When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 489: Really Illegal!

Chapter 489: Really Illegal!

Cycle 6: Suicide Forest

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Over the next four days, Team SJG familiarized themselves with the world of battle royale by playing PUBG.

It was then proven that being powerful in real life did not have any correlation with gaming skill.

Jin Jiuchi quickly grew bored after playing a few rounds, and after he was sniped five times in a row, he snapped and broke the keyboard into two. Shen Nianzu, too, was unexpectedly clumsy with his fingers, often pressing the wrong key by accident. After constant practice and grinding, he could only be considered mediocre at best.

In an unexpected twist, it was Gu Luoxin, their weakest link, who often carried the team into victory and won them chicken dinner[1]!

Despite their initial struggles, their dedication paid off at last as they grew more accustomed to the game’s dynamics with each passing day.

Next, they also learned everything there was about the Suicide Forest through watching the movies, documentaries, and even the myths and folklore surrounding it. As they still had no idea how many days they were going to spend there, they meticulously prepared a lot of props needed for wilderness survival.

Having gotten used to Shen Nianzu’s thoroughness, the team coordinated seamlessly, and this time each person must hold onto an earpiece in case they got separated again like they did in the previous Cycle.

The next four days passed by in a blur, especially for Gu Luoxin who still needed to attend classes and train for the musical theater he was going to perform in.

Amidst the busy schedule, he found himself checking his phone once in a while, hoping for a message from a certain someone, though he knew it was mere wishful thinking since Noir had told him beforehand that he needed to focus on finishing his sculpture.

Gu Luoxin had the mind to bring him dinner again, also he wanted to check the progress of the statue – after all, it depicted him and his kingkong! – but alas, he always chickened out in the end. He dared not even send a message to Noir asking whether he would be participating in the Cycle solo, fearing that he would be a bother.

Just like that, Christmas arrived upon them, and the entire street glowed with colorful lights and festive decorations. Christmas songs were played in every shop, adding on to the jubilant atmosphere.

Wrapping the scarf tighter around himself, Gu Luoxin walked across the campus grounds, exhaling hot air into his cupped palms. The weather had been getting progressively colder as of late, though snow had yet to fall. Only a handful of students could be seen lingering around, as the majority had left to spend the holiday elsewhere. Gu Luoxin himself had never particularly gone out of his way to celebrate Christmas and New Year. He would simply spend the days alone in his dormitory and send a perfunctory message to his uncle, whom he knew would continue working through the holidays until the year changed.

He could still remember last year – with nothing else to do, he had binge-watched anime series all day long while snacking on the bed, which he considered a quality me-time.

But this year was different!

He would be fighting for his life alongside his teammate and... and if he were lucky, he might even bump into Noir along the way!

Gu Luoxin made his way to the back of the building, and as he entered a deserted area, he keenly sensed it when the atmosphere around him shifted. It was an odd sensation he could never get used to no matter how many times he had gone through it, especially now that his senses had been heightened with his rise in rank. All the sounds around him abruptly vanished, leaving only the echo of his own footsteps reverberating through the air.

But fortunately, he did not have to venture far before the bus came into sight.

Last time, it had been bright pink; this time, it was bright green with red stripes, leaving him feeling somewhat speechless. "Tsk, tsk," he clicked his tongue, musing. "The Nightmare sure knows how to set a mood."

As he approached, he couldn’t help but notice that the bus was already quite crowded, which was a rare sight since after joining Shen Nianzu’s organization, there had only been the three of them inside the bus. The door slid open with a faint hiss when he came near, and he gingerly climbed aboard, drawing the attention of everyone inside.

At a glance, half of the bus was occupied with a mix of male and female passengers, their age ranging from teenagers to working adults. He did not see any familiar faces.

Gu Luoxin had just contemplated whether he should introduce himself when a hand shot up from the back, and Jin Jiuchi’s voice boomed, "Over here!"

Heaving a sigh of relief, Gu Luoxin quickened his pace as he made his way along the aisle toward Jin Jiuchi’s direction. The other players soon returned to what they were doing, filling the air with lively chatter.

"You guys are early!" Gu Luoxin greeted as he reached Jin Jiuchi’s seat, "Merry Christmas, Da Shen and... Xiao Shen?!" His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of mini Shen Nianzu being cradled in Jin Jiuchi’s lap, looking like a lifelike doll with his exquisite features, round pale purple eyes and silver hair tied into a high ponytail.

Gu Luoxin had to suppress the urge to squeal. "It’s been so long since I’ve seen you like this! What’s the occasion?" He asked, sitting down on the empty seat beside Jin Jiuchi.

"I know, right?!" Jin Jiuchi hugged the jade doll closer to him and planted a loud smooch on his small head, beaming from ear to ear. "Nian’er’s cuteness should be illegal! You must not leave my side, or else you will definitely be kidnapped by bad guys!"

Rolling his eyes, Shen Nianzu pushed away Jin Jiuchi’s face with mild annoyance before responding to Gu Luoxin’s inquiry with his soft, milky voice, "Just because."

Given Shen Nianzu’s character, he must have thought that it would be more convenient to hide himself in the forest with his smaller body. Not to mention the number of players he could deceive and charm his way through, just to steal their resources. Gu Luoxin understood his leader’s action, but... Jin Jiuchi was right – his cuteness was really illegal!

"Xiao Shen, stick close to us!" Gu Luoxin declared, patting his chest with a harrumph. "We will protect you from bad guys!"

"Right, right!" Jin Jiuchi echoed his support with firm nods.

"..." Shen Nianzu was rendered utterly speechless by his teammates’ antics. Just because he took on this form, had the two of them forgotten that he held the highest rank among them?

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[1] Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, a phrase displayed on the screen when a player wins a match. It has since become a popular catchphrase associated with victory in the battle royale genre.