When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 291: A Disney Princess?

Chapter 291: A Disney Princess?

"Wow!" Grandpa exclaimed in astonishment as he looked around, his complexion still ruddy from the extended nap. "Even the countryside air is not this fresh! If I ever retire, this is the kind of place I’d settle in!"

Ying approached a nearby pillar and tugged at the vines, revealing their tightly interwoven integration with the entire building. "It’s all so solid," she observed. "Exactly how many years have we traveled into?"

"Does that even matter?" Another female player retorted with an accusatory tone. "You guys are the ones who chose the destination, but now we can’t even find a single person around. What if the core NPC is not here? Wouldn’t that mean that you’re putting all our lives at risk?"

Her words acted as a wake-up call that reminded the others that they were not here for vacation or sightseeing, but to locate the core NPC, obtain the return tickets and go back to their own world. They tore their gazes from the breathtaking landscape and murmured doubtfully among themselves. Eventually, their eyes settled on Grandpa, the legendary player and the strongest one among them.

Grandpa abruptly shuddered and rubbed his arms, "Weird, why am I getting chills all of a sudden? Have I caught a cold?"

"Let’s go," Shen Nianzu quietly instructed his two teammates. The three of them walked out of the station and started to explore the streets, leaving Grandpa to deal with the other players.

This situation was precisely why he preferred to maintain a low profile inside the Cycle. People tended to think that they would be safe if they followed a powerful player’s lead, yet ironically they would also be the first ones to throw blame once the situation turned unfavorable. Shen Nianzu had grown weary of dealing with such hypocrites, and he’d rather be perceived as haughty or pretentious than to offer them help.

Call him cruel, but this was the reality of the Cycle. Sooner or later, those players would come to realize that relying on a legendary player would do them no good, as the only ones they could rely on was their own selves.

"Woah woah woah..." Gu Luoxin couldn’t stop gawking. Everywhere he looked was an expanse of lush greenery intertwined with the remnants of modern buildings, and the wild grass had grown so tall that he needed to be cautious with every step or else he’d find himself swallowed by the verdant sea. He had to use his hands to clear a path for himself. "I didn’t really pay attention before, but... is this the same city we were in? Where did all the zombies go? Have they perished? What about the survivors? Will they create bases like in those post-apocalyptic movies? And we also need to find the core— ah!" He let out a terrified shriek. "A rat! A super huge rat just ran across my feet ahh!! Oh my God, there are so many insects around here! Da Shen—"

He turned to the man beside him, only to be astounded when he discovered two bright yellow birds perched on top of Jin Jiuchi’s head, colorful butterflies fluttering around him, and he also had a plump and white fluffy rabbit cradled in his arm. Jin Jiuchi whistled softly, and another bird swooped down from the sky to land on his outstretched finger, chirping merrily.

"What?" He asked without turning his head.

Gu Luoxin was dumbstruck by the surreal scene before him. What was he, a Disney Princess?

However, when he gazed at the animals which had gathered around Jin Jiuchi, he couldn’t help but feel a trace of envy within his heart. He slowly scooted over and whispered, "Where did you find that rabbit? It looks so fat and soft. Can I..."

He reached out a hand, intending to caress the adorable little bunny. But out of nowhere, the small animal who had been obediently nestled in Jin Jiuchi’s arms suddenly turned ferocious and snarled at him, baring its sharp and menacing teeth!

Gu Luoxin was so shocked that he let out a yelp and leaped back, clutching his hand close to his pounding heart. He shot an incredulous look at Jin Jiuchi, especially when he saw the rabbit had turned docile yet again and was now leisurely grooming its soft floppy ear. "W-W-What was that?!"

Shen Nianzu, who had been silently watching their exchange, couldn’t help but interject with a helpless tone, "Have you forgotten that this is a Cycle? Of course, you must not underestimate any creature here, no matter how harmless they may seem."

"But what about him?!" Gu Luoxin tearfully pointed at Jin Jiuchi, who was being enveloped by a swarm of butterflies as though he was a lone sweet flower emerging from a pile of mud. His eyes were red with resentment. How envious! How hateful! He also wanted to be surrounded like that!

Raising a brow, Jin Jiuchi flashed a smug grin and showed off the adorable bird perched on his finger. "Look, look at this. Isn’t it the sweetest little thing?"

"Ahhh, I don’t want to look!" Gu Luoxin covered his ears and squeezed his eyes tight. "Begone, evil!"

Shen Nianzu was rendered a little speechless by their shenanigans. If he recalled correctly, the birds around the villa also liked to settle on Jin Jiuchi’s body when he was sunbathing outside. Perhaps it was some sort of animal-to-animal affinity? Then again, was Jin Jiuchi not a predator to them? Unable to come up with anything that might explain the current phenomenon, Shen Nianzu could only say, "Ignore him. He’s always like this."

After that, he quickly switched the topic before Gu Luoxin could start another argument. "More importantly, have you forgotten? We are here to locate the core NPC. I trust my future self’s judgment; if he says the core NPC is here, then they must be somewhere around. But we have one large obstacle in front of us – the scope of the Cycle. Right now, I reckon that it encompasses the entire city, and finding the core NPC here is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack."

Gu Luoxin became worried. "What should we do, then?"

Shen Nianzu sensed some movement coming their way, and he signaled for them to continue walking. As they turned a corner, he responded, "We have no other choice but to search. Remember, our future selves died five times in the past, and this era will surely be dangerous as well, if not more so. We must maintain our vigilance while searching for any survivors. But first things first, we have to find a shelter and second, secure enough food to last us for days."

He halted on his tracks and surveyed the ancient and vintage buildings around them, sighing. "So, which do you prefer?" he asked, turning to his two teammates. "Stay inside a random old building that could collapse at any moment, or camp outside in the wilderness?"

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A/N: I made a huge error in earlier Chapters *cover face* this timeline is supposed to be their fourth, so they are Team 4 now. Holy hell I forgot the second timeline they spent talking and discussing orz. I have fixed the text, no plot is changed, just some numbers are fixed. So sorry for the inconvenience QAQ if you happen to encounter anything incongruent, do inform me directly on the paragraph comments!