When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 525: Strength of the Second-Ranked

Chapter 525: Strength of the Second-Ranked

The moment their eyes collided, Gu Luoxin’s heart skipped two beats before it proceeded to pound and thrash around his chest cavity with such frenzy that he nearly went into hiccups.

A vague premonition arose in his heart, that whatever term Noir was about to state ought to involve him within. How to describe it? It was an ominous hunch when you, a slack student, made eye contact with the teacher on the podium and then you instinctively knew you’re going to be called to answer questions the next second. It was precisely that sense of foreboding coursing through Gu Luoxin’s body right now.

He couldn’t help but slap himself mentally. Wake up, you fool! How could Senior possibly choose you?!

He was neither rich enough as Shen Nianzu or strong enough as Jin Jiuchi to fulfil Noir’s request!

Then again, when he thought of how this was the very man who possessed a hidden sadistic streak and had once asked him to meow, Gu Luoxin had a sudden urge to cry. How could he ever bring himself to forget? Senior was a bully through and through, and he might want Gu Luoxin to be at his beck and call— just because!

Did he need a reason to satisfy his own dark amusement?! No!

S–So be it, then! Gu Luoxin clenched his teeth, bracing himself for what to come. If they could really obtain the main rewards, what did a little sacrifice matter? Whether it’s to ask him to meow a hundred more times or be an errand boy – Gu Luoxin was willing to do it... all for the sake of a better future!

Alas, what he dreaded did not happen.

Noir’s gaze merely lingered on him for a fraction of second before he looked away. It was as though the electrifying sensation rushing down Gu Luoxin’s spine moments ago was but a mere figment of his imagination and Noir’s eyes just happened to brush past him in a momentary lapse of attention.

I... was wrong?

It took a few seconds for Gu Luoxin to come to terms with that fact. That whatever had transpired between their brief yet lingering eye contact was nothing but his own wishful thinking. And the moment he did, his shoulders immediately slumped, his gaze dropping to the ground. He couldn’t quite describe the jumble of emotions wreaking havoc in his heart right now. On one side, he was relieved, but on the other side, he felt a little...

Stop! Gu Luoxin squeezed his eyes shut and gave his head a good shake. Have you gone insane, Xinxin?! Why would you even feel disappointed that Senior did not single you out?! Are you a masochist deep down?!

Gu Luoxin couldn’t help but duck his head lower, feeling a kind of shame he couldn’t put into words. It was simply absurd and unbelievable how a single glance from the other person could turn his mood upside down like this!

As Gu Luoxin was running a whole theatrical in his mind, Noir finally made his decision. "’Kay, let me think about it for a while," he stated with a firm tone that left no room for discussion. "I will tell you before the Cycle ends."

After that, he pointed in a certain direction. "That’s the nearest location I can sense. I have no idea which ticket it is, but it’s one of the main rewards for sure."

Upon following the direction, the SJG trio couldn’t help but fall into silence.

For the area Noir mentioned was exactly the Red Zone which had just appeared earlier.

"Ah!" Jin Jiuchi abruptly exclaimed as he was reminded of something important. "Remember the supply box I smelled in the Red Zone back then? Augh, don’tcha think there’s a ticket inside as well?!" he slapped his thigh with frustration, feeling like he had missed out on a perfect gift he could offer to his Nian’er.

"Oh no..." Gu Luoxin bit his nails anxiously. "Does it mean we have to enter the Red Zone again?"

It was apparent that the elimination game earlier had left quite a lingering trauma on his psyche.

On the contrary, Shen Nianzu’s knitted brows eased. Although it wasn’t very good news, he had at least confirmed some of his suspicions.

All this time, he had always wondered: why did the fake Santa Claus declare that they could win the main rewards so long as they were still holding onto it until the very last minute, wherever they were? Shouldn’t they need to reach the final Green Zone for their efforts to count? But now, he understood. The shrinking Green Zone was akin to the players’ sanctuary where they could hide and take a brief respite from the battles, but to claim the main rewards, they still had to go deep into the treacherous Red Zone and challenge the nightmare creatures of this Cycle.

You could lie down and survive if you remain in the Green Zone, but don’t think you could receive anything more.

Only players who were courageous, bold, or even desperate enough to enter the Red Zone could harvest the biggest rewards!

The straightforward rule in this Cycle truly indicated that it was a low to mid level at most.

But the main problem here was— how were they supposed to locate the black supply box amidst a swarm of nightmare creatures? It would be good if they found the ticket directly, but what if? What if what came out of the box was a pair of giant spiders with steel-hard pincer claws instead? It would be like sending themselves straight to the lion’s mouth!

Was there truly no other way? Or did they have no choice but to take this risk no matter what?

As Shen Nianu meticulously reviewed everything they had experienced so far, searching for anything he might have overlooked, a low, sardonic voice cut through his thoughts.

"Give up," XXX mused, his tone laced with amusement. "You won’t last long if you enter the Red Zone just like this. Unless you plan to destroy the whole area, that is. But you’re aware that doing so will only make things worse, right?"

Shen Nianzu’s heart gave a jolt and he snapped his head toward the Oracle, his pale purple eyes narrowing sharply. The man had his arms cushioned behind his head as a makeshift pillow, his long legs outstretched, looking so infuriatingly relaxed as though ready to take a nap. He looked like he was just throwing some casual words rather than answering the question in Shen Nianzu’s mind with unerring accuracy.

Was it only a coincidence or... could he read people’s minds as well?

If the oracle noticed the doubtful, piercing gazes directed at him, then he gave no indication at all. With a click of his tongue, he continued, "Just think about it. You’re no more than but intruders on this land. And what you’ll be fighting against is not only one or two nightmare creatures— but the whole forest and its inhabitants. After all the damage you’ve caused to their home, do you think they will let you off easily? Tsk tsk, how foolish..."

Jin Jiuchi let out a derisive scoff. "You’re talking as if you know the solu... tion..." his words petered off as a belated realization struck him, and so did the other three.

That’s right, if the Divine Oracle could predict the emergence of the random Red Zones with pinpoint accuracy, what prevented him from knowing the correct method to navigate the Red Zone? Hell, he might even know where to find the tickets, even without the aid of the gift box!

"Damn bro, ain’t you literally cheating?!" Jin Jiuchi let out a wolf whistle, astonishment evident on his face. "Are you saying that we can’t fight back if those creatures want to chase us away because it will backfire on us instead? How should we find the tickets, then??"

In lieu of an answer, XXX laughed so hard that his entire body shook. The SJG trio and Noir couldn’t help but exchange blank glances with each other. The more they interacted with the oracle, the more they were aware that there was just something so... unsettlingly bizarre about him. It’s not about his appearance which overturned their initial expectation of how an oracle should be, but it’s in the carefree way he carried himself, his breezy tone, the perpetual smirk on his face and also this... the way he would randomly burst out in laughter despite there being nothing funny about the current situation, as if he had seen or heard something nobody else could.

How creepy, Gu Luoxin shuddered, rubbing his arms which were covered in goosebumps.

Jin Jiuchi, on the other hand, did not have as much reservations and bluntly complained to his jade doll with a sullen look, "Nian’er, I don’t like him."

"Do you want to know the safe and surefire way to obtain the main rewards?" XXX asked once his laughter abated. "Though it requires you to make... quite a long trip."

Jin Jiuchi chimed in with a matter-of-fact tone, "Hell yeah, who wouldn’t want—" he was halfway through his sentence when all of a sudden, XXX made a move.

One second he was still lying leisurely under the tree with his arms cushioned comfortably behind his head, and the next second, he appeared before Jin Jiuchi as though he had teleported. His fist swung forward with such speed and force that the air itself seemed to tremble, bringing forth a chilly gust of wind.

This was the first time they personally witnessed the true strength of the second-ranked player, and it was terrifying. The attack came so quickly that no one had the chance to react— not Shen Nianzu, who stood closest to them, not even Jin Jiuchi, whose capability transcended what could be considered human.

The fist landed with a sickening thud that could make anyone grimace, accompanied by the horrifying crack of ribs shattering.

In the next second, Jin Jiuchi’s pupils shrank, his breath caught in his throat. He did not even have the chance to make a grunt before his entire person crumpled to the ground like a marionette with its string forcibly cut off.

"Da Shen...?"

Shen Nianzu’s voice trembled, barely audible, as he took an instinctive step forward. With his short stature, he only needed to tilt his head to meet Jin Jiuchi’s dimming eyes which, even until now, remained wide open in shock and disbelief. A thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of the man’s mouth, the color so striking that it burned.

The scene of the man collapsing before his eyes seemed to be repeating in a slow motion inside his mind, frame by frame, just like a vicious curse.

Shen Nianzu stood in a daze, the blood in his entire body running cold.

For he could tell that, his lover was no longer breathing.