When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 478: [Congratulations!]

Chapter 478: [Congratulations!]

Reflected by the flickering embers of the blazing fire, Noir’s gaze was as deep as it was inscrutable, causing Gu Luoxin’s heart to skip a beat. "S–Senior...?"

Narrowing his eyes, Noir responded, "I didn’t save you. You simply created a perfect opening to attack." Or in other words, he was telling Gu Luoxin not to get ahead of himself.

Ouch, Gu Luoxin winced inwardly at the sudden sting in his heart. Then again, Noir had always been blunt and straightforward, so he should have gotten used to this. But this time, there was a sharper edge to Noir’s tone that caught him utterly off guard... or was it all a product of his imagination? He tried to observe the person before him more closely, but once again Noir was akin to a perfectly impenetrable fortress or a tightly sealed clam, not allowing anyone to catch a glimpse of emotions on his perpetually deadpan face.

In the delicate silence that hung between them, Shen Nianzu’s voice broke the tension, "Xinxin, come here!"

"Oh, I’m being called ciit." To Noir, he said, "Then Senior, I will go there first...?"

Noir nodded curtly, "Mn."

Approaching his teammates, Gu Luoxin couldn’t help but notice the familiar faces of players whom Lucius had pointed out to him during their ’date night’ in the market.

"Xinxin? As in Goddess Xinxin?!" Grapefruit exclaimed in awe. "Damn, I never expected to enter the same Cycle as SJG. No wonder the Big Boss this time was taken down so easily!"

"Goddess Xinxin, are you the one who summoned the kingkong earlier? That was hella sick!"

"Can I get your photograph?" Six asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Who could have guessed that Nian would be such a looker too?!"

"Will SJG do an open recruitment in the near future??"

Gu Luoxin froze at the sudden attention showered upon him, utterly caught off guard. T–That’s right... he had totally forgotten that in the Nightmare Cycle, being on the leaderboard was on the same level with national celebrities, let alone the members of their organization who were all in the top 50! It was natural for others to ask for their autographs or contact information but... why did it have to happen now when he was in such an unsightly form? Argh, where should he put his face?!

Awkwardly, Gu Luoxin climbed onto Shen Nianzu’s palm, who gently scooped him up before offering a business smile to the others, "I’m sure we will meet again in the future if fate permits. For now, should we solve this matter in front of us first?"

Faced with Shen Nianzu’s strict and faintly threatening smile, the players could do nothing but mutter a dejected ’oh’ in response.

Gu Luoxin let out a relieved sigh at Shen Nianzu’s excellent PR skills – as expected of their leader! Shifting his attention forward, he noticed Lumina placing her glowing hands on the defeated raven, while Caen hovered around her anxiously. Not long after, a small, glittering, and translucent marble floated from the raven’s body, eliciting a weak desperate cry from the nightmare creature.

"No—!" It desperately reached out toward the little marble. "T–The treasure I’ve nurtured for so long... give it back! Give it back to me—"

"Shut up, duh!" Jin Jiuchi stomped down on the raven with his paw, earning him another agonizing cry. "Do you want to become my midnight snack woof?!" He threatened with a glare, and this time the raven dared not utter another word.

Without the sinister interference of any malevolent force, the small marble took on the appearance of a beautiful woman whose smile was slightly melancholic. There was no doubt about who she was – the Queen.

"My dearest friend Lu, and my kind husband Caen..." her voice carried a tilt of sadness. "I’m sorry... for everything that I’ve done."

"No, it’s not your fault!" Lumina sobbed. "Nothing is ever your fault!"

Caen’s eyes glistened with tears as he gazed at the figure he had been yearning for, "My dear wife..."

The Queen shook her head slightly. "No, it’s me. I am the one who’s been too focused on myself, that I neglected you two who care for me. I’ve been too stubborn to solve the problems all by myself because I didn’t want to appear weak, but I unknowingly hurt you... I didn’t even try to hear you out." A bitter smile touched her lips. "But everything’s too late now. I am dead, and what remains of me is nothing more than a fleeting obsession. I don’t have much time left until I have to go..."

That’s right, she was dead. She had been dead for a long time now. She finally remembered it all. Having been driven to the corner by the betrayals from the two people she cherished the most, she could no longer endure the pain and took her own life. It was then that Vivianne, the raven, ensnared her soul and used it as nourishment for her power.

Over time, her soul was eroded bit by bit until only this tiny fragment remained.

The fragment that still couldn’t bear to leave without saying goodbye.

She realized what kind of mistakes she had committed, but all of them seemed inconsequential now since they were separated by the chasm of life and death. In the end, only regret, sadness and bitterness lingered, the remnants of her existence. And also...

She shifted her gaze to Gu Luoxin, who appeared startled to meet her eyes.

"Thank you..." she conveyed her sincerest gratitude, clutching her chest where her heart once beat. "Thanks to you, I remember this warmth, and I think... this is what I’ve been searching for all along."

Gu Luoxin struggled to hold back his tears, but they flowed freely nonetheless. With his face covered in snots and tears, he choked out, "D–Do you really have to leave ciit? Is there no way for you to stay? After resolving this misunderstanding, how can you leave just like that?!" he hiccuped.

But the Queen merely shook her head with a wistful smile. "This is already more than I could have hoped for. I’m so lucky that I’m still given another chance to see Lu, Caen, and..." her gaze went past them to where Noir was standing, and a relieved smile tugged on her lips. "...my beloved son. Please forgive your mother... it’s my fault for being so weak and cowardly. But now I’m reassured knowing that there’s someone who cherishes you so deeply. I simply hope that you don’t make the same mistake as I did."

"I envy you..." she then told Gu Luoxin. "I wish I was brave and courageous enough to express my love too."

Gu Luoxin was so shocked that he almost choked on his tears. "L–L–Love..." he sputtered.

He had just wanted to deny that the feelings he had for Noir did not equate to love, but the Nightmare’s prompt sounded right on time, giving him a hard slap on his face.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the personal task from the Nightmare – ’Make the Queen realize that true love still exists’! You are only one step away from becoming an Elite player! Please strive your best to obtain the return ticket and return to the real world!]

.

.

Mini theater

The Nightmare to Xinxin: still on denial? *slap*