Lin Yin opened her eyes.
Her consciousness was sowhat blurred, as if she had just awakened from a nightmare. The dizziness lingered in her mind, and it took her a full three minutes before she could control her body.
"Why did I... pass out?"
She held her aching head and slowly sat up, realizing that she must have experienced sothing terrifying before she fainted.
In front of her was a dark ceiling, a thick and peculiar sll still lingering. She got out of bed and opened the door, only to find the hall empty. The clock on the wall was approaching midnight.
On the table in the hall, ten plates and dishes were still laid out, the food inside them already devoured. Only then did she rember what had happened — she fainted after eating this al.
When Noel and others began eating the horrific New Year’s Eve dinner, the smart Bei Wang quickly found an opportunity to slip away. Lu and Luna also soon left the hall, leaving only Noel and Lv Shu still eating until soone from the New World Guild ca and called Noel away.
In the end, only Lv Shu was left diligently eating. Seeing how deliciously he ate, Lin Yin couldn’t help but try a bite. Soon, golden stars appeared in front of her eyes, one, two... and then she passed out, sleeping until now.
...What kind of New Year’s Eve dinner is this!
It’s poison!
Recalling this, Lin Yin was filled with rage. She looked up at the tightly closed doors around her. At this hour, most people were already asleep. This villa was large, and everyone had their own room.
Following her mory, Lin Yin went upstairs and found Lv Shu’s room. Based on her judgnt, soone like Lv Shu, who often suffered from insomnia, should be awake. She wanted to ask him how he managed to eat all that food, it was like eating crap.
As she reached the door, she suddenly heard a voice from inside Lv Shu’s room.
"...Are you going to continue like this?" A strange male voice ca from inside the room, low and magnetic, not like a remote communication, more like he was right inside Lv Shu’s room.
Is there a stranger in the room?
Lin Yin held her breath, leaning against the door to listen carefully.
"...Why not?" Lv Shu’s voice.
"...You always looked half-dead before, except when holding that knife of yours, walking around the ruins of the city all day. Sleeping in bridge holes, picking up trash, eating food other kids threw away, being chased away by city managent as a beggar; during that ti, watching you was more than life could endure... Now your life is better, but is that enough? Little Tree, have you thought about what to do about your terminal illness when you return to reality? Look at your hair color, it’s beyond saving." The strange voice.
"...It’s possible. There are rewards after the end of the World Ga, it should be able to cure my illness." Lv Shu’s voice.
"...I truly haven’t seen you this happy in a long ti. When you were eating tonight, I felt that you were genuinely happy inside, being able to spend a Dragon Country New Year and have a New Year’s Eve dinner in such a world, I’m happy for you too." The strange voice said.
Lv Shu gave a sound in agreent.
" ...Do you want to continue living like this?" The strange voice.
"...Of course." Lv Shu’s voice.
"...Even if you’ll die in a year?" The strange voice.
"...I won’t. Even if I will, I’ve already found the aning of living." Lv Shu’s voice.
"...So, is this why you managed to eat so much awful food? For your faith? Ancient Martial Arts wants you to return to recognize your ancestors, Little Tree, they said they would restore your parents’ morial tablets to the ancestral hall. Maybe they’ve already found the people who burned your house down back then." The strange voice said, "Do you want to go back and see? They should give you an explanation. Isn’t the reason why you refuse to commit suicide until now because you want revenge for your parents?"
"...They’re just scapegoats. Soone wanted dead back then. Even if I beca successful now, they may not tell the truth. I know I’m not smart, if they trick , I wouldn’t know." Lv Shu’s voice.
"...Do you want to go back?" The strange voice.
Lv Shu made no sound.
"...I understand." The strange voice.
The conversation ended, and the room was silent.
Lin Yin covered her mouth, her eyes flickering. She had known since she was little that sothing happened to Lv Shu’s family, but who was this strange voice talking to Lv Shu...?
Soone from the Ancient Martial Arts side? Clearly, this is Su Ming’an’s villa, strangers shouldn’t be able to enter, so who exactly is this strange voice...
She covered her mouth and stepped back slowly, trying not to make a sound. Yet she heard a "creak," and the door in front of her opened directly.
Warm yellow light spilled out from inside, and a tall figure in Hanfu stood in the doorway.
"Lin Yin?" Lv Shu, who opened the door, looked up and saw the sneaky Lin Yin retreating: "What are you doing here?"
Lin Yin, knowing she had been discovered, simply did not hide it, her gaze directly scanning inside the room: "Lv Shu, it’s midnight, who was the man in your room?"
"I don’t have..." Lv Shu instinctively denied.
Lin Yin directly steps into his room with two to three strides and looked at the wide-open wardrobe, checking to see if there was anyone hidden among the clothes.
Lv Shu silently watched Lin Yin’s search, they had been familiar with each other since childhood, and Lin Yin’s actions did not count as crossing the line.
Finally, Lin Yin turned back with a face full of confusion. She didn’t find anyone in Lv Shu’s room. The doors and windows were closed; there were no signs of anyone jumping out of the window.
She swept her gaze around and suddenly noticed the Little Bi on Lv Shu’s shoulder. This mantis would sleep every midnight, but now it was full of spirit.
She vaguely had a guess but chose not to express it: "Alright, I’m going to bed then, I was just passing by."
"Mm." Lv Shu nodded, watching Lin Yin as she walked away.
Clearly, Lin Yin’s room was on the second floor, yet how did she just happen to pass by the third floor?
Once the door was closed, the mantis on Lv Shu’s shoulder spoke in that low, magnetic male voice: "Little Tree, although you’re not smart, your friends have smart ones."
Lv Shu acknowledged again with a sound.
The mantis said, "Let them help you watch, find out the truth, you can be at ease, right? Wasn’t your initial intention to follow that person for revenge? But now you’re giving unconditionally, and if you suddenly die one day, would you not have any regrets? When you beca part of the Mu Team, knowing you likely wouldn’t return, was there no unwillingness in your heart? I know that living holds no allure for you; to die, you should at least fulfill your wish first."
Lv Shu pressed his lips.
He stared at the closed wooden door in front of him, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
...
[8:00 AM, February 8]
"Luna, why do you keep looking at ?" Su Ming’an sat at the table, eating breakfast personally made by Yamada Machiichi.
Opposite him, Luna propped her chin and looked at him without blinking.
According to Noel’s pre-arranged schedule, today marked the second day of their trip. They planned to visit the New World Guild in the morning and the zoo in the afternoon.
As soon as he ca down to have breakfast, he saw Luna staring at him.
"Watching you eat makes feel better." Luna smiled, still watching Su Ming’an.
Su Ming’an took a bite of the custard bun.
"Haha! It ans your eating looks funny! Su Ming’an!" Eni said with great amusent.
Su Ming’an couldn’t be bothered with the emotionally unintelligent teenager; this Fire Mystery was beyond saving.
Beside him sat Lv Shu and Lin Yin. Not knowing what these two had done last night, they were particularly quiet today. Lv Shu kept his head down, drinking the leftover at soup from last night, his head almost buried in the pot.
Soon, the group set off, and Su Ming’an counted the number of people: one, two, three... seven people. Bei Wang and Su Rin were nowhere to be seen. Bei Wang had been scared away by the New Year’s dinner, and Su Rin, as always, was missing.
"Where’s Noel?" Su Ming’an noticed yet another missing person.
"A New World Guild person ca last night and took Noel away, hasn’t returned since." Lu said.
"Let’s go." Yamada Machiichi said: "We’re heading to the New World Guild anyway, let’s go bring Noel back."
They pushed open the villa door, a group of seven walking down the street, without any face changing.
According to Yamada Machiichi, now there are quite a few "leaderboard player cosplay groups," and many casual players will disguise themselves as top leaderboard players and wander the streets. People have gotten used to seeing the faces of leaderboard players occasionally on the street, because 99% are fake.
Like how Su Rin used to openly read a book on a bench in the Main God World, passersby didn’t think he was real.
This led to Su Ming’an’s group of seven walking down the street without anyone getting excited or yelling. Because people wouldn’t think this was a group of genuine stars, at most considering it a very stunning cosplay group. Many people took out their caras to capture them.
"Wow, that person cosplaying Yamada Machiichi looks so real, the makeup is just like the real thing. I almost thought Yamada walked up to ! So beautiful, look." A young girl saw the seven people, her eyes sparkling, and tugged hard at her best friend.
Yamada Machiichi heard this, his mouth curled slightly upward, feeling smug inside.
"Look, that person cosplaying Lu is so handso. He looks just like my male god, even the aura feels the sa." A little girl buying sugar-coated haws on the street looked up, excitedly tugging at her mother: "He even waved at , I really like him!"
Lu waved at her, eliciting a heap of the girl’s screams.
On their bright and open path, the seven of them encountered no obstacles, with most people only asking for photos with the cosplayers.
No need to shield themselves with security Black Mist or wear masks to conceal, they just walked openly down the street without a single person recognizing them. This scene was funny yet ironic.
Lv Shu walked silently in the group, surrounded by words of praise like "Wow, the girl cosplaying Lin Yin is so cute, and she even smiled at " and "The cosplayer of Su Ming’an has such a cool aura, just like the real thing," yet he never heard any praise for himself.
"Hey! Look at the one cosplaying Lv Shu..."
He heard a couple passing by speak, his heart lifted.
"...as expected, a dead fish face, expression so gloomy, face so dark, just like a true person." The couple spoke loudly.
Lv Shu touched his own face, and hearing this made his expression even gloomier.
...He was gloomy?
He opened the system mirror, glanced at his gloomy face, and grew even angrier.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the New World Guild.
Vice President Angelica greeted them, clad in a mbrane-like battle suit, with golden hair draped over her shoulders, beautiful yet not losing her heroic spirit.
"Welco to the New World Guild," Angelica said. "Sorry, only I’m here to greet you; the president has been in a guest room since last night and hasn’t co out."
"Then we..." Luna said.
"The president said it’s his personal matter, and there’s no need for you all to worry," Angelica said. "You just need to enjoy yourselves in the guild. I’ll be responsible for guiding you..."
"I’ll go see Noel," Su Ming’an said.
Angelica looked at Su Ming’an: "The president said, you’re no exception, you don’t need to find him."
"It’s different." Su Ming’an said.
Unlike the others, he knew what Noel was up to in private.
Angelica did not stop Su Ming’an; by bringing up Noel’s situation, she indirectly intended Su Ming’an and the others to assist Noel.
Su Ming’an arrived at the guest room door, paused for a mont, heard no sound, and directly pushed the door open.
The room was very quiet, scarlet curtains tightly drawn, the interior in complete darkness. Only a faint arc of dark gold light could be seen on the sofa, seemingly the boy’s golden hair.
Noel sat on the sofa, head bowed, with no one in front of him, only him quietly sitting in the dark room.
Su Ming’an closed the door, the last bit of light slipping away as the gap shut.
Across a stretch of darkness, Su Ming’an began:
"You’ve been discovered?"
That arc of golden light moved slightly, Noel lifted his head, his eyes sowhat dim.
Watching Su Ming’an, Noel’s pupils trembled slightly, then he curled his lips into a smile identical to usual:
"It’s nothing; I’m just resting. Su Ming’an, why aren’t you out exploring? The New World Guild has many fairy-tale-like places; I’ve planned your itinerary. Seruo prepared a new weapon for you; you’ll definitely like it."
Su Ming’an stepped closer, that golden arc twitched slightly.
"...Discovered?" Su Ming’an asked again.
Noel’s smile remained barely in place.
"You did sothing related to modification, got discovered?" Su Ming’an confird for the third ti.
Once in the Ruined World, Noel had operated on Su Ming’an’s body, and such human modification was still unacceptable. Even if it strengthened people, especially for children, it was no exception.
Noel’s hands overlapped, fingers crossed then released, seemingly thinking, or absent-mindedly rubbing them. His gaze was heavy, his smile persistently maintained: "...Mm."
A silent mm.
"Who discovered?" Su Ming’an asked.
"Bonnie."
"Who leaked?" Su Ming’an inquired.
This matter Noel would definitely not publicize, the leak could only have been from Noel’s trusted confidant.
— Who betrayed Noel?
Vice President Angelica? Forging Master Seruo? Or so officer?
Su Ming’an’s eyes narrowed slightly, staring at Noel on the sofa.
Noel’s smile persisted on his face. But he had already lowered his eyelids, his hands deeply clasped together.
"It was..."
"...A child I modified."
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