When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 479: One and Only Cure

Chapter 479: One and Only Cure

The sudden prompt froze Gu Luoxin in place, and if it weren’t physically impossible, he would have flushed a vivid shade of crimson from the tips of his rounded ears down to the end of his tail.

W–What the hell? It was like the Nightmare was forcing him to admit that his feelings for Noir were just like... that! He, Gu Luoxin, in love with Noir – his idol, role model, and his object of admiration? Could it possibly have been love all along...?

Unbeknownst to him, his gaze gravitated towards Noir, and his soul almost bounced out of his body when their eyes met in midair, as the other person was also staring at him since God-knows-when. A high-pitched squeak escaped him as he instinctively curled into a tight ball, seeking refuge in Shen Nianzu’s palm that provided little cover to begin with.

"Xinxin?" Shen Nianzu called out worriedly, poking the brown mouse’s body with the tip of his finger. "What is it?"

Peeking out timidly from between his paws, Gu Luoxin whispered, "I... I completed my personal task ciit..."

"You did?!" Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi exclaimed in unison, their faces brightening with joy.

"Congratulations!" Shen Nianzu beamed. "That’s fantastic news!"

"Wait, what’s your personal task again woof?" Jin Jiuchi wondered out loud, but this time Gu Luoxin showed him his butt and pretended he heard nothing.

No, he wouldn’t divulge his personal task even if someone held a knife to his throat. He would rather take this to his grave! H–How embarrassing would it be if people found out about it! Setting aside how he would be teased within an inch of his life by Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu, if Noir were to discover it too... argh, wouldn’t it be the same as a public confession?! No, his heart would first shrivel up before he dared to attempt something like that!

Thankfully, Jin Jiuchi didn’t continue to press further as the players who heard the news began to shower Gu Luoxin with sincere congratulations.

"Ah, that’s right," Shen Nianzu remarked as he suddenly recalled something. With a swift motion, he passed Gu Luoxin over to Noir, eliciting a startled squeak from the brown mouse, before he retrieved a pair of glass slippers that had once been worn by Jin Jiuchi. The shoes, which miraculously expanded to fit Jin Jiuchi’s feet, had now reverted back to their original, delicate size.

Shen Nianzu presented them before the Queen with a courteous smile, "These are yours, Your Majesty."

"M–My glass slippers..." The Queen’s voice trembled as she reached out to accept them and slipped them onto her feet – it was a perfect fit. With a radiant smile, she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much for returning them to me."

[Congratulations!]

A collective sigh of relief swept through all the players as the prompt echoed in their minds, indicating that they had successfully cleared the main task of this Cycle.

Although this Cycle appeared simple at first, it was actually quite tricky.

Beyond its expensive scope, they had to first retrieve the glass slippers from the bottom of the lake, correctly identify their rightful owner, and find the right timing to return them to her. Had they done it when the Queen remained under the black raven’s influence, the outcome could have been dire, as there was a high chance they would bolster the enemy’s power instead.

Additionally, even though the death condition dictated that the players must not harm the glass slippers objects, they must all be destroyed before Lumina’s magic could fully return, which enabled her to liberate the Queen’s soul from the sinister prison that had kept her captive for a long time.

But fortunately, everything ended well.

After that, the Queen cradled the one-eyed mouse in her hands, leaning down to bestow a tender yet poignant kiss. In the blink of an eye, a gentle halo enveloped Caen, and when it dissipated, gone was the filthy and tiny mouse. In its place was the handsome and regal figure of the King, who appeared worse to wear with bloodshot eyes and short beard on his chin. But alas, he didn’t even have the luxury to rejoice in his lifted curse when confronted with the translucent soul of the woman he loved.

Reaching out to her, he touched nothing but empty air, and his expression morphed into one of profound sorrow. "If I let you go now, will you be happy...?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

The Queen responded with a faint smile, "I hope so. I’m so sorry, Caen, for making light of your feelings. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me someday."

Caen shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I already did. Then..." he swallowed hard, pushing down the lump that formed in his throat. "I guess this is farewell."

The Queen’s gaze then shifted to Lumina, the little fairy who had been with her since the beginning. It was ironic how this time it was her turn to wipe Lumina’s tears away, when it had always been the other way around.

"Please don’t blame yourself," she whispered with tears in her eyes, her translucent hand lingering on the fairy’s wet cheek. Yet the smile on her face remained soft and serene. "These were my choices, and I had to own up to the consequences. I only hope that... if there exists another life, I will be able to tell you..." her voice gradually faded into a soft, inaudible murmurs as her soul dispersed, transforming into a gentle stream of light that ascended into the sky, which heralded the arrival of dawn.

It was a moment of quiet beauty, simultaneously breathtaking yet heartbreaking at the same time.

Gu Luoxin followed the trail of light with his head tilted, tears blurring his vision and drenching the fur on his face.

At that moment, he seemed to understand why the door to Lumina’s prison was built so small. It wasn’t only for protection from the eyes of humans, but also because somewhere deep within the Queen, she harbored a hope that the little fairy would find her own way to freedom. She also didn’t exterminate all mice in the town even though she could do it with a single command, for she couldn’t bring herself to kill her husband.

At the end of the day, this was the extent of her vengeance – she still couldn’t bear to harm them for real.

In the aftermath of the ruins, Six and her remaining teammates could finally cry and mourn for their fallen comrades, their sobs and hiccups filling the air with a melancholic ambience.

But this somber moment was abruptly interrupted by the shrill cry of the black raven, who desperately struggled to shield its eyes from the sunlight beneath Jin Jiuchi’s paw. "Too bright... it’s too bright! Release me, damn it!" It screeched. "I am the creature of darkness, always feared and shunned by all! I shall never—"

"But deep down, you also yearn for the light, don’t you?" Lumina’s gentle voice interjected. "That’s why you can’t help but be attracted to her pure and dazzling soul."

"A–And what if I do?!" the black raven retorted, its agitation palpable. "It doesn’t change the fact that light abhors me! Everywhere I go, I’m met with disdain and scorn! Branded as an omen of misfortunes, treated like a filthy creature to be driven away!"

"You poor thing..." Sighing, Lumina placed a tender hand on its wing where it was injured by Lucius the Spear. A gentle light flowed out, and the wound began to heal at a speed visible to naked eyes. With a gentle smile, Lumina extended her hand, "If you’re willing, why not accompany me from now on?"

Watching the scene unfold, Shen Nianzu stretched out his waist and yawned, "Finally, it’s all over..." he rolled his tense shoulder with a sigh. But then, his gaze fell upon Gu Luoxin who was now perched atop Noir’s shoulder, and a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. "Hold on, why are you still in that form? Hasn’t the curse been lifted?"

Gu Luoxin blinked at him, equally perplexed.

Lumina, who overheard the conversation, turned toward them from where she was tending to the injured raven. Her eyes sparkled as she muttered, "The one and only cure to break the curse..."

Though she didn’t say it out loud, everyone immediately knew the answer in their minds:

Only the kiss of true love could break the curse!