When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 134: Male God

Chapter 134: Male God

"You still... remember that?" Gu Luoxin’s lips trembled in disbelief.

He had proposed to team up out of desperation to survive, mainly because it was his third Cycle where he was supposed to receive a personal task from the Nightmare itself. In the forum, there was a hot thread titled ’Personal Task’ where countless players shared their experiences inside the Cycle. If there was one thing they all collectively agreed with, it was the fact that the personal task was extremely cruel and targeted the weakest part of each player’s heart.

Gu Luoxin was timid by nature. He was afraid of many things – bugs, insects, being called to answer questions in front of the class, dark corners, loneliness – but above all, he feared death the most. And it was because of this fear that he desperately latched onto Shen Nianzu, whom he believed to be a powerful player.

He was not gullible, nor was he a self-sacrificing fool. His line of thinking was actually quite simple. Without Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi, he wouldn’t have been able to survive through the night and complete the personal task. Therefore, in the last moments of the Cycle, he chose to stay behind to repay this life debt. It was his own selfishness that compelled him to clear this debt.

He thought that their cooperation lasted only those three days, that everything was over by the time they escaped from the Cycle. He did not even harbor the naïve hope that he would be able to interact with them further. But here they were, less than 72 hours later, extending an offer he dared not imagine even in his wildest dreams.

"You want me to... join your organization?" He couldn’t help but ask again to confirm. He secretly pinched the back of his hand, and the sharp pain that jolted his senses assured him that he was not dreaming. "It means that from now on, we will challenge the Cycles together? But... why?" He looked at Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi back and forth, still unable to believe it. "Both of you are so strong. I will only hold you back..."

"After what happened in the previous Cycle, do you still think that you’d only hold us back?" Shen Nianzu interrupted, rendering him utterly speechless.

Seeing that he had managed to knock some sense into the youth’s head, Shen Nianzu’s expression softened and he added, "You are strong. Don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise, especially yourself. And to answer your previous question, yes — I’d like it if we could enter the Cycle together. Our cooperation last time was not bad, no? Besides, if there’s someone who would hold us back, it could only be Jin Jiuchi."

"Wha—" came an incredulous cry from behind. "Nian’er, what do you mean by that?!"

Shen Nianzu ignored him, of course. By now, he had already become a pro in ignoring the silly husky’s incessant wails. "Compared to other organizations, I can only offer you little experience points right now. But if we receive big rewards in the future, I will make sure to divide it equally among us. How is it? Are you interested in joining us?" He asked with an arc of his perfect brow. "Unless you have agreed to join another—"

"No, no, no!" Gu Luoxin hastily waved his hands to deny the claim. "I–I haven’t joined any organization yet. I mean, I didn’t even know if I could survive the third Cycle, so I didn’t dare to think too far ahead. But I have indeed received a few offers..." he tugged on his bangs nervously. "I... I took a look at them. They offer a valuable prop to new members and a veteran player will also accompany us to enter the Cycle, but there’s a protection fee we have to pay. Honestly, I thought they might be a shady pyramid scheme, so I didn’t dare to respond to their messages..."

"Good choice," Shen Nianzu praised, his tone laced in amusement. It seemed like this kid was not as gullible as he’d thought. "Those organizations target Intermediate players who know nothing about the Nightmare Cycle. They offer a false sense of security, only to demand monthly payments in props or experience points. If you refuse or are unable to pay, then you will be left to fend for yourself. Lower level members toil endlessly to meet the protection fee, while the higher ranking members enjoy the benefits. It’s like stepping into a swamp— once you’re in, you will eventually drown to death."

Gu Luoxin’s face paled in horror, and he patted his chest with lingering fear. "Fortunately... I am so timid that I didn’t dare to respond to them..."

"Can I take it as you have agreed to my offer?" Shen Nianzu inquired.

Gu Luoxin gulped. Taking in a deep breath, he took an abrupt step back and bent his waist, "T–Thank you for coming all the way here for me, Mr. Shen. I’m honored to join your organization. Please take care of me!!"

Shen Nianzu clasped his shoulder in satisfaction, "Thank you for trusting me. From now on, we will be official teammates. I will register the organization later, but first, let me give you a welcome reward." He retrieved his phone from his pocket and tapped on it a few times, and a few seconds later, Gu Luoxin’s phone on top of the table chimed softly.

Curiosity piqued, Gu Luoxin went to take a look and noticed that he had received a friend request from the Nightmare App as well as a transfer of experience points. His heart was immensely touched to the point of tears, "Y–You really didn’t have to do this..."

Shen Nianzu had indeed mentioned that he could only give little experience points, but Gu Luoxin did not expect the man to prove his words so soon. Afraid that Shen Nianzu would lack experience points, he intended to return it and say that it was unnecessary. After all, he had received 200 experience points from the Temple of Anubis and a few high-level props he couldn’t have imagined before. But as soon as he saw the number on the screen, his jaws immediately dropped and his eyes widened to the point of almost popping out of their sockets.

F–Five thousand! Shen Nianzu had transferred five thousand points to him!!

Which part of this was ’little’?! Let alone five thousand, the total of his points did not even amount to five hundred!

Ashen-faced, Gu Luoxin pointed at his phone, his entire body quivering like a leaf trapped in a storm. "M–Mr. Shen, did you get the amount wrong...?" It was one zero too many, right?!

"What? Not enough?" Shen Nianzu asked, causing Gu Luoxin’s eyes to turn dark in a split second. "I can send five thousand more if you want—"

"N–N–N–N–No, there’s n-n-n-no need!" Gu Luoxin scrambled to say through the violent rattle of his teeth. He quickly accepted the transfer before Shen Nianzu could add to the already overwhelming amount, and it was then that his attention was drawn to Shen Nianzu’s profile.

The Nightmare knew exactly how to trigger the players’ competitive spirit. Aside from the leaderboard where the top 100 players were displayed akin to national celebrities, players who excelled in their respective skills would receive a badge on their profiles as proof of their capabilities. For instance, multiple players could possess a summoning skill, but only the strongest among them would have the badge. It served as both acknowledgment and a boost to the player’s social status and prestige.

And now, Gu Luoxin’s gaze was fixated on the little golden crown on top of Shen Nianzu’s blank profile photo.

Who knew what ghost possessed him, his thumb moved to click on it, and the blinding profile that greeted him caused his knees to weaken, and he collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.

"What’s wrong?" Shen Nianzu was startled upon seeing how horrible Gu Luoxin’s complexion was. It was as if he had witnessed something terrifying.

Gu Luoxin slowly raised his head, so slow that he could hear the sound of his bones creaking. "M-M-Master of Illusion, rank 36...?" He uttered those words as if he had lost his soul.

He had always heard Jin Jiuchi call Nian’er this and Nian’er that, but never could he have imagined that this person would turn out to be a top 50 player in the entire country, Nian!

"Ah..." Shen Nianzu finally realized what had spooked Gu Luoxin so much. "My bad, I forgot to tell you."

’Forgot?! Is that something you can forget?!!’ Gu Luoxin screeched inside his mind. No wonder... no wonder Shen Nianzu’s skill card was so powerful, no wonder he could casually throw out five thousand experience points as if they were mere dirt in his eyes...

The realization struck Gu Luoxin like a bolt of lightning on a scorching midsummer day. Holy shit, what kind of male god had descended into his lowly dorm room?! This was a god of wealth, alright?!