After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. Everyone seemed to be at a loss as to what methods could allow one to become a monster without any harm.
At that moment, Sang Yue suddenly asked, “Monsters can only remain in instances, right? Have you found an instance that’s particularly good and plan to stay there forever?”
Jiang Haichuan’s expression became subtle.
That wasn’t his intention; he didn’t plan to remain in an instance forever…
He… had other means.
Sang Yue caught on, but Jiang Haichuan seemed reluctant to say more.
He simply turned to Gu Zhan and said, “It seems you’re still not convinced by our views. That’s okay; in time, you will understand.”
He turned to leave.
“Wait a moment.” Gu Zhan called out to him.
Jiang Haichuan turned back.
Gu Zhan said, “You found a way to leave the instance even after becoming a monster, right?”
Jiang Haichuan’s expression changed. He seemed reluctant to admit it, and after a moment of silence, he smiled and said, “How could that be? Your companions already said that to become a monster, one must stay in a specific instance. I don’t have any special methods.”
He paused for a moment before adding, “If becoming a monster meant being free from the constraints of the instance, wouldn’t everyone want to become a monster?”
With that, he turned and left.
This time, no one stopped him as he and his group exited the Shanze guild.
After he left, Sang Yue and Yu Yezhou remained with Gu Zhan to discuss what Jiang Haichuan had said.
“What did he mean? What method could allow one to become a monster and still leave the instance?”
Sang Yue couldn’t help but recall their previous experience in the last instance. If they were to become a type of monster vastly different from humans, could they really leave the instance?
Wouldn’t such a gigantic monster be captured if it appeared in the pure white city?
Gu Zhan said, “Perhaps this is an information gap; monsters don’t necessarily have to stay in the instances.”
“Ah?” Sang Yue blinked in confusion.
In terms of monsters, they probably knew less collectively than Gu Zhan did.
Everyone hesitated to speak, simply gazing at Gu Zhan in confusion.
Gu Zhan, however, said, “I have some ideas I want to verify. You all discuss it; I’ll head back first.”
“Wait!”
Sang Yue wanted to keep him, but Gu Zhan was already hurrying away.
Sang Yue suddenly found this situation incredibly surreal. She asked Yu Yezhou, “If my ears aren’t deceiving me, did I hear correctly? They’re not thinking about how to leave this place but rather how to become monsters…”
Sang Yue said incredulously, “Even if becoming a monster is more advantageous, doesn’t that mean being stuck here forever? Isn’t that different from our original goal?”
Yu Yezhou let out a bitter laugh and asked Sang Yue another question: “Do you think we can still go back?”
“Ah?” Sang Yue was confused again.
Can they still go back?
For most people, the idea of “going back” is a predetermined anchor point, a final goal.
It is something everyone hopes for yet is often unattainable.
To be honest, she hadn’t really considered going back.
Perhaps deep down, she realized she couldn’t earn enough points to leave this place; that departure voucher from the shop had always dangled in front of them like a carrot.
But…
When Yu Yezhou asked, the matter seemed to take on another meaning.
Those who could survive in the pure white city were all seasoned veterans of instances.
Perhaps they didn’t want to admit it, but all of these people had been stained with the “smell of instances.”
This scent was entirely absent in real life.
Could those who had grown accustomed to life in instances ever return to reality?
Sang Yue fell silent.
She didn’t have an answer for herself.
Yu Yezhou continued, “Jiang Haichuan said that becoming a monster means you no longer face the threat of death. If there’s no threat of death, isn’t life here quite pleasant? If someone has gotten used to it here and can’t return to reality, wouldn’t becoming a monster be their best way out?”
Sang Yue was almost swayed by Yu Yezhou’s reasoning.
After a moment of silence, she reacted and smiled wryly. “President, which side are you on?”
Yu Yezhou didn’t respond.
Which side was he on… he didn’t know either.
---
Gu Zhan returned home and immediately entered the space of the starmap watch.
It looked no different from the last time he left; the leafy vegetables planted in the playground appeared even more lush.
Sun Jingqiu was leading Xiao Ling in harvesting vegetables in the field.
Seeing Gu Zhan approach, Sun Jingqiu stood up, preparing to come find him.
Gu Zhan waved his hand, indicating she should continue her tasks.
He walked straight to the square and looked at the sculpture in the center.
The sculpture appeared serious, revealing no signs of anything amiss.
Gu Zhan knocked on the sculpture's fish tail and said, “Come out.”
The sculpture: “…”
“Meow~” A delicate meow sounded nearby as a black cat approached, weaving around his right leg, occasionally rubbing its forehead against his pant leg in a flattering manner.
Gu Zhan casually sat down on the edge of the pool, and the little cat jumped onto his lap, nudging his hand for attention.
Gu Zhan petted it a couple of times; the cat’s fur was soft but occasionally shed.
He grumbled, “Can’t you change to a body that doesn’t shed fur?”
“Meow!” The little cat was used to being petted by humans and had never encountered one who complained about it shedding.
This human was bold!
So audacious!
“Meow!”
The little cat, annoyed, tried to jump off Gu Zhan's lap. However, before it could escape, Gu Zhan caught its front paw, preventing its escape and forcibly petted it again.
Gu Zhan then said, “Let him come out. I know you can understand.”
“Meow!” The two-legged creature was so sly! It grabbed the little cat and expected it to do things.
Gu Zhan flipped the cat over, exposing its soft belly, and started scratching it.
The little cat didn’t like having its belly scratched, and Gu Zhan was scratching a bit too hard, making it feel both ticklish and uncomfortable.
Before long, the little cat reluctantly let out a sound, and suddenly, the sculpture behind them began to change.
The pale white plaster gradually faded away, replaced by the vibrant appearance of a living being.
It seemed to disdain the plaster fish tail, and after landing, it flopped in the pool, causing splashes of water to hit both Gu Zhan and the little cat.
The little black cat yowled and dashed away, which elicited soft laughter from the people behind.
Gu Zhan wiped the water from his forehead and turned to see Mo Tuo sitting in the pool, smiling as he played with the fountain water.
He seemed quite pleased.
The chains that had once bound him were gone; the only thing limiting his movement was that fish tail.
Gu Zhan was once again convinced of his previous guess: this Mo Tuo could indeed come and go freely from his space.
With a poker face, Gu Zhan stared at Mo Tuo without speaking or moving.
Mo Tuo raised an eyebrow and said, “What are you thinking? Don’t think that just because I can come and go freely in your space, I’m the master of it. You are the master; I can only come because you summoned me.”
Gu Zhan didn’t dwell on that question and asked instead, “Where are your chains?”
Mo Tuo raised his hand, which was pale and solid, resembling the gods from Western stories who loved to be unclothed.
There were no chains in sight.
Mo Tuo looked up and smiled, “Maybe your power has negated the chains.”
This sculpted version of him seemed even less human than his real self.
The shimmering fish tail hung in the pool, his upper body bare, and his ears pointed, characteristic of a non-human race. His pupils were a similar color to the fish tail, and when he looked at someone with wide-open eyes, they appeared vacant and pure.
His gentle laughter resembled that of a siren from a fairy tale, alluring yet dangerous.
Sharp teeth peeked out from between his crimson lips, both enchanting and fierce.
Mo Tuo’s current appearance was indeed attractive.
At least, Gu Zhan found it so.
He unabashedly examined Mo Tuo from head to toe before saying, “Then why don’t you stay with me?”
“That’s not possible.” Mo Tuo rejected him outright.
Gu Zhan took a step forward, and with a gentle motion, a thin black chain appeared in his hand.
The other end of the chain was fastened to Mo Tuo.
The stark contrast between Mo Tuo’s overly white skin and the pitch-black chain created a striking visual impact.
This sea creature, who intended to drag everyone down with him, was ultimately still trapped.
Gu Zhan raised an eyebrow and smiled, “So there really is one.”
However, Mo Tuo’s expression turned grim. In fact, his hands were bound behind his back, with chains tightly wrapped around his body.
The seemingly delicate chains were filled with immense power, forcing him to remain in a single position while sitting in the pool.
As Gu Zhan tugged on the chain, his body leaned slightly forward, and with the clattering of metal, a painful expression crossed Mo Tuo's face.
“How did you know?” Mo Tuo asked, looking weak.
Gu Zhan replied, “Since you arrived here, you’ve only maintained this one position. That’s not your style.”
Mo Tuo fell silent, his expression somewhat grim.
Gu Zhan didn’t show any pity for this creature. He pulled on the chain and walked toward the edge of the fountain. Mo Tuo had no choice but to follow, looking vulnerable and pitiful.
Gu Zhan stepped out of the fountain and looked up at the sun. He wanted to see if he could bring Mo Tuo out of his space.
With a thought, he found himself in the room he rented in the hive.
He had lain down in bed to enter the space, so naturally, he emerged in bed.
However, there was an unexpected twist.
Mo Tuo indeed followed him out, appearing exactly like Gu Zhan, seemingly about to fall onto him. Gu Zhan rolled aside, and the merman bound by the black chain landed on his bed.
The soft mattress shook, and Mo Tuo seemed to have fallen hard, burying his face in the pillow and remaining motionless for a while.
Gu Zhan propped himself up on the bed and looked at the fish beside him. “Are you okay?”
The chain was still in Gu Zhan’s hand, indicating that Mo Tuo was entirely under his control.
Mo Tuo remained silent.
Gu Zhan tugged on the chain, and unexpectedly, the fish beside him flipped over, glaring fiercely at Gu Zhan. “That hurts!”
Gu Zhan paused, looking at Mo Tuo with a strange expression.
Mo Tuo seemed to have given up, rolling over on the bed. He still couldn’t move, but his eyes were darting around.
He wasn’t shy at all; after looking around, he asked, “Is this where you live? Tsk tsk, so small. You’ve earned so many points; why don’t you get yourself a bigger house?”
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