When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 369: Stranded Alone

Chapter 369: Stranded Alone

"Woah..."

Cradling baby Toki in his arms, Gu Luoxin’s jaws hung agape as he beheld the extraordinary spectacle unfolding before his eyes. Every single one of the nightmare creatures they had killed before – be it the Chrono beasts, the tentacle monsters, the man-eating plants or the faceless creatures – all of them were now engaged in a chaotic battle against their own kind, confusing not only the players but the other party as well.

Gu Luoxin had never thought he would live long enough to see himself being protected by the nightmare creatures – the same beings he had loathed with all of his might. How cool! How spectacular!

And it was all because of...

His gaze shifted to Ying, whose back was so mangled that even the white bones could be seen. Nevertheless, her posture remained upright, and her stoic expression bellied nothing of the excruciating pain she must be enduring right now.

Gu Luoxin couldn’t help but grimace at the mere sight of it. So it was not only Noir and Shen Nianzu, but Ying was also an extremely terrifying player. What the hell was up with them? Was it possible that the higher they climbed the leaderboard, the more insane and unhinged they would become?

Gu Luoxin tried to imagine a similar scenario happening to him, only to recoil with a violent shiver. No, impossible! He couldn’t do it! He would definitely bawl his eyes out if he were to suffer even a fraction of Ying’s injuries!

Apparently, Shen Nianzu couldn’t bear to see her walking around in such a harrowing state either. He silently tossed the healing prop toward Ying, to which the woman accepted with a nod of gratitude. With this, they had exhausted the prop’s three available usages for the current Cycle.

All around them, the scene of purgatory was still ongoing. Nightmare creatures continued their savage clashes, and as more and more perished, Ying’s undead army also increased in number. The four of them had been drained of energy trying to fend off these creatures while Ying fought her own battle, so this brief respite was very much appreciated right now.

"Should we leave?" Qiuqiu asked tentatively, and everyone’s gazes turned to the baby tour guide at the same time.

Toki responded with a cheerful, "Chirp!"

"I will take it as yes," Shen Nianzu released a heavy sigh as he rolled his aching shoulder, utterly exhausted. "Let’s go."

Under the protection of the undead creatures, their journey went unimpeded. Previously, they couldn’t find an exit regardless of which path they took, but now, as they entered a random tunnel, they could see a bright red door standing before them, adorned with the glowing sign of ’EXIT’ on top.

They could finally get out of this nerve-wracking attraction!

Shen Nianzu assumed the lead this time, followed by Gu Luoxin, Noir, Qiuqiu and Ying who guarded the rear. Heart racing, he reached out a hand and pushed open the door, revealing an abyss of darkness that extended into an unknown territory.

He exchanged glances with everyone and nodded decisively.

Steeling himself, Shen Nianzu resolutely stepped into the darkness. In an instant, a brief vertigo attacked him and he felt his vision swim. When he came to again, he found himself standing in a familiar corridor— alone.

He looked around with his brows furrowed, bewildered. "Xinxin? Noir?" He called out to his companions, but nothing greeted him aside from the echo of his own voice.

What was going on? Why was he left alone, and where had everyone gone?

Frustration gnawed on him, and he massaged his throbbing temple with a groan. "This had better not be another trick from Momoko..."

His communication device was broken when he tried to establish contact with himself from another timeline, so he couldn’t even attempt to reach the others now. He was not afraid though, just utterly fed up and exhausted. This Cycle had really taken a toll on him, both physically and emotionally, and he could not wait to return to the real world and to... to see Jin Jiuchi again. The man’s face flashed in his mind, and he felt a surge of renewed energy running through him.

No matter where he had been stranded, he had to keep going because Jin Jiuchi was still waiting for him. Fighting, Shen Nianzu!

Taking a deep breath, Shen Nianzu resolved to keep going. His right hand moved and clenched into empty air, and he was reminded again that his transparent blade – the weapon he had sincerely grown attached to – had shattered to pieces.

Resigned, Shen Nianzu could only summon another weapon, preparing himself for what lay ahead.

He began to move along the corridor, his vigilance raised. At every turn, he would carve a mark on the wall and count the time silently inside his heart. So far, he had not encountered another attraction, nor had he bumped into another living soul. The space seemed devoid of anything beyond his quiet footsteps and the soft rhythm of his breath.

Until...

"..."

"...er..."

"... Nian’er..."

An extremely familiar voice broke the silence, calling out to him. Shen Nianzu jerked his head toward the direction where the voice had come from, his eyes wide in disbelief. Was he hallucinating right now, or was it truly Jin Jiuchi’s voice he was hearing? Just as Shen Nianzu was convincing himself of the former, the voice called his name again, and this time it was much clearer!

Shen Nianzu’s pupils trembled. "Jin Jiuchi, is that you...?" he responded tentatively, hope burgeoning within him.

However, Jin Jiuchi himself did not seem to hear him. It sounded more like the man was just calling his name mindlessly again and again. Like a mantra, or a quiet murmur filled with longing, as though he could no longer recall anything aside from Shen Nianzu’s name alone.

Shen Nianzu briefly considered the possibility that this might just be another trap laid out for him, but...

He clutched his chest, feeling his heart thrashing against his ribcage. In the previous Cycle, during the Goddess’ test where he had to convince one person of his real identity, he had asked Jin Jiuchi how the man managed to recognize him. And Jin Jiuchi’s reply at that time was:

"Nian’er, remember the time when I... no, when my brother bit you?"

"In fact, I didn’t take anything. I just... forged an invisible bond between us. From then on, wherever you go, I will be able to find you, even if we’re separated by worlds or time itself. Even if you have taken another form, even if you have turned into ashes or vanished into the air, I will be able to recognize you... as long as it’s you."

Back then, Shen Nianzu had not asked for more details as he was beside himself in joy for passing the test. Later, he had forgotten about this matter altogether due to the presence of his new divine prop. But now... he could feel it— the invisible bond Jin Jiuchi had spoken of. It sang and thrummed in his veins, silently tugging him to where his heart belonged.

This was not a trap; it was the real Jin Jiuchi calling out to him!