When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 339: Loophole In The Rules

Chapter 339: Loophole In The Rules

Shen Nianzu froze, his closed eyelids twitching like crazy. Noir had actually expected his arrival? Then why did he pretend as if he did not know Shen Nianzu when they first met?

Cautiously, Aqua deactivated the skill card and her mermaid figure appeared within the confines of Noir’s room as though she had just stepped out of nothing. She raised her head to regard Noir carefully, and Shen Nianzu furrowed his brow when he noticed that something seemed to be different with the emerald-eyed man. He had no idea whether it was because of his extremely low line of sight, but... why did he feel like Noir had become a tad shorter than before?

Noir took a step forward, causing Aqua to flinch back in vigilance. Shen Nianzu tried to reassure her that Noir could be considered an ally, but the alarm she sent to his mind persisted.

This person is dangerous, was what Aqua conveyed through their connection.

To say that Shen Nianzu was surprised was an understatement. Noir’s rank was lower than him on the leaderboard, so logically speaking Shen Nianzu should be the stronger of the two. But Aqua’s wariness toward Noir indicated otherwise. Alas, when Shen Nianzu asked her about it, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for her unease either.

Noticing the guarded stance of the mermaid, Noir did not try to approach anymore. Instead, he walked over to the bed and sat down.

It was then that Aqua had the chance to survey the surroundings. Noir’s room appeared entirely ordinary with a single bed, a table with a chair, and a wardrobe. A small window faced east, offering the scenery of the garden outside. Apart from a few wrinkles on the bed and the glass of water on the table, the room looked barely inhabited.

"You know me," Noir broke the silence with that statement. "Who are you? I can’t sense any malicious intent from you; does it mean we’re allies?"

Shen Nianzu’s attention was instantly robbed by his question. Frowning, Aqua glanced around before her eyes settled on the glass on the table. With a wave of her hand, the water inside the glass bubbled and surged up like a soaring dragon, forming a few words in the air.

[You don’t remember?]

Noir knitted his brows lightly as he massaged his temple, his long sleeve sliding down to reveal a thin and bony wrist. Shen Nianzu’s eyes flew wide in surprise. So it was not only his imagination – the man had really become younger again! Last time they met, his clothes had been the perfect fit, but now his sleeves were long enough to cover his fingertips!

"Something is messing with my memories," he confessed. "I remember that I came here with a specific purpose, but now I can’t even recall it anymore."

[How about Lucius?]

Divine props were items bound to the players. But at their core, they had originated from the Nightmare Cycle, meaning that whatever power was affecting Noir’s mind right now should have had a lesser impact on the black cat. It was also the reason why Shen Nianzu had enlisted Aqua’s help in the previous attraction. The only downside was, divine props couldn’t appear at will unless the bonded players summoned them.

As expected, a look of confusion flashed through Noir’s emerald eyes. "Lu... cius?"

In the next second, a black cat half the size of the original appeared from thin air and pounced onto Noir, slapping him right on the cheek. "Meow meow meow meow meow!" The litany of ’meows’ sounded full of rage and impatience.

Shen Nianzu couldn’t even begin to guess what they were talking about, as he was busy soothing Aqua who seemed agitated by the black cat’s appearance. Ariel, the Princess of Atlantic City, had also behaved the same way. Was this the so-called inherent instincts between different species?

"I see..." Noir slowly nodded as he grabbed the cat by its scruff and yanked it away from his face which was now littered with bloody scratch marks. "I have truly left a message on him, and I know what I have to do now. Thank you for your help..." he trailed off with a raised brow, and Aqua, receiving the question, answered on Shen Nianzu’s behalf.

[Nian.]

"Nian," Noir echoed with a grateful nod. "Thank you for your help. I owe you one."

[What are you planning to do?]

Instead of answering, Noir posed his own question, "Do you know that this hospital is also an attraction?" When all he received was a blank stare from Aqua, Noir murmured his guess with a thoughtful look, "Considering that you have just arrived today, your memories should be relatively intact. The only explanation for your lack of awareness... is because you did not enter through the door?"

Bingo

, Shen Nianzu thought helplessly. Rather than a door, he had been led here by the two dumplings through the wall. It was apparent that his entry bordered on the illegal lines.

Noir was really perceptive even without his memories. Shen Nianzu had half the mind to lament about how he would make the perfect ally – as well as a dangerous enemy – before he promptly decided to toss the wayward thought into the back of his mind and focused on the matter at hand.

"As you can see, the longer we stay here, the more we change – both our physical forms and memories." Noir elaborated, his voice slow and unhurried. "You must be thinking that we have to get out of here as quickly as possible, but I’m afraid you’re mistaken. Remember the rule that we can only participate in three attractions, and more than that will cost ten years of our life?"

Shen Nianzu was stunned as he stared at Noir in disbelief. It couldn’t be... was he planning to...

Noir’s lips twisted into a semblance of a smile that looked purely evil. "Unfortunately, it seems like this labyrinth is not one we can solve just by getting through three attractions. This is where this attraction comes into play," he disclosed the shocking information to Shen Nianzu and Aqua. "The younger we become, the more attractions we can enter, and the greater our chances of success will be. This is the loophole in the rules we can exploit to our greatest advantage."

Shen Nianzu was utterly caught off guard by the audacity of this man who could think of bending the rules to his advantage. While it sounded brilliant and mind-blowing, the risk he had to bear also increased exponentially. Just take Noir’s current state as an example – what if Shen Nianzu had not stumbled into this place? Would he have been trapped in here before gradually forgetting about himself?! And he even dared to challenge this attraction all alone! Had he always been this reckless?!

The mermaid’s somber countenance mirrored Shen Nianzu’s as the water wriggled in the air. [Good plan, but what about your memories?]

Noir had the gall to look a little awkward under Aqua’s judging glare. "Lucius would have found a way to appear and remind me when I’m near death."

"Mrooow!" As though protesting, Lucius’ fur bristled and it left another claw marks across the man’s neck, prompting Noir to hurl it across the room.

Nian, you’re not going to be this reckless, right? Aqua inquired worriedly inside his mind.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Shen Nianzu reassured her. Don’t worry, I still cherish my life very much.

Shen Nianzu carefully considered everything he had learned from Noir so far. According to the man, they couldn’t find the exit of the labyrinth with just three attractions, and that’s why they needed to take full advantage of the phenomenon in this hospital. The only downside was their missing memories, but this could be countered with the help of their divine props. Even if they happened to forget about the existence of the props, it should be fine if they reminded each other, just like how Shen Nianzu had done for Noir.

[Okay.] Shen Nianzu finally decided. [Let’s go with your plans for the time being.]

But then, he abruptly thought of a problem he had overlooked before. Noir had to stay in this attraction for two months before he reached his current state. Did it mean Shen Nianzu would have to stay for the same amount of time, if not longer?

As though sensing his concern, Noir spoke up, "We will not be staying here for long. In case you’re unaware, being punished will only accelerate the process of de-aging, so you should prepare yourself." He thought of something and nodded, "We will leave once you’re around the same age as the twins you’re with right now."