“Chapter 124: Black and White World (4)”

"Chapter 124: Black and White World (4)"

"◎[Two-in-One] Little Rabbit's Dinner◎"

"New guests arrived in the tree hollow, and though the wolf was intimidating, the sight of it writing convinced the remaining wary dwellers that it was one of their own."

"The arrival of a fierce beast in the hollow, now without the worry of food and willing to reside on the first floor, was like gaining a bodyguard for the tiny residents."

"It must be said, this little white rabbit truly brings good fortune!"

"Everyone was jubilant, spiritedly preparing a feast to welcome their new companion."

"The existence of the tiny people in the Ghost Forest, akin to insects but human at heart, required collective effort to sustain life and maintain most ordinary living conditions. For them, the larger their group, the safer they felt. Should the tree become overcrowded, they could always find another giant tree to inhabit."

"Therefore, they always tried to welcome others who shared their fate - this was why they had hurried to rescue the rabbit from the river that night."

"Rows of tables were swiftly set up on the first floor, and while the tiny people cooked, Shi Youqing took his teammates for a bath in the underground hot spring."

"The underground hot spring was extensive, with various sections including gender-separated baths, medicinal springs, and the large bath that Shi Youqing had first used."

"However, upon approaching, Shi Youqing noticed the large bath’s sign had changed to 'Little Rabbit Bath Center,' now six characters instead of three."

"Shi Youqing: '...'"

"Feng Bin and Hao Tianshuo, though reduced in size, were still human and, with new clothes gifted by the tiny people, went to the men's bath."

"Shi Youqing gestured towards the bath, signaling Bo Huai to get in."

"It wasn't convenient for animals in a regular bath, so the pool was perfect."

"The black wolf eyed him, glanced at the sign above a few times, held its breath, and then stepped forward, submerging into the water..."

"Mist rose around the bathing wolf, which shivered slightly in the water. Its sharp eyes began to redden, but then a tiny voice called from above, 'Little Rabbit, let the wolf bathe in peace! The water is changed daily, so it's fine if it gets dirty!'"

"Changed daily?!"

"The wolf in the water paused, the red in its eyes fading quickly as its wild thoughts disappeared. After a deep look at the nodding little white rabbit on the shore, it plunged deeper into the water."

"Shi Youqing, seeing it suddenly dive and not resurface for a while, became worried and started hopping around, about to seek help to fish out the wolf, when it suddenly emerged from the water."

"Bo Huai had spent a good while underwater to calm himself. After jumping ashore, not wanting to drench the little rabbit, he gently picked up the stunned rabbit with his mouth and placed it in a wooden box, covering it with a towel before shaking off the water."

"Only when completely dry did he approach the box."

"The little rabbit had already pushed a corner of the towel aside with its head, peeking out with two dark eyes."

"The black wolf paused, its gaze meeting those eyes unexpectedly, feeling a pounding in its chest once again. It took immense willpower to approach calmly, its teeth trembling slightly as it gently picked up the little rabbit."

"Shi Youqing examined him from head to toe, nodding in satisfaction."

"The black wolf was immaculately clean, its fur dark and glossy, and slightly damp, not as fluffy, accentuating its strong, muscular build."

"Under the dim light, the wolf's eyes emitted a faint green glow as it stared at the rabbit, appearing fiercely intimidating."

"The rabbit looked up at the physically superior beast, its lips moving slightly, revealing a reassured smile."

"Good, at least its physical strength wasn’t completely diminished."

"Meanwhile, Feng Bin, having just come out, saw the black wolf pinning the little rabbit down without a word... From his angle, he only saw the rabbit's slightly wriggling bottom and feared Bo Huai, influenced by its species, was about to devour the rabbit in a fit of wolfishness. He shouted as he rushed over, 'Stop—'"

"He halted awkwardly, the word 'stop' dying in his throat."

"Shi Youqing, licked by the wolf and flipped onto his back, wanted to laugh but couldn’t, only managing to wriggle his body in protest."

"The black wolf paused, then picked up the rabbit, unable to turn over, in its mouth again."

"Feng Bin: 'Bo Huai, you...'"

"The black wolf looked at him fiercely."

"Feng Bin: 'Be careful, don’t actually eat him.'"

"The little rabbit in the wolf's mouth smiled at him, signaling that there was no need to worry."

"Bo Huai's teeth carefully avoided making contact."

"After bathing, they went out to dine with the tiny people."

"Bo Huai, a carnivorous animal of normal wolf size, naturally did not partake in the tiny people's dinner. He wasn't hungry and lay in the wolf den they had prepared for him, watching the little rabbit placed at the center of the table, his gaze profound."

"Feng Bin, while eating, inquired about the situation here. Knowing that Shi Youqing couldn’t speak and communication was difficult, he asked all the questions the other might have had."

"Hao Tianshuo was busy competing with the tiny people to feed the rabbit. Soon, Shi Youqing was overfed and refused to eat more."

"After the dinner, everyone gathered on the first floor, playing and chatting."

"Shi Youqing's team of four gathered at the wolf's den for a 'meeting'."

"With two members now non-human, Feng Bin took the lead in the discussion, explaining in detail the events since they entered the game world, as he noticed Shi Youqing's curiosity about their transformations."

"The three of them hadn’t been together since the start of the game."

"Feng Bin found himself on a bustling street after entering the game, already reduced in size, which prevented the ordinary townspeople from noticing him."

"Cautious not to reveal himself, knowing he could be captured for research or misused by criminals in his current state, Feng Bin stealthily searched for his teammates."

"He soon found Hao Tianshuo amidst a commotion."

"Hao Tianshuo had awoken in the king's castle, seemingly a servant due to his small stature, unnoticed by the castle's residents."

"This allowed Hao Tianshuo to overhear their conversations."

"At that moment, a steward was reprimanding a servant, 'That's Prince Marlin, you should call him Prince Youqing from now on... Get it wrong again and you're out!'"

"Hao Tianshuo was both shocked and delighted and immediately followed them."

"Thinking Shi Youqing was the prince, he was surprised to find no sign of him in the prince's room, until a servant approached a strange, sullen-faced man and addressed him as 'Prince Youqing'..."

"Hao Tianshuo almost fell backward in shock and was eventually noticed due to the noise he made."

"A soldier aimed a sword at him, but Hao Tianshuo quickly dodged, asking the unfamiliar man, 'Do you know me?' He had seen his reflection on the way and knew his face hadn't changed despite his reduced size."

"He asked, just in case there was a connection to Shi Youqing..."

"The prince snatched the soldier's weapon and charged at him, shouting, 'Kill this monster, daring to intrude the castle!'"

"It was clear this was not Shi Youqing."

"Hao Tianshuo ran without looking back, exploiting his small size to escape through gaps and holes, fleeing the castle with soldiers in pursuit..."

"He finally encountered Feng Bin while fleeing on the streets."

"The two sighed in relief upon meeting, working together to elude the soldiers and find a safe place. They continued searching until nightfall, when they discovered a strange mark in an alley: 'Qing→'"

"Hao Tianshuo instantly deciphered it: 'It's Brother Qing! He's telling us to hurry and save him!'"

"Feng Bin, worried about the frail Shi Youqing being chased in his diminished form, fashioned a weapon from a found needle and set out to find him... only to encounter a black wolf carrying a bag at the next mark."

"The two men and the wolf looked at each other in stunned silence."

"Recognizing the familiar large backpack on the black wolf and its anxious gaze at the mark, Hao Tianshuo knew instantly who it was."

"Feng Bin asked in disbelief, 'Bo Huai? How did you turn into this?'"

"Instead of joy, the black wolf's expression turned even more frantic upon seeing them. After a howl, it darted towards the direction indicated by the arrow."

"Hao Tianshuo quickly realized, 'He probably thought Shi Youqing also turned into a beast like him. He didn't expect our kind of transformation and panicked! What do we do now... We can't outrun him!'"

"Feng Bin, thinking quickly as the wolf's silhouette was still visible, called out loudly, 'Youqing—'"

"The black wolf halted abruptly and dashed back like a gust of wind, leaving its backpack behind in its haste."

"At such a moment, such heavy burdens were only a hindrance."

"As the wolf approached, Feng Bin said, 'Since Youqing left marks, it means he's looking for us too. We can't get separated. Let's set off together!'"

"Seeing no sign of Shi Youqing, the black wolf growled in anger. After venting, it realized they needed to stay together to avoid further separations once Shi Youqing was found. It then quickly placed the two men on its back and sprinted recklessly."

"Following the trail of marks, they reached the river outside the town, where the marks ended."

"Fortunately, Shi Youqing was clever. The marks he left at the riverbank weren't just pointing to the water; the first mark pointed to the river, while a second arrow indicated downstream."

"This signaled to them that he had taken a boat downstream!"

"Bo Huai ran downstream all night. The journey wasn't too long, but there were multiple checkpoints along the riverbank, seemingly set up by Fairy Tale Town's soldiers to guard against something approaching from that direction."

"After overcoming numerous obstacles until dawn, they finally reached the Ghost Forest."

"As luck would have it, they found Shi Youqing's mark on the branch of a giant tree..."

"And that's everything you know," Feng Bin said with a smile.

"Speaking of which, why are only the two of you different species?" Hao Tianshuo's casual question hit the core of the mystery.

"Shi Youqing shook his head, indicating he was also unsure, but a theory was forming in his mind—could it be because among them, only he and Bo Huai were not human?"

"After some thought, he wrote 'stolen identity' with his paw and pointed at himself."

"‘Your transformation is definitely due to name theft, especially since that prince started using your name... As for us, perhaps it's the same,’ Feng Bin concluded, then turned his gaze to Bo Huai."

"Bo Huai wrote with his claw: I've been like this since I came here."

"It seemed that, aside from their species, there were no other differences between the four of them."

"‘Can this sorcery of name theft be broken?’ Hao Tianshuo mumbled, ‘If we return to Fairy Tale Town and steal our names back in the same way, would that work?’"

"He didn’t lower his voice, and Shi Wen, who was chatting nearby, heard him and suddenly turned to say, ‘That won't work.’"

"Hao Tianshuo was stunned: ‘...Have you tried?’"

"Shi Wen nodded and came over to join them."

"Sitting behind the little rabbit, she gently stroked Shi Youqing's head and explained, ‘We also suspected it was related to name theft, but the only way to break it is to catch the thief in action before the theft succeeds. Once discovered, even without intervention, the thief's attempt will fail. But once successful... there's no way to reverse it. Your idea of stealing back won’t work. The sorcery of name theft can only be used once by both the thief and the victim. Once the theft is successful, the victim’s link to the sorcery is sealed, making it impossible to steal back.’"

"Hao Tianshuo sighed in despair, ‘Even if I could steal it back, there are so many in Fairy Tale Town, I have no idea who stole my name…’"

"Shi Wen frowned, equally concerned."

"Feeling a tickle on her knee, she immediately looked down at the little white rabbit. He was patting her knee with his paw, offering comfort and a reassuring smile, telling her not to worry."

"Such a heartwarming little rabbit, Shi Wen embraced him: ‘Don’t worry, Mom will find a way to get you out of here.’"

"Shi Youqing immediately shook his head, his ears vigorously fluttering in dissent. No, we must leave together."

"Whether Shi Wen understood his intent or not, she just smiled and stroked his face: ‘Good boy.’"

"Feng Bin didn’t want to interrupt the tender moment between mother and son. After a while, when Shi Wen released the rabbit, he softly asked, ‘How long have you been living here?’"

"‘Over three years,’ Shi Wen replied candidly, knowing what he was getting at, ‘The Ghost Forest appeared three years ago. After the anomaly started, all magic users like witches and fairy godmothers in Fairy Tale Town disappeared. Then monsters began to appear, and people like us started to mutate and were hunted and chased away as monsters… The Ghost Forest is dangerous, but humans don’t dare to enter, and we can’t go beyond it, so we’ve been living here.’"

"The little rabbit raised his head in confusion; he distinctly remembered the system mentioning that this game world had no boundaries, so theoretically, they should be able to go anywhere."

"‘Why can't you go beyond the Ghost Forest?’ Feng Bin voiced his question."

"‘As soon as you step into the boundary leading out of the Ghost Forest, monsters appear. Even if you manage to get out, it would only be as a corpse,’ Shi Wen explained."

"‘Even during the day?!’"

"Shi Wen nodded, ‘To be precise, they're always there. Many monsters live deep in the Ghost Forest, sleeping during the day and coming out to hunt at night. Their senses are sharp; they detect any living being that approaches... In the first year, many tried to escape the Ghost Forest to find a better place to live, but they all died in its deepest parts.’"

"Upon hearing this, Shi Youqing immediately jumped into the middle of the group. He drew an oval with his paw, marked an exit at the front, and then gestured towards the rest of the area, his ears standing up in a mock expression of alarm."

"As a mother, Shi Wen understood his meaning instantly and smiled in response, 'Yes, we can only freely enter and exit towards Fairy Tale Town. Everywhere else is guarded by monsters.'"

"No wonder… The system claims the map is free to explore, but in reality, monsters encircle part of it."

"It seemed that their earlier fears were deliberately instilled; considering this, players were bound to encounter this eventually, as long as they survived."

"While listening to Shi Wen, the black wolf kept its gaze fixed on Shi Youqing, finding his puffed-up, adorable demeanor irresistibly charming!"

"Feeling a tremor in his heart, the black wolf was about to scoop him up in its mouth… but before it could open its jaws, the little rabbit hopped energetically onto a nearby stool and looked down at everyone, making a small ‘ji’ sound."

"All eyes instantly turned towards him."

"Bo Huai, worried he might fall, quickly lay down around the stool, forming a protective cushion."

"Seeing this, Feng Bin realized Shi Youqing might have a plan and stood up to interpret, ‘Youqing has something to say.’"

"Shi Youqing nodded at him, then raised a paw, shaking his head as he drew circles in the air, followed by a pointing gesture."

"‘Youqing says… We can’t continue waiting aimlessly; we need a comprehensive plan,’ Feng Bin translated intently, watching his every move, ‘Since we can’t leave the Ghost Forest, we should prepare and wait for the right moment while we are stuck here.’"

"Shi Youqing: ‘…’"

"His intention was to slowly discover the monsters' weaknesses, as they guarded the Ghost Forest."

"Being in a game world, there must be certain taboos associated with it. If leaving the Ghost Forest carelessly for anywhere other than Fairy Tale Town leads to death by monsters, then logically, the monsters themselves might have their own restrictions."

"Although Feng Bin’s interpretation wasn’t exact, Shi Youqing gave him an encouraging look. Switching paws, he pointed at a distant hourglass, gestured in the air, and then slowly pointed to his own head."

"Now more confident, Feng Bin added, 'Youqing says we have plenty of time and needn’t rush. We can slowly think of a strategy.' He didn’t elaborate further due to the presence of NPCs—without a time limit on their task, there was no need for hasty risks; stability was key."

"The rabbit’s lips curled into a satisfied smile."

"The tiny non-player characters, although finding the speech incomprehensible, applauded enthusiastically. The fact that the speaker was a rabbit made it all the more special."

"Several young listeners even felt inspired, ‘If the rabbit can have such spirit, how can we just idle around? Starting tomorrow, we’ll train to become stronger. In a crucial moment, we should be able to carry the rabbit and run in one go!’"

"Shi Youqing: ‘…’"

"The applause was thunderous."

"The speech quickly turned into a 'rallying conference'."

"Well, if it could ignite their fighting spirit and hope, that was a good thing. Shi Youqing blinked, already formulating a small plan in his mind, waiting for the right moment to implement it."

"The crowd stayed lively until late before everyone went their separate ways. Feng Bin and Hao Tianshuo, exhausted, headed to the 'guest house' on the second floor to rest. Shi Youqing followed his mother upstairs, and from the railing, he looked down, Bo Huai’s gaze fixed on him."

"Shi Youqing raised a paw towards him, signaling goodnight."

"Bo Huai immediately straightened up, his mouth widening into a grin, revealing his fangs in a smile."

"Shi Youqing returned home with his mother, still smiling."

"In the bedroom, Shi Wen brought out little clothes and hats she had made: ‘You can wear these. If they’re not enough, we’ll make more for you.’"

"Shi Youqing was startled, seeing she was serious, he hesitantly shook his head and pointed at his fur."

"As an animal, he didn’t need clothes."

"But Shi Wen insisted, ‘You’re not a born rabbit, you’re human and humans wear clothes. Everything you had before, you should have now.’"

"Staring at his mother, Shi Youqing’s rabbit eyes reddened."

"Shi Wen came over to blow on his eyes and put a red shawl on him: ‘The Ghost Forest is colder than a normal forest. I think you need to wear something. What if you catch a cold, given your weak health?’"

"With eyes brimming with tears, Shi Youqing cooperatively dressed for Shi Wen to see."

"The little white rabbit suited red well, looking extremely adorable in the small shawl."

"Shi Wen was overjoyed, chatting with him a bit longer before returning to her own room."

"Shi Youqing hopped happily onto the bed, feeling as if he had returned to his carefree childhood days."

"Lying on the bed, he couldn’t fall asleep, perhaps too content. So, he got up, took a blanket, and prepared to head over to where Bo Huai was."

"But he froze at the sight of a wolf’s head just outside his door."

"Regaining his composure, Shi Youqing eyed the black wolf skeptically."

"Since Shi Youqing had gone to his room, Bo Huai couldn’t stay still. Being much larger than the tiny people, he had propped a table under his feet and was lying on the second-floor railing, his wolf head facing Shi Youqing’s front door—acting like a watchful bodyguard."

"At that moment, Bo Huai noticed Shi Youqing being weighed down by the blanket, so he gently bit the blanket and pulled it towards him, his eyes still fixed on Shi Youqing."

"Shi Youqing, unable to sleep and thinking Bo Huai was just bored, hopped down the stairs and followed him back to his wolf den."

"Seeing him approach, Bo Huai promptly spread the blanket in front of him, then gently picked up the little white rabbit and placed him in the middle of the blanket, surrounding him protectively. His green eyes gazed at Shi Youqing’s little shawl, and he couldn’t resist nudging it with his nose."

"Shi Youqing didn’t mind; he showed the shawl to Bo Huai and smiled, writing with his paw on Bo Huai’s body: Made by Mom."

"Bo Huai glanced at the shawl again, nodded, and carefully covered Shi Youqing’s exposed back with his head."

"The little white rabbit, with only his head showing, chattered away, while Bo Huai occasionally wagged his tail and licked Shi Youqing’s fur as if responding."

"Snuggled in Bo Huai’s warm embrace, Shi Youqing gradually grew sleepy. His eyelashes drooped, and he soon fell asleep."

"Bo Huai, careful not to disturb him, was about to sleep as well when he sensed a noise and abruptly looked up."

"Upstairs, a woman put her finger to her lips, shaking her head at him. She watched the little rabbit's head in Bo Huai’s embrace with a tender gaze."

"[Author's Note]"

"Thanks to the little angels who fired rockets: --Waiting for the Aurora-- 1 rocket;"

"Thanks to the little angels who threw grenades: Soy Sauce Glass 1 grenade;"

"Thanks to the little angels who laid landmines: A Roll of Steel Wool 1 landmine;"

"Thanks to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Men Who Don't Love Themselves Are Like Spoiled Cabbages 59 bottles; 66177545 28 bottles; Grey White 20 bottles; zbht (Cute 0 Collector) 12 bottles; Wife Literature Enthusiast, Talents in the Comment Section 10 bottles; Full Stop 5 bottles; Luo Mu Bai, Bird's Call Brings People Back, Weak and Helpless but Capable of Causing Trouble 1 bottle;"

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