When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 460: Core NPC

Chapter 460: Core NPC

Ahhh, Nian’er, save me!

Jin Jiuchi cried out inside his heart as he dodged the hands reaching toward him. Out, out, out! He had to get out of here as soon as possible! Kicking his legs frantically, Jin Jiuchi propelled himself back to the surface, when all of a sudden, a hand grabbed onto his ankle!

The sudden weight caused him to sink, but Jin Jiuchi reacted swiftly and kicked the hand off him. Unfortunately, the two seconds of distraction was more than enough for more creatures to latch onto him. Countless hands and legs wound themselves around his limbs, dragging him deeper and deeper into the lake’s depths.

More bubbles flew out of Jin Jiuchi’s mouth as he felt himself sinking further.

Ah, ah ah, Nian’er! I’m going to die!! I’m really going to die soon!!!

But of course, Shen Nianzu did not appear to rescue him like a knight in shining armor. Instead, Jin Jiuchi continued to sink deeper and deeper, unable to break free from the creatures which latched onto him like countless octopuses. Each passing moment made it harder for him to hold his breath, his chest tightening and limbs spasming.

Yet amidst the darkness, his different colored eyes shone with a fierce determination, piercing through the gloom like beacons of light, as sharp and sober as ever.

Just as Jin Jiuchi considered activating his skill card and devoured all these little creatures into his stomach for dinner, a glimmer of light caught his eyes, standing out so vividly against the dark ocean floor.

Wait, what’s that?

Squinting his eyes, Jin Jiuchi focused his vision and he was utterly astonished to find that... it was a pair of glass slippers, partially buried in the sand! And judging from the trajectory of his descent, these creatures seemed to be pulling him in that direction!

Shock surged through Jin Jiuchi as the realization dawned upon him.

No way, don’t tell him... these creatures weren’t dragging him down to drown him, but to lead him to the glass slippers?!

Couldn’t you say something, damn it?!

Jin Jiuchi cursed inside his heart, only to recall in the next second that these bizarre creatures possessed no mouths in the first place. What a real pain in the ass.

As they neared the glass slippers, the creatures abruptly tossed Jin Jiuchi down onto the ocean floor before they proceeded to pat themselves all over as though they had touched something dirty. Poor Jin Jiuchi landed with a mouthful of sand, cooking up a small storm around him.

Suppressing the urge to cough, he raised his head and saw the glass slippers right before him, within his reach. Even amidst the pitch-black darkness, they seemed to emit a magical and otherworldly aura, looking so elegant and poised. It was on a whole different level than the cheap imitation Shen Nianzu had in his room.

This... should be the real and genuine glass slippers? Jin Jiuchi wondered.

But why were they here? And what did the presence of these bizarre creatures signify?

But alas, Jin Jiuchi’s brain was never one for analysis. Despite having restored a fragment of his soul, his laziness still overwhelmed everything. Moreover, he was going to lose his breath soon if he didn’t take any action – there was simply no leisurely time to think!

Throwing all caution to the wind, Jin Jiuchi did the only thing in his mind – he reached out and grabbed the glass slippers with his hand!

And the second he did, a powerful shockwave surged through him as though an electric shock was coursing through his entire body. The water churned and trembled around him as a brilliant light erupted, blinding his vision and engulfing the entire world in white.

.

.

"Please..."

"You’re my one and only hope. Please save her from herself..."

"If you can find these glass slippers, it means the guardians I chose have approved of you. Please save her before she destroys herself..."

From within the pristine whiteness, a delicate voice belonging to a woman echoed beside his ears, thick with sadness, grief and longing.

At the same time, a familiar announcement rang in Jin Jiuchi’s mind with vivid clarity.

[You have received the task from the core NPC Fairy Godmother. Many years ago, she had her heart moved by a pitiful and lonely girl who was longing to go to the royal ball. She cast her magic on her, blessing her with a lifetime of happiness and love, only for the tale to end tragically. For that reason, she lost her magic and could only watch as her beloved suffered day by day. Your main task is to return the glass slippers to their rightful owner. Time limit: midnight. Please strive to achieve the best results to obtain the return ticket!]

Wha—

What the hell did he just hear? The core NPC they had been searching for turned out to be the fairy godmother?! And who was the ’rightful owner’ the Nightmare was talking about??

Most importantly, what about the beautiful dress and pumpkin carriage he had been anticipating?!!!

Just as the question crossed Jin Jiuchi’s mind, a powerful force slammed into him like a freight train, hurtling him out of the water!

"Cough, cough, cough—!" Sprawled on the grass, Jin Jiuchi almost hacked his lungs out as he scrambled to wipe the water off his face.

As he lifted his head, he found himself surrounded by countless bizarre nightmare creatures consisting of hands with eyes, scattered across the shore. Dozens of lone crimson eyes glared at him, while the hands took on a defensive stance like bristling cats, seemingly itching to tear him to shreds.

Jin Jiuchi: "..."

Weren’t these ’guardians’ supposed to have approved of him?! Then what was this intense hostility and murderous intent he was sensing?!

"Calm down, calm down!" Jin Jiuchi hurriedly made a gesture of ’stop’ when they marched forward in unison, forming a circle around him. "We can talk this over peacefully— ah fuck, you guys don’t even have mouths. Can’t you grow one out for both our sakes?!"

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say because the guardians grew even more enraged instead. They lunged toward him like a swarm of poisonous bees, pulling a howl from Jin Jiuchi’s throat. "Ack, don’t pull at my skirt! What do you think you’re doing, you perverts?! The only person who can lift my skirt is Nian’er!!!"

Amidst Jin Jiuchi’s nearly hysterical shouts, the bizarre hands produced... sewing needles and threads seemingly out of thin air. Jin Jiuchi braced himself, half-expecting them to turn him into a human pincushion. But much to his surprise, they merely focused on his old, ill-fitting dress.

Next, Jin Jiuchi watched in astonishment as magic unfurled before his eyes. The hands moved with such speed and precision that Jin Jiuchi couldn’t follow their movements, transforming his worn-out garment, which seemed on the brink of tearing apart, into a sturdy and more comfortable dress that actually fit his broad frame.

In less than five minutes, the transformation was complete and Jin Jiuchi found himself clad in a luxurious black dress adorned with exquisite golden and silver embellishments that complemented his eyes perfectly. The long, billowing sleeves enveloped his muscular arms, while the hem gracefully draped over his thick and hairy legs.

Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful and elegant the dress was, it still couldn’t shake off the roughness and brazenness that came from within him, rendering him somewhat funny and ridiculous.

But at least compared to the previous dress, this was a thousand times better and more breathable.

However...

"Hmm..." Jin Jiuchi stood up and inspected himself, somewhat dissatisfied. "Nian’er’s dress looks way better— ah ah!" He was quick to scream murder when the handsy creatures raised their needles in a threatening gesture. "I’m kidding, I’m kidding! This is so beautiful, okay?! The most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen!"

Only then did the guardians lower their murder weapon, prompting a relieved sigh from Jin Jiuchi.

Wiping the sweat on his forehead, he grumbled under his breath. "Geez, they don’t even have ears, so how can their hearing be so sharp?"

Looking around, Jin Jiuchi spotted the glass slippers nearby, appearing visibly bigger than he had last remembered, presumably to fit his shoe size. The sight reminded Jin Jiuchi yet again of the main task he’d just received.

"Oh!" He hit his fist against his palm as he hastily retrieved his earpiece from his storage prop, inserting it into his ear. "I have to tell Nian’er about this! Hello? Moshi moshi, Nian’er??"