When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 289: To The Future

Chapter 289: To The Future

Shen Nianzu’s senses instantly went on high alert, though outwardly he maintained a flawless plastic smile. "Hello, I don’t think I have introduced myself yet. I am Nian, and these two are my teammates, JJ and Xinxin."

A flicker of surprise and recognition flashed in Ying’s eyes but it faded quickly to be replaced with her usual cool demeanor. She nodded in greeting, "Hello, I’m Ying."

"I have been wanting to ask," Jin Jiuchi chimed in, his gaze fixated on the bow in her hand. "What is that?"

Without a word, Ying swiftly retrieved an arrow, nocked it onto her bow and drew the string, aiming it directly at him. Her posture was no less than a professional, and she had acted so fast that no one managed to react.

Shen Nianzu’s heart gave a lurch, especially when he recalled yet again the warning from his future self. But Jin Jiuchi, this dumb husky, did not have the slightest sense of self-preservation at all and began to clap in awe, despite the arrow’s menacing tip pointed directly at his face.

"Wow, so it’s an arrow and bow. It looks so unique that I didn’t recognize it at first. Can I—" his words were abruptly cut off when Shen Nianzu grabbed his arm and yanked him aside. Caught off guard, he turned to find the jade doll with a somber look on his face, and in an instant, his attention was diverted from the peculiar bow. "What’s wrong, Nian’er? Why do you look like a bitter gourd?"

Shen Nianzu gritted his teeth in frustration. You are the bitter gourd, your whole family is a bunch of bitter gourds!

Didn’t he know to move aside when such a dangerous weapon was aimed at him?!

Alas, Shen Nianzu had been too focused on his future self’s warning that he forgot Jin Jiuchi was sharper and more perceptive than average, despite his usually goofy and annoying demeanor. It was precisely because he did not sense any malicious intention from Ying that he hadn’t dodged, otherwise he would have been the first to raise his guard. He still wanted his little life, okay?!

As if to confirm this, Ying let down the bowstring in the next second as if her only intention had been to demonstrate it to Jin Jiuchi.

The four of them did not need to wait long before Noir and Grandpa showed up, followed by a bunch of anxious players behind them. One of them broke the silence, voicing the concerns that had already been brewing ever since.

"Do we really need to open that door?" This question swiftly gained support from the crowd.

"Yeah, the train exploded the last time we did. There must be a trap inside. Just leave it alone, will you?"

"What if we die again because of this? It will be such a waste of time!"

"Shouldn’t we... um, search the train first to see if we can find some clues about the Cycle and the death condition?"

"I second that."

"I– I also agree. It seems risky to open the door..."

The veins on Shen Nianzu’s forehead throbbed as he realized a grave problem he had overlooked before. Yes, he knew the right course of action he had to take after this thanks to the letter from his future self, but what about the others? Would they even believe his words if he tried to explain it? Especially when showing them the letter was not an option...

Just as he pondered on his options, Grandpa decided to take matters into his own hands and walked to the carriage door, almost blocking the whole space with his broad and imposing frame. "Do you know who I am?" He asked, his sharp gaze sweeping over the other players.

They subconsciously took a few steps backward, intimidated by the oppressive aura belonging to a legendary player.

"Y–You are ’Grandpa Is The Best’...?" One player cautiously answered, though his tone sounded like a question.

"Wrong!" Grandpa’s thunderous response left the crowd stunned. "I might be the best, but first and foremost, I am an elder! Haven’t you young people been taught to listen to your elder’s words?!"

Everyone: "..."

Let alone the crowd of players outside, even the trio, Noir and Ying were taken aback by that crooked yet somewhat reasonable argument. Nonetheless, that alone was enough to render the crowd speechless, so Grandpa added unabashedly, this time his tone gentler but still reproachful, just like an elder nagging his son. "If you have nothing better to do than watch, just go back to your seats and fasten your belts, alright? Now shoo! Don’t interrupt when the adults are talking!"

After saying that, he did not even give them a chance to react before slamming the door shut, effectively cutting off those players outside. Turning around, he heaved a theatrical sigh and wiped the imaginary sweat on his forehead. "Youngsters these days have minds of their own. It’s so hard to keep them in line— what? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

Jin Jiuchi grinned and raised a thumbs up. "Grandpa, you’re so cool! You are officially my grandpa from now on!"

"Oh my," Gu Luoxin cupped his cheeks shyly. "Am I considered an adult now?"

Shen Nianzu: "..." As expected of his teammates.

"Let’s open the door," Noir declared out of nowhere, pulling their attention back to the present. "We have to do it before time runs out."

Shen Nianzu snapped his gaze to him in shock. There was no way Noir would know about the time limit unless... "You received a letter from your future self too?" He inquired, a note of surprise in his voice.

"Not a letter, but a sign," Noir clarified, causing Shen Nianzu’s eyes to light up. Although he was not sure what Noir meant by a ’sign’, it did not change the fact that his future self had tried to reach out to him too. Of course... of course, he should have anticipated this. If the future Shen Nianzu could think of contacting him, that meant the future Noir might have also done the same!

But what about the others? He turned to Ying, and in response the woman nodded in affirmation, "The core NPC is in the future."

"Wait..." Grandpa was left utterly flabbergasted. "What are you talking about? Letter? A sign? The core NPC is in the future? How do you guys know that?"

Ying shot him a speechless look. "...You didn’t receive anything from your future self?"

Grandpa shook his head, genuinely puzzled. "Why would I?"

Everyone stared at him in surprise. If he did not know anything, then why did he insist on opening the door? When asked about it, Grandpa cleared his throat and replied in a righteous tone, "At a glance, you can tell that those players don’t seem too bright. We’d be doomed if we followed their lead. I just wanted to drive them away because they are annoying..."

Everyone: "..." So it’s like that.

Jin Jiuchi, always one to appreciate a no-nonsense approach, raised two thumbs in approval. "Grandpa is the best! I thought they sounded annoying too!"

Grandpa turned his nose up higher, "Of course, you can always trust Grandpa’s words!"

Shen Nianzu was caught by surprise because it was very rare for him to encounter such a genuine and straightforward player inside the Cycle, let alone at the legendary level. He had expected them to be more unapproachable and overbearing, but Grandpa... he was the total opposite of that. He was even quite funny and easy going, which was a total breath of fresh air.

However, a nagging sensation kept gnawing on Shen Nianzu’s mind. Everyone except Grandpa had received some form of communication from their future selves, so why was he the only exception? Did he simply not see the need or... was he unable to?

Shaking his head, Shen Nianzu decided to stop dwelling on this matter and focused on the door before them. He concluded, "Alright, now that we’re all on the same page, let’s not waste any more time and open the door."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Ying, who was the closest to the door, stepped forward and opened it just like she had in the previous timeline. This time though, there was no explosion and they could finally glimpse into the room they had failed to see last time.

The first thing that caught their attention was the massive window that stretched across the front of the station, overlooking an abyss of infinite darkness outside. The void appeared so profound that it felt as if they were suspended in a world where nothing existed except themselves.

Instead of a vast control console adorned with an array of buttons, switches and illuminated displays, at the room’s center stood a complex and colossal time bomb which was intricately connected to a timer that was still counting down: nine minutes and forty seconds... nine minutes and thirty nine seconds...

With each countdown, the sound of a ticking clock echoed inside the space.

Tick-tick-tick.

This time, they had arrived much earlier.

The speaker crackled to life all of a sudden, and the cheerful female voice drifted out, "Thank you for choosing the Chrono Junction Express! For a better journey, I shall allow you to determine your own destination. Please choose one: will you return to the past or traverse to the future? Please keep in mind that this is a one-time offer, and you can’t take it back after making a choice!"

The six of them exchanged resolute glances and answered in unison, "Future. We choose the future."

Instantly, the timer on the bomb ceased its countdown.

"Very well," the voice responded with a hint of mirthful giggle. "Please return to your seats and strap in your seatbelts. We will now be heading to the future!"