When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 125: Return Ticket

Chapter 125: Return Ticket

Shen Nianzu clung to a glimmer of hope, desperately hoping that maybe... maybe Jin Jiuchi would not necessarily sustain the same injuries after returning to the temple. Maybe the separate realm would give them a temporary buff and as soon as they completed the task, everything would return to how it was.

However, that little flicker of hope was immediately doused when he walked over and caught sight of the large patch of crimson staining Jin Jiuchi’s otherwise light-colored clothes.

His blood ran cold, and an icy shiver crawled up his spine, as if freezing water had been poured over his head. His eyes burned hot. "No..."

Earlier, he had not seen what the cut was like because Jin Jiuchi had covered his eyes, and it was not until now that he could see how terrifying it was. The gash was deep enough to damage his trachea, exposing the muscles and white bones beneath. In spite of that, the expression of the man lying on the coffin was still peaceful as if he was merely sleeping and would open his eyes at any moment.

"J–Jin Jiuchi..." He tremblingly reached out to hold the man’s hand – the same hand that had been covering his eyes until seconds ago. He could still feel the warmth lingering on his face, so how could it feel so cold now? "You... damned... husky..." he forced out through gritted teeth, desperately holding back his tears. He struggled to catch his breath, feeling as if all the oxygen in his lungs had been sucked away. "You’re so fucking stupid. Who told you to do that, huh? Didn’t you say... didn’t you say that you don’t want to die...?" His voice cracked in the end, fading into a barely audible whisper.

Thunder roared relentlessly overhead, and the sky abruptly opened up into a torrential downpour. The temperature plummeted and thick mist enveloped the air, as the barren desert finally welcomed its first rain in centuries.

"X–Xiao Shen..." Xinxin hovered at a distance, not knowing how to approach. He fought back his tears, for he had once promised himself that he would not cry again no matter how bleak the situation was. Alas, they still rolled down his cheeks, refusing to cease no matter how many times he wiped them away. "Sorry... I’m so sorry..."

There was nothing he could do but apologize.

From afar, the sounds of chaotic footsteps approaching, followed by an echoing shout, "Oyy, you guys! Come out and see!" It was Jiang Shun’s voice, filled with a strange sense of excitement.

Shen Nianzu froze.

Not because of the hazy voice muffled by the thunderstorm, but because he vividly sensed that... the hand he was holding had just twitched.

Shen Nianzu remained frozen with his eyes wide, staring at the large hand in front of him in disbelief. Just as he thought that his mind had conjured it up, another bigger movement occurred — Jin Jiuchi’s entire body suddenly jolted as if he had been electrified!

With a loud gasp, Jin Jiuchi’s eyes snapped open and he choked on his breath, coughing hard. "Damn..." Though extremely hoarse, that voice definitely belonged to Jin Jiuchi. "It’s better to have my arm cut off rather than my neck..."

"AH!!" Xinxin screamed as if he had seen a ghost, jolting Shen Nianzu out of his trance. "DA SHEN, DIDN’T YOU DIE?!!" He was so shocked that he could not control the volume of his voice.

Shen Nianzu slowly, very very slowly lifted his head to see Jin Jiuchi, the man whom he believed had truly died this time, pushing himself into a sitting position. The gaping wound across his neck was gradually closing, as if an invisible magical thread were stitching it together. Clearing his throat, Jin Jiuchi cast a suspicious look towards Xinxin. "What do you mean by that? Are you cursing me to die?"

Xinxin’s mouth hung open wide enough to stuff a goose egg inside. He painted a wretched yet funny image with his swollen eyes and tear-stained face. "No, wait... your wound... how?" He spoke in halting words, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Jin Jiuchi subconsciously rubbed his neck and grimaced with his hand came out bloody. "Isn’t it because of the uh... Anubis’ Golden Blood? The prop we received earlier? It seems capable of healing one critical injury..." his voice trailed off, and his silver eyes softened when they fell on the dumbstruck jade doll. "Nian’er, are you crying?"

He reached out and wiped the dampness on the corner of Shen Nianzu’s eyes, then brought his finger to his lips, licking it. "Salty," he commented in a casual tone, as if nothing had happened. As if he had not just died – not once, but twice – and come back to life in the most unbelievable manner. As if he had not caused Shen Nianzu to suffer a mini breakdown.

Shen Nianzu took an abrupt step backward to create some distance between them, his lashes fluttering wildly. Just moments ago, he had been certain that the last words Jin Jiuchi would ever say to him were ’it’s okay, Nian’er’. Hearing the man utter his name again, feeling his warm touch on his skin, stirred intense butterflies in his stomach.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. This was Jin Jiuchi they were talking about. A lunatic with a few loose screws on his head, who would willingly throw himself into danger to help some NPCs, who would not hesitate to cut his own neck despite the high risk that was involved. Such a person would not die easily for sure, so why... why would he still lose his mind over fear everytime something happened to the man?

Had Jin Jiuchi anticipated it? That the Nightmare’s reward would save him at the last moment?

To hide his fluster, Shen Nianzu looked away and chose to shift through his collection of props instead. "Y–You’re saying that the one which saved you is—" He suddenly paused when he viewed the prop inside his mind, his pale purple eyes widening in shock.

Prop: Anubis’ Golden Blood

Prop Level: Unique

Prop Usage: With a drop of this blood, player can communicate with one chosen spirit and command it to aid their survival. Only available for supernatural-type Cycles. This is a limited edition prop that can only be obtained in the Temple of Anubis.

Number of droplets: 3/3

A unique prop! This low-level Cycle could actually yield a unique prop; it was tantamount to pulling an SSSR card with a single draw in a video game! Putting aside that fact, the prop he received did not have the same healing effect as Jin Jiuchi?!

"Damn, I got my first unique prop!" Xinxin exclaimed in shock and exhilaration after checking his reward, but then his expression quickly morphed into one of confusion. "Wait, it says here that the prop will shield me from one supernatural threat... it’s different from Da Shen’s?"

What? The prop’s usage was different for each player?

Surprised, Shen Nianzu turned to him, but before he could address this matter, Lang Zhenya burst into the temple, brimming in excitement, "Have you guys seen it? The pit we dug is filling up with water right now! It’s a pool of clear water! Hahaha, oasis! We have really built an oasis!" She threw her head back and laughed happily.

Shen Nianzu was taken aback when he heard that. He examined his props again and found no ’Heaven’s Sorrow’ – the other reward promised by the Nightmare. He then raised his head to look at the dark sky, realization dawning upon him. "So this is what it means when the hidden task assists us in completing the main task..."

If they failed to re-enact the scene, all of them would die and they would not be able to escape this Cycle. But with the rewards from the hidden task, they could accomplish the main task simultaneously. Not only that, they also received a high-level prop. This was the standard procedure of carrot and stick[1].

After constructing the chain of logic in his mind, Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but curse. Damn it, the Nightmare was truly vicious. Must it go this far only for a low-level Cycle?!

All of them rushed out of the temple to join Jiang Shun, their eyes fixed on the shallow lake that had once been a pit. The water level was steadily rising, and just as Lang Zhenya said, the water was extremely clear, shimmering with a radiant glow that dazzled their senses.

"It’s so beautiful..." Xinxin whispered, lost in a trance.

Jin Jiuchi, on the other hand, was focused on shielding Shen Nianzu from the rain like a faithful puppy he was, as he sensed that the jade doll seemed to be treating him coldly since he woke up.

Around them, the sound of a woman’s clear, joyful laughter echoed. Anna descended the stairs from the second floor and ran outside without hesitation, dancing exuberantly in the rain. "It’s the divine lake. God has finally witnessed our devotion and sincerity! I have finally succeeded at last!!" As she continued to dance and dance, her body seemed to grow lighter as if she might dissipate with the rain. Golden specks emanated from her hand and flew toward the players.

Everyone’s eyes shone when they saw it. The tickets! They had finally obtained the return tickets!

Lang Zhenya caught the ticket in her hand and eagerly checked it. "Let’s see what time we can board the bus today..."

However, in that moment, Shen Nianzu’s sharp eyes caught sight of a ticket flying not toward the five of them, but in the direction behind the temple. His pupils contracted as a possibility raced through his mind, and he shouted, "Watch out!"

Alas, it was already too late.

Before anyone could react, a powerful gust of wind swept through, causing Lang Zhenya’s body to jerk.

Stunned, she looked down to see a hole forming on her chest by an invisible weapon, crimson spreading wider and wider. Blood trickled down her lips as she shifted her wide terrified eyes to Jiang Shun, whose expression was aghast. "J–Jiang..." she had not even uttered his full name yet when she collapsed to the ground and breathed her last.

"Zhenya!!" Jiang Shun rushed to take her into his arms, patting her cheek and trying to wake her up to no avail. His hand trembled in disbelief and his expression twisted in fury as he glared at the direction where the attack had come from. Someone walked out from there, clutching her bloody chest.

"Fuck you, Dance of the Wind!" Jiang Shun roared in anger as he leapt to his feet, his eyes bloodshot. It was unknown whether the wetness on his face was caused by rain or tears. "I will kill you!"

Wind sneered, her breathing rough and even. "No, you won’t." In her hand was a small transparent bottle filled with blue potion, which she crushed to pieces. "It’s all of you who will die today."

.

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[1] Carrot and stick: the use of a combination of reward and punishment to induce a desired behaviour.

A/N: only one Chapter today >< tomorrow is the conclusion of this Cycle!