Reality. The center of a district in so unknown province and city.
This had once been a thriving comrcial zone, ho to many players. But gradually, for reasons unknown, the players here began dying off one by one — silently, as if they'd inhaled so lethal, imperceptible gas.
Soon the entire area returned to stillness. And while no one was paying attention, a grand spatial rger quietly unfolded. Once all the spaces had converged into one, the area grew bustling again.
Only now, the source of activity was no longer the Faith Ga's players, but... them. Strand upon strand, stalk upon stalk, cluster upon cluster of... it.
Take, for instance, a certain skyscraper in the corner of this area, wrapped tightly in what appeared to be "ivy." From a distance, the abandoned tower seed to have been claid by vegetation, transford into a paradise of unchecked growth. But only up close could one see that the dense tangles covering the building's surface weren't plants at all — they more closely resembled clusters of gnarled, knotted... tentacles!
They were alive. And they were writhing.
What's more, twisted, raspy sounds would occasionally drift from within that mass of tentacles. Most resembled unconscious murmurs, but to the human ear, they sounded unmistakably like ravings from the abyss!
Such ravings should have inspired terror. And indeed, there were people here — this building still had living humans inside. Yet at this mont, these huddled survivors showed no signs of overwhelming panic. Each face was grim as they watched their surroundings, vigilant against any tentacle that crept too close.
Whenever a "branch" slithered their way, soone would grit their teeth, step forward, and launch an attack against the endless murmuring and ravings, blasting the thin tentacles back from a distance.
After completing a round of defense, they'd be pulled back into the "position" by ropes and straps held by teammates, then undergo a "debrident procedure."
As for what these "wounds" actually were...
Inside the periter, a female player deftly twirled a blade and precisely lanced a "pustule" on the back of a male player lying beneath her. Another player, expression tight, swiftly pinned down the tentacle that oozed out of the burst pustule, nailing it dead to the floor.
Just like that, one simple "debrident" was done.
But not everyone was so lucky. So players were covered in "pustules," and the process of excising these eerie "newborns" didn't always go smoothly. So of the faster-growing ones had already developed survival instincts — the instant they were attacked, they'd burrow deep into their "mother's" body seeking shelter, wholly unaware that this behavior did nothing but kill their "host" and invite even fiercer attacks from outside.
And so, after a fire set to eliminate future threats, the faces inside the periter grew grimr still.
"Report casualties. Scouts, rotate. Priests, begin healing. Second shield line, advance. Singers, top off all buffs. Free agents, inspect the formation core. Wounded, rest while you can."
Commands flowed thodically from the golden-haired, golden-eyed man at the center. Every player sprang into motion the mont they heard his orders.
Before long, the hunters on the outer periter completed their rotation. Healing light blood across the position in rippling waves. The second row of mages stood behind the front-line hunters, resting. They too wore ropes — looking no different from the wounded who'd just been pulled back. They were the reserves, ready to "deploy" at a mont's notice. Several singers harmonized in unison, and multicolored holy light showered over everyone again and again.
Everything appeared orderly — the picture of a well-drilled army. Except for... the woman checking the formation core, who'd been seized by it and couldn't break free no matter which way she pulled.
So she could only shout in exasperation: "Formation core intact! But I'm not doing so great — could soone co rescue ?"
The surrounding players' faces darkened. Every last one of them turned away, pretending they hadn't heard. Even the commander in the center twitched at the first four words before deliberately ignoring the rest.
Nobody, it seed, wanted to deal with her.
That said, she wasn't entirely ignored. The formation core, at least, had been talking nonstop since the mont she ca over.
"I know you! You're a big celebrity — the one from that TV drama!
Why'd you dye your hair pink? I don't think pink suits you. Have you thought about going with a different color?"
Though the previous free agent had warned her not to respond to any of the formation core's chatter, Tao Yi was ultimately grateful to this person for saving all their lives. So she forced out a smile and replied with slight awkwardness:
"What color?"
"Transparent!"
"?"
"Like mine! Don't you think a shaved head is your true calling?"
"..." Tao Yi froze, blinking furiously as she stared at this bald formation core in bewildernt. "Are you... serious?"
"Of course!
You're an actress, right? Shaving your head makes it way easier to wear all kinds of wigs. Just like in that drama of yours — you switched hairstyles so many tis, it must've been such a hassle. But if you just shave it all off, everything becos simple.
If I rember right, you played Song Xiaoxiao."
"...That was the female lead."
"Oh, right right — you were the second female lead. You played that annoying princess-cousin, Qin Wanxi! You actually nailed that role, honestly. I got annoyed just watching."
"..." Tao Yi's eyelid twitched violently. She struggled against the grip on her arm, failed to break free, and could only fall silent as she turned away.
"Wrong again?" The bald formation core furrowed his brow and studied Tao Yi's back. After a mont, his face lit up with realization. "Oh — you're not Tao Yi! Sorry, I can't believe I got confused."
"...I am Tao Yi." Tao Yi was numb. She tugged at her arm again, wanting nothing more than to escape this soul-crushingly silent place.
"You are Tao Yi? Then which role was yours? Don't tell
you played the Princess Consort who was in love with Song Xiaoxiao?
Tsk tsk, to portray a sa-sex love story so compellingly — you must have really imrsed yourself.
Though I typically don't pay much attention to the leads when I watch dramas. I've got an eye for discovering beauty — I always spot the hidden gems among the supporting cast.
Actually, I was really interested in that little handmaiden in your drama who kept playing matchmaker for you and Song Xiaoxiao. I thought her acting was quite good, and she's young with real potential. Are you close with her? Tell
about her?"
"..."
Tao Yi's mind went blank. She turned around, jaw hanging, staring at the bald formation core. She raised her free hand and pointed at herself, wanting to say "that was " — but after opening and closing her mouth for what felt like an eternity, she gave up.
Because she realized that ignoring the warning and engaging this person had been a mistake from the very start. This silence was her just reward.
And so, completely dead inside, Tao Yi crouched in place and closed her eyes to rest.
Free agents weren't always free. During the team's rest intervals, they too needed to catch what sleep they could, so they'd be ready to fill any gap in the mage formation the instant one appeared. Otherwise, relying on just a hundred-odd ranged mages and hunters, this precarious position would sooner or later be overrun by the tentacles.
After all, the tentacles never stopped. They didn't seem to need rest at all.
Seeing that the celebrity in front of him had stopped responding and worry had crept across her face, the chattering bald man suddenly fell quiet. After a mont of silence, he looked at Tao Yi again and said:
"Don't be afraid. As long as I'm here, none of you will die."
Hearing this, Tao Yi's eyes snapped open. She looked at him, gratitude and hope flickering in her gaze.
"You're... not like the rumors say..."
"Like what? Whose rumors? Soone's been badmouthing
in front of you? Who? Do I know them? Have we been in the sa trial? Do they know ? Are they just jealous of my good looks and trying to slander ?
You have to trust . I'm not that kind of person. On the contrary, I'm very dependable.
Because I'm a pass—"
"A pass-what?" Tao Yi's brain couldn't keep up with his mouth.
"A passionate drama critic. Your Princess Consort was actually quite good."
"..."
Never in her life had Tao Yi wanted to flee a place as desperately as she did right now. And what drove her to that decision wasn't the encircling danger, but the man who had saved them all — this... motor-mouthed Chosen One!
...
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