When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 304: Journey To The West

Chapter 304: Journey To The West

"AH—!"

The players let out startled screams as they scrambled to get as far away as possible from the crimson beam that had crashed into their midst, as well as the unlucky player who had accidentally been struck.

The man halted on his tracks, his expression utterly blank for his mind had not caught up with the current situation yet. Then he looked down on himself, catching the eerie scarlet glow that engulfed his entire body, and his face abruptly twisted into one of pure horror.

"H–Help..." he tried to reach out to the player nearest to him in a desperate plea for salvation, only for the said player to recoil in fear.

"No! Don’t... don’t come near! Go away, you monster!"

"M–Monster...?"

The man looked at his own hands, witnessing how the texture of his own skin was rapidly transforming at an alarming rate. The once smooth and supple surface rippled as though something was wiggling beneath, and strange lumps began to protrude as though a terrifying creature was trying to crawl their way out.

A heart-wrenching scream was torn from the depths of the man’s throat when the first wave of excruciating pain washed over his entire being. "AHHH!! HELP... HELP ME!!" His cries pierced the air, sounding so sharp and inhumane that it sent chills down everyone’s spine.

The other players watched, aghast, as more and more bizarre lumps rippled across the man’s features and this time they could clearly make out the shape – it was the tiny hands of a child, countless in number, pushing against the man’s strained skin. Thick coagulated blood poured out of his eyes, nose, mouth and ears as he desperately clawed at himself. "IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS—!" Intermingled with the man’s blood curdling shriek was echo of faint giggles that came from within his body.

It was a child’s eerie giggle.

The sight unfolding before them was so grotesque and nightmarish that none of them could react. In that tense moment, two arrows sliced through the air with a shrill whistling sound. One of them pierced through the man’s throat only to emerge from the back, while the other stabbed right into his stomach.

The man’s cries abruptly ceased, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he crumpled to the ground. He lay there lifelessly, still with his eyes wide open in sheer horror amidst the terrifying transformation. The second he breathed his last, the giggles dissipated as well, draping the air in a thick suffocating silence.

All eyes turned to Ying, who had just released two arrows. Her lips were bloodless as she let down her compound bow. "We should move."

Her words were akin to the wake-up call that spurred the players into moving. Without a word, they continued their journey, though this time the atmosphere between them was grim.

The crimson beams kept raining down, and although they managed to evade the majority of them, a few players fell victim to the random attacks. They were either eliminated before they could turn into a horrifying monster, or wasted one life-saving prop to escape from the tragic fate that awaited them. What had originally been a group of over twenty had dwindled to less than half as they approached their destination.

"Nian’er, Nian’er," Jin Jiuchi gently prodded the jade doll and whispered into his ear with a voice that only both of them could hear. "Do you hear that voice?"

Shen Nianzu glanced at him with his brows furrowed. "What voice? Are you talking about the voice that came from inside the afflicted players earlier?"

So far, everyone who was caught in the crimson radar showed the same symptoms – strange lumps beneath their skin in the shape of a little child’s hands, and coupled with the delicate giggles, it truly looked as if a child was on the verge of being born from within. Though they still had no idea what kind of gruesome creature that might come out, they neither had the interest nor time to find out.

"Uh-huh," Jin Jiuchi nodded and pondered for a while before saying, "I keep feeling that the voice sounds kinda familiar."

Shen Nianzu was genuinely taken aback, and his expression turned somber. "Familiar? Where have you heard it before?" He knew that Jin Jiuchi’s hearing was sharper than average, so he did not doubt even for a second that the man was making things up. He might really be able to pick up on things others might miss.

"From... this Cycle," Jin Jiuchi responded as he counted with his fingers. "The bus’ speaker, the platform announcement, and the train’s control station. It’s very similar to that voice we’ve always heard."

Hearing those words, Shen Nianzu’s eyes flew wide in surprise and something seemed to flash across his mind. But before he could grasp onto them properly, a harsh exclamation rang out close to them.

"Watch out!"

A large dark shadow flew by at high speed, and before Gu Luoxin could react, a powerful force tackled him and the world spun on its axis, making his vision swim for a second. When he raised his head, a loud gasp escaped his lips when he found himself being clutched tightly in Noir’s embrace, with the man sporting a grim expression. "G-Great God, what..."

Gu Luoxin’s voice abruptly trailed off when he noticed that the spot he had occupied just a second ago was now bathed in a crimson glow. In an instant, colors drained from his face, a layer of cold sweat formed on his back, and his chest tightened so hard that it felt like bursting apart. If... if not for Noir yanking him away in the nick of time, he would have...

"Xinxin!" Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi exclaimed in horror. "Are you okay?!"

"I–I’m fine..." Gu Luoxin struggled to speak through his violently chattering teeth, though the way he was clinging onto Noir for dear life betrayed the immense fear he was feeling within. He’d been so close to turning into one of those terrifying creatures, so how could he possibly be fine?!

Noir could feel the tremble wracking Gu Luoxin’s slender body, and in a moment of soft-heartedness, he let out a sigh and slipped his arm below the young man’s knees, hoisting him up. Gu Luoxin let out a surprised yelp as he scrambled to grab onto Noir’s shoulders, his eyes wide in fluster and bewilderment.

"I will carry him," he informed Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi, disregarding the shock of the person in his arms. "Let’s go."

Due to this little episode, the four of them fell slightly behind the group and they hurried to catch up. As they moved further from the city center, the crimson beams became less frequent, and a quick glance over their shoulders showed that the area behind them was so densely populated that it was difficult to find any intact ground. More and more frenzied creatures arose, their battles shaking the earth and heaven, and the entire city was on the brink of falling apart.

Fortunately, they had managed to traverse the most treacherous area.

Fifteen minutes later, a huge building came into sight. The other players had gathered before the gate, craning their necks to gaze at the ancient structure. It formed a U-shape with a vast courtyard in front, now overgrown with wild bushes and grass. Under the reflection of crimson glow from afar, the entire building emitted an eerie and peculiar aura that sent goosebumps across the players’ arms.

"This is where the core NPC is?"

"It should be. The west is the area of open fields, warehouses and flats. If there’s anywhere the core NPC is hiding, it can only be here."

"Then should we... enter?"

Once that question was posed, everyone simultaneously turned their gazes to Grandpa, awaiting further instructions. However, the man did not seem like he was following the conversation. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the looming building, and he leaned toward Ying beside him, asking in a hushed voice, "Is it only me or... can you feel it too?"

"Yes," Ying nodded, her brows furrowing as she scanned their surroundings. "The energy in this area is slightly different from the rest of the city."

Jin Jiuchi, Shen Nianzu, Gu Luoxin and Noir arrived at that moment, and Gu Luoxin quickly jumped down from Noir’s arms with a red face, stuttering, "T–Thank you..." When he turned to the large building in front of him, his attention was instantly diverted and he exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, isn’t this a university?"

"University?" Shen Nianzu surveyed the area with a thoughtful look. "Now that you mention it, this indeed looks like a university building."

"It really is! Look!" Gu Luoxin yanked aside the vines that had crept over the outer wall with brute force, revealing a signage that had previously been overlooked. The silver material had turned rusty, concealing the once simmering surface with a reddish brown stain. And as soon as the trio deciphered the two characters engraved on the signage, they instantly became stunned.

Honglei.

That was the building’s name.