When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 432: Exchanging Information

Chapter 432: Exchanging Information

"Nian’er, is it really okay like this?" Jin Jiuchi inquired as they entered Shen Nianzu’s room.

"I hope so," Shen Nianzu answered gloomily. Releasing his hold around Jin Jiuchi’s wrist, he rolled his shoulders and plopped himself down on the bed, sighing. "Rosie’s temperament is firm, independent and domineering. I don’t think I’ve acted out of character... well, except for taking you away. If we do end up triggering the death condition, then know that it’s because of you. Either way, there’s something off about this family, but I can’t pinpoint it for certain yet."

"Hmm..." Jin Jiuchi settled beside the jade doll and nuzzled close like an affectionate husky. "Something off?"

Recalling the rotten steak in the dining room, Shen Nianzu briefly recounted it to Jin Jiuchi. In return, Jin Jiuchi also told him about the crimson eye he had seen through the hole, taking the opportunity to complain about how rude the other person was. Shen Nianzu was speechless upon hearing the thrilling yet awkward encounter.

Other people might have been terrified to the point of pissing their pants, while Jin Jiuchi... perhaps this was one of the perks of having a nightmare creature as a boyfriend. Shen Nianzu did not have to worry that the man would lose his mind out of fear.

At a loss of words, he could only ruffle Jin Jiuchi’s soft hair. "... It’s good that everything turns out well. I initially assumed that this was just a role-playing Cycle," he mused. "But it seems like there’s a supernatural element mixed in as well."

Jin Jiuchi blinked. "Do you mean to say that I’ve encountered a ghost?"

Shen Nianzu couldn’t resist pinching the silly husky’s cheek, "What do you think? We didn’t sense any other presence down there, so it can only be a ghost."

"But why would there be a ghost in Cinderella’s room?" He continued to ask.

"Good question," Shen Nianzu praised, though he was also none the wiser.

Cinderella had occupied that room for years, and judging from the marks on the floor, she had at least traversed the underground passageway a few times before. It was sufficient to say that she should be aware of the ghost’s presence. Was there any special connection between the unknown ghost and Cinderella? And more importantly, what kind of secret was this family hiding?

The bus officer who brought them here... could she be the real Cinderella?

In the midst of deep contemplation, Shen Nianzu sensed a tug on his consciousness and he immediately perked up. "Oh, Aqua is calling me." He lay straight on the bed and closed his eyes. "I will be sharing my vision with her now. If something happens, just shake me awake," he instructed Jin Jiuchi, who readily complied.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Nianzu relaxed himself and allowed his consciousness to flow through the invisible thread connecting him to the divine prop. His vision remained dark at first, but in the next second, the darkness receded like a cicada shedding its shell, and a myriad of colors burst forth.

The first things he saw were oil lamps hanging outside the wooden houses, and a few people strolling down the streets. However, everything was spinning and swinging back and forth, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

Shen Nianzu struggled to adjust himself to the different perspective where everything became super gigantic, and it took him a few seconds to realize that he was floating a few meters above the ground – no, that’s not right. Aqua had actually slipped into a duffel bag carried by a young man on his shoulder, hence the reason why his vision was swimming. The ground looked further than usual because of her mini size.

[Nian?] Upon sensing Shen Nianzu, Aqua reported with excitement. [I found the inn, and this person is going there too! I overheard him talking near the water canal earlier!]

[Good job, Aqua.] Shen Nianzu was not stingy with his praises.

Looking around, Shen Nianzu noticed that the young man was walking through a bustling street where stall vendors sold various goods. This should be the night market, he noted. As for the Glass Inn, it should be located in the center of the town?

The young man stopped in front of a stall selling candied sticks, purchased one, and munched on it along the way as he headed toward the Glass Inn.

Different from its name, the inn itself was a quaint two-story building with sturdy timber-framed walls and a thatched roof. Upon entering, they were welcomed by the lively scene of people filling the round tables, chatting and laughing, while the waitresses moved around agilely to serve the customers. The tantalizing aroma of food wafted in the air, and even though Shen Nianzu was only borrowing Aqua’s vision, he felt as though he could almost smell the food, reminding him of the tragic dinnertime where he had only nibbled on plain salad.

The young man scanned the area before making his way directly to a certain table, exchanging greetings with his friends who had been waiting for him. As he took his seat, Aqua seized the chance to slip out of his duffel bag and landed on the floor with a soft ’oomph!’

Thanks to the bustling crowd, nobody noticed the presence of the tiny palm-sized mermaid. Dragging her tail, she navigated through the human legs around her and clung to the leg of the table, scanning her gaze around the lively space.

[How is it?] She asked. [Did you spot your companion?]

Shen Nianzu mentally shook his head, knowing that Aqua was able to sense his thoughts. [No, let’s look around some more.]

Nodding, Aqua cautiously stuck her head out and looked around, and upon seeing an approaching waitress, she jumped and clung to the hem of her long skirt, letting go once she reached the other side of the room. Once again, she rolled beneath the table to hide herself.

"Fyuh," Aqua sighed in relief and wiped the sweat on her forehead.

She was ready to continue her exploration when a delicate female voice echoed nearby,

"How is it? How many people have gathered?"

Another woman replied, a little hesitant, "For now, I can only spot five..."

"Five? A mid-level Cycle should have at least more than ten players, right?"

Both Aqua and Shen Nianzu froze in place. Who could have guessed that they would be so lucky to hide beneath the table of the players? Feeling a little excited, Aqua tucked in her presence and looked around. There were four pairs of legs around her, two males and two females. For fear of exposing her existence, she could only stay still instead of getting close to them.

"I don’t think there will be any more coming." A male player chimed in, "We’ve been waiting for almost two hours, after all."

"Alright..." the first female player sighed. It seemed like she was the one who had set up the lantern. "Let’s gather them and start the meeting."

Aqua remained under the table as the male player stood up and walked away, most likely to fetch the other. A few minutes later, five more people squeezed in, making the space quite cramped. Aqua herself had to stick to the leg of the table so as to avoid being kicked by accident.

Much to Shen Nianzu’s disappointment, Xinxin was nowhere to be seen.

Did he not come or... could he have joined forces with Noir?

"Alright, it looks like everyone is here. Let me introduce myself first," the first female player initiated the conversation. "Hello, you can call me Six. I’m the one who set up the paper lantern. I’m sure everyone can more or less guess our purpose here. That’s right, it’s to exchange information. Feel free to leave if you’d rather work alone."

After Six’s speech, no one left.

"Good." Shen Nianzu could sense the relief and satisfaction in Six’s tone when she said that. "I hope we can cooperate openly here instead of withholding information. To show my goodwill, allow me to start first."

"My teammates and I have discovered two death conditions," she stated solemnly.