Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 18

In 15 minutes, Zhou Qian completed the transformation into a god and turned into a creature resembling a fish, briefly losing his sanity and experiencing the pain that Epoh had once endured…

Now, everything had passed. His sanity had returned, and all the physical pain had disappeared. Zhou Qian was about to face his final test—to survive in the midst of Epoh’s attack.

However, Zhou Qian’s consciousness still seems to be scattered.

He was trapped in a distant nightmare that he still couldn’t let go of.

So much so that when he was pinched by a powerful god by his chin, he could only stare closely into the god’s eyes and accusingly proclaimed—

“Bai Zhou, you’re a coward!”

“I’ll hate you. I’ll hate you forever!”

What finally woke Zhou Qian up was a series of system notifications.

[Warning! Player Zhou Qian is about to be attacked by God Epoh!]

[System assessment: Player Zhou Qian cannot resist!]

[Player Zhou Qian, the system has prepared a basic grave for you. Rest in peace. If you pay 300 gold coins, you can upgrade to a premium grave. Your balance is insufficient. The system provides you with a funeral donation feature—]

Quickly realizing his situation, Zhou Qian looked into the eyes of Epoh through his sweat-soaked hair, who was close by.

Those eyes were clear and beautiful, reminding him of scales that sparkled like blue stars.

But at the same time, they were cold and showed an uncompromising killing intent.

In those beautiful eyes, Zhou Qian saw his reflection and his dire situation.

The powerful god’s killing intent had reached its peak.

In this crucial moment, Zhou Qian reached into his bag and pulled out a black pill.

With a slight smile at Epoh, Zhou Qian whispered into his ear, “Dalang, it’s medicine time.”

Epoh: “………”

A moment later, God Epoh obediently took the black pill from Zhou Qian and ate it.

After which, he remained frozen in place.

With a loud bang, the one-hour limit finally arrived. The gates to Apple Paradise finally opened.

Catching his breath, Zhou Qian stood up and looked at the opened gate, telling his three stunned teammates, “This pill can hold him for three minutes. Let’s go now!”

Inside the paradise, a gigantic apple tree was laden with tempting red apples. Below the tree were white petals scattered like snow.

The palace was windy, making the trees sway and the petals dance. But the blue lake in front of the gigantic tree remained without ripples, as if made of crystal.

The lake was calm, just like Epoh’s eyes.

The stunning God Epoh, entangled in branches and under the influence of the medicine, hovered mid-air. His mirror-like eyes watched the players leave.

He watched them step over the snow-like petals, cross the crystal bridge, run into the green apple forest, and eventually sprint towards the newly opened gate without ever looking back…

The four players ran desperately towards the palace gate.

Zhou Qian was the first to run out of stamina and, in the end, was practically carried by Qi Liuxing and Gao Shan.

When they were 30 meters away from the gate, the three-minute limit ended. Zhou Qian felt a gust of wind from behind—either God Epoh was trying to teleport him, or he had appeared behind him.

Zhou Qian didn’t dare to look back.

“Three, two, one, jump!”

He commanded loudly, and his teammates leaped with him, all of them tumbling out of the palace!

[Players successfully cleared “Apple Paradise” and received a treasure chest. Upon opening, they can obtain random items.]

[Players achieved a hidden achievement and will receive a special reward. Please wait for the end-game animation.]

[Player Zhou Qian successfully “Transformed into a God”, achieving the ultimate hidden achievement.]

……

With the continuous notifications, a treasure chest appeared in front of each of the four players. They stored the chests for now, not opening them immediately, since the end-game animation was still playing.

Turning around, they looked together at the palace gates and saw the entire paradise undergoing a massive transformation—the doors, stone pillars, and countless apple trees were all twisting and leaning towards the ground. Eventually, they all fell into the mud, becoming part of the branches, and slithered like snakes toward the center of the paradise…

The previously serene azure lake suddenly whipped up into a tumultuous storm, and its blue waters turned a deep crimson. A blood-colored deluge surged to the skies before pouring back into the roots of the giant tree.

The tree seemed to breathe, and in a moment, it had devoured all the lake water.

Perhaps the lake was truly the blood flowing within the tree’s veins.

It seemed everything in this paradise was a part of the giant tree, or perhaps a part of Epoh.

Now, as the illusion faded, everything returned to its original form.

The giant tree grew even larger, its countless branches twitching. From afar, it resembled a creature with innumerable tentacles. And at the center of this creature was the god Epoh.

His long hair, intertwined with the green leaves, enveloped his radiant, elongated body. He hovered in mid-air, looking down upon the world with the posture of a god.

Kneeling before him were the two goddesses in white dresses.

They no longer laughed with naive romance; fear filled their faces, and their bodies trembled.

At this moment, since the players had completed the game, they could observe everything up close.

Thus, they walked toward the central part of the original paradise.

Observing the scene of the goddesses kneeling, Yun Xiangrong remarked, “The goddesses lied. They’re not gods transformed from eating apples. Otherwise, like the followers, they would’ve been killed long ago. They were just deceiving and tempting the believers! Remember—”

Gao Shan picked up from there. “I recall now! Adam and Eve were warned by God not to eat the forbidden fruit. Yet, seduced by the devilish snake, they ate it and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. And that devilish snake was… was…”

“…The incarnation of Satan,” Zhou Qian added, just as the two goddesses collapsed, writhing in pain.

After a soft sigh from Epoh, they turned into ashes.

God created angels, but they aspired to overthrow him, falling and becoming the devil Satan.

In this game’s narrative, Epoh created the goddesses, but they harbored evil intentions.

They tempted humans to eat apples and become gods. What was their next move? Would they unite the god-turned followers against Epoh?

Comparing these symbolic images with legendary stories, Zhou Qian noticed that Epoh in the sky was looking in their direction.

Raising his hand, Epoh waved lightly, and in front of each player floated something resembling a matchbox.

Upon opening it, Zhou Qian found it was indeed a matchbox containing several matches.

Looking up, Zhou Qian asked Epoh, “Is this our reward for completing the hidden mission?”

Epoh, enveloped in branches and leaves, appeared mysterious in the shadows of his silhouette. He gazed at Zhou Qian, merely saying, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. Now, God grants you the ‘Seed of Fire’.”

[Players received the item: Seed of Fire]

[Function: ?]

[Grade: ?]

The system panels of the four players simultaneously displayed this notification.

Uncertain about the purpose of the [Seed of Fire], the players were taken aback, all wondering what special reward Zhou Qian, who achieved the ultimate hidden achievement, would receive.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Epoh who was floating in the air.

Epoh slightly tilted his head, looking down at Zhou Qian.

He raised his right hand—long-fingered yet powerful.

Not long ago, he had placed this hand on Zhou Qian’s neck, intending to end his life. But now, he pointed to Zhou Qian’s chest.

Transformed, Zhou Qian felt as though his chest was being torn open. Flesh separated, blood pouring. Yet he felt no pain—

Epoh reached into Zhou Qian’s chest, extracting a rib.

Both the tree and Epoh vanished from their spot, instantly appearing before Zhou Qian.

Bending down, Epoh handed the bloody rib to Zhou Qian, saying, “Take it.”

These words echoed, sounding as if they were from the far horizon.

God created the first human, Adam. To prevent him from feeling lonely, God took one of Adam’s ribs and transformed it into his wife, Eve.

Now, Epoh also took one of Zhou Qian’s ribs and crafted it into a weapon for Zhou Qian.

The eyelid lifted, and Zhou Qian instantly saw a palm covered in fresh red blood as well as a rib enveloped in thick blood.

“This is quite a unique gift.” Zhou Qian smiled, then added, “Wait a moment for me.”

Epoh remained silent.

Everyone else: ???

Zhou Qian then took out a tissue from his bag, wrapped it around his palm, and reluctantly took the rib.

Everyone: “…”

Isn’t your cleanliness a bit over the top?!

After accepting such a gruesome reward, Zhou Qian wiped the blood with the tissue, then asked Epoh, “Now that I’ve ascended, this rib after ascension… it’s not going to turn into a girl like Eve, right? I don’t want a wife; I want a weapon. Can it be used as a weapon?”

The system panel answered in place of Epoh.

[Player Zhou Qian Rank: F→D]

[HP: 300→2000]

[MP: 300→2000]

[Initial Skill Points: 100]

[Suggested Skills: Agility, Control]

[Acquired Weapon: Rib of God]

[Weapon Function: For Rank D players, only one function can be unlocked—slowing down time; Range: 10m²; other functions to be unlocked.]

……

In the wilderness, dusk had set.

After cleaning the rib, Zhou Qian looked up at Epoh, who seemed about to leave.

“Are you just data, or are you a real person?” Zhou Qian asked again.

Epoh turned his head, his emotionless eyes meeting Zhou Qian’s gaze, seemingly still not understanding what he meant.

Zhou Qian raised his right hand, where Epoh’s strand of hair was wrapped around his index finger.

“Will I see you again? Epoh.”

Epoh still didn’t answer.

So Zhou Qian asked, “So, at the end of this story… What’s your fate? To leave forever?”

“Yes, I will leave forever.”

A god once passed through a land and found humans living there, who were backward, poor, and without any special abilities.

The god was willing to grant favors, fulfilling humans’ wishes, as long as they believed in him and became his followers.

People thought the god must have ulterior motives behind his kindness. But they were wrong; the god had no such intentions. Human power was too insignificant to be of any use to him.

God bestowed pure kindness upon humans, earning their devout worship. But because it came too easily, the followers took God’s blessings for granted. So, when one day God’s powers waned and he could no longer fulfill their desires, they began to resent him.

To vent their anger, God allowed them to hurt him. But God’s blessings also came to an end.

When the followers overstepped, wanting to become gods, coveting his power, and even standing beside him…

God felt murderous.

“So, do you resent humans? Do you resent us?” Zhou Qian asked again.

Zhou Qian’s main purpose wasn’t just to explore the game’s depths or storyline, but to understand the true intent behind the game’s design.

If the level design of a game could reflect the character of the designer behind the game, could the plot of the instances in the game also reflect the selfishness of the designer?

To be able to construct such a vast game world, this kind of power surely exceeded human comprehension.

Then, like Epoh in this story, could the game designer also be a god?

If he really was a god, what was his purpose in designing this game?

Would he, like Epoh, resent humans?

And as the name “Epoh” suggests, would he rob humans of their hope?

If the game designer was indeed a god, what was his purpose in creating the game?

From midair, Epoh calmly said, “Humans are not worthy of God’s hatred. He is just disappointed. Disappointed in humans and this land. That’s why he chose to leave. God abandoned humans and this land.”

Sometimes, the opposite of hope wasn’t despair, but disappointment.

Zhou Qian looked up, his eyes reflecting the countless stars in the sky. Staring at Epoh, he said, “I have another question for you.

“You said earlier… God selflessly bestowed kindness upon humans. I disagree. You fulfilled Li Dafu’s wishes, but you harmed a young boy. What did the boy do wrong?”

Epoh replied indifferently, “God only cares about his followers.”

“Oh, so because the boy didn’t believe in you, his life didn’t matter to you? Li Dafu did evil things, but as long as he’s your follower, you don’t care?”

Zhou Qian’s eyes narrowed, emitting a very oppressive aura.

“Actually, for me, the life and death, good and evil of humans aren’t important.” Epoh looked at Zhou Qian, his face showing no pity. “Would you care about the goodness or wickedness of an ant?”

After he spoke, branches, like tentacles, writhed in the air and enveloped Epoh completely.

Suddenly, a massive tree ascended, touching the sky in a moment, looking like a meteor returning from the earth to the sky. It soon vanished into the vast night.

The magnificent palace disappeared as if it had never existed, signifying this land was now abandoned by the gods.

The surroundings fell silent, and the background began to fade. This indicated that the end animation was about to disappear, and players would soon return to reality.

While staring at the place where the palace used to be, Zhou Qian heard Yun Xiangrong ask, “Why did you ask him that question? I always felt that you didn’t seem like…”

Zhou Qian noticed that Gao Shan was also looking at him.

It seemed they all believed that he wouldn’t care about the life or death of a little boy who was an NPC.

“Perhaps it’s because—” Zhou Qian calmly said, “I almost ended up in a situation like his.”

The three were visibly shocked at his words, exchanging uneasy glances.

Zhou Qian looked up at the near-transparent night sky.

“I am satisfied with Epoh’s answer. It should be that way. In a crisis, no one will come to your rescue. Don’t even think of pleading with so-called gods. No one cares about your good or evil, or life or death, except yourself.”

……

During the player logout period, all scenes completely disappeared.

In the pitch-black environment, Zhou Qian noticed a faint glow coming from his body.

Looking down, he realized—his appearance was still that after “becoming a God”, resembling a non-human entity.

As for the source of the light, it was from the scales on his body.

The scales, shimmering like deep-sea stars, inevitably reminded him of the near-death night and a dragon that pierced the haze towards him.

In a moment, Zhou Qian noticed the webbing on his hands fading, and most of the scales’ glow gradually dimmed.

With the game logout process nearly complete, he was slowly returning to his normal human appearance outside the game.

Finally, with a “ding” sound, three scales fell to the ground.

He picked them up. The darkness vanished, and he was back in the hospital room.

[Player Zhou Qian obtained the item: Divine Scale]

[Function: Shiny scales from a creature the system has never seen. What kind of human, driven by what obsession, would grow such luminous scales? A tiny scale with a significant effect, it can transform into a dragon entirely controlled by the player with absolute obedience. It can be used for playful pranks or as a cute decoration!]

[Note 1: The dragon formed by the scale is born from a living player, so it has similar vital signs to the player. Wanting it to sneakily approach someone for a surprise? The system advises against it, as it is easily detectable! It has no attack power or any skills.]

[Note 2: The scale is a consumable. Each dragon created by a scale can only exist for 24 hours; cherish the time spent with the dragon.]

……

Spring Hill Asylum, Ward 1, Room 302.

Upon leaving the game, Zhou Qian found himself lying on a hospital bed. He checked the time on his phone; it was only 8:10 pm.

When he left, it was 8 pm. He had spent several hours in the game, but in reality, only 10 minutes had passed.

All the physical pain from the game disappeared after logging out.

However, the mental exhaustion was substantial.

Feeling extremely tired, Zhou Qian took a shower and went back to bed. But he couldn’t sleep.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw that colorful dream, those unforgettable scales, and the dragon. If not, it was the young boy’s departure on the sycamore tree-lined path. The boy waved, saying “goodbye” as if he were just a regular schoolboy, but he never returned…

Getting up, Zhou Qian took out the sleeping pill prescribed by Li Xuehai from his bedside table, took one, and finally fell asleep.

He slept until noon the next day.

After freshening up, he went to the dining hall of Ward 1.

After disdainfully glancing at the lunch, he didn’t take anything and left.

Back in his room, he opened the game panel and saw that he had received 600 gold coins as a reward for clearing “Apple Paradise”.

According to the system, one gold coin could be exchanged for ten thousand yuan. Zhou Qian tried to exchange for thirty thousand yuan. After succeeding, he quickly picked up his phone to call a luxury hotel he had often visited in the past. The call was answered by a manager familiar to Zhou Qian. Recognizing it was Zhou Qian, the manager hesitated. “But you’ve gone bankrupt, so…”

Zhou Qian immediately transferred the money. “Check your WeChat.”

“Oh! I’ll send it to you right away!”

“As for the dishes, you can decide for me. Do you remember my preferences?” Zhou Qian asked.

“Of course!” replied the manager professionally. “You don’t eat onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, celery, fennel, star anise, or fish with bones or shrimp with shells. Right?”

“Correct.”

An hour later, Zhou Qian was having a lavish lunch in his hospital room. When Dr. Li Xuehai came for a checkup, he caught Zhou Qian sipping coffee.

Entering the room, Li Xuehai noticed the mess of plates and cups everywhere. With a twitch in the corner of his eye, he tried to maintain a serious demeanor. “You should cut down on coffee. It’s a stimulant—”

Zhou Qian, looking at him curiously, asked, “Dr. Li, what happens if I take coffee and sleeping pills together?”

Li Xuehai: “…”

Keeping a straight face, Li Xuehai approached Zhou Qian, took out his notebook, and began asking routine questions such as how he slept, if he felt uncomfortable anywhere, or if he felt irritable. Zhou Qian obediently answered all the questions. When Li Xuehai was done writing, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and asked, “By the way… Why did you only come for a checkup this afternoon?”

Li Xuehai frowned. “Something came up. The hospital leadership called an urgent meeting. I didn’t prioritize you since your case is mild.”

“What happened?” Zhou Qian pressed.

Setting his notebook down at the foot of the bed, Li Xuehai walked to the window, deeply troubled. “Two patients from Zone B died yesterday. One jumped off the building, and the other died suddenly.”

Behind him, Zhou Qian became serious. “What were their names?”

“Wang Lu and Dong Xiang,” Li Xuehai answered, sensing something off about Zhou Qian’s inquiry. “You usually aren’t interested in other people’s affairs. Why the sudden curiosity?”

Zhou Qian replied, “It seems you don’t know me well. I’m quite interested.”

Li Xuehai: “…”

Zhou Qian continued, “Have there been many deaths in the hospital recently?”

“Besides the sudden two last night… everything else seems normal. Zone 1 is fine, but patients in Zone 2 and Zone X are very severe. Some desperately try to commit suicide. Despite strict control, there are always oversights.” Li Xuehai frowned. “Why are you asking this?”

“No reason.” Zhou Qian yawned and continued sipping his coffee. He and Dong Xiang were both from Spring Hill Asylum and both appeared in the game. It wasn’t a coincidence. He mentioned in the game that they were all mental patients, and no one refuted him, indicating he was right. It seemed the game was selecting players from mental hospitals. From what he could tell, the mysterious deaths at Spring Hill Asylum weren’t widespread, indicating the game had only recently affected the hospital and involved few patients.

While lost in thought, Zhou Qian kept the conversation going with Li Xuehai.

When Zhou Qian teased him by saying, “Huh, why are you wearing the same pants as yesterday? Can’t afford multiple pairs of that brand?” He finally managed to annoy the doctor into leaving. Zhou Qian then turned his attention to the notebook left at the foot of his bed—Li Xuehai had left behind his records.

Driven by curiosity, Zhou Qian picked up the notebook. A sharp intuition pierced his mind, causing a throbbing pain in his temple.

Pressing one hand against his aching forehead, Zhou Qian hesitated for a moment before flipping open the notebook.

The notebook was categorized by ward, including the dangerous Zone X.

Is Li Xuehai also responsible for the patients in Zone X?

Zhou Qian frowned and turned to the records related to Zone X. The first page of this section was a list of patients and their room assignments.

As he read further, Zhou Qian’s expression turned from curiosity to seriousness, shock, and disbelief. His pupils nearly contracted to pinpoints, and his entire body tensed up.

He saw the record on a certain line in the list.

[03X87, Bai Zhou.]

……

The dimly lit sycamore tree path appeared again in front of Zhou Qian.

Time flowed like water, moving forward in ripples under the gentle breeze, and the path seemed to sway, leading back to a much earlier afternoon.

Zhou Qian became an observer, watching his younger self doing homework with a similarly young Bai Zhou. Or more precisely, Bai Zhou was the one doing the homework, and he planned to copy.

At that time, they had just started their first year of junior high.

Outside the window, the wind rustled the sycamore tree leaves, making them fall. The sound of the falling leaves was similar to the sound of Bai Zhou’s writing.

Fwish, fwish, fwish…

After an unknown period, Bai Zhou closed his workbook. Zhou Qian made a move to snatch it, but Bai Zhou evaded him.

Zhou Qian nudged Bai Zhou with his elbow. “Give it to me.”

“Do it yourself,” Bai Zhou replied with certainty.

“I can’t.”

“I can teach you.”

Out of boredom, Zhou Qian opened a page in his workbook. “I don’t know how to do this problem.”

Bai Zhou took out a piece of scratch paper, writing down the calculation while explaining it earnestly to Zhou Qian. Bai Zhou was looking down while writing, so Zhou Qian, sitting straight, could see his drooping eyelashes.

After a while, Bai Zhou asked him, “Did you understand?”

Distracted, Zhou Qian reached out to pinch Bai Zhou’s eyelashes. “No, I don’t understand.”

Bai Zhou dodged Zhou Qian’s hand and patiently said, “Then let me explain it again.”

Ignoring him, Zhou Qian, failing to pinch Bai Zhou’s lashes, decided to pull his hair.

Bai Zhou had to grab his wrist, looking him in the eyes. The young Bai Zhou’s gaze was already quite intimidating. “Zhou Qian, sit still.”

Thus, Bai Zhou patiently explained a simple question to Zhou Qian three times.

After the third time, Bai Zhou asked, “Do you understand now?”

Zhou Qian shook his head, looking at Bai Zhou with a mischievous glint in his eye.

What will he do next?

Bai Zhou gave him a casual glance and handed over his scratch paper. “Alright then. Copy my calculations 10 times. If after 10 times you still don’t get it, copy it 100 times. Repetition can lead to understanding. Start copying now, no matter how late it gets, I’ll be with you.”

Zhou Qian sighed. “Why do you insist on helping me?”

Is it just because we’ve been classmates since the first grade?

But Bai Zhou said, “Because in the one-on-one tutoring program, we were put in the same group. I promised the teacher that I would be responsible for you.”

Zhou Qian: “…”

Is it just because of the teacher’s request?

Due to a hidden past, Zhou Qian was actually sick at that time. When not having episodes, he was sweet and had high emotional intelligence, getting along with everyone. But when an episode hit, he would lose control.

Zhou Qian had been on medication for some time and hadn’t had an episode in a while.

But that day, for reasons even he couldn’t fathom, he became uncontrollably angry when Bai Zhou spoke. He grabbed Bai Zhou’s neatly written homework and tore it to shreds.

The torn pieces fluttered like snowflakes, falling as the two sat side by side, looking at each other.

Then Zhou Qian said with malice and mockery, “Don’t think you’re better just because you’re the class president and rank first. No matter how well you do in school, what’s the use? You might work your whole life and still not be able to afford my family’s villa in the city center. No, you might not even afford a bathroom in my house.”

After venting his anger, Zhou Qian thought—Given Bai Zhou’s modest background, my words must have really hurt, right? He’ll be angry, give up on me, right?

Much later, Zhou Qian realized why he had said those words that day.

In an almost pathological way, he was testing Bai Zhou’s limits.

How could someone be so good? Beneath that gentle exterior, could there be another side to him that no one knows?

How bad do I have to be for you to leave me, to give up on me?

It wasn’t intentional.

He simply couldn’t believe that Bai Zhou would care for him when even his own parents didn’t. The naive him firmly believed that Bai Zhou should have distanced himself earlier because they were simply not from the same world.

Even though Bai Zhou’s family background was rather ordinary, in Zhou Qian’s eyes, he had everything he should have—the most ordinary, yet warm and loving family life, filled with lively chatter and warmth.

But Zhou Qian was different. On the surface, the Zhou family appeared glamorous, but it had been rotting from the inside for a long time.

Facing Zhou Qian’s actions, Bai Zhou seemed entirely unmoved.

He just got up, went to the balcony, fetched a broom, and meticulously cleaned up the torn bits of paper. Then he returned to his seat, picked up his pen, and started to do his work. “I’m starting my homework from the beginning; you might as well join me.”

Some time later.

Zhou Qian apologized to Bai Zhou.

The sycamore leaves were still withered yellow, and the autumn breeze and sunlight were as gentle as ever.

The same classroom, the same spot by the window.

Zhou Qian stared unblinkingly at Bai Zhou before him.

A breeze lifted his hair, revealing Bai Zhou’s beautiful eyebrows and eyes. The corner of his eye had a little red—a mark made intentionally or unintentionally with a red pen during their playful scuffle.

“Zhou Ge,” Zhou Qian softly began, his tone noticeably rising.

“Hmm?” Bai Zhou looked up at him. “What is it?”

Zhou Qian asked, “Why are you always so gentle? Is it just towards me or everyone?”

Bai Zhou simply patted his head. “Do your homework.”

Zhou Qian blinked a few times and then suddenly said, “I didn’t mean what I said last time.”

Bai Zhou asked, “Which time?”

“When I said you couldn’t afford a villa like mine,” Zhou Qian blinked again and earnestly said, “I don’t know why, but that day I just wanted to make you angry. Don’t take my words to heart. If you want, you could earn a lot in the future. You could buy a thousand, no, ten thousand of my villas.”

Bai Zhou chuckled. “Why would I keep buying your villas?”

Zhou Qian didn’t answer but instead sought reassurance. “I’m actually quite good-natured most of the time, right? I’m not always like this… My mom often calls me a little lunatic. Do you think I’m mad?”

“No,” Bai Zhou answered seriously.

“Bai Zhou, have you never gotten angry? Even when I’m not around, are you the same?”

“Do you always find the world so wonderful?”

“Have you ever felt resentment or discontent?”

“Do you ever feel life has been unfair to you?”

“Why is there someone as perfect as you in this world?”

“Do people like you really exist?”

……

Zhou Qian asked Bai Zhou many questions.

He remembered all of Bai Zhou’s answers.

Perhaps because Bai Zhou was too perfect, heaven took him away too soon.

Those who were strong were easy to break, and those who were too wise would die prematurely. Probably, the same principle applied.

Shaking off the memories, Zhou Qian looked at the name on the list before him.

What’s going on? Is it a namesake?

……

Three days later.

A new patient, Qi Liuxing, joined Zhou Qian in his hospital room.

Originally, Qi Liuxing was staying at the Second People’s Hospital in the neighboring city, another psychiatric facility.

After leaving the game this time, a new patient was admitted to his room, which made it inconvenient for him to log into the system and enter or exit the game.

After contacting Zhou Qian and learning that he was alone in his room, Qi Liuxing decided to transfer.

Now they both resided in Ward 302 at Spring Hill Asylum. After moving in, Qi Liuxing wanted to discuss with Zhou Qian their next adventure in the game. However, he was first tasked by Zhou Qian with a mission—to keep watch.

Every day from 2 to 6 pm, some patients from Zone 1 were allowed to be outdoors within a designated area. So, at 5 pm that day, during the outdoor activity time, Qi Liuxing was called by Zhou Qian to a tree at the edge of the garden.

He watched Zhou Qian climb the tree and take out a high-powered binoculars, peering in a specific direction. His task was to stand below and ensure nobody saw Zhou Qian.

Confused by Zhou Qian’s actions, Qi Liu Xing whispered, “What’s happening?”

Zhou Qian countered, “Ever heard about the structure of Spring Hill Asylum?”

“There’s Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone X? Besides Zone 1, the other zones are practically like prisons, right?” Qi Liuxing said, glancing in the direction Zhou Qian was looking, “You’re looking at Zone X?”

Indeed, Zhou Qian was observing Zone X.

On the manual, Bai Zhou’s number was 03X87.

Using the excuse that he had a friend in Zone X and wanted to visit, Zhou Qian had inquired about it with a nurse he was familiar with.

The nurse’s answer was, “What’s your friend’s number? If it starts with 01 or 02, there’s still a chance to visit… but 03 is absolutely out of the question. Those with numbers starting with 03 are held in the West Hua Building, facing Gate 1. Gate 1 is sealed all year round and is under the tightest security. This is because the people in West Hua Building are extremely dangerous. Especially…”

“I heard there’s one with the number 03X87. He’s the most dangerous one—must have committed a very serious crime. Don’t even think about going there.”

03X87. That was exactly Bai Zhou’s number.

How did he become the most dangerous and inaccessible person?

Zhou Qian was determined to find out what was going on in Zone X.

Spring Hill Asylum was built on a mountain.

Zones 1 and 2 were on the north side, and Zone X was on the south.

A small river separated Zone X from the other wards, much like the Chu-Han boundary. Guards were posted in front of the stone bridge over the river, preventing any unauthorized access. On the riverbanks, there were metal fences, with electric wires stretched above.

Fortunately, the West Hua Building was close to the first door, directly facing the activity area of Zone 1.

This allowed Zhou Qian to observe the West Hua Building with binoculars.

At that moment, sitting on a rather thick tree trunk, Zhou Qian looked at the building on the opposite bank of the river with his high-powered binoculars. According to the patterns he had learned, patient number 03X87 was in the 7^th room on the 8^th floor.

He counted the rooms one by one through the binoculars and quickly located the room where Bai Zhou was.

The weather was overcast, with the setting sun mostly obscured by thick clouds. Thus, when Zhou Qian looked from afar, his view wasn’t very clear, as if everything was covered by an orange-gray filter.

Under this grayness, he saw the situation inside the single room.

There was indeed a person lying on the bed, wearing a restraint suit, completely tied to the bed, unable to move at all.

Due to the angle, Zhou Qian couldn’t see his face clearly, but he could see a little of his nose and a thin, slightly pale chin.

Qi Liuxing’s voice came from below the tree. “What are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Zhou Qian said. “His name is Bai Zhou.”

“Bai Zhou? What’s special about him?” Qi Liuxing asked.

Zhou Qian paused for a moment and then said, “Nothing special. He’s been my… rival since childhood.”

After saying this, Zhou Qian laughed at his own joke. The term ‘rival’ had always been a joke on his part.

Bai Zhou never took the joke seriously or even got mad at him, probably because he never took Zhou Qian seriously.

“Your rival is in Zone X?” Qi Liuxing curiously asked.

“It might just be a coincidence, because…” Zhou Qian’s voice suddenly faltered.

Zhou Qian’s eyelids were flat, and his eyes were narrow. When he looked down, he easily seemed melancholic. Hearing the change in his voice, Qi Liuxing looked up and saw him like this.

Noticing his unusual demeanor, Qi Liuxing asked, “Why?”

“Because he’s dead,” Zhou Qian replied.

“How did he die?”

“I don’t know.”

Zhou Qian really didn’t know.

Holding the binoculars, he stared intently at the distant room and began to recount, “On the surface, he seemed gentle, but it felt like he was always competing with me behind the scenes, always trying to one-up me. Was it because he was too arrogant?”

Zhou Qian had average physical strength but had honed his skills in gambling under his father’s guidance. His skills weren’t just evident in card games but also in playing table tennis.

For a while, he was very interested in table tennis and often participated in school competitions.

In one final match, as expected, Zhou Qian faced Bai Zhou.

Hearing this, Qi Liuxing curiously asked, “Who won?”

Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, seeming lost in memory. “I won. He lost. After that, he transferred schools. Do you think he couldn’t handle the loss?”

Qi Liuxing didn’t know how to respond, so he remained silent.

Looking at the half of the chin exposed from the restraint suit, Zhou Qian slowly said, “After he transferred, I lost contact with him. I held a grudge against him for a year. When I went to his house later… his mother said I came at an unfortunate time, as he had just died. When she talked about him, she spoke as if discussing a stranger.”

“Why?” Qi Liuxing was extremely surprised. “Usually… it wouldn’t be like this, right?”

Zhou Qian replied, “When I went to their house, I saw his mother holding a chubby baby. They probably preferred their second child.”

Qi Liuxing asked again, “Is it possible… that Bai Zhou never actually died? His mother just admitted him to a mental institution and gave you a random excuse?”

“No.” Zhou Qian shook his head. “His mother gave me the address of his grave. I’ve been there. There’s a photo of him on the tombstone. He’ll forever remain 17—he hadn’t even reached adulthood.”

“Besides, even if he didn’t die…”

Zhou Qian’s pupils contracted. “Why would he be in Zone X? Many people in there have committed serious crimes.”

The sky was about to turn dusky.

The wind rustled the leaves, blending the fresh scent of grass and trees, entering Zhou Qian’s nostrils. It inadvertently reminded him of the time right after the final table tennis match in the first year of high school.

Outside the west gate of the campus, the small path was almost overshadowed by the sycamores on both sides, making the sunset appear like twilight. The streetlights were on, with countless specks of dust floating in the beams.

Bai Zhou stood beside the dim streetlight.

Looking at him in the light, Zhou Qian’s gaze carried the sharpness unique to young boys, while the slight smile on his lips had a hint of disdain.

He asked, gritting his teeth, “Why did you deliberately lose to me? Looking down on me?”

In contrast, Bai Zhou’s gaze at Zhou Qian was extremely calm. “I didn’t lose on purpose. You won on merit.”

“Bullshit.” Zhou Qian stepped forward aggressively, grabbing Bai Zhou’s collar. “That second last ball, you clearly could have caught it. Why did your hand tremble? Trying too hard, huh? And that last service error was even more ridiculous. Everyone knows you’re good at serving.”

“Bai Zhou, I really wanted to beat you, but not like this! I don’t need your pity!”

“Today, I indeed made mistakes. Next time, I’ll play my best against you.”

“When is ‘next time’?”

“We should have many opportunities like this. I promise you.”

“You…”

All of Zhou Qian’s anger, hostility, and bad temper seemed to hit cotton when faced with Bai Zhou’s nonchalant gaze. The energy went out, but no feedback was received. Zhou Qian’s glare intensified, no longer just about the match but also about why Bai Zhou remained so calm. It was probably something akin to a childish mentality of “I want to fight him, but he just won’t fight back”.

Despite the anger boiling inside, without realizing, Zhou Qian’s grip on Bai Zhou’s hand loosened.

He heard Bai Zhou say, “Goodbye, Zhou Qian,” before turning away.

The autumn sycamore leaves fell one after another, and under the row of streetlights, everything from that after-school evening in his memories took on a warm hue.

The boy walked away, his school bag on his back.

That was the last time Zhou Qian ever saw Bai Zhou.

At this moment, a few green leaves fell. Qi Liuxing played with them while asking Zhou Qian a few questions.

Zhou Qian didn’t answer. He sat on the tree, motionless as if frozen in time, seemingly lost in deep memories.

Qi Liuxing didn’t disturb him and simply took a nap right there.

After about fifteen minutes, Qi Liuxing was awakened by someone—it was Zhou Qian.

“What is it?” Qi Liuxing asked, still groggy from sleep.

Zhou Qian, with his dark pupils blending with the night, said, “You looked bored. How about accompanying me to dig a grave?”

“…?” Qi Liuxing, still half asleep, was confused. “What?”

Zhou Qian’s dark pupils became darker with the night. “I’m going to dig up Bai Zhou’s grave.”

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 17

Zhou Qian’s gone mad. He must have gone mad.

This was what Qi Liuxing, Gao Shan, Yun Xiangrong, and even Zhu Qiang and Yu Xian all thought.

But as they watched him about to take a bite of the apple, the other three players had no choice but to follow his instructions, cross the lake to Epoh’s side, and cautiously, yet helplessly… pluck a hair from his head.

Qi Liuxing and Gao Shan felt too awkward to say anything.

Yun Xiangrong muttered before plucking the hair, “Blame Zhou Qian for this*, not us!”

*Every injustice has its perpetrator (冤有头债有主) Metaphor referring to every grievance has a specific source or person responsible, so one should address or seek redress from the right person or source rather than blaming the wrong individual.

Epoh: “…”

A moment later, each of the three returned to the other side of the lake, each holding a hair. Zhou Qian, holding an apple, walked over and sat next to Epoh again.

But he didn’t immediately eat the apple. Instead, he leaned against a large tree and closed his eyes as if to rest.

The three players on the other side of the lake seemed to know why he did this, so they didn’t say much. They just sat down and waited for the right moment to come.

Yu Xian, who was watching the screen of his phone, was a bit lost. He asked Zhu Qiang, “What does this mean? Although it’s incredible, wasn’t Qian Ge planning to eat the apple?”

Zhu Qiang thought for a while and said, “I get it. He’s waiting for 12:45 am to eat the apple.”

The ceremony started at 10:00 pm and ended at midnight. The goddess announced that the palace doors would open at 1:00 am. Those who successfully became gods after eating the apple would be attacked by the Great God Epoh 15 minutes later. If they survived the attack, they would become real gods and achieve the ultimate hidden accomplishment.

Zhu Qiang explained the rules again to Yu Xian, then analyzed, “Qian Ge probably wants to time it just right. If he eats the apple at 12:45 and succeeds, he will likely be attacked right at 1:00. That’s when the palace doors will open. He could still escape and clear the game.”

Yu Xian: “I see… So, when Epoh attacks, as long as Qian Ge manages to run out in time, the game ends. And the attack wouldn’t reach him anymore. That means he would have achieved god status and received the ultimate hidden accomplishment.”

“Exactly. That’s probably Qian Ge’s plan.”

“But even so, Epoh’s power is terrifying. How can Qian Ge escape?”

“After becoming a god, his health would greatly increase. Maybe there’s still a chance?”

“No chance at all. Unlike Little Brother Xiao Qi’s scraping skill, Epoh’s attack is a one-shot kill.”

“What I’m most curious about isn’t how Qian Ge would dodge the attack. How can he be so certain of his success when the chances of successfully becoming a god are only 36.8%?”

In the game, time slowly moved to 12:45 am.

Zhou Qian, playing with the apple in his hand, turned to Epoh, who was covered in leaves and petals and had his eyes closed.

Zhou Qian whispered, “Can I eat your apple?”

Opening his eyes, Epoh met Zhou Qian’s somewhat mischievous gaze. “Aren’t you afraid?”

“There doesn’t seem to be much to fear.” Zhou Qian’s deep black eyes were inscrutable, with a hint of madness. “All I’ll do is… experience the pain you’ve been through.”

Epoh said, “It seems you’re looking forward to this pain.”

“Maybe.” Zhou Qian nodded thoughtfully. “I haven’t felt pain in a long time. I’ve lost all sensation. So I think… I’m suitable for becoming a god. I’m ready for the pain.”

Epoh remarked, “It seems you’re a gambler.”

Instead of directly answering, Zhou Qian suddenly said, “Your real form is this tree, or at least something very similar. You and the tree are interdependent? The numerous apple trees on the other side of the lake are just illusions created by your spiritual power. They don’t bear apples because of you. Only the tree that surrounds you can absorb your blood and bear apples… You heal each other and depend on each other to live?”

Epoh didn’t respond but seemed to implicitly acknowledge Zhou Qian’s speculation.

So Zhou Qian asked again, “So many people have died here, but all the flesh and blood have disappeared. Were they absorbed by you and the tree? Has your power increased? If I’m a gambler like mentioned, and now I’m your believer, if I make a wish to you, can you increase my luck?”

Zhou Qian’s voice became very gentle, and his words were very seductive.

It seemed as if he wasn’t worshiping the Great God Epoh but rather guiding the god to believe in him.

However, Epoh stared at him and shook his head. “No. I no longer have the power to fulfill human wishes. I didn’t lie to you. Human power is useless to me. Killing them won’t make me stronger.”

“Alright. Let’s take a gamble then.” After saying this, Zhou Qian looked at Epoh with a smile, and decisively took a bite of the apple.

“Someone led me into this game,” Zhou Qian said leisurely, biting into the crisp apple. “Actually, I’m not clear about who controls this game, nor the so-called ‘sub-levels’, or what kind of dimension they’re in. But all the rules in the game are similar to many games I’ve played.”

“Just like people, games have their own personalities. Players can feel the character of the game designers while playing. Up to now, I’ve discovered some traits related to the designer of this ‘Apple Paradise’ level.”

“He likes to play tricks on people. He enjoys seeing the regretful expressions on their faces.”

“First, the game starts with a scoring minigame, and the main goal is to find the ‘fake believers’. Most players will form cliques at this stage, dividing and making it nearly impossible for them to cooperate later. This has already determined that the chances for players to collaborate against the transformed believers to get hidden achievements are very low.”

“At that time, no one would think that both the goddesses and the Great God didn’t care about the authenticity of believers. They can pass peacefully.”

“Secondly, in the ritual of tormenting the god, players will definitely think that not hurting you is the wisest choice. But this will lead them to face a terrifying pursuit in the subsequent stages…”

“Third, after the ritual, most players guess that the transformed believers will eat the apple and attack them, thinking that hiding in the treehouse is the best strategy. They’ll just get through without knowing how.”

“They never imagined that in the end, only 7 believers will transform, and as long as they survive for 15 minutes, the Great God will kill all the transformed believers.”

“All these traps reflect the character of the level designer.”

“He wants to see the regret of the players when they find out the truth—was it really that easy to pass? Was it really that easy to get the hidden achievement? If only I wasn’t so afraid of death…”

“Based on this logic, I’m confident in my deduction—”

“After getting the hidden achievement, when they hear about the ultimate hidden achievement but find out the chance of transformation is only 36.8%, most will choose to give up, thinking they don’t dare to gamble.”

“But based on this designer’s temperament, I guess… For players, the success rate of this segment is actually 100%, as long as they’re willing to endure the pain.”

Smiling at Epoh, Zhou Qian’s eyes shimmered.

“So, Great God, you don’t have to grant me luck. I’m confident… I can become a god like you.”

The game designer tried to divide the players at the beginning of the level by using the scoring minigame to prevent them from cooperating later.

Zhou Qian’s strategy was to keep all the gold coins and useful items in his hands.

With this, he had enough chips to become the master of the game.

He didn’t need to persuade everyone to cooperate; he controlled everyone to act according to his thoughts.

From the beginning, he put himself in control of the entire situation.

And he really did have that ability. With just a few plot details, he even grasped the intentions of the game designer.

Zhou Qian’s words left the Yu Zhu duo, who were listening, in stunned admiration.

Before they could react, they suddenly noticed that Zhou Qian’s body began to change—he was emitting a red glow, and his pupils turned white…

He truly succeeded in his transformation!

……

Zhou Qian felt as if something called ‘pain’ was sprouting within him. It hadn’t grown fully enough to make him truly feel the pain, but it made him feel an inexplicable restlessness.

It seemed that he had to go on a killing spree to dispel this restlessness.

Zhou Qian immediately stood up, looking everywhere for prey.

Around him… there was something alive!

No, that’s not right… He exudes an aura of pain; he must be one of his own kind…

Thinking this, Zhou Qian unconsciously walked past the Great God Epoh, then slowly crossed the bridge, reaching the opposite shore of the lake.

On the opposite shore, Qi Liuxing, Gao Shan, and Yun Xiangrong, who were previously calm, all stood up, prepared for anything.

They didn’t move, just intently watching Zhou Qian.

The Zhou Qian before them had drastically changed—scales had grown on his face and hands. These were deep blue scales that, under the gentle glow inside the palace, reflected a dazzling white light.

When Zhou Qian lifted his hand, one could see that his fingers were joined together—he had developed webbing.

Zhou Qian stared at the three, and they stared back without blinking.

For a moment, none of them moved.

Zhou Qian looked dazed and lost, while the three others tightly gripped a strand of Epoh’s hair, sweat forming on their foreheads.

After a short while, a peculiar fish tail grew from Zhou Qian’s back, and he walked away dragging the tail.

The other three let out a long sigh of relief, their tense bodies finally relaxing.

As for Zhou Qian’s transformation, everyone had many questions in their hearts. But they dared not speak, fearing that any small disturbance might provoke his attack.

In front of the phone screen, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang were quickly discussing.

“The direction of a deified person’s evolution is related to their consciousness, right?”

“Indeed. The Believer No. 1 became a pregnant monster because, in her consciousness, she was pregnant. Later believers knew the lake was dangerous and shouldn’t go into it, so they grew wings to fly. The subsequent giant cats and cheetahs… I think it’s similar. They evolved to have incredible speed just to chase after the fast-moving Qi Liuxing.”

“What about Qian Ge? Why did he develop scales? By rights, he should have had a subconscious warning not to go into the lake! Why did he become fish-like?”

“I don’t know! Could it be… because of his real-life experiences, he has some obsession with scales?”

Zhou Qian was completely unaware of the discussions on the screen or the thoughts of his three teammates.

The world before his eyes had become a vast white expanse.

Unconsciously stepping onto the crystal bridge and then to the opposite shore, he didn’t realize he was heading deep into the forest. All he felt was that he was walking towards… that night eight months ago that felt like a nightmare.

That night, he drank the soup handed to him by the maid and fell into a deep sleep.

Awakening in the middle of the night, lying on the dining room floor, he smelled a pungent gas and, for the first time, felt the sensation of being on the brink of death.

At that moment, he could hardly breathe; his lungs and head ached immensely, and the world before him seemed shattered into countless pieces, each stained a different color.

He knew it was a hallucination caused by gas poisoning.

In the hallucinatory world, amidst the dazzling colors, Zhou Qian saw a dragon.

As the dragon moved towards him through the colorful fragments, he felt certain he was going to die, as he couldn’t even feel pain anymore.

It felt as if his soul had left his body, floating in the air, indifferently watching his own body grow cold.

But the next moment, he felt a cool and extremely comforting sensation.

It was the dragon’s tail wrapping around him, enveloping his body.

His soul was pulled back by this cold sensation, and Zhou Qian regained his sense of pain. He gasped for air instinctively, craving oxygen. Then, from somewhere, oxygen indeed began to flood into his body.

As he regained sensation, the shattered world pieced back together, and Zhou Qian knew he was alive.

When he woke up, Zhou Qian couldn’t remember the appearance of the dragon, but he remembered the color of its scales—a beautiful, glowing deep blue, like stars deep in the ocean.

Vivid blue stars filled his surroundings, creating a world full of brilliant starlight.

Zhou Qian saw himself playing with these stars.

Touching them, they felt sticky, wet, and cold.

So, this is what stars feel like.

Eight months ago, when Zhou Qian had this thought, he smelled the pungent scent of disinfectant. Then he woke up in a hospital, and the stars all around him vanished.

Now, he was once again playing with the stars.

Just as he hadn’t had enough fun, he came to his senses and found himself by a familiar lakeside.

Rationality and consciousness returned simultaneously. He glanced at his watch and discovered that 15 minutes had passed, though he had completely lost his sense of time earlier.

The moment his sanity returned, and overwhelming pain also surged forth.

It felt as if a knife had ruthlessly pierced his heart, and then was violently pulled out, leaving him drenched in blood. Cold sweat broke out all over him, wetting his clothes almost instantly.

Then, a slap resounded, strong enough to plunge his vision into darkness momentarily, only returning after a while. The feeling of fists, countless stabs, even the sensation of being sliced into pieces…

Zhou Qian experienced it all.

He lay agonizingly on the ground, drenched in sweat.

His hair clung wetly to his temples, and his sweat-drenched eyelashes made his eyes appear misty. His body looked as if it had been drenched in sweat, and his complexion was pale to near transparent.

However, the strangest feeling at this moment was—his heart was completely calm. It felt as if he had been bound to a massive tree, transforming into Epoh.

The fanatical believers who repay kindness with revenge were venting their anger on him. When he opened his eyes, he seemed to see countless believers stabbing and slapping him.

If he still had his former temper, he would have charged in anger, ready to fight them to the death.

But the Zhou Qian now realized—he couldn’t feel any anger.

His body was in extreme pain, but his heart felt nothing.

When exactly had he fallen ill?

Only Zhou Qian knew. It wasn’t eight months ago when his parents passed away.

He had been sick long before that. He had thought he was recovering, but he lost the medicine that could have saved him.

Then he deteriorated beyond cure.

Amidst immense pain, Zhou Qian’s gaze grew increasingly distant.

Instead of seeing the green trees and blue lake, the scene shifted to a path lined with sycamore trees from years ago.

On a street at dusk, leaves were fluttering, and everything was overlaid with a vintage filter.

A young man in white sneakers and a blue school uniform gradually disappeared into the distance, fading into a yellowish sycamore tree grove, becoming indistinguishable.

Zhou Qian wanted to chase after him, but the pain immobilized him. He couldn’t even muster the strength to shout, “Come back!”

Zhou Qian’s consciousness started to fade, lost in illusions.

Until loud shouts pulled him back from the void.

It was Qi Liuxing and others who had rushed to the lakeside, shouting his name.

“Zhou Qian!” “Zhou Qian!!” “Watch out, Zhou Qian!!!”

Zhou Qian looked up and saw the Great God Epoh close at hand.

Epoh raised a hand, showing his clearly defined, long fingers. His skin was fair, yet the veins protruding from his hand looked powerful, capable of deciding life and death in a snap.

The hand moved forward, gripping Zhou Qian’s jaw.

It felt like, in the next moment, his neck would be snapped by Epoh.

From Epoh’s mouth came a cold, mocking, merciless, and murderous statement. Although spoken softly, it hit Zhou Qian’s ears with thunderous force.

“A firefly’s glow—how dare it dream of standing alongside the sun and moon?”

Zhou Qian seemed not to hear as his vision blurred with double images.

The yellow sycamore tree path and the vibrant Apple Paradise intertwined, separated, and then merged again.

The fading silhouette of the young man on the path overlapped with the god in the paradise. He saw the young man turn around, revealing a pair of calm, contrasting eyes.

Speaking softly and with a blurred gaze towards Epoh, yet clearly looking at someone deep in his consciousness, Zhou Qian uttered two words to Epoh. “Bai, Zhou.”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

This is the last of the free chapters on jjwxc. If you’ve been enjoying the novel so far and are able to, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 16

“Damn, that’s impressive! The buff introduced by the game designer must have been meant for players to deal with Li Dafu! Qian Ge dealt with Li Dafu in such a unique way that he saved the buff!”

“Before the Believer No. 1 attacked Qian Ge, just hearing her child cry caused his health to decrease. The same goes for this winged monster; affected by its wind, Qian Ge’s health started to drop…”

“The believers are indeed formidable, but their unique traits can be used to Qian Ge’s advantage!”

“So before Believer No. 19 launched his ultimate move, Qian Ge was waiting, biding his time until his HP dropped to 5%. Once the follower used his ultimate move, under the buff’s effect, Qian Ge would be completely immune to damage! He succeeded, and now Believer No. 19 can’t move! His skills are all on cooldown! They should take this chance to flee while they’re still on cooldown!”

“That being said, it was a risky move! How could Qian Ge be so sure about the timing? What if his health reached 5%, and the believer didn’t unleash his ultimate? If the believer continued to reduce his health gradually, the buff would only shield minor damage. Qian Ge would still be doomed!”

“Didn’t Qian Ge manage to get some small health recovery potions from that mini game? Those potions might not seem very useful normally, healing only about 1% of health, but they are perfect for adjusting the health level here!”

“But Qian Ge is really tough on himself…”

Zhu Qiang: “Yes, but it’s effective. Look at Little Brother Swordsman, with tears in his eyes, looking guilty… After this, I think he will completely become Qian Ge’s little brother.”

Yu Xian: “Following Qian Ge means there’s meat on the table! I want to be his little brother too!”

……

Inside the game.

The shadows of trees swayed as the wind continued.

Currently frozen in the air due to his ultimate’s cooldown, Believer No. 19 and the three players were stunned by Zhou Qian’s actions.

It took them three seconds to react. They quickly rushed to help Zhou Qian up.

At this moment, all four were in terrible condition, but Zhou Qian was undoubtedly the weakest.

Yet Zhou Qian looked up nonchalantly, first at Believer No. 19 in midair, then turned his gaze to Qi Liuxing.

Upon meeting Zhou Qian’s gaze, Qi Liuxing instantly looked away.

Zhou Qian laughed. “What’s wrong? Can’t look me in the eyes?”

“I just…” Qi Liuxing, fists clenched, managed to respond, “Why did you just…?”

He gritted his teeth, and his voice was hoarse. “Even with that buff, you could have died.”

Zhou Qian patted him on the shoulder, calmly meeting his gaze. “Maybe I was using you?”

“You… I now feel… Maybe you aren’t…” Qi Liuxing hesitated, unable to find the right words. He still couldn’t come up with an opinion on Zhou Qian.

Yun Xiangrong interrupted, “Given the cooldown of the believer’s ultimate, we should hurry to the treehouse!”

Zhou Qian: “No need.”

“You lunatic. We’re all in bad shape, and there are so many believers still powering up on the other side, we—”

Yun Xiangrong’s voice stopped abruptly as she noticed something and instinctively grabbed Gao Shan’s hand.

The couple, Qi Liuxing, and Zhou Qian, whose faces were half covered in blood, all looked towards Believer No. 19 in the sky.

Suddenly, the believer turned away, no longer staring intently at the players, and with a scream of extreme pain, plummeted to the ground.

“No! Don’t stab me!”

“It hurts!”

“Ahhhhhh!!!”

“Don’t, don’t, please don’t cut my leg…”

“Don’t!! My head!! No!! Please spare me!!!”

The ground beneath Believer No. 19 became wet from the sweat of his pain. But he bore no wounds. The pain was only mental.

His screams were eerily familiar to the players. It resembled the pain experienced by the Great God Epoh.

When a person encountered true pain, the tears shed, the look in their eyes, their body language, and even the roars from their throat, were all extremely shocking.

People who are easily empathetic could easily be affected and, consequently, feel the same sadness as others.

Gao Shan was the first to be affected.

Upon hearing the wail of Believer No. 19, a sharp pain struck his heart, and his eyes quickly turned red.

Then an even stranger event occurred.

From across the lake, a similar wail echoed.

The thirteen believers who hadn’t yet ascended to godhood knelt to the ground in unison, screaming in extreme agony. The loud wails spread throughout the paradise, and feelings of sorrow, pain, suppression, and disappointment surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming everyone with intense negative emotions.

No one could hear such collective cries and not be moved. Not to mention Gao Shan, even Qi Liuxing and Yun Xiangrong couldn’t help but shed tears.

The only one unaffected was Zhou Qian.

Yun Xiangrong looked at him and asked, “Why don’t you…?”

Zhou Qian openly admitted, “Because I have a condition.”

Yun Xiangrong: “……”

A moment later, the three reminded each other to plug their ears, feeling slightly better.

After a while, singing echoed from across the lake. The voice was mysterious and melodious, emotionless as if it came from ancient times.

Meanwhile, the Great God Epoh, previously covered by falling flowers, began to move. His body, wrapped in countless leaves and flowers, slowly rose into the air. He opened his eyes in a manner that seemed to look down upon all living beings. His eyes no longer showed any compassion; only coldness and cruelty.

Though he didn’t speak, the mysterious song seemed to be coming from him. The song overshadowed the believer’s wails, allowing the players to let go and exchange puzzled glances.

After a pause, Gao Shan asked, “What’s happening…?”

Zhou Qian pointed to the magnificent apples on the tree across the lake.

“These apples are born from the pain of the Great God Epoh. After eating them, the believers will feel the same torture they inflicted upon the god—”

His tone turned cold, and he smirked. “This is called getting what one deserves, or an eye for an eye. It’s only fair.”

Having shared his hypothesis, Zhou Qian glanced at the system panel’s timer.

About 15 minutes had passed since the believers ate the apples.

Looking across the lake again, those thirteen believers who had eaten the apples hadn’t yet ascended.

What would happen to them?

As this question crossed his mind, Zhou Qian quickly got his answer.

Across the lake, amidst the serene song, the believers were reliving the pain Epoh had once felt, continuously wailing. However, their cries were completely masked by the song, turning their agony into a silent film.

Some of them rolled on the ground, clutching their heads in pain, some banged their heads against the ground or trees, seemingly to ease the pain. A few seemed to regain some clarity but were in even greater distress. Unable to endure their pain, they rushed towards the Sin Lake, diving in without hesitation, only to be torn apart by its waters.

A minute later, all the chaos ceased.

For those thirteen had turned to dust.

[Players have discovered two hidden plots of “Apple Paradise” by participating and witnessing.]

[Hidden Plot ①: 15 minutes after eating the apple, one will feel immense pain contained within it.]

[Hidden Plot ②: Not everyone can successfully ascend to godhood after eating the apple. Those who can’t ascend within 15 minutes lack the potential to become gods. They will suffer a backlash from divine power and consequently disintegrate.]

All four players received this notification.

Of the 20 believers, excluding one who died prematurely, seven became gods. Zhou Qian did the math; the success rate was about 36.8%.

Among those seven, six were killed by the players, leaving only Believer No. 19, who was now rolling in pain near Zhou Qian and the others, tormented by the anguish from the apple.

After witnessing all the believers on the opposite side vanish, everyone’s eyes turned to Believer No. 19.

Gao Shan spoke, voicing the doubt everyone had. “All other believers are dead; what about him? What will happen to him? Can he become a god?”

Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, staring straight at the direction of the Great God Epoh.

God Epoh, who oversaw all life, silently hovered in the middle of the giant tree trunk. His dark pupils showed no emotion. The innocent purity he once exuded was nowhere to be found. A hidden, profound intent to kill was concealed in the deepest darkness behind him. At this moment, it was surging, waiting for the moment to break free—

Once this intent was unleashed, perhaps everyone on this land would be devoured by him. No one would survive.

“The Great God once told me,” Zhou Qian began, “To gods, humans are like how ants are to humans. So, when the believers were still humans, he wouldn’t even bother about them. But now…”

A hint of a smile appeared on Zhou Qian’s face. He continued, “Now, Believer No. 19 is no longer human. He ate the apple, passed the trials, passed the physical tests, and transformed into a god. Epoh won’t kill humans. But what if… the opponent is also a god?”

“When you’re just a mere ant, I wouldn’t mind you causing a minor disturbance, and I can endure a few bites. However, if you act recklessly and try to stand as an equal, then death would only await before you evolved and became stronger than me.”

Upon hearing Zhou Qian’s words, Qi Liuxing immediately understood.

Joy appeared in his eyes as he asked, “So… we don’t need to deal with Believer No. 19 anymore? God Epoh will kill him? You…you guessed this all along?”

“I had a hunch. But I wasn’t entirely sure,” Zhou Qian responded. He opened his system panel and found that he only had 10 gold coins left.

He spent 5 coins to buy a tissue and meticulously wiped the blood from his mouth and fingers, saying, “Have you heard the story of the Garden of Eden? The apple is the forbidden fruit. Mere humans, tempted by the devil’s serpent, dared to eat the apple to gain wisdom like God… Thus, God would be angry.”

The lake was as blue and calm as ever. But a wind began to blow on the opposite shore.

As the song grew sharper, petals flew, whirling like a snowstorm, filling the entire space. Amid the snowfall of petals, God Epoh’s pupils were pitch black, devoid of any light.

He looked in the direction of Believer No. 19, slowly raised his hand, and beckoned him with his index finger.

No one knew the magic God Epoh used, but Believer No. 19 vanished from his spot, only to quickly reappear on the opposite shore.

He knelt at God Epoh’s feet.

At this moment, it seemed the apple’s painful effects had subsided. The Believer No. 19 no longer suffered or screamed. His eyes no longer glowed red, but the wings on his back remained.

Having gone through the process, he successfully transformed into a god and regained his sanity.

Yet, he became extremely fearful.

Kneeling before God Epoh, he trembled incessantly, murmuring words too soft to hear, presumably begging for mercy.

But it was already too late.

God Epoh, surrounded by the snowy petals, gently laid his hand on top of Believer No. 19’s head. Instantly, the believer silently turned to ash, mingling with the countless petals before falling to the ground, resembling piles of snow.

It seemed God Epoh was tired. He sat back down by the tree and closed his eyes in exhaustion.

The world became completely silent. There was no more wailing of believers, no killing, and not even the sound of picking apples.

The four players could almost hear each other’s breathing.

Suddenly, the system prompts came again.

[Players triggered hidden plot ③: After successfully becoming a god, it will provoke God Epoh’s attack.]

[Players Zhou Qian, Yun Xiangrong, Gao Shan, and Qi Liuxing have triggered all stages of the hidden plot and completed the hidden achievement. Congratulations. Rewards will be settled together once players clear the game.]

Upon reading these two lines, Qi Liuxing, Gao Shan, and Yun Xiangrong finally relaxed.

All hidden plots had been triggered, and the highly threatening believers were all dead. They just needed to wait for 45 minutes for the palace doors to open, and then they could leave!

The ceremony to torment the god ended around midnight. According to the goddess, the palace door would open at 1 in the morning. As long as the players leave the palace after that, the game would be considered cleared.

Now, not only could they clear the dungeon, but they also achieved a hidden achievement that only 10% of players could obtain. All the previous battles seemed to have paid off, and no one wasn’t thrilled about it.

But just then, another system prompt came through.

[Players have triggered the method to obtain the “Ultimate Hidden Achievement: Deification”.]

No one expected that behind the hidden achievement, there was even an ultimate hidden one. Yet, at this point, almost no one was willing to pursue this achievement.

What did deification entail?

It meant that of those who ate the apple, only 36.8% had the physical constitution to adapt to the divine power contained within the apple and then successfully become deified. If one didn’t deify within 15 minutes, they would disintegrate into dust after experiencing the pain that God Epoh once felt. And even if they succeeded in deification, not only would they experience all that pain once more, but they would also face Epoh’s attack.

Losing 15 minutes of consciousness, attacking former teammates, betting on the mere 36.8% chance of deification, transforming into an unrecognizable creature after deification, and then facing Epoh’s wrath…

None of these steps were something any player would willingly undergo.

“Contentment brings happiness.” Yun Xiangrong pulled Gao Shan by the arm towards the palace door and said, “Let’s wait there for the door to open. And take a good rest.”

“I agree.” Qi Liuxing quickly chimed in.

However, Zhou Qian took out something red from his bag.

It was unmistakably an apple.

“I picked this when I went over to pull a strand of God Epoh’s hair. It’s perfect timing.”

The other three players stared at him, almost in shock, yelling in unison, “Are you out of your mind?”

Playing with the apple in his hand, Zhou Qian simply said to them, “Now there are no believers blocking your way. You can easily cross over and each pull out a strand of Epoh’s hair. In this way—”

“After I become deified, I won’t attack you all. We can coexist peacefully.”

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

Zhou Qian: “Of course, just to be safe, I’m giving you a heads-up. Be careful. I only have 5% health left.”

Yun Xiangrong, Gao Shan, Qi Liu Xing: “………”

---

The author has something to say:

Zhou Qian: Go pull his hair out!

Epoh: ???

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 15

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

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

He looked as peaceful as a pile of snow.

This gave Zhou Qian an illusion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But not this time.

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

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

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

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

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

……

On the other side of the lake.

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

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

Three believers immediately aimed their killing techniques at him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They were getting overwhelmed.

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

And Gao Shan was in the most danger.

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

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

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

“But what are you planning to do?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qi Liuxing was immediately drenched in sweat.

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

Fortunately, Qi Liuxing’s speed was exceptionally fast.

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

Finally, they judged the distance to be just right.

Qi Liuxing shouted to Gao Shan, “Now!”

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

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

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

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

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

The four believers immediately pursued him.

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

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

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

“We…”

“Did it…”

The three sighed in relief.

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

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

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

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

Truly terrifying.

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

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

[Target: Believer No. 19]

[Rank: A]

[Specialty: ???]

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

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

How could they possibly fight?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps they could all achieve the hidden accomplishment!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He had used each of them!

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

The transformed believer had silently and swiftly approached him.

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

So he decisively targeted Qi Liuxing first.

With wings spread, he lunged at Qi Liu Xing.

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

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

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

……

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

And now, his health was critically low.

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

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

However, he soon lost sight of Zhou Qian.

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

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

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

He surely would die.

That was Qi Liuxing’s first thought.

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

It’s over.

Zhou Qian’s done for.

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

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

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

But what about Zhou Qian?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They all shared a similar thought.

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

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

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

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

A force as mighty as thunder headed straight for him.

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

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

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

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

At this moment, his health stabilized at 5%.

Outside the game, in front of their mobile screens.

Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang both held their breaths.

“What-what happened?”

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

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 14

Now, Qi Liuxing faced two choices.

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

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

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

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

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

The situation they faced would only become more critical.

This mirror was perhaps their last trump card.

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

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

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

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

Feeling suddenly refreshed, Qi Liuxing noticed a prompt.

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

Almost at the same moment, the earth trembled.

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

Qi Liuxing also looked over.

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

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

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

……

On the other side of the Sin Lake.

Zhou Qian approached Epoh.

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

Qi Liuxing reliably diverted that person in time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It seems I must hurt you.”

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

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

Zhu Qiang’s face paled, apparently quite alarmed.

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

“What did I forget?”

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

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

Inside the game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zhou Qian had no choice but to protect himself.

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

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

Seeing this, Zhou Qian laughed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“How about… I pull your hair?”

Epoh: ?

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: ???

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But was this his true appearance?

The believers who ate the apple transformed into various monsters.

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

The Great God Epoh likened humans to ants.

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

Gods might possess appearances unimaginable to humans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seeing his unresponsive face, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes.

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

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 13

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

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

His eyes and words possessed a powerful, bewitching force.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thus, Qi Liuxing had taken the middle bridge.

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

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

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

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

He acted to draw their attention.

And he undoubtedly achieved his goal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best strategy was to lure them into the lake.

Especially those two believers about to breach the barrier.

But how?

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

Suddenly, a system prompt came from his wristwatch.

[Player Zhou Qian has initiated a trade request]

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

[Zhou Qian’s price: 0 gold coins]

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

[Teleportation range: Within 500 meters]

[Duration: 5 minutes]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

On the other side of the phone screen.

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

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

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

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

“Qian Ge has never truly trusted Qi Liuxing!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What’s with that look on your face?”

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

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

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

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

Inside the game.

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

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

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

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

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

This scene made Qi Liuxing’s eyelids twitch.

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

The fifth deified believer was born!

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

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

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

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

[Item: Precision Shot*]

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

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

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

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

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

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

He could only try to attract aggro using items.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Almost instinctively, Qi Liuxing dove to the ground.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, 10 seconds later.

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

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

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

Qi Liuxing: “……”

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: “……”

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

Those gua sha* masters’ reputations were truly deserved.

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

These NPCs were simply ridiculously strong.

Even Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but curse.

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

His pupils uncontrollably dilated, and Qi Liuxing looked enraged.

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

Should he… Should he use it now?

---

The author has something to say:

Can you guess what the real buff is?

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 12

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

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

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

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

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

However, on second thought, it was illogical.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Younger brother (弟弟)

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

“You—!”

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

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

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

“What do you mean, Zhou Qian…”

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

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

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

I can save him…

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

“……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

[Item: Flying Rope]

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

Zhou Qian had snagged this from Dong Xiang.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Target: Believer No. 17]

[Rank: C]

[Skills: ???]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zhou Qian: “…”

The game was most lacking in items that restore energy.

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

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

But there were still 17 believers undergoing divine transformation.

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

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

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

How could they fight?

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

“No,” Zhou Qian replied.

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

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

“Zhou Qian, you’re insane!”

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

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

His deep black pupils seemed to hide a powerful allure.

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

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

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

“The doctors say I have severe schizophrenia*.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe this boy is genuinely honest.

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

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

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

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

Qi Liuxing: “…”

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

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

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

“You…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

The author has something to say:

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

Save the world, starting with me!

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

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Item: Flash Bomb]

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

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

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

In front of the mobile phone screen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inside the game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“There are hidden achievements in this instance.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But I need you,” Zhou Qian said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qi Liuxing: “?”

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

Qi Liuxing: “…?! You—!”

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

Zhou Qian didn’t respond.

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

Qi Liuxing asked, “The pregnant woman?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Fuck—”

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

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

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

[Target: Believer No. 1]

[Rank: C]

[Skills: ???]

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

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

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

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

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

---

The author has something to say:

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

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 10

Across the lake.

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

Accompanying the shadow from the sky was a gigantic branch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the next moment, Zhou Qian was entirely consumed.

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

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

But soon, the leaves retreated from his body.

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

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

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

He had guessed right again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This turned into a feast of humans torturing the god.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They were apples.

In Apple Park, apples finally grew.

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Really? Can we become gods?!”

“Just by eating apples?”

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

The goddesses replied in unison.

“Of course.”

“Not only humans, but animals can too.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Wait—” Zhou Qian suddenly called out.

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

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

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

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 9

“What is the purpose behind all of this?”

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

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

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

“I am not a person; I am a god.”

“Doesn’t a god have motives?”

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

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

In essence, Epoh’s meaning was simple.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zhou Qian initially assumed Epoh to be no different.

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

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

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

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

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

Epoh genuinely looked gentle.

While Zhou Qian’s gentleness was clearly an act.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“As I said, I want to protect you.”

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

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

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

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

“Squish,” “Squish”…

Over and over again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A rustling sound emanated from behind him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suddenly realizing something, Zhou Qian looked down at Epoh.

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

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

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

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

With that thought, Zhou Qian felt an ominous feeling.

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

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

Wouldn’t those vines…

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

On the mobile screen:

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

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

“Qian Ge was wronged. He did nothing!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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