Chapter 74: Offering (17)

Chapter 74: Offering (17)

◎ "Exterminate them." ◎

Luo Yanzhong had never experienced anything as absurd in his life — discussing an escape plan atop a gigantic, godlike yet demonic creature, large enough to crush all of humanity.

Just recently, on the foot of that terrifying monster, besides Guo Yalan, there were also his employer, Hao Tianshuo, along with Xia Yue, Qiao Mingcheng, and An Dong.

After regrouping, he roughly learned the whole story from Guo Yalan and Hao Tianshuo.

Several times, Luo Yanzhong wondered if he was still dreaming.

This horrifying creature... was actually Shi Youqing.

"Well, think of it this way... you can liken those evil spirits to a swarm of bees," Hao Tianshuo scratched his head, using Shi Youqing’s analogy to explain, "They are nurturing a 'Queen Bee'. The well is like an emergency queen cell, and the 'Queen Bee' they were nurturing was still in a 'larval' stage. If a person falls into the well, they either balance on the Queen Bee’s guard plate to prevent being eaten and escape, or they kill the opponent and become the new 'Queen Bee'... Brother Qing became the latter, hence his transformation... If you're scared, don't look! And if you do, don't make that face! Brother Qing would be so heartbroken... If you're curious, look with eyes like mine!"

Hao Tianshuo immediately demonstrated his starry-eyed gaze.

“……”

"That's not the point," Guo Yalan interrupted him in exasperation, then revealed their purpose, "Shi Youqing has become the new queen. If he doesn’t stay in the well to consume humans, he won’t be recognized by the evil spirits, and they will continue nurturing the next queen..."

Qiao Mingcheng: "Wasn’t the statue already crushed? How can it still..."

"The lower half of the statue had roots," Hao Tianshuo sighed, "Brother Qing could only pull out the statue, but its roots go deep into the ground and can’t be destroyed."

Everyone was shocked.

If it has roots, it won’t easily die.

This meant the so-called new queen would continue to be nurtured endlessly.

Amidst the howling wind, Guo Yalan smiled, "Don’t worry. Shi Youqing figured this out, so before the transformation, he came to me and Hao Tianshuo with a plan."

Everyone immediately turned to her.

Guo Yalan: "If you continue to follow the game’s mechanics, this time, only Shi Youqing, or a few lucky players, can escape. But most players won’t make it out alive."

Qiao Mingcheng was confused: "What do you mean?"

Having just survived a desperate situation, Luo Yanzhong's mind worked rapidly, grasping Guo Yalan’s implication, "I guess, the exit of this instance is the well — players take the gun that can harm the evil spirits, enter the well, and if they can kill the queen being nurtured before being consumed themselves, they are deemed the new queen. And as the new queen, no longer considered human by the game, they can break all the rules."

Xia Yue: "So, you mean... we can freely leave at night?"

Guo Yalan nodded, agreeing with Luo Yanzhong's deduction: "You're right in your guess, and you should also figure out where the black chess piece is hidden."

Luo Yanzhong nodded, his expression grave as he glanced at the 'divine' entity resembling a colossal weapon, his feelings complicated.

It was through numerous hints and a strong will to survive that he gradually pieced everything together, but Shi Youqing had already discovered the true nature of this instance and even thought of an alternative way out for them...

He said, "We've searched the entire island, completed all the tasks, and you've discovered the nest and the criminal gang in the space near the peach blossom forest. Now, with all the origins of this situation uncovered, and even the nurturing queen dead, the black chess piece remains untraceable, indicating it's in a place we'd never think to look."

Qiao Mingcheng: "Could it be on that boat over there?"

"Of course not, Brother Qing already checked," Hao Tianshuo said, "After his transformation, he lifted the boat, and those people scattered in terror... In short, the black chess piece isn’t on the boat."

Luo Yanzhong nodded in agreement: "If it were on the boat, any player could just sneak in, grab the chess piece before the gang catches them, and rush to the exit... If it were that simple, everything would be easier." He looked up at Shi Youqing again, "The black chess piece is outside at night, right?"

Hearing this, Qiao Mingcheng and Xia Yue turned pale.

According to the rules, they couldn't go out at night.

"So... you're saying the game forces players into a deadly conflict because of this," Qiao Mingcheng finally understood, his pupils shrinking, "The person who becomes the new king can move around at night. But once the black chess piece is taken at night, all rules are nullified, whether against players or NPCs... With the dense presence of ghosts at night, surrounding the houses, even if other players could break the rules and go out, most would be killed by the ghosts before reaching the exit..."

"Since the evil spirits will continue nurturing a new king, can't we just re-enter the well the next day and kill..."

"No," Luo Yanzhong shook his head firmly, "Don’t forget, once the chess piece is taken, all rules are nullified. That means even if you stay inside your houses, the ghosts will come in. There won’t be a next day."

“……”

"This instance is particularly malicious," Guo Yalan said softly, "Once players fall into this trap and discover this escape route, to fight for the right to move at night as the new king, they might end up killing other players who want to enter the well first."

Despite knowing Shi Youqing was now unmatched, Hao Tianshuo instinctively tensed up, shielding Shi Youqing's ankle with his hand, warily scanning their surroundings.

Luo Yanzhong asked solemnly, "What do you mean by not following the game’s mechanics? Is there another way out?"

Guo Yalan smiled and repeated exactly what Shi Youqing had told them: "Exterminate them all."

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Guo Yalan continued, "The previous method was the game's guided exit. We've been thinking about how to avoid being killed by the evil spirits, how not to break the rules, but to solve this problem, all we need to do is exterminate the evil spirits, right?"

Their expressions fluctuated between fear, shock, and a glimmer of hope.

Luo Yanzhong clasped his hands tightly, containing the excitement in his heart, and asked, "Is this Shi Youqing's plan?"

"Yes," Guo Yalan confirmed, "When the only way out for other players is a dead end, it's definitely not a real escape. Those were Shi Youqing's exact words. He hopes you'll cooperate with him to destroy all the evil spirits in that nest before nightfall. All the ghosts you see at night are manifestations of those things... They are numerous, grow quickly after being worshipped, and have strong reproductive capabilities. The longer we stay here, the more they multiply and strengthen. Killing them early means the danger outside at night ceases to exist."

Silence ensued.

Yet, this silence carried an inspiring power. Gradually, a surge of emotions flowed through their hearts, as they looked at each other, contemplating the possibility of success.

Qiao Mingcheng was the first to speak, "What do we need to do?"

Luo Yanzhong frowned, remembering the black stones beneath the coffins, extremely hard and mind-affecting.

Hao Tianshuo responded, "Brother Qing said it in the cave that night, the rules apply to both sides. If we can't leave our homes after dark, it means the evil spirits can't enter human homes after dark either! As long as they trigger the rule, it’s enough!"

Luo Yanzhong, who had stayed in a wooden house the previous night and hadn’t heard Shi Youqing’s words, suddenly realized, "Right, just set up a door at that nest and perform the house-moving ceremony you did before to destroy them, right?"

Now they understood why Shi Youqing wanted them to cooperate with this plan — as the new king, he and the evil spirits were of the same kind. The rules that bound the spirits also applied to him; he couldn’t use this method to eradicate them in the nest, or it would be mutual destruction.

However, no one felt like they were just aiding Shi Youqing — under these circumstances, he could leave on his own at night.

They were helping themselves.

It was Shi Youqing who showed them another way out.

A path that wouldn’t let the game have its way, without sacrificing anyone.

"I'll go find Zong Zhu Yuan and the imposter," Guo Yalan handed Luo Yanzhong the gun, "As long as the imposter is there, those spirits can't impersonate other players to distract us. There might be attacks by scales in the nest, this gun and the one Shi Youqing gave to Hao Tianshuo can harm the scales. Use it for self-defense in the nest, and if your will is influenced, fire it to snap out of it."

"No," Luo Yanzhong immediately tried to give the gun back, "We're safer in a group than you alone, young lady, you should..."

"By now, you should have figured out the relationship between Lin Yong and Zheng Ping, and why I'm not afraid," Guo Yalan pushed the gun back to him, leapt to the ground, and ran towards the peach blossom forest.

Luo Yanzhong: "..."

Ordinary players couldn’t pass through the peach blossom forest into that space alone...

Luo Yanzhong retracted his gaze, his suspicions confirmed, but he felt no joy at the moment.

— Guo Yalan had already died in another instance.

"Next, Brother Qingqing will attract all the NPCs' attention," Hao Tianshuo said, "We need to move faster."

Luo Yanzhong nodded, gripping his gun tightly. He was about to go find Xiao Hai but, turning around, he already saw the child approaching with two full baskets, clearly frightened, yet still tremblingly asking, "Is this enough? Please don't kill my grandfather, okay?"

Luo Yanzhong was stunned.

Xia Yue quickly took the two baskets of incense, paper money, and candles, looked past Xiao Hai to the old man under the eaves, hands clasped in prayer and continuously muttering something. After a moment of silence, she bent down and said, "No, we won't. We don't kill people."

Xiao Hai, with teary eyes, strained to look up. Through his shaking silver-white hair, he gazed at the towering figure and sobbed, "I know... It's that brother... We angered it."

The group was taken aback, astonished that the child had recognized Shi Youqing at a glance.

Luo Yanzhong's emotions were extremely complicated at this moment. Despite knowing the other was an NPC, the child's small frame and his innocent, bewildered eyes were no different from his own grandson... He simply couldn't regard him as just a game NPC.

Thinking this, Luo Yanzhong squatted down and said, "Xiao Hai... even if there's retribution, it's for those who do bad things. Don't be afraid."

The child didn't quite understand his words, but he felt reassured by his tone and asked softly, "Are you going to leave?"

"Yes."

"Then, will people still disappear on the island?"

"They shouldn't anymore," Luo Yanzhong said, looking at the huge shadow on the ground.

Xiao Hai rubbed his eyes and cautiously touched the silver-white long hair hanging down from the giant creature, then looked up again.

In his clear eyes, Luo Yanzhong saw the image of a beautiful young man with silver-white hair. He was startled and immediately looked up, but the creature remained in its original terrifying form.

Patting Xiao Hai's head, Luo Yanzhong stood up in a daze. Soon, they distanced themselves from the wooden house, moving away with the towering creature.

As Shi Youqing moved, the ground shook again. During this time, they encountered Lin Yong, who was frantically fleeing, and Hao Tianshuo pulled him up.

Xia Yue called out loudly, "Should we call the other players?"

"Not yet," Luo Yanzhong pondered seriously, "Those few are quite independent, and some have a bad relationship with Shi Youqing. They might suspect him. We're running out of time, and if more players start causing trouble, we could be doomed... The few of us are enough. As long as we deal with the thing in the nest, it will be safe outside at night, and there won't be any more evil spirits. At worst, we can call them before we leave."

The rest of the group agreed with this plan.

Unexpectedly, before entering the peach blossom forest, they ran into Chu Wei and his group.

Apart from Zong Zhu Yuan, the rest of the players were now following Chu Wei, who, despite their fear of Shi Youqing's current form, were chasing after them in a frantic sprint.

Jiang Wu, with one injured hand, even cried out in despair, "Don't, don’t leave us behind! Wait for us…"

Hao Tianshuo was dumbfounded.

Luo Yanzhong watched them closely, particularly Chu Wei, and said in a low voice, "He was searching nearby earlier and must have overheard our conversation, then told the others."

Despite their pursuit, Shi Youqing didn’t stop and continued moving forward.

As they maintained a close distance, eventually, they all crossed the peach blossom forest and entered another space together.

The NPCs performing the rituals and the criminal gang, upon seeing the gigantic and strange creature, scattered in terror, not daring to approach.

Soon, they arrived smoothly at the nest of the evil spirits.

Hao Tianshuo and others quickly descended; he and Luo Yanzhong kept watch over the scales on the rock walls, while Qiao Mingcheng, Xia Yue, and others brought the temporary wooden door used previously in the cave, placed it at the entrance, and hurriedly began the house-moving ceremony to define the nest as a human home.

Amidst the howling wind, Shi Youqing turned around and headed straight for the fleeing people.

Jiang Wu and his group, too scared to approach Shi Youqing, came running breathlessly.

Luo Yanzhong, who had a strong aversion to him, was about to ask him to stay away, but the man cried out, "Take me with you! I'll do anything!"

Seemingly afraid of being driven away, he even took out a knife and started hacking at the scales on the rock wall, "I'm here to help, I can be useful…"

The scales suddenly extended, and if not for Luo Yanzhong's quick shot, Jiang Wu's head would have been pierced. He shouted angrily, "Stay away from those things if you don't want to die!"

Jiang Wu, stunned, collapsed to the ground in fright.

The others dared not venture further into the nest.

Moments later, Chu Wei stepped forward to help him up, "I told you, they never planned to leave us behind. With what you did earlier, who would dare to collaborate with you? Just wait patiently and don’t cause trouble."

Jiang Wu nodded vigorously, his body trembling as he watched the still writhing rock wall.

"If you really want to help, find another board and make another door, seal the entrance tightly," Luo Yanzhong said earnestly, holding his gun, "If anyone still harbors ulterior motives at this time, I won’t be lenient."

"Alright, alright!" The people at the entrance immediately ran to the beach to look for wooden planks. As it was a place for NPC rituals, there were plenty of boards, and now with the NPCs and the criminal gang scared away, it was the perfect time to take them.

……

Zong Zhu Yuan pushed the imposter in front of him onto the boat.

Having recently discovered the identities of the people on the boat, he impersonated an NPC and dragged the imposter to intercept the last person who had lagged behind.

For some reason, those people became very frantic, hurrying to board the ship to leave.

When one of them saw him offering a living person, they naturally mistook him for a native performing a sacrificial ritual, and were excited to take the imposter. However, just as they were about to do so, Zong Zhu Yuan slit their throat with a knife.

He then changed into that person’s clothes and a face-covering mask, stuffed a cloth into the imposter’s mouth, and dragged him quickly onto the boat.

Fortunately, everyone on the boat was too busy running around to pay much attention to him.

Zong Zhu Yuan wasn't interested in what was happening with them; he was focused on finding someone.

Soon, he finally found the cabin where the corpses were stored.

The number of bodies was even greater than he had imagined, including not only dead players but also countless skeletons...

Zong Zhu Yuan had heard of the cruel trade in human bones, but this was the first time he had seen such a bloody scene.

With an expressionless face, he pushed the imposter forward, examining one corpse after another...

Before long, his heart sank, followed by a surge of anger.

— There was no sign of Shi Youqing!

Not even a body!!!

In the end, he even started desperately rationalizing that one of the skeletons might be Shi Youqing…

It was at this moment that the cold barrel of a gun was pressed hard against the back of his head.

Zong Zhu Yuan froze.

It was the leader of the foreign criminal gang.

Zong Zhu Yuan didn’t understand what he was saying, but he clearly knew the other was cocking the gun. He silently drew a dagger from his sleeve, but before he could make a counterattack, a thunderous roar echoed from afar.

Suddenly, a group of people burst in, screaming loudly in a language he didn't understand.

The man immediately looked outside, and whatever he saw transformed his sinister eyes into pure terror. Zong Zhu Yuan, quick and silent, seized the opportunity to grab the gun, holding the man hostage and forcing his subordinates to retreat.

Unexpectedly, those people seemed to lose their minds, ignoring their leader and scrambling to flee in all directions.

Taking no chances, Zong Zhu Yuan shot the leader and dragged the imposter outside.

Upon seeing the scene outside, his expression of confusion instantly froze.

In a flash, just before the gigantic creature's hand reached them, Zong Zhu Yuan quickly jumped off the boat with the imposter.

Amidst the heart-stopping moment, he turned to see that the creature's target was not him, but the boat.

The boat was effortlessly lifted and placed on the opposite beach.

With this move, none of those people could escape.

Zong Zhu Yuan stared intensely at the gigantic figure, fixating on its magnificent yet terrifying visage.

As he was about to approach, someone from behind grabbed him, expressing relief, "Good thing you didn’t kill it... Come with me!"

Turning to see Guo Yalan, Zong Zhu Yuan attempted to shrug her off, but she insisted, "You can choose to die if you want, but hand over that man to me!"

Zong Zhu Yuan, with a dark expression, retorted, "Impossible."

"Aren’t you looking for Shi Youqing? This is his plan."

“……”

As evening approached, the dim yellow light intertwined with the flying silver hair, creating a spectacular sight against the vast sky. It seemed as though an ancient savior deity had finally arrived on the eve of an apocalypse.

"That’s... Shi Youqing?" His eyes, which were sinister a moment ago, now appeared confused, then contentedly amused. Zong Zhu Yuan didn’t realize how ludicrous and pitiful his expression was when he uttered these words.

[Author's Note]

The instance will end tomorrow, and there will be red packets in the next chapter!

"Thanks to the little angel who sent a rocket: --Waiting for the Aurora-- 1 piece;"

Special thanks to the angels who provided nourishment: Midnight Snack 40 bottles; Zhang San Li Si 6 bottles;

"I am immensely grateful for everyone's support and will continue to work hard!"