When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 524: Noir’s Gift Box

Chapter 524: Noir’s Gift Box

Under the trio’s sparkling eyes which were brimming with anticipation, Noir tugged the ribbon loose with a complicated look on his face, feeling a subtle prickle of discomfort he couldn’t put into words. He proceeded to open the lid without batting an eye and then...

There’s no ’and then’.

The trio stood still, somewhat dumbfounded as they eyed Noir’s empty gift box. No way... he couldn’t be so unlucky to receive nothing at all, right? Even 50 experience points or a common prop was still a better consolation than none!

Unable to believe that his senior’s luck suddenly took a shitty turn, Gu Luoxin forced out a dry laugh, "Ha... haha, the empty box can be so deceiving sometimes!" he cleared his throat before asking, "What did you get, Senior? Prop? Experience points? Or something else?"

"Hmph!" Jin Jiuchi tossed a gloating look over. "Just admit that you’re out of luck this time. It’s okay, we won’t laugh at you!" Even though he said that, he couldn’t suppress the corners of his lips from rising higher and higher until they nearly reached the bottom of his ears.

Shen Nianzu, on the other hand, chose not to comment. His pale purple eyes narrowed in skepticism, feeling like things couldn’t be so simple.

Confronted with three different reactions, Noir simply gave a blink. "Oh, it’s not a prop or any pitiful crumbs of experience points," he remarked in a slow and deliberate tone, a barely discernible smirk flashing across his face, so fleeting it could pass off as an illusion. "I just received the general location of the main reward."

Jin Jiuchi: "..."

Gu Luoxin: "..."

Shen Nianzu: "..."

The amount of information in that single sentence was so staggering that it left the trio reeling in shock, jaws slack and eyes wide in disbelief.

"Pfft—" The oracle could no longer hold himself back and burst out into a fit of mad cackles, nearly rolling on the ground in amusement. "HAHAHAHA!"

"Y–You... you received what?" Jin Jiuchi sputtered in a mix of bafflement and incredulity. There should be a limit to how lucky someone could be, shouldn’t there? Their gifts were far too insignificant to be mentioned, but this guy directly received a hint about the main reward?! This was— absurd! Illogical!

Was he the Nightmare’s adopted son or something?!

Noir let out a contemptuous snort in response. "Do you think I’m as petty as you?"

"Holy crap, Senior, you’re so lucky!" Gu Luoxin had barely recovered his senses before he broke out into an applause, clapping so hard that both his palms turned red. His cheeks flushed in excitement, and a cluster of dazzling stars seemed to gather in the eyes which reflected the emerald-eyed man. "I just know you’re on a whole different level than Da Shen!" Ignoring Jin Jiuchi’s indignant ’hey!’ in the background, he continued to spout rainbow farts, "Amazing... so you can locate the main reward now? So damn amazing! I’m sure you’ll definitely be able to bag one of the tickets before the Cycle ends!"

There were still six hours remaining from the allocated fourteen. With Noir’s strength, Gu Luoxin had no doubt that he would emerge as one of the biggest winners!

His face was alight with pride and unrestrained glee as though Noir’s achievement was his own. In fact, he looked even more ecstatic than if he had received the gift himself.

Toward him, Noir did not act as detached or disdainful as he did with Jin Jiuchi. Taking it a step further, he could even be considered patient and indulgent. He might not even realize it himself, but it was only Gu Luoxin he was willing to initiate a conversation with, share a meal, even going as far as tease the young man just to see his cheeks flushed crimson and his moist eyes brim with humiliated tears.

At this moment, as he took in the awe and delight shimmering in Gu Luoxin’s clear eyes, the hidden urge stirred within him once more, as though a kitten’s soft claws were scratching at the corner of his heart.

"To be honest, I’m not really interested in the main reward," he began, his tone languid. He watched with faint amusement as Gu Luoxin’s expression shifted from excitement to sheer disbelief and stupefaction, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. Although the arc of Noir’s lips remained unchanged, a flicker of mirth danced in the depths of his beautiful emerald eyes which narrowed ever so slightly, just like a Cheshire cat grinning wickedly in the shadows after a successful prank.

"How about I point out the way for you?" he drawled with an arched brow.

"Y–You would...?!" Gu Luoxin nearly choked on his saliva, his eyes flying as wide as saucers.

Both Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi were no less shocked than him. It was no easy feat scouring the whole forest for a scant few tickets, and after he chanced upon the shortcut for players with SSS-level luck, he wanted to give it away instead??

He even said he wasn’t interested in the main reward!

Shen Nianzu subconsciously opened his mouth, wanting to advise the man to think twice because this was a golden opportunity to level up which might not come for a second time, but in the end he didn’t manage to get the words out. He just happened to remember some things he had always overlooked before.

Noir, he... he was truly different from any other players.

He was powerful, yes, but at the same time he always maintained a bored and disinterested appearance, only doing the bare minimum to pass the Cycles. Take their first encounter on the Atlantis cruise ship, for example. The three of them were busy as a bee familiarizing themselves with the interior of the ship and making plans for future action, but Noir chose to sleep all the way into the night instead. Even on the night before the final battle, while everyone else was tense and nervous, he was lounging atop the highest tower in the City of Atlantis, enjoying the ocean breeze and the sunshine on his body.

Similar instances could be found in the subsequent Cycles they were in.

He was always like this— lazy, detached, and unbothered. Treating the dangerous Cycles as though he was merely on a vacation trip. Shen Nianzu recalled feeling a little amused, for this trait of his was quite similar to Jin Jiuchi.

Now that this person expressed loud and clear that he wasn’t interested in the main reward and the chance to leap straight to the Legendary rank, after a brief moment of reflection, Shen Nianzu found that it wasn’t odd at all. That’s just how the man was.

On the contrary, Jin Jiuchi did not even think twice before jumping out to accuse Noir, his gaze full of doubt and suspicion. "Liar!" he spat out with fervor. "As if you’d be so generous to share something like that for free. Spill, what do you want in exchange?!"

Suppressing the urge to massage his aching temple, Shen Nianzu did have to agree with one aspect of Jin Jiuchi’s outburst, much to his reluctance.

"You don’t have to give us information for free. It wouldn’t be fair to you, and frankly, it would leave a bad taste in our mouths as well," he remarked earnestly, his tone steady and composed. "How about this? Let’s make this into an equal exchange. You point out the way for us, and in return, we will do our best to fulfill one of your terms. What do you prefer? Unique-level props? Experience points? Or something else?"

Noir arched a brow. The leader of SJG was truly meticulous and cautious, he couldn’t help musing. By sharing the location of the main reward, Team SJG would truly be indebted to him if they really did strike the jackpot later on. However, if a clear line was drawn from the start, making this a strictly business deal, Shen Nianzu effectively preempted any complications that might crop up in the future.

Not that Noir had any interest in calling in favors from them.

But if they were the ones who offered first, why should he refuse?

"Sure," he agreed good-naturedly. "Let’s see..."

As he contemplated, his gaze – coincidentally or not – landed on Gu Luoxin, startling the latter with a jolt.