and their initial encounter was quite coincidental, so his sudden request to stay overnight was a bit unexpected.

It wasn’t a big deal, and Shu Jun was having a good time, so he gradually forgot about it.

“I only found out later. To reduce monitoring difficulty, only the world around the ‘players’ is in operation. There was a player near where my mother lived, and when the bus went out of his perception range, everyone on the bus froze instantly. I was terrified at that time, which is why I wanted to be with you… As long as I’m by your side, the world is normal.”

Shu Jun’s head buzzed, and he instinctively found these things hard to believe. But upon careful listening, Smoke didn’t sound like he was talking nonsense. Years of common sense clashed with trust in his friend, making it difficult to determine who would win or lose. “I… I don’t know. I need to think about it…”

Smoke let out a long breath. He picked up the fruit knife on the table and stabbed it straight towards his chest.

Shu Jun was terrified, and he quickly snatched the knife. Before he could react, the tip of the knife stopped at Zhu Yanchen’s chest—a barrier appeared out of thin air, blocking the tip of the knife with a sharp sound. The tip of the knife barely pierced the skin, causing a small amount of blood to seep out.

“What are you doing?!” Shu Jun snatched the knife back and carefully examined the wound.

“This is the special insurance given to us as ‘humans’ from the other side.” Smoke clenched his fists, resting his chin on Shu Jun’s shoulder, his voice choked. “Both my mother and I won’t suffer fatal injuries here, I…”

Unfortunately, Shu Jun couldn’t finish hearing this sentence. He felt a sudden pain at the back of his head, as if he had been hit with a blunt object. The world spun, and he opened his eyes wide, trying to look towards Smoke’s direction.

In his blurred vision, Smoke’s feet emitted a circle of blue light, and he disappeared directly inside the room.

When he woke up again, Shu Jun slumped in the chair, and the room was empty. The fruit knife had no trace of blood, the two cups of cold tea were still on the table, and everything that happened seemed like an illusion, except for the definite passage of time.

Was it a dream?

The hot towel was in its original place, and the floor was spotlessly clean. Shu Jun slowly touched his shoulder. There was a slightly unnatural dampness on his shoulder, cold to the touch, like tears.

Shu Jun took a deep breath.

That night, he slept alone for the first time. Shu Jun tossed and turned, unable to sleep, as Smoke’s words echoed in his mind.

It was too absurd, lacking any sense of reality. But Smoke had suffered for months because of this, and it didn’t seem like a whim or a sudden breakdown. It was actually quite simple to verify—if he could see Smoke again and ask about what happened tonight.

However, Shu Jun had a bad feeling. He didn’t know if they would ever meet again.

Shu Jun covered his head with a pillow, holding onto Smoke’s cup, and began to think seriously. If it was all fake, it would be fine, but what if Smoke’s words were true? Smoke’s tears on the night of the Reunion Festival, Smoke’s changes over the past half year, the strange rules of <Erosion>… Everything had an explanation now.

Shu Jun closed his eyes, and his heart sank slowly.

Smoke didn’t come the next day, nor the day after. He was like a non-existent ghost, passing through his own life like this. About a week passed, the winter snow completely melted, and the final simulation test was about to begin, but Smoke still hadn’t shown up.

The two pots of bellflowers were placed side by side, thriving. Shu Jun stared blankly at the sand table game without an opponent, then stood up.

Shu Jun had been given enough clues by Smoke that he could use—Smoke’s mother would be recuperating somewhere with a nice view outside the window. Smoke had taken the bus here that night, and he was scared, so he wouldn’t have been on the bus for too long.

Moreover, there were players living near his residence.

Shu Jun changed the sand table to a map of the city center and began to investigate one by one.

There was only one place that met all the conditions. The Garden Hotel in the city center, where a member of the Blackbirds had booked a room and stayed there for a long time.

“A shy and handsome young boy?” When asked by Shu Jun, the team member was momentarily stunned. “I don’t have any impression, but apart from me, there is indeed someone else living here. Several times, I saw a maid taking meals upstairs. I had a few conversations with her, and her employer is staying in V4… V4 something? Anyway, it’s in the V4 area. I don’t know the specifics.”

“Thank you.”

V4 was the most upscale area, with only five rooms. Instead of knocking on the door immediately, Shu Jun quietly followed behind the cleaning staff and peered into each room.

Only Room V41 was never cleaned. The cleaning staff seemed hypnotized, not even sparing a glance at it.

“What are you doing?” Just as Shu Jun was about to further investigate, he was caught by someone dressed as a manager. “This is the VIP area, not a place for children to play around.”

Shu Jun laughed awkwardly and was dragged by the collar to the main entrance.

“Sorry, sorry.” He grinned, his voice apologetic. “I was just looking for my brother on the Blackbirds and got the room wrong.”

The manager nodded with a stern face and turned back to the hotel.

…Yeah, right. Shu Jun rolled his eyes and, relying on his thick skin, sneakily returned like a piece of toffee. The manager probably didn’t expect him to come back so soon. After returning to his seat, he smoothly activated the holographic screen, completely unaware of Shu Jun squatting in the decorative shrubs.

“Shu Jun, no, S-001 is still tracking Zhu Yanchen’s whereabouts and has now found the V4 area.”

“Empty the room as soon as possible.”

“What about Zhu Yanchen?”

“Mr. Zhu has already dealt with him. Zhu Yanchen will come on the 17th to handle Mrs. Xia’s belongings and keep the data as a memento.”

“Why wait until the 17th? Wouldn’t it be better to resolve it earlier? We have to wait three more days like this.”

“The 17th is the simulation test time for the training school. S-001 won’t come to disturb.”

“Understood, then I’ll be the manager for three more days. Regarding S-001…”

Shu Jun didn’t listen any further.

He only remembered that he had wandered around the area a few times to appear more natural. After that, he didn’t remember how he got back home, nor did he feel hunger or thirst. His world had completely shattered, but the surrounding environment was too peaceful and beautiful, making the impact even more unreal.

In the past, he only needed to worry about his school grades and his daily meals. Now, when he looked at the busy people in the distance, he couldn’t help but feel fear from the depths of his heart.

…Smoke had endured for so long, and Shu Jun’s heart twisted in pain.

Smoke had come that night and was discovered by his family. The people from <Erosion> definitely wouldn’t want the players to uncover the truth. Smoke had essentially betrayed them, and he would probably face punishment. It seemed unlikely that they would see each other again.

He knew things he shouldn’t know. If he acted too obvious or told others about this matter… Setting aside whether others would believe him, everyone might end up being dealt with.

Perhaps this was the most logical outcome. Smoke would disappear, like a cluster of fireworks in his life. And he would embrace this terrible secret, pretending to be ignorant, slowly seeking a way out, or simply resigning himself to fate.

…Pretending? Resigning?

He couldn’t pretend, and he couldn’t resign.

He was powerless to change the reality, and Smoke, who was born on the “other side”, was being crushed by guilt.

He was too weak now, unable to save his fellow compatriots. But he still had the power to save the most important person to him.

Knowing that this world was fake made many things easier. Shu Jun looked at the luxurious hotel building and had an idea in his mind.

He wouldn’t accept this separation.

The simulation test was held on campus. The test consisted of individual simulated combat and tactical planning. For children, monster projections and miniature sand tables were enough. The school didn’t have examination rooms set up inside <Erosion>.

Shu Jun put on the ability simulation wristband, and the examiner activated it. According to the rules, he was supposed to enter the combat room next and fight against the monster projection.

However, Shu Jun smiled at the examiner and soared into the sky.

This was the “game” here, and the so-called “ability simulation” wristband was a real skill item. And theoretically, this wristband could be used outside the simulation. So, he would make good use of it.

Ignoring the angry shouts of the examiner, Shu Jun flew towards the hotel in the city center.

The V4 area was on the top floor of the hotel, offering a magnificent view with beautiful large windows. Shu Jun floated in the air and looked into the window.

His Smoke was standing on the other side of the window. After not seeing each other for more than ten days, Smoke had become gaunt, his once solid body had become thin again. He looked at Shu Jun in astonishment, and his eyes still showed signs of swelling.

Shu Jun could hear the alarms getting closer. He took a deep breath and smiled at Smoke.

“A’Yan, stand back.”

As Smoke took a few steps back, a gust of wind shot out, shattering the glass.

“Shu Jun, you…”

“Let’s go.” Shu Jun helped Smoke up onto the broken window frame. “I’ll take you away.”

Smoke shook his head vigorously. “My father already knows about you. I… I begged him. If you continue like this, you’ll—”

Shu Jun smiled.

He reached out and grabbed Smoke’s wrist. The wind gathered between his body and the wall, propelling him away from the window.

Once the skill was activated, it couldn’t be stopped immediately. The wind pushed Shu Jun out of the city, his pale-faced dear friend hanging from his wrist. The two flew in the air above the city, with numerous tracking devices following them from behind, each one shot down by Shu Jun’s wind blades.

The remaining trackers began to counterattack, and searing beams of light pierced through Shu Jun’s body. His student uniform became soaked with blood, but Shu Jun only gritted his teeth, his eyes always looking ahead, without letting out a scream of pain.

Afraid of releasing Smoke in the midst of the pain, Shu Jun wrapped his arm around Yanchen’s waist, holding him tighter.

“Stop messing around,” Smoke shouted in anger. “Stop it now!”

“I know. If I let go of you, you’ll run away… Smoke, what did you beg for?”

“…”

“Tell me.” Shu Jun took another blow, gasping for air in pain.

“My father asked me to choose.” Smoke averted his gaze as if centuries had passed. “As long as you don’t make a big fuss, he can erase your memories about me and the truth… I can also choose to take you out, as he put it, to be a ‘pet’ kept at home.”

He squeezed the words out between his teeth.

“Your wind ability is powerful, and he wants to keep it. He will choose an inferior body that he doesn’t need and stuff your consciousness into it.”

“Oh, so you’ve reached that point already.” Shu Jun smiled stiffly as he swiftly turned in the air, dodging several beams of light. One beam pierced through the sole of his foot, causing great pain.

But he had never been so clear-headed.

“So, which one did you choose?” he asked.

Smoke reached out and covered his eyes. “You can guess.”

Shu Jun sighed and kissed the top of his head. “Yeah, I can guess.”

“But I don’t want to choose either one.” Smoke’s body trembled slightly. “I—”

“That’s fine. At least we still have time to say goodbye.” Shu Jun grinned. “I also know what you’re thinking. If it were me, I would feel the same… A’Yan, you made the right choice. If I were to become your pet, I would end up hating you sooner or later… I don’t want to hate you.”

He suddenly accelerated and left all the trackers behind. With the wind pressing against them, Smoke buried his face in Shu Jun’s neck, still crying silently, with more and more tears.

“If only I were stronger…” he whispered softly.

“We’re here,” Shu Jun interrupted him.

Smoke raised his head and stood still in place.

Shu Jun flew all the way outside the city, easily bypassing the ground checkpoints and headed towards the garden outside that only adult players had access to.

The flower fields stretched endlessly, adorned with numerous round glass domes. Shu Jun landed on the highest dome, arms wide open. The surrounding flowers swayed gently, their sweet and refreshing colors colliding with each other. Thin mist spread along the ground. Against the transparent blue sky and fragrant breeze, the scene in front of them resembled a paradise.

It was a sight that could never exist in <Erosion>.

“We had agreed to come here together when we grow up,” Shu Jun wiped the blood from his mouth. “But now it seems our time is limited… It looks like you really didn’t deceive me; this world is indeed not very real.”

Smoke had “Human Protection”, but he didn’t. Those tracking devices nearly turned Shu Jun into a sieve, causing him to bleed profusely, yet he felt no sense of weakness, only waves of pain.

It was irrefutable evidence.

“You are the most important person to me. I want to bid you a proper farewell.” Seeing Smoke remain silent, he continued.

Smoke sat on the glass dome, staring blankly at the blossoming flowers around him, then at Shu Jun’s battered body covered in blood. Shu Jun’s blood had splattered all over him, and he seemed stunned by reality, unable to say anything.

“Don’t you hate me?”

After a moment, Smoke cautiously confirmed, his voice trembling.

“I’ve known about these things for a long time. I’ve been hiding them from you… Don’t you hate me?”

“Of course I do. You should have told me earlier.” Shu Jun sat down in front of him, his blood dripping down the glass dome. “Although I understand that you must have had your reasons—if only you had told me earlier, you wouldn’t have suffered alone for so long.”

“You…”

“You haven’t done anything, have you?”

“You don’t understand!” This time, Smoke didn’t hide his tearful voice. “I… I’ve been studying—studying hard recently. But the more I study, the clearer it becomes to me that I can’t save you, Shu Jun. I don’t have enough time to save you!”

The rustling of the flower leaves enveloped them, creating a soothing sound. The pain that had accumulated for a long time broke open a point, bursting out from the cracks.

“Even if I… If I stop eating, stop sleeping, and I’m a once-in-a-millennium genius, I still… still can’t save you. I can only access advanced equipment when I become an adult, but my father won’t allow me to focus on studying them. I won’t have the support of a formal team… There’s too much to research. At the current pace, it’s impossible to complete within one generation… Why are we almost the same age? I don’t have enough time…”

Smoke’s voice seemed to carry a hint of blood as he slowly clenched his hand on the glass dome.

“…I can’t save you…”

“A’Yan,” Shu Jun reached out his bloodstained hand and wiped away Smoke’s tears, smudging his own face even more. “On the night of the Reunion Festival, you asked me, ‘If everyone tells you it’s right, but you feel something is off, what would you do?'”

Smoke choked up, nodding.

“I want to give a different answer now.” Shu Jun blinked hard, trying not to burst into tears. “If you think the player system isn’t good, it’s already remarkable as long as you can persist in your own beliefs.”

He tried to make his voice sound lighthearted.

“It’s okay if you can’t save me. If Xu Kan can strive for so long, I’m sure I can too. So, let’s make a promise.”

“What…?”

“I promise you.” Shu Jun raised his blood-soaked pinky finger. “What you’ve taught me, I’ve engraved it in my bones. They are mine now. Even if I forget you, I’ll keep winning. This way, even if I can’t be with you, I’ll try to stay with you for as long as possible, okay?”

“You… You haven’t seen the battlefield. You can’t guarantee…”

“If I achieve it. I’ll keep on living.” Smoke suppressed the sourness in his eyes once again. “As an exchange, don’t forget about me, and don’t forget your current mindset. Be good to my friends at school, to my brothers and sisters in the team… When you grow up, for my sake, be kind to them. Okay?”

“You can’t keep winning forever.” Smoke wiped his tears haphazardly. “I can’t reach a high position either.”

“Come on, let’s pinky promise.” Shu Jun raised his voice. “Stop talking nonsense. You’re the most handsome and formidable person I’ve ever seen. You will definitely become an extraordinary individual.”

Smoke remained silent for a long time, until the shadows of the guard trackers appeared on the horizon.

He reached out with his cold and trembling hand, gently hooked his pinky with Shu Jun’s. “Alright, this is your promise to me…”

His voice trembled even more. “You will never lose.”

“We’ve bid farewell properly.” Shu Jun held on, taking a deep breath. “I’ve said everything I wanted to say. At least… At least there are no regrets.”

The guard trackers were getting closer and closer.

His heart pounded frantically in pain. ‘Not like this,’ Shu Jun thought. It wasn’t what he wanted to say. He—

Smoke made a move.

“Do you know?” His voice still choked, as a cold hand gently caressed Shu Jun’s face. “My teacher told me that if you leave behind a huge… A huge emotional impact, maybe you’ll remember a bit about me.”

He leaned in closer, awkwardly leaning his body forward, and kissed Shu Jun’s cheek.

[Our teacher said that a kiss means ‘like’.]

[A kiss on the cheek means ‘like’.]

Something exploded in Shu Jun’s chest, and he could no longer maintain a smiling face. He tightly embraced Smoke, holding onto him tightly.

“I like you too!” He cried out loud. “Can you not leave? I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to forget you.”

He held onto the other person with all his strength, crying with tears and snot covering his face.

“I don’t want to forget you, A’Yan—”

Then his world plunged into complete darkness. It wasn’t the void of nothingness, but genuine darkness. When he woke up again, he was faced with a makeup test for the school’s simulation examination.

Since that day, he had forgotten the most special person in his life.

Now, he had finally found that person again.

Blood and gruesome scenes continued to swirl in his mind, and Shu Jun couldn’t feel his own body. Memories fell back into place, and his body completely shattered, dissolving into the Erosion Swamp. His thoughts no longer operated like those of a human, his brain seemed to be spread out, and his body merged with everything. He extended his “body”, and his soul floated like a drunken bubble, light and airy. Despair and hatred turned into an exhilarating thrill. Shu Jun had never felt so at ease.

The former nightmares solidified into reality, accompanied by whispers of despair and hatred that flooded his ears.

No, perhaps that wasn’t a nightmare; maybe it was himself as well. Ever since he destroyed the other two Erosion Swamps and transformed into an Erosion Swamp himself, many instinctive-like messages flooded in. In the center of the pitch-black vortex, a voice without sound grew louder and louder.

This is your rebirth, and you can become anything. Just like Sweet Edge or the Mirror Erosion Swamp, you can obtain a completely new form—a powerful form.

If you make the right choice, you can destroy Sigma, destroy everything—eliminate all enemies, and exist in this comfortable form eternally.

Dipped in intense hatred, this proposal was indeed tempting. However, he could feel the temperature of another person; Zhu Yanchen’s temperature was dropping. He knelt in the cold Erosion Swamp, just as desperate as when they parted ways.

“That’s a tempting proposition.”

He answered decisively.

“But I prefer my original self—things would be troublesome if I can’t hold the person I love.”

The black, withered hands on Zhu Yanchen gradually merged and twisted. The Erosion Swamp surged and transformed into human bones, skin, and then clothing. Shu Jun opened his arms and tightly embraced Zhu Yanchen.

The heavy negative emotions made him feel a bit dizzy, and the returning memories stabbed his chest. In the process of regaining his form, Shu Jun had thought of countless long speeches, but after embracing Zhu Yanchen, he couldn’t say a single word.

He sighed, lowered his head, and firmly kissed Zhu Yanchen’s lips.

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Kinky Thoughts:

I ugly cried this chapter.

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