Vol. 2 Chapter 32 – Deep Sea Sacrificial Town. (11)

Lei Yingzhe stared at Yin Liuming’s face, which looked like that of a zombie, his eyes wide with surprise. He waved his hand to stop the nearby players from trying to attack.

The bug monster that Yin Liuming was riding let out a sharp screech again, and the other bugs that had been scattered earlier rushed toward it.

Yin Liuming swept his wrist, and a burst of flames erupted, attaching directly to their bodies, causing these eerie, terrifying bugs to scatter in fear.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yin Liuming’s bug monster burst out from the swarm of insects and fell directly into the forest.

The other players quickly stepped back with a whoosh, cautiously watching Yin Liuming.

Now, Yin Liuming rode atop a monstrous bug, with a face as pale and dreadful as a corpse, making it hard to distinguish whether he was an ally or an enemy.

Yin Liuming jumped off the back of the bug monster and gently patted its front limbs.

The bug monster obediently lowered its body, allowing the two people it was carrying on its back to slide off. It then screeched again and burrowed into the ground, vanishing from sight.

Yin Liuming turned around, and in an instant, his face shifted from pale and cold to warm. His eyes regained their sparkle, and his skin appeared smooth and full once more.

The entire person turned back into a living human.

Lei Yingzhe smiled and stepped forward, “Such a useful ability.”

Yin Liuming nodded indifferently, then turned and softly kicked the two people on the ground.

Mi Anpei spat out the dirt in his mouth, “Pei, pei, pei… Brother Yin, let me rest for a bit, my legs are still weak.”

Si Cheng lay on the ground, his eyes vacant as he gazed at the sky, his heart as cold as ashes.

Lei Yingzhe glanced at them and said, “How did you manage to come up from underground?”

“We went to the end of the sea.”

The other players immediately gasped. “The sea?”

In the weird and dangerous dreams, Ying Liuming actually dared to head toward the sea?

Lei Yingzhe reacted quickly. “Does the end of the sea lead underground?”

Ying Liuming gave a faint nod.

He moved forward in the whirlpool, chasing the tentacle monster, his speed gradually slowing down, not only because underwater movement was difficult, but also because the water impurities were increasing.

The water became murky as sand and mud continuously appeared.

Although Yin Liuming was in a zombie state and wouldn’t suffocate, the presence of impurities still blocked his movements.

Fortunately, he still had the illustration book.

Yin Liuming summoned the original monster from this dream, the Deep Sea Hunting Bug.

The Deep Sea Hunting Bug, with ‘deep sea’ in its name, truly moved swiftly underwater, catching up to the tentacle monster in just seconds.

Most of the tentacles of the tentacle monster were curled into a large oval, enclosing something inside, with only a few tentacles left to fight against Yin Liuming.

For some reason, Yin Liuming didn’t pressure the tentacle monster too much. He waited until it gradually emerged from the water and almost fully entered the ground before he ordered the Deep Sea Hunting Bug to rush up quickly and tear at the tentacle monster.

Using the Flames of Rage and Regret and the Deep Sea Hunting Bug, Yin Liuming quickly took care of the tentacle monster.

Once the tentacle monster was stored in the illustration book, the things wrapped in its tentacles were revealed. It was indeed Mi Anpei and Si Cheng.

They couldn’t stay underground for long. Yin Liuming lifted them and set them on the back of the Deep Sea Hunting Bug, charging upward. As they broke through, they happened to see a group of players surrounding them.

Mi Anpei was fine aside from coughing up a few mouthfuls of mud, but Si Cheng was hit hard. His spirit was unable to recover, causing him to fall into a temporary slump.

Lei Yingzhe wasn’t exactly sure what Yin Liuming had faced underground, but he could make a guess. He didn’t ask further questions, just pointed behind him and said, “All the townspeople in the town have been tied up and brought here by us.”

Yin Liuming looked over.

A line of roughly ten townspeople stood, six of whom still appeared somewhat human. The remaining people had distorted forms, with something continuously wriggling beneath their skin, as if their outer layer was just a shell hiding terrifying monsters.

Yin Liuming stepped up to one of them, fixed his gaze, and frowned slightly. “One’s missing?”

“There are a total of eleven,” Lei Yingzhe said, “Including the leader of the townspeople faction.”

He immediately furrowed his brows and said, “If these townspeople are the genuine sacrifices, then there should indeed be one less.”

There are a total of thirteen stone pillars here, and Madame Solari said there would be thirteen sacrifices as well.

One of the townspeople was taken by Yin Liuming, so there should be twelve remaining.

Yin Liuming said, “There’s also the butler.”

Lei Yingzhe said, “We’ve also searched the Solari Manor, but we didn’t find anyone.”

From the two players saved by Yin Liuming, they learned that breaking Madam Solari’s rule would not lead to death; instead, they would just be thrown into the dungeon, and the location of the dungeon was already known.

After a bold player tried it and found nothing happened, a group quickly joined in the search for the second floor.

Madame Solari had thrown five or six players into the dungeon tonight, so angry that her hair stood on end, but it was all for nothing.

Of course, they wisely avoided touching the gorgeous jewels, since no one knew what special abilities the gem mermaid might have, and no one wanted to take the risk.

Yin Liuming furrowed his brow for a moment, then looked up again. “Tie them to the stone pillars first.”

“I was planning to do that.” Lei Yingzhe pointed to the swarm of bug monsters surging beneath the stone pillar. “I was just considering how to deal with them when you suddenly popped up.”

“I’ll draw the monster bugs away.”

Yin Liuming approached the stone pillar and summoned his own Deep Sea Hunting Bug once more.

He casually tied something to the tail of the Deep Sea Hunting Bug, then attached the Flames of Rage and Regret, causing the Deep Sea Hunting Bug to spin aimlessly among the swarm.

The swarm screamed and scattered.

Mi Anpei watched the scene and wiped his face. “Hey, isn’t this just the game I used to play as a kid?”

No matter what, the bugs had all run off, and they could finally deal with the ‘offerings.’

Now, seven players’ bodies were tied to the stone pillars, indicating that seven ‘townspeople’ had chosen them as scapegoats.

Si Cheng pulled himself together, intending to go up and take down Si He’s body.

However, the body appeared to be embedded in the stone pillar, making it impossible to move.

They tied the ‘townspeople’ who hadn’t yet had the chance to use the players as scapegoats to the stone pillar.

Only the largest pillar in the middle had no corresponding townspeople.

“Shouldn’t the butler be tied here?” Lei Yingzhe walked over and looked up. “Can we tie a different townsman?”

Yin Liuming shook his head.

Someone had planned this earlier, but the remaining ‘townspeople’ who had already used the players’ deaths to gain complete bodies showed no reaction at all as they were tied to the stone pillar.

Yin Liuming lowered his hand. “Let’s return to the manor first.”

Tonight’s harvest was already more than enough.

Lei Yingzhe glanced at him and suddenly asked, “Are you about to clear the dream?”

Yin Liuming did not answer.

Lei Yingzhe had already received the answer and smiled as he shook his head, “The young are indeed formidable. However, the dream hasn’t ended, and I won’t give up.”

Yin Liuming turned his head to look at him, lightly raising an eyebrow. “Good luck.”

……

Besides the ‘townspeople’ tied to the stone pillars as offerings, the others seemed fragile and pitiful, appearing old and feeble.

Merely considering that their true forms were hideous tentacle monsters, which could only assume human shapes through the players’ sacrifices, left the players feeling utterly revolted.

There was a lot of disagreement among the players on how to deal with them.

Some people believed they should be killed immediately to prevent any additional complications. Others believed that the main goal was to let the townspeople see the sunlight, so they might still be valuable and should not be killed.

Lei Yingzhe used his influence to persuade players on both sides to step back. He then decided to lock the townspeople in a small house, planning to check on them later in case they might be needed.

After settling the townspeople, everyone returned to Solari Manor together.

Along the way, many players were secretly evaluating Yin Liuming.

Initially, they believed the first person to clear the level would be ranked player Lei Yingzhe. However, to their surprise, this lesser-known young man had evidently exceeded Lei Yingzhe’s progress.

At first, when Yin Liuming rejected Lei Yingzhe, they secretly mocked him for not knowing what was good for him. However, it now seemed that he was confident in his own abilities.

Some people regretted not building a good relationship with Yin Liuming sooner. If they had reached out while others mocked him, their support now would be much more meaningful than waiting until he became prominent to latch onto him.

Nonetheless, being able to latch on was better than not being able to at all, and some people still shamelessly approached Yin Liuming to start a conversation.

Yin Liuming, who hadn’t slept all night, was in a terrible mood. Responding with cold indifference to all the players trying to be friendly was already the most he could do.

After some people were rebuffed, the others wisely stayed out of the commotion.

Mi Anpei circled around the player group several times before returning to find Yin Liuming. “Brother Yin, have you seen Xiao Chi?”

“No.” Yin Liuming had previously noticed that there was no Chi Xi among the crowd, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to ask about it.

A player approached and asked, “Boss, are you looking for that guy with glasses?”

Yin Liuming gave him a glance.

This player looked familiar; he appeared to be one of those locked in the dungeon for two days after stealing Madame Solari’s jewels.

“You know?”

“Mhm.” The player lowered his voice with a pained expression. “That guy’s dead.”

Yin Liuming suddenly halted, his eyes fierce like a blizzard in Antarctica. “What?”

Chi Xi is death?

Mi Anpei was also stunned, mouth wide open, showing disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

That player was almost frozen by the cold look in Yin Liuming’s eyes, trembling as he said, “I-I had nothing to do with it… I only found out later…”

Yin Liuming’s voice showed no emotion. “How did he die?”

“I heard he was attacked by a tentacle monster.” The player initially tried to get on their good side, but now wished to escape immediately. However, Yin Liuming’s stare remained fixed on him, paralyzing him with fear. “It seems like it happened in the forest…”

“I’ll say it.” Lei Yingzhe approached Yin Liuming from behind, gently tapped his shoulder, then looked directly into his eyes. A flicker of guilt crossed his face as he said, “I was placed on the same team as Chi Xi. I should have protected him, but I was too eager to chase after the townsman in front and left him behind. By the time I returned to find him, it was already too late to save him.”

Yin Liuming looked at him coldly, with a fiercer storm in his eyes.

Lei Yingzhe met his gaze calmly.

Mi Anpei glanced around cautiously, took a small step back, and dryly said, “Brother Yin, now is not the right time for a fight…”

Yin Liuming said, “Who said I want to fight?”

Mi Anpei thought to himself, ‘You may not have said it, but your face clearly showed you were ready to beat someone.’

Lei Yingzhe stated, “The Nightmare prevents players from attacking one another. I would never intentionally cause Chi Xi’s death, as it wouldn’t help me and could even lead to a punishment dream.”

Yin Liuming looked at him silently for a moment before asking, “Where is he?”

……

Chi Xi’s body was found lying in the corner of the forest.

His eye sockets were empty, with the inside of his skull faintly visible. The blood and brain matter had already clotted. His body was cold and rigid.

Yin Liuming remained silent as he stood before Chi Xi’s body.

He and Chi Xi only shared these two dreams, and their relationship wasn’t particularly close.

From the moment Chi Xi met him, he was kind and straightforward, like a small tail trailing behind him. He was also willing to speak up in the real world for the unfamiliar Chu Dong and Qi Xiaobei.

Last night, before Yin Liuming left, Chi Xi had smiled and said that he also wanted to become someone who could overcome difficulties on his own, earning points to fulfill his own wish.

However, after a night passed, Chi Xi had already turned into a cold corpse, lying alone in the dark, damp earth.

Mi Anpei’s eyes welled with sadness as he took off his coat and gently laid it over Chi Xi’s body.

Yin Liuming knelt and softly brushed Chi Xi’s icy face.

“Why hasn’t his body been taken?”

The players who had previously died at the hands of the tentacle monster had their bodies turned into substitutes, tied to stone pillars by the creature.

Lei Yingzhe said, “I’m not certain either. Perhaps it was because I turned around in time, and the townsman couldn’t catch up.”

Yin Liuming didn’t ask anything further.

Lei Yingzhe stood beside Yin Liuming, waiting for him to rise before pulling something from his pocket. “This was given to me by Chi Xi before he died, hoping that I would help him fulfill his wish.”

Yin Liuming’s gaze flickered briefly.

That was the first Wish Charm given to Chi Xi during the first dream, allowing one to make an additional wish.

“Why?”

“Perhaps it was a desperate try before dying,” Lei Yingzhe sighed, “I also carry some responsibility for his death… It’s just a small wish, and my points are more than enough. But since you’re his friend, if you want it, I’ll give it to you.”

Yin Liuming looked at the Wish Charm in Lei Yingzhe’s hand for a long moment before finally looking away. “No need.”

He summoned the hunting bug and began digging a pit on the spot.

Lei Yingzhe quickly assessed the situation and politely took his leave, giving space to Yin Liuming and Mi Anpei.

Mi Anpei carried Chi Xi into the pit, muttering nonstop, “Ah, Xiao Chi, I was hoping to come back and brag to you about my bizarre adventures… When you reincarnate, drink less of the Meng Po Soup¹[T/N: Meng Po soup is a mythical drink that erases memories of past lives, commonly referenced in Chinese stories about reincarnation.], maybe I’ll be able to find you again someday…”

The dark, black earth covered Chi Xi’s youthful face.

They stood silently in front of Chi Xi’s grave for a moment.

Mi Anpei paused for a moment, then suddenly whispered, “Brother Yin, I can’t find Xiao Chi’s soul.”

Yin Liuming turned his head to look at him.

Mi Anpei scratched his head. “Well, I’ve got a bit of a special ability. I can peek into the souls of the dead through their bodies… I was planning to ask Xiao Chi what happened, but I couldn’t find his soul.”

Yin Liuming nodded quietly. After a moment, he said, “You should head back first.”

Mi Anpei was taken aback. “What about you?”

“I want to be alone.”

“…Alright.” Mi Anpei fell silent for a beat before saying, “Brother Yin, don’t be too upset… In the Nightmare Game, parting and death are very common.”

Every dream ends with someone dying, and every player who dies has people out there who care about them.

After sorrow and anger, those destined to survive will continue to live.

Yin Liuming stayed silent, not saying a word.

After Mi Anpei left, Shen Lou emerged from the illustration book and glanced down at Yin Liuming’s face.

“Do you believe what the person with the surname Lei said?”

Yin Liuming replied indifferently, “No.”

Shen Lou raised an eyebrow. “So, what do you plan to do?”

Yin Liuming moved a few steps forward, paused at the tree, and gently tapped its trunk.

A tender green vine gently dropped fresh leaves from the tree, softly brushing against Yin Liuming’s palm.

Yin Liuming pulled out the illustration book, his gaze as calm as the surface of the sea, hiding all the turbulent undercurrents beneath. “Qingqing, what exactly happened?”

……

After returning to the manor, all remaining players were very excited. They had collected all twelve offerings, and they only needed one more butler to complete the main mission and finish the game!

As for who the dreamer was and how to get the rewards for finishing the mission… they didn’t want to think about that anymore.

Never mind the ranked player Lei Yingzhe; even that young man surnamed Yin wasn’t someone to mess with. Clearing the level was better left to the big shots to handle.

They had been busy all night, and after quickly tidying up, it was nearly morning.

When Yin Liuming appeared before Mi Anpei and Si Cheng again, he was already wearing a new set of clothes.

Mi Anpei’s face was a little blank. “Brother Yin, did you forget to change your clothes?”

Yin Liuming awkwardly adjusted his collar, saying, “My clothes are dirty, so I’m wearing my pajamas for now.”

Si Cheng’s gaze fixated on the long rabbit ears of Yin Liuming’s sleeping cap. He wanted to say something, but struggled to hold back.

He took a breath, smoothed his expression, and looked at Yin Liuming with his dark brown eyes. His lips pressed together as he said, “Thank you for saving me yesterday.”

Yin Liuming understood what Si Cheng meant. “It’s a small effort.”

A quick sadness flickered across Si Cheng’s face, and he remained silent before saying, “If there’s anything you need me to do, just let me know.”

Yin Liuming nodded, not declining, and said, “Alright.”

Only then did Si Cheng’s expression soften slightly.

Mi Anpei took the chance to say, “Brother Yin, I have a change of clothes here, do you want it?”

Yin Liuming responded calmly, “No need, I’m not comfortable wearing others’ clothes.”

Mi Anpei kindly said, “You won’t run fast in slippers.”

“Today, I am investigating the manor,” Yin Liuming said with a smile, “I won’t encounter any danger.”

Si Cheng frowned, “The manor?”

What’s left to investigate at the manor?

“Madame Solari.”

……

When Yin Liuming entered Madame Solari’s room, a group of gemstone mermaids quickly scrambled in a panic around the space.

Madame Solari’s eyes were dark and tired, as if she hadn’t slept well. She slowly lifted her head and warned, “You young people shouldn’t be so arrogant…”

She noticed Yin Liuming, paused shortly, then frowned and inquired, “Are you here to cause trouble as well?”

Yin Liuming had heard other players talk about how they kept getting thrown into the dungeon while searching around Solari Manor, with some even enjoying it.

Looking at Madame Solari, it was clear how much fun those players probably had last night.

Yin Liuming cleared his throat and said, “No, I’m here to help the madame solve a problem this time.”

“What problem?”

“You’re poisoned.”

Yin Liuming patted the illustration book. “Mr. Shen?”

Shen Lou floated out of the illustration book, examining Yin Liuming’s appearance and nodding with satisfaction. “Very good.”

Yin Liuming didn’t want to waste time talking. “The thing you promised.”

Shen Lou snapped his fingers. “No problem.”

He floated toward Madame Solari.

Madame Solari watched Shen Lou cautiously, instinctively stepping back. “Who are you? Please leave my place…”

Before she could complete her sentence, Shen Lou’s entire body became one with Madame Solari’s.

Madame Solari’s expression instantly turned blank.

After a moment, she regained her composure, stretched her shoulders, and said, slightly dissatisfied, “This woman is too short.”

Yin Liuming: “……”

He asked, “Just to confirm, you’re helping Madame Solari detoxify?”

‘Madame Solari’ flashed an arrogant smile and said, “She drinks poison every day. Do you think clearing her toxins is that simple?”

Yin Liuming watched, somewhat speechless, as Shen Lou spun around using Madame Solari’s body.

Shen Lou said somewhat dismissively, “This body’s physical abilities are too limited. It may be impossible to jump to the third floor.”

It was fine until he brought it up. As soon as he did, Yin Liuming recalled the muscle strain pain he experienced after Shen Lou seized his body and jumped directly to the attic. He frowned and said, “Don’t hurt Madame Solari.”

Shen Lou threw him a flirtatious glance. “What, feeling sorry for her?”

Yin Liuming: “……”

He suddenly became a little worried. “Are you okay?”

Why does it appear that his personality shifted as the body changed?

Shen Lou’s movements paused slightly.

He abruptly leaned out from Madame Solari, looked down at her body, then paused before saying, “A person’s personality is shaped by both the body and the soul. The soul is more intense and pure, while the body serves as a buffer and safety valve for the soul’s characteristics. Since I have never had a body myself, I inevitably feel a slight influence when I enter someone else’s.”

Yin Liuming looked at him with some doubt.

Based on his performance earlier, Shen Lou in the Madame Solari version appeared far more mischievous than the straightforward Shen Lou.

Shen Lou shrank back again, casually flipped ‘her’ hair, and said with a cheeky smile, “But helping her detoxify is kind of unavoidable… so, while you’ve got the chance, aren’t you planning to do something?”

Shen Lou gestured towards the cluster of gemstone mermaids in the corner of the room, which had shrunk.

The gemstone mermaids looked on with their sapphire-blue eyes, fearfully hiding behind the bookshelf while secretly observing Yin Liuming and the now-unfamiliar Madame Solari.

When Yin Liuming glanced over, his eyes happened to meet a familiar gemstone mermaid.

The gemstone mermaid blushed and hid behind her sisters.

Yin Liuming sighed, “All the gemstone mermaids are Madame Solari’s spirits.”

Madame Solari had been kind to him.

Shen Lou raised his eyebrows and said nothing as he slowly circled around, criticizing Madame Solari’s jewelry and complaining that one piece was of poor quality and another was not exquisite enough.

Yin Liuming frowned. “How much longer?”

“In such a hurry? Well, I guess it’s about time anyway.”

Shen Lou paused, about to leave Madame Solari’s body, when a clear, polite voice sounded from outside, “Is the madam here?”

Yin Liuming and Shen Lou exchanged a glance.

—Lei Yingzhe?

At this moment, Shen Lou was helping Madame Solari detox her body.

Yin Liuming’s original plan was to remove the poisons from Madame Solari, allowing her to fully regain consciousness, and then gather information about the dream from her. He had already mostly confirmed that Madame Solari was the dreamer of this dream.

If Lei Yingzhe comes in now, won’t the rewards be taken by him?

Yin Liuming pondered for a moment, then slightly gestured towards the door, signaling Shen Lou to send Lei Yingzhe away.

Shen Lou revealed an elegant smile.

‘She’ straightened ‘her’ collar, ran a hand through ‘her’ long hair, and loudly called out, “Please come in.”

Yin Liuming suddenly had the urge to give Shen Lou a good beating.

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  [T/N: Meng Po soup is a mythical drink that erases memories of past lives, commonly referenced in Chinese stories about reincarnation.]