When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 271: Know Your Enemy And Yourself

Chapter 271: Know Your Enemy And Yourself

"How interesting..." Jin Jiuchi commented as he pushed his empty plates aside. "So does this mean that you can send your divine prop to scout the surroundings, Nian’er? Like a super cool spy that comes in the size of a palm?" he suddenly thought of a scenario, prompting him to ask with a quizzical tilt of his head. "Wait, what if it were to get into an accident and die?"

"First things first, such a circumstance is unlikely to happen because the instant a sensation of great alarm or peril reaches the owner, they would be able to summon the divine prop back to their side," Shen Nianzu analyzed. "But in the case where the death happens so swiftly that the player doesn’t even have the time to summon it back..."

Jin Jiuchi leaned in, curiosity gleaming in his silver eyes. "What would happen, then?"

Shen Nianzu offered a helpless shrug, "How would I know? I’ve just acquired the divine prop and haven’t even gotten the chance to study it yet. However, the most reasonable possibility is that the bonded player might suffer a terrible backlash. That seems logical, don’t you think so? But if you want to know for sure, let us ask someone who’s had a divine prop for quite some time. Xinxin, can you—"

"NO!" Gu Luoxin’s voice thundered, having already guessed what Shen Nianzu wanted him to do. With tears and snots running down his face, he cried out, "No, no, it’s not possible. I can’t face him anymore. He warned me not to! Wuwuwu, he must think I’m some kind of a closeted pervert, but I really didn’t do it on purpose! Who knew I would be such a blabbermouth when I got drunk?!" From the other end of the line was a series of jumbled noises and muffled screams as if Gu Luoxin was kicking his legs wildly while screaming into the pillow. "I’m going to die ahhhh! Can you buy a coffin for me?! No, forget the coffin, just toss me into the ocean!!"

Shen Nianzu tried to offer some consolatory words. "I’m sure his intentions are not as horrible as you’re assuming. Perhaps he’s just the kind of player who doesn’t like to mix the real world with the Nightmare Cycle."

Who knew which word of his struck Gu Luoxin right on his sore spot, as the young man wailed even harder. "I don’t even dare to cross paths with him again in the Cycle! Please... do not let us meet!"

Hearing that, Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but add a light reminder, "Chances of players living in the same city encountering each other inside the Cycle are larger than those who don’t."

"Ohhh," Jin Jiuchi was genuinely elated. "Does it mean we will meet again later inside the Cycle? I kinda like that guy!"

Gu Luoxin: "..." Are you guys doing this on purpose? Rubbing salt on my wounds? QAQ

Realizing that his remark had exacerbated the situation instead, Shen Nianzu cleared his throat and attempted to remedy, "Of course, it’s just a probability. There are tens if not hundreds of players in each city, while the mid-level Cycle will only consist of ten or so people at most, so the odds of meeting him again are relatively low. Okay, okay, I will not press you to ask him. I will just figure it out on my own." Shen Nianzu abruptly shifted the topic to distract Gu Luoxin from his depression, "Do you have any plans for the summer break, Xinxin?"

"Me?" Gu Luoxin blew his nose. Though he was still sniffling once in a while, he was indeed distracted by Shen Nianzu’s sudden question. "I will probably search for part-time jobs around here. Why are you asking?"

Shen Nianzu let out a thoughtful hum. Having conducted a background check on Gu Luoxin before, he was aware that the young man’s parents had already passed away in an accident when he was young. Since then, Gu Luoxin had been living with his paternal uncle. However, his uncle was an utter workaholic who would be on business trips more often than not. He would only send Gu Luoxin money each month and the communication between them was abysmal – little to almost none.

But at least Gu Luoxin’s upbringing was not fraught with mistreatment or the dramatic twists seen in the cheap soap operas where the protagonist was sold off to cover for his guardian’s debts. Instead, he grew up safely and peacefully. However, he’d had his fair share of bullying due to his androgynous features, which compelled him to take up martial arts so that he could punch those who dared to target him.

For some inexplicable reason, this once-wild bear child had grown into a timid young man. Perhaps he thought that living alone in his uncle’s house was too terrifying, thus he opted to apply in a college dormitory where he would be comforted by the constant buzz of activity.

There was nothing wrong with him looking for part time jobs to increase pocket money, but hearing those familiar words, Jin Jiuchi immediately perked up like a hound, "Work? What kind of work are you looking for? Aren’t you supposed to be focusing on your studies as a student?"

Shen Nianzu did not even need his pinky finger to know that Jin Jiuchi was reminded of the question his parents had posed to him the day before. In an instant, he was alarmed. Not good! He must not let Gu Luoxin plant any strange ideas in Jin Jiuchi’s head, otherwise who knew what would happen if the man started to think about going out to search for a job? It would be like letting a ticking time bomb out to destroy the peaceful society! Hence, before Gu Luoxin had the chance to voice his thoughts, Shen Nianzu promptly interjected in a loud voice, "That’s right, you’re a student. Why would you search for part time jobs? You’re a member of my organization now. It’s my job to ensure your well-being, physically, mentally and financially. I don’t lack this little money, so if you need more, just ask me!"

Jin Jiuchi enthusiastically clapped, his eyes shining in awe, "As expected, Nian’er is the coolest!"

Gu Luoxin: "..." What in the domineering CEO line is this?

Gu Luoxin felt like a naïve countryside boy who was seeing the world for the first time. He was so shocked that he began to stammer, "N–No, I can’t possibly ask you for—"

"Have you forgotten that we’re supposed to enter the Cycle in three months?" Shen Nianzu did not give him a chance to rebuke. "As the great military strategist Sun Tzu stated, if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. We have to study and prepare ourselves from now on so we can save our asses when the time comes. Just take it as me hiring you to assist in organizing information. And yes, meals will be included in the pay. Is that good enough?"

"Noooo!" Jin Jiuchi was the first to protest. He draped himself over the dining table and cried out miserably, "I don’t want to study!! We still have three months left, so why can’t we just play around first?!"

It seemed like since he arrived in this world, his days had revolved around being dragged by Shen Nianzu to the library, being forced by Shen Nianzu to read books, and being crammed with information he did not ask for. His only entertainment and enjoyment came from the Nightmare Cycle. Given the choice, he’d rather enter the Cycle again and again so he could play around!

He was traumatized just by hearing the word ’study’!

"You’re right, we still have three months ahead of us," Shen Nianzu finally conceded with a helpless sigh. "There’s no need for us to rush like we have done twice before."

Jin Jiuchi’s eyes immediately lit up when he heard that, and he raised his head to fix Shen Nianzu with an expression full of hope and expectations.

When their gazes locked in midair, Shen Nianzu narrowed his eyes and offered a mysterious smile, "We will be going on a vacation and studying at the same time."

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A/N: My sincerest gratitude for ArcaneMag, Cats_895, Neversaner1 and everyone else for giving wbnc 400+ GT this month! QAQ Never expected to see such a huge number, thank you so much for being here with me! ><