Chapter 121 Ultimate Level: Black and White World (1)

Chapter 121 Ultimate Level: Black and White World (1)

◎Little Rabbit's Dreamland Adventure◎

After successfully forming a team last night, Shi Youqing immediately used the [Ultimate Level Entry Ticket]. This hint was obviously for the ultimate level.

...But he hadn't expected there to be two hints.

When Feng Bin and Hao Tianshuo rushed over, Bo Huai had already deciphered the meaning of [Steal Name] in the hint:

In past feudal customs, some people would steal bowls and dishes from prosperous households to ward off diseases and ensure the well-being of their own children. If a child from the robbed household was named "A",

the thief would return home with the stolen items, naming their newborn child "A" and having their family acknowledge the child under this stolen name.

This essentially meant stealing "A's" name, but the ultimate goal was to steal "A's" fate as well.

Simply put, it involved stealing the life of another person’s child for one's own through the act of name-theft, an utterly sinister and immoral practice.

Feng Bin, frowning upon hearing this, said, "Isn’t the black paper supposed to correspond to the white world? If such customs are effective, they would be considered supernatural phenomena."

The appearance of [Stealing Names] on the black paper, based on past instances, should relate to the white world.

Feng Bin's questioning was on point.

Hao Tianshuo also looked troubled, "Two hints from different worlds? Does this mean we have to pass two instances at once?"

Before they arrived, Shi Youqing had also been pondering this issue, hesitantly suggesting, "What if... both worlds are part of the same instance?"

The room fell into silence.

Such a scenario would be much more complex than separately passing a black world and a white world.

Everyone’s eyes turned to the two hints on the table.

Hao Tianshuo, pulling at his hair in frustration, asked, “Then what does [Return to Place] mean?”

Shi Youqing replied, “It’s too vague, with no specific direction. We’ll only know once we’re inside.”

Feng Bin pondered for a moment, “I’ll go and consult with some veteran players in the next few days, see if they’ve encountered such a situation.”

“I’ll join you,” Hao Tianshuo decided to utilize his resources, “The Seek Qing Guild has several old players and some who participated in the resurrection competition. Maybe they know something.”

Shi Youqing certainly wouldn’t stop them. The ultimate level wouldn’t commence immediately; at least a half-month rest was allowed. During this time, apart from studying the hints, consulting experienced veterans could only be beneficial.

After staying home for two days, Shi Youqing welcomed an old friend.

Lu Wei arrived, accompanied by a slightly nervous young man in white.

Upon seeing them, Bo Huai immediately closed the door.

From outside, Lu Wei said, “Um... don’t you want to hear more about our childhood?”

Ye Jing spoke softly, “Brother Youqing, I came to express my gratitude. If it weren't for you, I might have… in the last instance.”

Shi Youqing was watching TV in the living room, engrossed in a major plot twist, and ignored the voices outside the door. After finishing the episode, he felt sleepy again.

He planned to nap on the sofa, but as soon as his eyelids drooped, Bo Huai quietly came over and carried him back to the bedroom.

The two outside dared not make a fuss, realizing Shi Youqing really wouldn't come out. They exchanged glances, each internally blaming the other for being unwelcome and causing their own disappointment, and left with a sigh.

Shi Youqing genuinely didn’t want to see them, to be precise, he didn’t have much of an impression of these two - it was as awkward as an overly enthusiastic former elementary school classmate you hadn’t seen or even remembered for over a decade suddenly wanting to catch up.

Lying in bed, Shi Youqing turned to his side, gazing out the window at the sunset, the sky awash in a blush of colors, while Bo Huai sat quietly beside him, watching him.

“I want to visit the butterfly park again,” Shi Youqing suddenly said.

“Okay,” Bo Huai replied softly, “We’ll go tomorrow.”

It was already winter, not the time for butterflies, but it seemed a necessary visit.

Shi Youqing closed his eyes, sleeping peacefully.

The next morning, Bo Huai had packed everything, and they set off for the butterfly park in the neighboring city.

Additionally, Bo Huai had planned a travel itinerary; before entering the ultimate instance, he wanted to take Shi Youqing to places they hadn’t visited before.

Shi Youqing felt extremely delighted, like a primary school student about to go on a spring outing, even fidgeting with excitement in the car.

Their first stop was the butterfly park, where Bo Huai took many photos of Shi Youqing and even got a passerby to take a picture of them together.

Standing in front of a giant butterfly statue, Shi Youqing smiled at the camera, while Bo Huai, beside him, looked down at him with a smile.

Shi Youqing, already handsome, now attracted even more attention with his waist-length silver hair. A high school boy, while taking landscape photos, couldn’t help capturing Shi Youqing in his frame.

After leaving the park, the boy reviewed his photos and turned pale upon seeing the one with Shi Youqing.

The elegant young man had disappeared, replaced by a distorted, huge black shadow, while the tall man holding his hand had turned into a tiny, scale-like black dot…

Terrified, the boy quickly shared the photo in a photography group, recounting his experience.

However, no one took it seriously, assuming it was just a poorly focused shot of someone in black, made scarier by the dark tones.

Seeing the group members dissect it with various photography knowledge, even suspecting him of photoshopping, the boy's fear soon turned to anger. Realizing his explanations were being dismissed, he impulsively posted the photo on a paranormal forum.

Finally, some believed him here, but he soon realized that this place accepted any bizarre story as truth…

The boy felt like crying but couldn't, and just then, someone sent him a private message:

[Zong: What did the person look like when you took the photo?]

Was this an attempt to verify the story?

The boy promptly described everything, especially the other person's silver long hair.

After a while, the respondent replied:

[Zong: It's obviously fake, stop spreading nonsense. Delete the photo and get lost!]

The boy was fuming with anger.

He should never have expected anyone to believe him!

……

On the last day of the trip, Shi Youqing and Bo Huai visited a beautiful small island in Haicheng.

Shi Youqing wanted to watch the sunset, so Bo Huai set up a tent on a hillside of the island. They sat on the grass in front of the tent, watching the sea gradually dyed by the evening glow.

The sea breeze fluttered Shi Youqing’s eyelashes like butterfly wings, and he said, "This is so comfortable."

Wrapped tightly in a blanket by Bo Huai, Shi Youqing leaned his head and found himself in Bo Huai’s chest.

Bo Huai said, "I feel the same way."

Shi Youqing, who previously rarely spoke of the future, couldn’t help but wonder, "When we return, you should continue college, right? No, wait, you attending college must have been a lie to me..."

Bo Huai immediately shook his head, "I didn't lie. Before I became like that, I really was in college."

Shi Youqing thought about the age at which Bo Huai entered the game world and realized he indeed would have been a college student, but now, there would certainly be no record of Bo Huai at any college.

"Alright, then you'll need to continue your studies after we get back. I also want to study. Where should I go?"

Bo Huai gazed down at him, finding him unbearably adorable, "Wherever you go, I'll go. We can attend college together."

Shi Youqing pondered for a moment, agreeing wholeheartedly, "Yeah, we must go to college."

Unable to resist, Bo Huai gently kissed his cheek, his temples visibly throbbing.

Shi Youqing was momentarily stunned by the kiss, looking up in response.

As night gradually fell and they sat close to each other, Shi Youqing said, "Kiss me again."

“……”

After a moment, with a slightly reddened mouth, Shi Youqing remarked, "You’re going to bite my lips off."

Bo Huai, his Adam's apple moving visibly, held him tightly in his arms, "I won’t."

Shi Youqing had planned to watch the sunrise, but they went to sleep early that night.

Unfortunately, he missed the sunrise because when he woke up, they had entered the ultimate instance.

Looking up, he saw a blue sky and white clouds; looking down, a colorful and beautiful town lay before him.

The townspeople were incredibly large, leading Shi Youqing to initially think he had entered a giant-themed instance, until a child approached and crouched before him, saying, "What a cute little rabbit, can I keep you?"

Before he could react, the child picked him up and carried him away.

The system’s voice then sounded, "Welcome to the ultimate instance! This place harbors the happiest fairytales and the most terrifying legends. Please restore it to its original state!"

Shi Youqing immediately checked the floating interface, which showed that his three teammates were also in the same instance and still alive.

Realizing the child holding him meant no harm, Shi Youqing continued to focus on the interface.

[Ultimate Instance: The Black and White World]

[Game Progress: 0％]

[Main Mission: Restore the World to Its Original State!]

[Side Mission 1: Reach Fairy Tale Town (Completed)]

[Side Mission 2: Unknown ???]

What did 'unknown' mean?

He asked the system, "What’s the time limit for this instance?"

The system replied, "Please note, this instance has no time limit. If necessary, it ends upon the player’s death."

Shi Youqing: "…"

Regardless, his first priority was to find a way to regroup with Bo Huai and the others.

The child, cradling him in arms, entered a beautifully decorated house.

Soon, a group of children surrounded Shi Youqing, who felt his ears prodded and his tail touched by numerous little hands. He tried to leap away from these “claws” in an attempt to scare them off, but he could only emit a faint, weak squeak.

The children's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Wow, it's so cute!" they exclaimed.

"We haven't seen a bunny in so long, we should take good care of it!"

"Let me pet it again, let me!"

"I was here first! Don’t push!"

……

Shi Youqing, now a rabbit, attempted to hop away, but quickly grew tired and breathless, much to his frustration.

The child who had brought him in then picked him up, saying, "Don't scare it, it looks frightened."

The children calmed down, sitting on the steps quietly watching him.

Soon, they began to chat among themselves.

"Do you think the rabbit is sick?"

"It looks plump and healthy, probably not."

"Speaking of sickness, a miracle doctor recently came to Fairy Tale Town who can cure any illness... The little prince was nearly on his deathbed, but this morning the doctor brought a set of bowls and chopsticks, and suddenly the prince was better."

"Really?"

"I'm serious. But there's also bad news. The child the headmaster found at the door last night is missing..."

"The one named 'Youqing'?"

Shi Youqing's ears perked up at this.

"Yes, he's gone... The headmaster thinks a monster might have taken him."

Shi Youqing looked solemn; it must be his original body combined with the suddenly healthy little prince... He must have been a victim of "name theft."

Now, unable to speak or act easily in this body, he must revert to his original form!

Fortunately, there was no time constraint here, so he could slowly look for the right opportunity.

At night, when the children were about to have dinner, he was quietly placed in a cardboard box.

Shi Youqing rested for a while, seized the right moment, took a deep breath, and leaped up!

Escape successful!

The rabbit's jumping ability was indeed impressive.

Ears erect, he carefully surveyed his surroundings as he walked out of the residence, the air filled with the aroma of food; Shi Youqing looked towards the distance where children were gathered around a table eating.

This place appeared to be an orphanage, and the white-bearded old man inside was presumably the head of the orphanage.

According to the children, the headmaster had found him, and the next day, a miracle doctor cured the little prince using the "Steal Name" method, turning him into a rabbit... The headmaster seemed suspicious.

Shi Youqing frowned, hopping to the outside of the residence. As he pondered, he decided against searching for his teammates — in his current form, it would be more efficient for them to find him.

He needed to leave a trail.

Writing was impractical, especially if it was just a word or two...

Suddenly, an idea struck him!

Shi Youqing returned to the orphanage. Everyone was busy eating and wouldn’t notice him.

He headed straight for the children’s cardboard box, not bothering to jump this time. He knocked over the box, retrieved an eraser from inside, and then eyed the tomato ketchup on the table...

Moments later, with his "scarf" of fur soaked in ketchup, Shi Youqing rapidly gnawed the character "Qing" and an arrow onto the eraser. After dabbing his now-red "scarf" in the ketchup, he clutched the eraser in his mouth and dashed out of the orphanage.

On a dark and windy night, at the base of the orphanage's door, a rabbit neatly stamped a small red mark: Qing →

Translated as follows:

I am Shi Youqing. If you’re looking for me, follow this direction. Hurry up!

However, what followed was far worse than anticipated.

After making the fifth stamp, soldiers patrolling the streets noticed him. Upon a closer look, their expressions changed, and they shouted as they ran towards him: "A monster has appeared! Come and catch it!"

Monster? To an ordinary person, a stamping rabbit might seem clever at most, right?

But he couldn’t afford to be caught. Shi Youqing took off running. His small size allowed him to weave through various obstacles, quickly losing the soldiers.

Hiding in a pit amidst ruins, he overheard several soldiers:

"Are you sure you didn't see wrong? I didn't see any monster."

"I'm certain! Though it looked like a rabbit, that face... when it looked at me, it turned human. It’s definitely a monster!"

"Keep searching. We can't let such a creature roam free in Fairy Tale Town. If we catch it, kill it immediately! If we can’t find it tonight, we’ll post wanted notices tomorrow!"

"Understood!"

Shi Youqing pondered for a moment.

Viewing any supernatural entity as a monster suggested that this Fairy Tale Town, within the replica, might represent a "White World" attribute.

In just a day, Shi Youqing, now a rabbit and a fugitive, carefully dug through the soil. After reaching the other side of the wall, he glanced back at the tall barrier separating him from the soldiers, bit down on the eraser, stamped it firmly against the wall, and then turned into the dense darkness of the night.

……

Along the way, Shi Youqing encountered another disheartening realization: unlike other replicas, there seemed to be no fixed map here. For instance, players couldn't stray far from the Butterfly Park.

Here, there appeared to be no defined map boundaries at all.

Initially, when Shi Youqing grew tired and couldn’t walk further, he found a large wooden bowl discarded by the river. Using the bowl as a boat, he drifted along the current. After nearly an hour, he had completely left Fairy Tale Town and could still continue onward.

The system, seemingly eager to deepen his despair, “kindly” advised, "It is recommended that players do not fixate on meeting teammates. This replica's map is vast, akin to a complete free world. Your teammates are randomly assigned to different coordinates. If you wish, you can even sail to the West..."

Shi Youqing, sitting unsteadily in the bowl, thought: "..."

Did this mean he might not see his teammates until the game ended?

Lost in thought, Shi Youqing gradually noticed the water's slope flattening, and the bowl's forward drift slowing.

Feeling drowsy, he looked up and instantly became alert.

On the riverbank was a dense forest, and within its depths, countless pairs of red eyes stared directly at the river surface. Swallowing sounds permeated the air...

The blue floating frame displayed a change.

[Side Task 2: Reach the Ghost Forest]

Shi Youqing: “…”

So this is what the Black and White World means.

This place is evidently more dangerous than Fairy Tale Town.

He adjusted the bowl to distance himself from the riverbank. As he was busy, his body suddenly tensed. Looking down, he saw a loop of rope descending from above, perfectly ensnaring him!

Shocked, Shi Youqing struggled and realized that the rope wasn’t from a monster... but from the largest tree on the shore, where a thumb-sized woman was standing.

Behind the woman was a line of equally small people. They had tied one end of the hemp rope to the tree trunk and stood on branches near the river, pulling the rope in a tug-of-war fashion, exerting all their strength to hoist the rabbit up.

...Were they treating him like a fish to be caught?

Shi Youqing’s eyebrows furrowed, preparing to drop the rubber stamp and bite the rope, but a flash in the corner of his eye made him freeze.

As his viewpoint elevated, he finally saw the face of the leading “Thumbelina” - identical to his mother, Shi Wen!

It was then that the woman, thinking he was about to bite the rope, urgently said, “Don’t bite, you’ll fall into the water and get eaten!”

[Author’s Note]

Today was really unlucky, super busy and chaotic, and the worst part is my most comfortable keyboard broke. Using a spare one seriously affects my typing speed. I’ll try to make up for it tomorrow!

This chapter about the custom of ‘stealing names’ is derived from "Folk Customs and Superstitions." The original text is as follows:

Regarding the act of stealing a name, one first needs to identify a family with thriving offspring and have someone steal a bowl and chopsticks from that family. If discovered during the theft, they must say “not yet” and send another person to steal again. When the thief returns, the mother, holding her child at the door, greets them, calling it “receiving the name”; when the thief calls out the name, the mother answers on behalf of the child. It’s believed that after stealing the name, the child will henceforth be free from diseases and calamities.

Thanks to the angel who launched a rocket: --Waiting for Aurora-- 1;

Thanks to the angel who dropped a landmine: light 1;

Thanks to the angels who irrigated with nutrient fluid: Ge Jiuqing 19 bottles; Yingzi Ying 10 bottles; Weak but Capable of Causing Trouble 1 bottle;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!