Jiang Yan had just wanted to ask what this thing was for and why it had appeared here, but a strange and inexplicable sense of dread pulled his gaze back to the sky that was still collapsing. He saw that as the players poured in their strength, the golden web grew far tougher, yet the collapse of the dungeon remained irreversible, and chunks of data glowing a ghostly blue continued to fall from the sky. As more and larger data blocks fell, the golden web holding up the sky gradually tightened. The threads, under extreme pressure, grew thinner and thinner, lighter and lighter in color. It was clear it was reaching its limit. “No…” Jiang Yan instinctively looked toward the [Divine System] on his personal system panel. It was a primal instinct embedded in his DNA, prompting him to draw on the players’ power of belief. At this moment, the players floating beneath the golden web were arguing in the flurry of falling rose petals about why Jiang Yan, who should have already become par...
Until now, Jiang Haichuan still believed that Gu Zhan had been kicked out.
Gu Zhan gave a slight smile and said, "Maybe, I left on my own?"
Jiang Haichuan’s expression changed, but it was too late. The players and monsters collided, and the battle began!
These people were Jiang Haichuan’s elite force, selected for their combat skills. They could fly and jump, and their battle techniques were strong.
But the monsters didn’t care. They were tough and enjoyed the fight, relishing the chaos of the battle.
Soon, both sides were injured, but Jiang Haichuan’s people couldn’t get any closer to the central crystal ball of the base.
Most of them were knocked down, being pummeled by the monsters.
As Gu Zhan had said, there were so many people in this game, and no one else came to provoke him, not just because they feared monsters.
Another key reason was that Gu Zhan’s team was truly strong. Having seen the monsters’ loyalty to Gu Zhan, it was clear that if a conflict broke out, the monsters would certainly take action.
Jiang Haichuan's mistake was his overconfidence!
He firmly believed that Gu Zhan had been expelled by Yu Yezhou.
“Dong—”
“Dong, dong—”
At the height of the battle, a bell rang from afar.
Then, everyone heard the system announcement.
[The base defense battle is about to end. Players who have not chosen a faction should do so as soon as possible. Those without a faction will lose eligibility for settlement rewards.]
[Players who have not chosen a faction should choose one quickly.]
[Players who have not chosen a faction should choose one quickly.]
[Players who have not chosen a faction should choose one quickly.]
The system emphasized this three times, indicating the importance.
Jiang Haichuan naturally heard it. Lost in thought for a moment, he was hit in the shoulder by a giant monster and fell from the sky.
The giant monster reached out and grabbed him. Jiang Haichuan struggled, but to no avail. He could only glare at Gu Zhan, who stood on the monster’s shoulder, and said, "Even if you capture me, what’s the point? Yu Yezhou and the others won’t accept monsters. How about you bring your base to my faction? The blue side has more bases than the red side. That way, you’ll get more rewards…”
"Who says I won’t accept him?"
Yu Yezhou's voice suddenly came from Gu Zhan’s system.
The two had been in communication, and Yu Yezhou had naturally heard Jiang Haichuan’s words.
He had been holding back for a long time!
What did Jiang Haichuan mean by saying he didn’t accept Gu Zhan and kicked him out?
Yu Yezhou said, “Shan Ze was established by me and Gu Zhan. Even if Shan Ze falls, I’ll never expel my brothers. You’re the one with a dirty heart, seeing everything as dirty.”
"But why…?"
Jiang Haichuan couldn’t understand!
Yu Yezhou sneered and said, “Of course, it was to fool you!”
Before he could finish, Gu Zhan said, "No need to explain to him."
Then he hung up the call.
Opening the system interface, Gu Zhan, in front of Jiang Haichuan, rejoined the Shan Ze guild.
As soon as he joined, the crystal ball at the base emitted a red light.
The light shone on Jiang Haichuan’s face, distorting his features as if he were a demon.
But no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t escape the grip of the giant monster.
The giant monster’s tough skin and thick flesh made the skills cast on him feel ineffective, with no response.
A cloud of black mist appeared behind Gu Zhan, enveloping him like a gentle embrace, slowly drawing him in.
Gu Zhan was slightly displeased because the monsters hadn’t told him that he was also part of the assessment.
But having grown accustomed to the monsters’ embrace, he relaxed and leaned into the mist.
The black mist didn’t dissipate due to his weight. Instead, it gradually solidified into a solid form, tightening around him.
“Baby, you finally understand,” Mo Tuo’s deep voice came, filled with laughter. “Congratulations on passing the test.”
“So soon?” Gu Zhan glanced sideways at him. “Isn’t there another instance?”
Mo Tuo said, “That’s no longer your concern.”
They weren’t hiding their conversation from Jiang Haichuan. He quickly realized something was wrong and shouted, “What do you mean? What are you two doing?”
Mo Tuo glanced at him lazily, not bothered to explain. He hugged Gu Zhan tightly and asked in a sticky tone, “Come with me. The rest is no longer your problem.”
Gu Zhan looked at him, thinking that the monster’s attitude was decent enough, and nodded.
Ignoring Jiang Haichuan, who was screaming, the two returned to the Space.
The giant monster holding Jiang Haichuan was also taken along, and Jiang Haichuan fell from the sky, landing on the ground.
Confused, he stood among a crowd of monsters, listening to the system announcement.
[The base defense battle has ended. The settlement rewards for the red and blue factions are being calculated...]
...
Gu Zhan’s system sounds gradually faded.
Something was pulled from him during the teleportation process.
It was brief, and by the time he landed in the bedroom of the Star Plate space, the process was over. His body seemed changed, but also not.
Gu Zhan lay quietly on the bed, staring at the canopy above.
Mo Tuo, lying next to him, smiled and asked, “How do you feel, Mr. Monster?”
Gu Zhan replied, “...I don’t feel anything. Did I really pass the test?”
“Hmm, high-level monsters are like this. They don’t lose their sanity, but don’t feel anything either... though that shouldn’t be the case.”
Mo Tuo curiously picked up Gu Zhan’s arm and asked, “Don’t you feel the surge of power?”
Gu Zhan shook his head, his hair rubbing against the pillow.
Mo Tuo said, “Try using your strength.”
Gu Zhan followed his advice, and unexpectedly, a powerful beam of light shot from his fingertip, breaking through the roof and soaring into the sky.
The ceiling was burned through, a large hole formed, and debris from the building fell, showering Gu Zhan and Mo Tuo with dust and rubble.
Mo Tuo was clearly taken aback by the force of the blast. He stared at the hole in the ceiling, the cool breeze coming in from outside, and was momentarily stunned.
Gu Zhan: “...”
Gu Zhan slowly turned his gaze to Mo Tuo, who remained still. But inside his mind, alarm bells rang.
Instinct for survival made Mo Tuo force a laugh, unsure of what to say, and then laughed again.
At that moment, the door swung open and Sun Jingqiu rushed in, shouting, “What’s going on?”
She saw Gu Zhan and Mo Tuo lying on the bed.
Sun Jingqiu: “...”
She took a step back, scanning the two of them silently before closing the door behind her.
Gu Zhan: “...”
Was her retreating half step serious?
Mo Tuo quickly reacted and said, “You’re the owner of this instance. You can restore it.”
Gu Zhan closed his eyes for a moment, and with a thought, the ceiling that had been shattered began to repair itself, visibly regrowing before their eyes.
Though Gu Zhan didn’t turn around, he could sense that after the ceiling had been restored, Mo Tuo sighed in relief.
Gu Zhan looked down, fiddling with his arm.
The sensation in his arm was the same as always, nothing unusual.
However, during the process of restoring the ceiling, Gu Zhan realized that his control over this instance had become far greater.
Now, he could not only freely alter the contents of the instance but could even modify its settings and history.
In other words, as long as he wanted, this instance could take any form he desired.
It was such a strange feeling.
Mo Tuo, now daring to speak, asked, “How does it feel?”
Gu Zhan looked at his arm, clenched his fist, and said, “It feels pretty good.”
He rolled over and sat up. “I want to go outside and take a look.”
Mo Tuo naturally agreed, following him quietly.
Gu Zhan left the church but didn’t notice any changes outside. The small town still connected to the church, and more people had gathered inside the church.
Sun Jingqiu followed them from a distance, saying, “Recently, many people have volunteered to help clean the church and bring in supplies. Xiao Xiu said that this is everyone’s goodwill, and we accepted it.”
Gu Zhan nodded and replied, “I don’t come back often. You are free to make decisions here. By the way, about the director of the mental hospital, he…”
Only then did Gu Zhan recall that Sun Jingqiu and the director had a “rivalry.” He wondered if the director’s appearance had impacted her.
To his surprise, Sun Jingqiu appeared very calm.
“Hmm, after he came, we moved out of the mental hospital, and now everyone lives in the church.”
Gu Zhan quietly studied Sun Jingqiu, trying to discern anything unusual from her expression.
But she appeared completely unruffled, even when she mentioned the director, her expression was calmer than when she talked about Mo Tuo.
Mo Tuo, following Gu Zhan, commented, “She’s a monster born from the instance. Her experiences are all set by the instance.”
In other words, the bad experiences Sun Jingqiu had supposedly gone through were never truly her own.
Gu Zhan nodded and said, “I’ll move the mental hospital out of the church. You can stay here from now on.”
“Okay.” Sun Jingqiu quickly agreed.
The church was a better environment than the mental hospital, more spacious and better suited for children to grow up, so she had no objections.
“By the way, have the town’s residents set up a school? Let your daughter go to school.”
“School?” Sun Jingqiu wasn’t familiar with these concepts, but since Gu Zhan said so, she nodded in agreement.
Gu Zhan left the church and took a walk around the town.
It seemed like his changes hadn’t affected the town.
Everyone was going about their usual lives.
Gu Zhan asked Mo Tuo, “Am I supposed to stay here from now on?”
“That depends on your preferences,” Mo Tuo replied. “Monsters have a corresponding place to Chun Bai Cheng where most monsters live, but if you like your instance, you can stay there.”
“A corresponding place to Chun Bai Cheng?”
This was the first time Gu Zhan had heard of it, and he showed some curiosity.
Mo Tuo said, “Do you want to see it? I can take you.”
Gu Zhan shook his head.
“I’ll stay here for a while. I want to see how Yu Yezhou and the others are doing.”
Gu Zhan always felt that Chun Bai Cheng and the monsters were two completely different and opposing forces. Following Mo Tuo now seemed like a choice that might make it impossible to return to his past self.
Before leaving… he just wanted to check on his friends.
Gu Zhan also noticed that after his identity had completely changed, he could see farther.
He watched from the tree for a while and suddenly spotted several dark figures below. They gathered together for a moment before splitting up, seemingly fighting over something.
Gu Zhan stared at them for a while, feeling that they looked very familiar.
It seemed like they were people from the guild, and he had even eaten with them in the cafeteria before.
His opponents were two monsters, and it looked like he was no match for them.
Gu Zhan furrowed his brows and was about to move when Mo Tuo pressed his hand down.
Gu Zhan instantly understood that he could no longer interfere with their affairs.
In the end, the item in the player's hand was snatched away, and the player was severely injured, lying beneath the tree.
After the monsters left, the player ate something unknown, his body quickly recovering, and he set off again to search for more treasures.
Mo Tuo asked, "Do you want to keep watching? If you want, we can walk around."
"Forget it, let's not watch anymore."
Gu Zhan understood that although he could still return to this place, he was no longer in the same world as Yu Yezhou and the others.
What was the point of seeing them? Seeing them in trouble, but not being able to help.
For both Yu Yezhou and himself, it wasn’t a good thing.
Gu Zhan followed Mo Tuo back to the Star Disk Space and stayed there until one morning when he heard the system's broadcast:
---
[The last dungeon of this season, "Treasure Grab Battle," is about to end. The game will update in 24 hours. Please be prepared.]
[Chun Bai Cheng's buildings are being restored. All players and monsters will wake up after three hours of sleep...]
[PK is prohibited in Chun Bai Cheng. After the season ends, all players will be expelled from the game. Players who meet the conditions for the departure token will have their wishes automatically fulfilled. Once the player leaves the game, their memories will be erased.]
---
He was still lying in bed when he heard this broadcast, and it felt almost like a dream.
The last dungeon was ending?
---
Gu Zhan returned to Chun Bai Cheng again, but this time it was only him and Qin Yue.
They walked down the familiar streets, and Qin Yue looked around in disbelief. The buildings that were destroyed in the base battle were now rebuilt. Everything seemed to have returned to the way it was before the incident.
People walked on the streets, their expressions somewhat confused.
They reached the central square of Chun Bai Cheng, and the screens, which had once been blurred during the livestream, were finally dark. Many people stood beneath the screens, looking lost.
Gu Zhan observed for a while and noticed a problem: these people seemed to have no system, no personal abilities anymore.
It made sense. Skills and attributes were gifts from the system. Now that the system was going to expel them from this world, it naturally took back those abilities.
Qin Yue hesitated and said, "They’re preparing to leave, right?"
"Yes," Gu Zhan nodded.
Like Gu Zhan, Qin Yue had been transformed into a monster.
He stood still, staring at the screen in the distance, his expression melancholic.
Gu Zhan said, "Do you want to be alone for a while?"
Qin Yue thought for a moment and said, "Are you going to find Yu Yezhou and the others? Go ahead, Boss, I’ll just wander around."
"Alright." Gu Zhan knew that Qin Yue needed some time alone to process things, so he nodded and agreed.
The two parted ways. Gu Zhan left the central square, unsure where to go to find Yu Yezhou and the others.
Without the system’s communication, without the guild...
After thinking for a moment, he walked towards the familiar bar.
It was where they first met, and they had met there many times after.
The bar was no longer in business, but the door was still open, and inside, there were a few people sitting at dimly lit booths, chatting softly.
When Gu Zhan entered, their voices stopped.
They looked up at Gu Zhan’s face with surprise.
Because of the previous livestream blackout incident, Gu Zhan had become somewhat famous among the players.
But since he hadn’t appeared in the personal treasure grab battle, people thought he was dead.
Now that the dungeon had ended, they hadn’t expected to see him again.
Everyone speculated about why Gu Zhan had come, but he ignored their stares and went straight up to the second floor.
The door to the familiar private room was tightly shut. Gu Zhan stood outside, took a deep breath, grasped the doorknob, and turned it down.
With a creak, the door opened.
Inside, there were three people sitting at the table: Yu Yezhou, Yang Lin, and Sang Yue.
Gu Zhan’s gaze shifted slightly, and he saw Sang Yue, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, head lowered.
The four of them were all quite surprised, staring at Gu Zhan, speechless.
Gu Zhan also stood at the door, unsure whether to go in or leave.
The system had moved so quickly into the second dungeon that he hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye. Maybe, in their eyes, he was someone who had backed out at the last minute.
Gu Zhan hesitated, unsure how to begin, when Yang Lin suddenly stood up and shouted his name.
Her voice was excited, almost uncontrollable, and she immediately rushed towards him!
The others quickly stood up behind her.
Gu Zhan had never seen such an overwhelming display. He froze in place, instinctively opening his arms.
Yang Lin threw herself into his embrace, followed by Sang Yue, and soon, Yu Yezhou was right in front of him. Seeing this scene…
He gritted his teeth and also lunged forward!
"Wait a second!"
Gu Zhan quickly shouted. The three of them were so forceful that they almost knocked him over!
Luckily, after turning into a monster, his physical strength had increased by several levels. Gu Zhan stepped back a few paces and managed to stabilize himself.
"What are you all doing?"
Looking at the pile of people on top of him, Gu Zhan couldn’t help but laugh.
But he understood his companions' feelings, so he patted Yu Yezhou on the back. Yu Yezhou shivered, quickly letting go, and pulled Sang Yue along, also saying, "What are you all doing?"
If it weren’t for the slight tremor in his voice, one might have thought he was calm.
Sang Yue straightened up, but didn’t say anything, lowering her head.
Then it was Yang Lin. She wasn’t as reserved, or rather, she couldn’t hold back. Tears started falling one by one.
Perhaps feeling embarrassed, she roughly wiped away her tears and choked out, “You suddenly went silent, we thought you…”
In the final base battle, Gu Zhan had joined the Mountain Ze Guild.
They never even had the chance to meet before the second dungeon began.
Gu Zhan gave an apologetic smile and said, “Sorry, I leveled up early.”
“Leveled up?” Yang Lin looked up, examining Gu Zhan closely.
Gu Zhan shrugged, allowing her to inspect him.
The moment their eyes met, Gu Zhan gently nodded, signaling that it was exactly as she thought.
Yang Lin’s expression changed several times before she gritted her teeth and said, “In the end, he got what he wanted!”
It took Gu Zhan a moment to realize that Yang Lin was talking about Mo Tuo.
He felt awkward, not expecting them to still remember Mo Tuo!
But the fact was, his transformation into a monster had little to do with Mo Tuo.
That was his original goal when entering this game.
However, Gu Zhan knew that Yang Lin and Sang Yue’s attitude was mostly teasing, finding humor in the difficult situation.
They just couldn’t bear to part with him.
Gu Zhan said, “The dungeon started so suddenly, and after it began, the system couldn’t be used. I had no way to notify you, so I could only wait until now.”
Yang Lin was still wiping her tears, but Sang Yue had calmed down. She said, “As long as you’re fine, we were just worried about you.”
Yu Yezhou asked, “How did you know we’d be here?”
Gu Zhan replied, “Since the game season has ended, I figured the guild must be gone, so I came here to take a chance.”
After hearing Gu Zhan’s explanation, the others exchanged glances and laughed.
Gu Zhan was confused. “What’s so funny?”
Yang Lin explained, “We had the same thought. With no communication, we came to the bar to take a chance. We didn’t expect we’d all think the same way.”
After hearing Yang Lin’s explanation, Gu Zhan laughed as well.
His smile lifted the mood in the room.
They all sat down and began chatting about the events that had happened recently.
Gu Zhan received some good news, one of which was that they had all obtained the departure tokens.
Yang Lin said, “Actually, most of us got it. Well, except for Hai Chao and his group… it seems like they’ve already been expelled.”
“Expelled?” Gu Zhan didn’t know about this.
Yang Lin nodded. “It feels like the system holds grudges.”
Gu Zhan couldn’t help but smile. Hai Chao and his group had always been unrealistic, challenging the rules in a world built on them. What did that mean?
Overestimating themselves.
“Alright, everything’s settled now. In a few hours, we’ll be leaving,” Yang Lin clapped her hands, pulling everyone out of the melancholic atmosphere, and said with a smile, “Let’s have a meal. After this, we might never meet again.”
After a brief discussion, they decided to go to the Hive for a farewell meal.
“I have a few friends who are staying in Chun Bai Cheng. Let’s invite them too... the location will be in the plaza in front of the Hive.”
After Yang Lin finished speaking, everyone split up to prepare.
Gu Zhan had nothing to do, so he wandered around Chun Bai Cheng. Just as Yang Lin had said, most people had already completed the dungeon. Everyone seemed relatively relaxed, and even strangers were chatting in small groups.
Soon, night fell.
Gu Zhan returned to the Hive and saw that the plaza had already been set up.
Yu Yezhou and the others had somehow managed to get a large pot, placing it right in the center of the plaza. Beneath the pot, there was a fire, and on closer inspection, it was made from door panels and benches that had been chopped up.
The pot was already filled with ingredients, giving off an inviting aroma.
Nearby, many people were setting up tables and chairs, and Yang Lin was directing them.
Gu Zhan approached to talk to Yang Lin, “Where did you find the firewood?”
Yang Lin turned and replied, “We brought it from the Hive. We didn’t use the tables and chairs inside, so we took them all.”
Gu Zhan glanced at the Hive nearby and had the strange feeling of students throwing away their books after graduation.
But the system hadn’t expelled these people immediately after the dungeon ended.
Maybe it had tacitly approved it.
Gu Zhan didn’t think too much about it and asked Yang Lin, “Anything I can help with?”
“Yes, yes! Sang Yue needs two people to wash the vegetables. Go help her.”
Gu Zhan found Sang Yue, who was busily working. She handed him a bundle of vegetables and said, “Pick the vegetables.”
Gu Zhan was put to work picking vegetables.
By the time the night had fully settled in, the large pot of hot pot was ready. Players lined up with their bowls, waiting to be served. The flower beds in the plaza were also lit up with colorful lights, and this lively scene drew onlookers who gathered around. Yu Yezhou and Yang Lin also warmly invited them in.
More and more people arrived, and the atmosphere became as bustling as a hot pot plaza.
After finishing his work, Gu Zhan and Yu Yezhou found a corner to sit down, eating and chatting.
To match the lively scene, the moon overhead was large and round, its clear light illuminating the land. Even without lights, the surroundings were brightly visible.
Yang Lin, a little drunk, leaned on the railing, looking up at the bright moon. She softly said, “I haven’t spent a Mid-Autumn Festival with my family in years. My child... I wonder if they still remember me.”
“You have a child?!” Sang Yue exclaimed, shocked, “I thought you were still young…”
Yang Lin smiled, her features softening under the moonlight, “I had my child three years ago. After coming here, I drank some forgetful milk, and... forgot about them. But, I guess that made me younger, huh?”
Sang Yue: "......"
She slowly drank from her glass, still feeling a bit shocked.
Yang Lin asked, "You must have just graduated from university not long ago, still working hard on your own in a big city, right?"
"Mm." Sang Yue nodded, "I spent half a month's salary renting a 10-square-meter studio, working 9 to 5, and often having to stay late."
Yang Lin sighed, "With that, it’s hard to say... whether it’s better to leave or stay here."
Sang Yue smiled, "Of course, it’s better to go home. I’ve already made a wish that’ll ensure I won’t have to worry about food or drink for the rest of my life. Yang Jie, if we leave here and we can meet again, I’ll take care of you!"
Sang Yue’s change in topic was too abrupt, and Yang Lin didn’t react immediately.
When she understood what Sang Yue had said, she couldn’t help but laugh.
Under the moonlight, the young girl’s face seemed to glow, and Yang Lin suddenly felt clear-headed. They were going home, wasn’t that the happiest thing?
She’d been here so long that she’d even forgotten the passage of time...
But now, they were finally going home.
"Drink... drink up!" Yang Lin raised her glass and downed the contents in one go.
Not far away, Gu Zhan quietly watched the girls talking.
Behind him, it seemed someone was quietly watching over him.
He didn’t turn around, just kept drinking one glass after another.
Gradually, he felt himself becoming drunk.
Gu Zhan couldn’t help but lean back, falling into someone's arms.
Mo Tuo’s laughing voice echoed in his ear: “How come you’re drunk too?”
Gu Zhan turned his head, but the space behind him was empty. He wasn’t sure what was pulling his body into the most familiar and comfortable position.
He shook his head and closed his eyes.
In the distance, the sound of a bell seemed to ring.
[The world is resetting… Countdown... Three... Two... One...]
Such a familiar voice.
As his consciousness wandered, Gu Zhan felt as if he was asleep, but also as though he wasn’t.
"Bang—"
The air shook, and bright light hit his eyelids, making him squint.
"Monster No. 707, has been enrolled."
A cold female voice echoed.
Monster No. 707? Who?
As his consciousness slowly returned, Gu Zhan belatedly realized—it was him.
He slowly opened his eyes, and saw that he was lying on the familiar bed in the Space’s chapel bedroom.
Above his view, Mo Tuo’s smiling face appeared.
Seeing that he had woken up, Mo Tuo reached out to him—
“Welcome to the world of monsters, Gu Zhan.”
(Note - They are 4 extra chapters. I will post them within 2 weeks. I got busy with real life, I'm sorry)
Thank you so much! Please pick up another infinite flow horror! *somethingcute.gif*
ReplyDeleteHi! This blog started as a school project, and now that our Mandarin course is over, we’re at a bit of a crossroads. We’re thinking of either wrapping up and deleting the blog or just focusing on the current novel for now. We are not sure yet! Sorry xx
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