When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 515: Shang’s Goal

Chapter 515: Shang’s Goal

Shang’s words actually made perfect sense— that was, if they didn’t happen to know Noir’s character well.

Alas, he did not have the slightest idea that they had entered several Cycles together through sheer coincidence, fought side by side in many perilous battles, and thus they could tell that Noir wasn’t the type to lie about something like this. Not to mention, Shen Nianzu had even once invited the man to join his organization – though he was met with refusal in the end – and that spoke volume about what kind of person Noir was.

Which was why, when Shang spoke those words, they subconsciously furrowed their brows.

How to describe it? It was like hearing someone else bad-mouthing your friend right in front of your face.

Being young and hot-blooded as he was, Gu Luoxin immediately jumped forward to defend the person he liked. "Senior is not that kind of person!" he declared, full of indignation. "If he said that the box contained a silver ticket, then it must be a silver ticket!"

"Oh?" Shang raised a brow, musing "You seem close. Are the five of you from the same organization?" He swept his gaze over Noir and the members of SJG Team, lingering briefly on Jin Jiuchi who was still dead to the world.

The rule of this Cycle might have stipulated that the maximum number of people in a team was four, but it did not close the possibility that they had hailed from the same organization and agreed to assemble in the Cycle. Perhaps in various parts of the forest, large organizations had already begun to rally their forces, intending to do a methodical sweep across the forest to claim all the rewards for themselves. This kind of operation had also occurred during previous years, which was why many players yearned to join higher rank organisations to gain a formidable backing.

It was actually Shang, being the leader of the number one organization, who appeared odd for wandering alone instead of meeting up with the other members.

Once again, nothing seemed amiss with Shang’s question at first, but somehow, a nagging sensation kept prodding on the back of Shen Nianzu’s mind. Concealed among the shadow of tall adults, Shen Nianzu’s delicate face crumpled slightly as he studied the other person.

Shang was a powerful player – that, he admitted.

Seated firmly in the 4th rank, he was the next candidate who was most likely to ascend to the Legendary rank. If he, too, had set his eyes on the main reward, then it was natural for him to doubt the authenticity of Noir’s words. However, hadn’t he dropped the matter a little too easily after a mere subjective rebuke from Gu Luoxin? He showed no signs of wanting to pursue the matter further and instead, switched the topic and asked about the five of them, almost as if... he was using the black box simply as a convenient topic to insert himself into the conversation.

What exactly did this person want?

As Shen Nianzu puzzled over this matter in his heart, Ying shook her head, replying, "I still prefer to challenge the Cycles alone." She then nodded toward Gu Luoxin and Shen Nianzu to express her gratitude, "Thank you for stopping me in time earlier. I’ll return this favor another time. Let’s meet again later."

Leaving those words, Ying withdrew to the depths of the forest, her steps brisk and agile, no longer interested in the black box in the Red Zone.

Following her departure, Gu Luoxin’s gaze couldn’t help but gravitate toward Noir, but upon seeing that the emerald-eyed man didn’t seem intent on leaving, a seed of hope sprouted in his heart. Next, he glanced at Jin Jiuchi who was still sprawled on the ground before settling on his leader, asking with his eyes, "Shall we take our leave as well?"

He had no idea why, but this player named Shang gave him an uncomfortable feeling— and it did not have to do with how the man had doubted Noir’s words.

This unsettling feeling seemed to have taken root since the man so easily promised to use his skill card to heal those who were injured at the tea party. But then, what happened in the end? He had stood still and watched as the beefy player died a gruesome death after consuming the Mad Hatter’s concoction, despite the man pleading and begging him during his last moment.

At first, Gu Luoxin had assumed that the man had merely been paralyzed by fear, thus missing the last opportunity to save the dying man. But when he calmed down and mulled over it again, something did not add up. Wasn’t Shang ranked fourth in the leaderboard aka the most powerful Elite player across the country? For someone of this caliber, what kind of bloody deaths had he never witnessed before?

Could it be that... he had deliberately let that player die?

To be honest, Gu Luoxin had always found it despicable and unfair to assume the worst in someone, but after hearing the cruel story of the plump female player and Shen Nianzu’s subsequent lesson, he couldn’t help but force himself to become more critical and wary, especially toward this seemingly refined and harmless player who gave off a strong red flag aura.

Don’t try to fool him— he had read enough manhwas to know that this kind of person usually concealed their cold-blooded and sadistic tendencies deep inside!

In a way, Gu Luoxin’s ’small animal instinct’ proved to be accurate sometimes.

If Shen Nianzu could read his mind, he would agree too. Shang was as powerful as he was dangerous and cunning. He was the type of player Shen Nianzu would like to avoid as much as possible.

But alas, just as he was about to whisk his teammates away from this area, Shang spoke up and switched the topic once more,

"What’s wrong with him?" His eyes landed squarely on Jin Jiuchi with a hint of genuine concern. "If he’s injured, I can heal him. After all, he saved me once in the Red Zone."

Alarm bells rang inside Shen Nianzu’s mind when he heard that. Call this a boyfriend instinct, but he had a hunch that this was Shang’s goal all along. He had approached them on purpose just for Jin Jiuchi!

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A/N: this will be my final Chapter for this year orz I’m so sorry that it’s kinda short, there will be a mini mass release tomorrow as I increase the privilege tier, please wait for it! ^^

Thank you everyone for all your support in 2024 despite my lack of updates QAQ I will do better next year for sure! Here’s to another year of adventure and chaotic shenanigans together *cheers* *pulls confetti*

Will 2025 be the year of WBNC’s completion? Hehehe finger crossed