When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 126: Skill Status: Active

Chapter 126: Skill Status: Active

It hurt.

Her chest hurt so much, it was excruciating.

The sensation of the blade slicing into her body and tearing her flesh apart was still vivid in her memory, and death had never felt as close as it was then.

She really thought that she was done for, but amidst her hazy consciousness, she heard the Nightmare’s voice announcing the completion of the hidden task, and without even thinking, she used her most precious prop that could help her heal the injury.

Alas, the severity of her injury exceeded the prop’s capability, and blood continued to flow from the wound in an unyielding stream.

Though her life was no longer in immediate danger, Wind knew that she could not hold on much longer. She had to board the bus as soon as possible, return to the real world and seek emergency treatment care. It was the right thing she should do, but when she recalled the two life-saving props she had used here, her eyes turned red in anger and unwillingness.

She had come here with a sole purpose: to kill JJ and snatch back her position on the leaderboard. But not only had that damned boy survived, she also ended up wasting her precious props which she had prepared for mid-level Cycles! It was her last two life-saving props! How could she be reconciled? Moreover, what would others say behind her back if she failed to kill someone in a low-level Cycle?!

No! She could not stop here! Even if only a breath of life clung to her body, she had to kill not only JJ but everyone in this Cycle! For all they had done to her, she would make them pay with their lives!

"Ha... hahahaha!" Her frenzied laughter interlaced with Anna’s delightful ones in the distance, creating a spine-chilling symphony amidst the howling rain. Her face contorted in a blend of glee and agony. "You only have yourself to blame for this, motherfuckers!"

As soon as she crushed the glass bottle in her hand and felt the poison seep between her fingers, she activated her skill card.

Skill Card: Dance of the Wind

Skill Type: Elemental Manipulation

Skill Level: 8

Skill Description: A sublime manifestation of nature’s fury, channeling the raw power of zephyrs in a captivating whirlwind of air and energy, unleashing cyclones that tear through foes with breathtaking ferocity.

In an instant, a mighty gale surged around them, carrying with it the icy droplets of rain, sand, mixed with the traceless potent poison in the air. The combination of rain and sand were making the skill card’s effect even more deadly, to the point where the players could not open their eyes.

Jiang Shun clenched his teeth and tried to use his skill card to create solid rocks as he had done two days ago, but the wet sand kept disintegrating into muddy clumps in his hands. He cursed in anger and frustration, "Damn it!"

Even Shen Nianzu’s needles could not penetrate the barricade of the wind, hindered by the sharp particles of sand.

As the gale roared around them, Jin Jiuchi swiftly spun around and shielded Shen Nianzu within his embrace, covering him from head to toe using his own body. Shen Nianzu instinctively huddled closer to the warmth, his gaze passing through Jin Jiuchi’s shoulder to fix upon Wind, whose silhouette was blurred beyond the tempest.

His mind raced with questions. What was her plan? What was she intending to do? It was four against one; she shouldn’t be so stupid to challenge them face-to-face like this!

Suddenly, a gigantic cyan kingkong made its second appearance on the battlefield, pounding its chest and unleashing a thunderous roar. It stood between Wind and the players like an impenetrable fortress.

Perched on the kingkong’s shoulder, Xinxin shouted in haste to rival the sound of the rain, "Everyone, climb up! I will take you to a safe pla—khh!" His words were abruptly cut off as he choked, blood spraying from his mouth. He stared at his bloodstained hands in disbelief. "...Huh?"

The kingkong vanished and Xinxin crashed to the sandy ground, coughing uncontrollably. "W–What is going on..."

Shen Nianzu’s eyes widened when he saw Xinxin’s condition and he instantly understood what Wind was planning to do when she trapped them in the midst of this tornado. "Poison!" He covered his mouth and nose, colors draining from his face. "Hold your breath!!" Damn it, he should have known that this crazy woman had some wicked tricks up her sleeves. The fact that she could declare with much confidence her plan to kill everyone had raised an alarm in him, but he had not expected her to obtain airborne poison!

Beside him, Jiang Shun covered his mouth and coughed, blood spilling through his fingers. Despite that, the line of his body remained ramrod straight as he glared at Wind, who was gloating at their misfortunes.

"Do you know how potent this poison is? It invades your respiratory system and damages your organs from within. You will die within ten minutes, all the while writhing in agony and excruciating pain!" She laughed maniacally. "Only I have the antidote. Only I will get out of this Cycle alive!"

"Fuck..." Shen Nianzu tried to seal his mouth and nose as tight as possible, his mind running hundreds of miles per second. They had to break through the barricade and escape this area as soon as possible!

As he was formulating the plans inside his mind, he felt Jin Jiuchi loosen the embrace, and looked at him like a child who had lost his parents amidst the crowd.

"Nian’er... will die in ten minutes?"

"You—!" Shen Nianzu’s scalp exploded in anger. What was this man doing, not covering his mouth? Did he have a death wish or something?! But before he could continue to admonish this stupid husky, he suddenly felt an itch in his throat. He pressed his lips together to suppress the cough, but it ended up making his entire body tremble. The itch intensified with each passing second, until he finally could not bear it any longer.

"Cough..." Blood trickled down from the corner of his lips, the crimson color a stark contrast to his bloodless face.

"Nian’er...?"

Jin Jiuchi’s gaze was fixed on the glaring red of blood that kept spilling out of Shen Nianzu’s mouth. It occupied his entire field of vision, making him unable to see anything else. He faintly registered Shen Nianzu saying to him, "I will not die! On the other hand, you..." but the rest of the words were lost in the chasm of his mind as he felt a string within him, which had been stretched extremely taut throughout the entire duration of the Cycle, finally broke apart with a resounding snap.

[Current SAN Value: 21]

[Current SAN Value: 19]

[Current SAN Value: 15]

[...]

[It is detected that the player’s SAN Value has gone below 20. The condition to activate the skill card has been met.]

Skill Card: Yin Yang Beast

Skill Type: Transformation

Skill Level: Joker

Skill Description: A divine beast, an evil hound, a fusion of opposing forces that embodies both the virtuous and the malevolent. Will he embrace the path of light, or will he succumb to the allure of darkness?

Skill Status: Active