When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 139: The Oracle’s Prophecy

Chapter 139: The Oracle’s Prophecy

No one had really seen the number one player on the leaderboard in person, but it did not mean that rumors would not spread.

It was unknown where the source originated from, but some said that the player had made a pact with the Nightmare and could be considered as half the Nightmare creature themselves, while others believed that they were a demon who had lived for centuries. Shen Nianzu had heard no less than a hundred rumors about this player, and thus he had never put it into mind, always keeping the skeptical attitude of ’seeing is believing’.

However, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the rumor of the player being a child was true, and a little girl at that!

This was not the Cycle where players could change their appearance at will with the aid of a prop. This was the real world, which meant that sitting before him was really the true identity of the strongest player in the entire country!

How old was she again? Ten? Twelve? Exactly what kind of horrendous experiences had she endured in the Cycle to reach such heights at such a tender age?

As it turned out, Shen Nianzu was not the only one who was shocked by the sudden appearance of a Legendary player in their house, but Jin Jiuchi too.

"Number one player?" He tilted his head and observed the little girl curiously. "You’re really the number one player on the leaderboard? Really? But you don’t look stronger than me— ow!" He let out a surprised yelp when Shen Nianzu jabbed his elbow into his side to shut him up.

The paper doll was enraged upon hearing Jin Jiuchi’s words. "What did you say, you bastard?! Our Young Miss is the strongest! She is undefeatable!" She rolled up her sleeves and was ready to fight Jin Jiuchi to death, but with a wave of Qian Hui’s hand, she vanished with a poof and reverted back to being three palm-sized paper dolls.

"Young Miss!" Xiao Wa cried out in distress, but Qian Hui hushed her softly.

Shen Nianzu shot Jin Jiuchi a warning glare before turning to the little girl with an apologetic look, "I’m sorry, he didn’t mean anything by that. Please don’t take it to heart."

"No, I understand..." Qian Hui showed a good-natured smile as she tucked her paper doll back to her sleeves. "If I were you, I would be surprised too. But in fact, the main reason why I can sit in the top position for so long... is solely because of my skill card."

"Your skill card?" No one was not curious about the skill card of the number one player – Harbinger of Doom – and it included Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi.

"Yes," Qian Hui nodded. "My skill card is what makes me the strongest as it’s an ability closest to the Nightmare itself." Not noticing the surprised look from the other two, she raised her hand and caressed her bandaged eyes with a touch of melancholy. "Whoever looks into my eyes will relish their darkest nightmares. Plants wither, the sky dims, animals turn ballistic, and people either go insane or die..." her voice shook ever so slightly, but she still finished her sentence with a bitter smile on her lips,

"I am the harbinger of doom. That’s why I need to keep my eyes covered, or else this world will also plunge into chaos."

Shen Nianzu sucked in cold air. Of course, it was only natural for a legendary player like Qian Hui to possess a skill card of higher rank than the Queen level, possibly even an Ace. Skill cards at such levels could be used in the real world. He could not fathom the consequences if Qian Hui did not cover her eyes.

Countless innocent lives would be lost, and their peaceful world would be torn apart!

"Such a pity..." Jin Jiuchi clicked his tongue and commented. "I really want to see what the Nightmare’s eyes look like. Oh well, it’s not like I will be affected, so why don’t you show me?" He slightly leaned forward and in response, Qian Hui scooted back like a startled rabbit. Her face, which had barely regained color from the earlier fright, turned pale again.

She turned to Shen Nianzu and stammered, "W–Why don’t you summon your familiar back before we talk? Please don’t be offended, but I’m only here to pay you a visit, JJ."

Both Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi were stunned. They exchanged a glance before Shen Nianzu tentatively informed the little girl, "I think you might be mistaken about something, Miss Qian. I am Nian, the player ranked 36, while the man beside me is the person you’re looking for, JJ."

Jin Jiuchi harrumphed and remarked on purpose out of spite, "You’re here for me, but you can’t even guess who I am?" He got his arm pinched by the jade doll as a result.

Qian Hui looked like she had been struck by lightning. Her mouth hung open and her entire person was petrified in place, unable to react.

Shen Nianzu could almost hear the sound of her three views breaking apart. He raised an intrigued brow. In the first place, why did Qian Hui show such an extreme reaction towards Jin Jiuchi?

Fortunately, Miss Qian Hui’s excellent upbringing and strong psychological fortitude allowed her to regain her composure quickly. She closed her jaws with a click and cleared her throat. This time a faint blush dotted her cheeks as she admitted her mistake earnestly, "M–My apologies... I have no idea..."

"No, it’s okay," Shen Nianzu replied. "But may I ask what you mean by referring to JJ as my familiar? Also, what business do you have with him?"

Qian Hui hesitated, "Um..."

Jin Jiuchi narrowed his eyes and tugged Shen Nianzu closer to him, almost pulling the jade doll to his lap. He only stopped when Shen Nianzu discreetly pinched his thigh and glared at him.

’What was Nian’er so shy for?’ he grumbled inside his heart. ’It’s not like she can see...’

Then with a sullen tone, he told Qian Hui, "You can say it in front of Nian’er too. No need to hesitate."

Unbeknownst to both of them, Qian Hui’s hesitation was not because of Shen Nianzu’s presence, but purely because she feared this player nicknamed JJ and thus afraid that she would offend him. She only calmed down slightly when she felt Xiao Wa’s paper body on top of her balled fists as though offering comfort. Taking in a deep breath, she steeled herself to say,

"I came here... because of a prophecy from the Oracle, the player ranked second on the leaderboard."

"Oh?" Shen Nianzu raised an intrigued brow. "What kind of prophecy?"

"It’s quite abstract," Qian Hui chose her words carefully. "The oracle owed me a huge favor, and thus he risked his life to divine the future of the Nightmare Cycle at my request. He said, ’He who appears after two years of stagnation will align the twin stars and affect the entire constellation.’ But I didn’t expect that..."

Her lips trembled and though her eyes were practically covered, Jin Jiuchi could still feel her gaze on him. It was the exact same sensation he felt in the Cycle when the Nightmare itself stared at him, making him feel uncomfortable all over.

"What?" Jin Jiuchi furrowed his brow, his voice tinged with hostility he could not conceal.

"You don’t belong here," Qian Hui whispered in the mixture of fear and incredulity. "How... How could you get to this world? How did you become a player?"