When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 355: Liberate The Calamitous Twins

Chapter 355: Liberate The Calamitous Twins

Cw: gore

***

The cries that echoed throughout the space no longer sounded like that of children. They were more like nails screeching against a chalkboard, or the haunting wails of vengeful spirits that crawled out of the depths of hell. They were cries that made everyone’s mind reel, sent chills down their spines and caused them to break into cold sweats.

"Ah— ah— it hurts! Brother, it hurts!!"

Despite those words, silver-haired Jin Jiuchi bit down on his brother’s shoulder and tore off a chunk of flesh. At the same time, black-haired Jin Jiuchi twisted his twin’s little arm until the white bones jutted out of his skin at a horrifying angle. He coughed up a mouthful of blood when the other’s good hand punctured his stomach and pulled out his intestines.

Tears of blood streamed down their small round faces. Even then, they continued to attack, to savor and consume everything the other party had to offer until the very last drop.

Crimson pooled beneath their feets, mingling with tiny pieces of raw flesh. It truly looked like the two of them had lost their minds for good, yet somehow it was also like they were performing some kind of morbid, sickening dance.

For they were not battling against each other.

This was their attempt to fuse themselves into one, to force the two halves into one whole again. To become their most perfect self.

A little more... just a little more...

Shen Nianzu had no idea that he had it in him to scream again after the damage his body had sustained. Hell, it was already a miracle for him to still draw each shaky breath into his punctured lungs. He reckoned that it was his concern for the twins that played a major role in his resistance to the alluring call of death. So he forced himself to cling into the last traces of consciousness in his body, only to be greeted by the grotesque spectacle unfolding before him. And scream he did.

He did not even know that he was capable of producing such a shrill, gut-wrenching sound that seemed as if it had been ripped out of the depths of his soul.

"No... NO!!" As if he had forgotten about his current condition, Shen Nianzu began to crawl his way to the twins that did not appear human anymore, leaving a long bloody trail behind him. Horrified tears streaked down his face, his fingertips bleeding as he struggled to pull his broken body forward. Pure, unfiltered terror coursed through his veins like an icy glacier.

This must be a nightmare... yes, it must be it!

"Stop it..." he choked out amidst his tears. "Please... please stop!!"

He desperately tried to reach them, to stop what they were doing even though he knew it was futile. But eventually, his body failed him. His muscles, which had been drained of strength, finally refused to move anymore. A sob wrenched out of his lips as he extended a trembling hand toward the grotesque masses of bloody, twitching flesh and bones that had once been the twins who held a special place in his heart.

"Jin Jiuchi... Jin Jiuchi...!" He thought he had screamed that name out loud, but in fact his voice was barely above a whisper, having exerted all of his energy.

With one final anguished cry from the disfigured twins, the starry sky above them split apart.

"MASTER—!!" A screech that sounded like Momoko’s voice rang out as a crack appeared on the massive pendulum clock hanging in midair.

Darkness more intense, more pure and tangible than Medeia’s power seeped in and devoured the twinkling constellations in the sky, soaking the entire labyrinth in a profound and inky blackness. And it was different from the witch’s spell that had rendered everyone breathless.

This time, as they stared into the darkness, it felt as though all the lights in their souls were being inexorably drained away, making it seem as if hope had been lost and only despair remained.

"A–Ah..." Any traces of arrogance on Medeia’s face was nowhere to be seen as she fell down on her knees, genuine horror reflected in her dark eyes. "The Omnipotent One... why... why have you descended into this lowly realm?"

Too caught up with the twins’ action, Shen Nianzu did not even realize that the Nightmare had appeared again in this Cycle, until a familiar prompt resounded in his frantic mind. Somehow, the voice sounded remarkably clear as though it was directly whispered into his core.

[Congratulations, you have successfully completed the personal task from the Nightmare – ’Liberate the Calamitous Twins’! You are only one step away from becoming an elite player. Please try your best to earn the ticket and return to the real world!]

That announcement was akin to a bucket of icy cold water being poured over Shen Nianzu’s head, chilling him down to the bones. His entire body began to shake and tremble, but this time it had nothing to do with his physical agony of the gruesome state of the twins.

What...? What did he just hear? His personal task... the task assigned by the Nightmare that was specially tailored to target his weakness... was to make the twins devour each other? This was what the Nightmare meant by ’liberate’ all along? What kind of sickening joke was this?!

The glob of darkness began its descent like a slimy tentacle, reaching out toward where the twins were. Shen Nianzu was half a beat too late to look away, and in the next instant, he felt blood rising in his throat as a deafening cacophony of cries and howls echoing in his mind akin to a symphony of Hell. Unlike the usual, however, this time what he heard were the cries belonging to the twins who begged him to save them from the pain and agony.

Shen Nianzu’s body convulsed violently and he spat out a mouthful of blood. This is not real, he desperately tried to convince himself. He had to tear his eyes away as soon as possible. He had to do it! However—

Nian’er, Nian’er, it hurts...

Nian’er, help us...

Tears flooded Shen Nianzu’s eyes as he felt his spirit sinking deeper and deeper toward the abyss. However, those voices sounded so real, so piercingly vivid that Shen Nianzu couldn’t bring himself to look away. Jin Jiuchi was asking for his help. The person he cherished was in pain. He had to do something – anything! He had to—

"Xiao Shen!"

Shen Nianzu sensed a pair of arms lifting him up and carrying him away. The nightmarish scene before him began to warp and shift, returning to the core of the labyrinth. Gasping, he struggled to inhale air into his lungs, realizing that he had stopped breathing at some point of a time. He painstakingly raised his eyelids to find a pale and stricken Gu Luoxin, his face marked with tracks of fresh tears.

"Xiao Shen, please hold on! You’re going to be all right!"

Gu Luoxin brought him away to the side and carefully laid him down on the ground before taking out a familiar set of props. With trembling hands, he put the wreath, necklace and bracelet on Shen Nianzu and began to pray, choking on his tears. "Please... please make it work...!"

Upon activation, the props glowed in a shimmering blue light and enveloped Shen Nianzu’s broken and battered body.

Prop: Atlantis’ Rejuvenation Set

Prop Level: Unique

Prop Usage: Upon activation, its potent aura will mend physical injuries and rejuvenates the spirit, instilling a sense of tranquility and vitality in its recipients. This is a limited edition prop that can only be obtained in the Lost City of Atlantis.

Number of usage per Cycle: 2/3

The bleeding that had covered Shen Nianzu’s body slowly ceased and the torn flesh miraculously began to knit itself back together. An almost unbearable itch centered where his leg stump was as raw flesh began to sprout, growing into a brand new leg.

Shen Nianzu only felt like he had been transported from Hell to Heaven, the discomfort on his body gradually vanishing to be replaced with a refreshing and revitalizing sensation. The prop given to them by the bus officer triggered the traces of power belonging to the witch’s bane in his blood, diligently working to soothe his damaged soul.

He drew in a sharp gasp, feeling as if he had been born anew.

.

.

A/N: Who has missed the Nightmare? *raise hand*

This Cycle turns out darker than I’ve expected :"D I’ve analyzed it and realized that it must be because this Cycle is mostly told from Shen Nianzu’s perspective, and I can’t imagine our Nian’er as anything but serious. It’s his advancement test after all, so he ought to suffer a bit huhu *hugs nian’er*