When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 288: Two Destinations

Chapter 288: Two Destinations

Shen Nianzu tightened his grip on the paper until the edges crumpled in his trembling hands, and even then he still did not realize anything. Anxiety quickened his breath and hot sweat gathered between his brows as his mind raced through a myriads of possibilities.

He could somehow understand the circumstances that might have led to Gu Luoxin’s death – most likely they had gotten themselves into some kind of trouble like they previously did – but what about Jin Jiuchi? Why... why would he be missing? To the extent where the future Shen Nianzu was desperate enough to decide that there was no other way to salvage the situation than to alter the past?

He might not know everything about Jin Jiuchi, but at least he knew that the man would not vanish on his own accord. So that left only one possibility: an unforeseen accident had befallen him, leaving him with no choice but to be separated from Shen Nianzu.

But what could it be?

Taking a deep breath, Shen Nianzu attempted to suppress the growing dread in his heart and continued to read the letter.

Allow me to explain everything to you from the start.

In the third timeline, we died of an explosion inside the train after opening the door to the control station. In the fourth timeline, which is your current reality, you will discover that a time bomb has been planted within that very room, forcing you to make a destination choice before the time’s up. That’s right, the reason why you died last time was simply because you reached the control station too late, thus triggering the explosive device.

Two destinations shall be presented to you: one to the past and one to the future. And once you make a choice, there will be no going back.

The three of us, Noir, Grandpa, and Ying discussed it before choosing the past. Our hypothesis was simple: returning to the past would bring us to the time before the apocalypse, and the only way we could locate the core NPC was to find an era where humankind was still thriving. Perhaps we might even be tasked to solve the outbreak itself – or so we had initially assumed. And indeed, we were transported to a peaceful and normal city before the disaster struck. With the looming apocalypse in mind, we scoured every research facility and hospital to see if we could cross paths with the core NPC by accident.

This was our biggest mistake. We shouldn’t have chosen the past from the start. We died five times in the process of searching – I won’t bore you with the tedious details but trust me when I say that I didn’t want to go through it ever again. But until the end... until the city succumbed to ruin and everyone turned into a zombie, we still couldn’t find the core NPC.

Because the core NPC is simply not in this era at all.

That’s why, choose the future this time, Shen Nianzu. The core NPC must be in the future, I’m certain of it!

I can no longer wait for fear that something horrible is happening to Da Shen. After I chose the past as the destination, Chrono Junction Express is no longer visible to me or the other players, and I have no idea how many more years I need to endure before reaching the future era. Even if I attempted to restart, it would only set me back to the moment we got off the train after arriving in the past.

When you reach the future later on, remember to keep a vigilant eye on Honglei Hospital, because that’s the place where Da Shen disappeared mysteriously all of a sudden.

Henceforth, I entrust everything to your hands. Please, bring him back to me – to us.

With unwavering faith,

Nian

Shen Nianzu closed his eyes and drew in a shuddering breath. Toward the end of the latter, his future self’s handwriting had become more like a chaotic scribble, evident of how much desperation and hope had been poured into each word. To reach him, to plead for his help. And oh, he could perceive it vividly – the fear, anxiety and urgency his future self was feeling. For the one missing was not just his teammate, but also his boyfriend. His lover. The man he cherished.

And for that, he was going to change the present.

Sudden footsteps approached, bringing him back to reality. "Nian’er!" "Xiao Shen!"

Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin rushed over to him, speaking in a hushed tone, "Team 3 is here!"

Gu Luoxin’s eyes glimmered in the mixture of intrigue and curiosity. "Should we find another hiding spot or just wait here? What if they accidentally spot us?"

Jin Jiuchi stared at his face for one long moment before reaching out to wipe away the sweat on his cheek, then brought his finger to his lips for a lick. "Salty," he commented. "Is there something wrong, Nian’er? You smell... anxious."

Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but chuckle helplessly. As always, Jin Jiuchi could perceive the slightest shift of his mood just by a single sniff of his keen nose. Shen Nianzu might be able to fool others with his calm and composed façade, but he would never be able to change his scent to fool Jin Jiuchi. And to think that this amazing boyfriend of his was going to meet with an accident in the future, leaving his fate unknown...

Shen Nianzu’s eyes blazed in fiery determination. No, he couldn’t let it happen!

"What’s wrong, Xiao Shen?" Concern crossed Gu Luoxin’s face as he heard Jin Jiuchi’s words, though he could sense nothing unusual about Shen Nianzu at all. He reckoned it must be due to Jin Jiuchi’s dog senses tingling, so he did not press further. "Is it the letter? What did our future selves say?"

As the sound of approaching footsteps from the entrance reached Shen Nianzu’s ears, he shook his head. "Now is not the time to explain," he told them hurriedly. "We will hide first from Team 3 and make sure we board the train before they do. I will fill you both in once we’re there."

Left with no other choice, Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin could only comply, albeit their minds were still awashed with confusion.

Huddled in the shadows of the platform, they watched as their other selves engaged in the same bloody altercation they had gone through before. As spectators this time, they felt more amused than apprehensive as they witnessed Team 3 discover the shocking revelation all over again.

Gu Luoxin couldn’t hold back a comment, shaking his head in helplessness. "We were really silly, weren’t we?"

"Yes, you were." Jin Jiuchi let out a lamentable sigh and patted Gu Luoxin’s shoulder in mock comfort, only to be glared at by the latter. Shen Nianzu quickly hushed them before they could bicker with each other like a pair of bear children again.

When the train arrived and Team 3 remained frozen in place, Shen Nianzu stood up and gestured for the other two to follow. "Let’s go." They boarded the train one after another, and the door swiftly slid closed afterward, indicating that it would no longer accept any passengers.

Shen Nianzu spent two minutes explaining the course of events their future selves had gone through and the destination they ought to choose this time, up to the predicament they were stuck in which was Jin Jiuchi’s sudden disappearance. Of course, both Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin were taken aback, and it was not until now that they realized how precarious and complicated this Cycle was.

"I went missing, huh...?" Jin Jiuchi rubbed his chin in thought, it was unknown what was running through his mind.

For fear that they would repeat the same mistake again, they did not linger in their own carriage but proceeded directly to the control station. Upon their arrival, they found only Ying waiting there, exactly in the same position they saw her last time.

As he looked at the woman holding a compound bow, Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but recall the last message his future self had written.

Ps: Be careful of Ying. So far, she has not shown any signs of being an enemy, but she has been acting suspicious all along. You will understand what I mean soon. I suspect Da Shen’s disappearance has something to do with her.