When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 151: Indifferent Great God

Chapter 151: Indifferent Great God

Jin Jiuchi, much to his dismay, could not do it after all.

Not because his nose suddenly betrayed him, but... there were just too many people on the ship! Once the plank was lifted and the ship began to sail to the ocean, the guests seemed to decide that it was time to enjoy the night to the fullest. They poured into every entertainment and public place, mingling with each other with unbridled enthusiasm.

A live performance had been set up on the second floor, with people dancing, singing, and laughter filling the air. The atmosphere buzzed with warmth and exuberance.

The trio had explored every floor on the ship to see if Jin Jiuchi could locate the core NPC, yet the scent of ordinary NPCs was too heavy in the air, mingled with various scents of perfumes, boozes and food. The mixture of those scents assaulted Jin Jiuchi’s senses and the constant buoy struck his head with dizziness, making his stomach churn with nausea.

For the first time in his life, Jin Jiuchi learned that he might be seasick.

Right now, they were taking a rest in a restaurant that served Chinese food, while Jin Jiuchi draped himself over the table, looking like his life essence had been sucked away. He did not even show interest in the warm food before him, which was how Shen Nianzu knew that his condition was extremely dire.

Frowning, Shen Nianzu put down his utensils and dabbed his lips with a napkin. "Are you okay?" he asked, a tinge of concern in his tone.

"Nian’er..." Jin Jiuchi’s voice was shaky as if undergoing some kind of torment. "I want to go back to the land."

"You can’t. We still need to stay here for five days."

Jin Jiuchi sucked in a shuddering breath and buried his face into the crook of his arm, grieving for his bleak fate. Meanwhile, Lucius hopped onto the table and stepped on his head a few times with a condescending look, but he did not even take notice of it.

"Isn’t it strange?" Gu Luoxin asked after he swallowed his meat dumpling. "We have searched everywhere except for the crew areas on the first floor, and the passenger cabins. Do you think the core NPC is part of the crew?" His mind started to get ahead of him, and he gasped in shock, "What if it’s the captain of this ship?!"

Shen Nianzu mulled over this possibility before nodding, "It’s plausible. If that’s the case, then players who receive the roles as the ship crew will get a headstart."

Back in the Shishen Apartment, Jin Jiuchi could even smell a sealed can of cookies when standing in the hallway. It stood to reason that sensing the presence of a living and breathing person should be easier, especially when separated only by a layer of door. However, they had tried to scour through the passenger cabins on every floor, which yielded no results whatsoever.

Either Jin Jiuchi was sick enough to miss the person, or the core NPC was truly hiding on the first floor.

Gu Luoxin looked around, and though the people around them were busy with their own business, he still lowered his voice to ask, "Should we sneak to the first floor tonight?"

"That’s the plan." Shen Nianzu nodded. "However, there’s still one thing we have to keep in mind."

"What is it?"

"The Cycle is too peaceful," he said, startling Gu Luoxin. "There’s no chaos, no death. We don’t even have a clue about what the nightmare creature looks like, or the death condition in this place. It’s unnerving."

Gu Luoxin thought for two seconds and realized that what Shen Nianzu said was right. In Shishen Apartment, they had clear curfew and paper dolls that patrolled down the hallway each night. In the Temple of Anubis, a player died within ten minutes after they stepped out of the bus, allowing them to learn a crucial death condition.

But in this place crowded with NPCs... how were they supposed to find out about the death condition?

The more peaceful the atmosphere was on the surface, the more uneasy Gu Luoxin became. He had no appetite anymore and pushed his bowl aside. "What should we do now?" he asked Shen Nianzu, anxiety apparent in his tone.

"Go back," the man said as he cast a furtive glance at Jin Jiuchi who remained quiet and dispirited. "We will return to our room and rest for now. Tonight, at 1 am, we will come out to investigate."

Gu Luoxin’s face paled when he heard that. O–Oh, they had to go back already. Did it mean he had to face the ranked 28th player, Noir, all on his own?

The mere thought of it was enough to make Gu Luoxin tremble. His gaze locked with Lucius’ round and emerald pupils across the table. In that moment, as if he had seen a savior, Gu Luoxin grabbed the little ancestor’s front paws and pleaded with tears in his eyes, "I will need to rely on you now, Master Lucius!"

Lucius: "...meow?"

After finishing the dinner – with Shen Nianzu ordering a portion of fried rice for takeaway – they made their way back to their rooms on the fifth floor.

Gu Luoxin gazed sadly at his two teammates and waved Lucius’ paw at them, "Goodbye..." He sounded like he was ready to die as soon as he stepped into his room.

Speechless, Shen Nianzu tried to console him, "Don’t be too tense. You still have two life-saving props. If he tries to kill you, use them."

Gu Luoxin: "..." That did not sound reassuring at all.

After Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu entered the room, he returned his gaze to the front. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and rang the doorbell with shaky hands.

A few long seconds later that felt like eternity, the door swung open to reveal a brown-haired and emerald-eyed angel. The light behind him created a halo-like effect, and the angel greeted Gu Luoxin with indifference, "You’re here?" He opened the door wider and walked back in, yawning.

"E–Excuse me..." Gu Luoxin gingerly stepped inside and placed Lucius on the table. Their cabin resembled a hotel room, with two single beds, a low table, two sofa chairs, a bathroom and a small pantry, but no TV. Gu Luoxin’s eyes immediately fixated on the open window that offered a view of the night sky outside.

"Wow!" His eyes lit up in awe. "We got a balcony cabin!"

Noir acted as if he heard nothing at all and simply lay on the bed, while Lucius leaped to his bed and snuggled to his side, purring.

Feeling awkward, Gu Luoxin decided that it was best to show a courteous and polite demeanor before the Great God and thus he took the initiative to introduce himself, "I... It seems like I haven’t properly introduced myself yet. I am Xinxin, ranked 143. We’re going to be roommates for the next five days, so... please take care of me!" Gu Luoxin bowed his head deeply, and then he held his breath and waited for a response.

Silence filled the room, with only Lucius’ loud purring breaking the stillness.

Five seconds passed, then fifteen, then a whole minute...

Gu Luoxin felt like his waist was going to break into two from the nerves. W–What should he do?! Why didn’t Noir say anything? Did he find him bothersome, after all?! Gu Luoxin fought back the urge to cry. After a few moments of anxious contemplation, he mustered the courage to cautiously raise his head and steal a glance to the bed...

...only to find Noir fast asleep, his breathing calm and even as he held the black cat close to him.

Gu Luoxin: "..."

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Mini interview

Q: How are you feeling right now?

Xinxin: I... I am daijoubu QAQ