Under Yu Deng's rambling nonsense, the buzz-cut young man was actually bluffed. His attack movements stopped.
The buzz-cut man stared suspiciously at Yu Deng inside the cloak. "Really? You can buy anything?"
Yu Deng gripped the scalpel in his hand and urgently recalled how his big brother acted whenever he was bluffing people. He lifted his chin in an affected manner, speaking with hidden meaning: "Of course… but only when I'm in a good mood."
[Wow, baby's train of thought is amazing! Who would still think baby is a player after this? Perfect disguise!]
[Exactly exactly, DengDeng's sudden inspirations always have unexpected effects. I love watching DengDeng's livestream.]
[Wife using that fake-mysterious tone is so cute hehe.]
[Little liar baby! Supporting baby in bullying players (not really)]
[The only bad thing is that wife is wearing a mask… damn it, how am I supposed to kiss wife's face like this.]
Yu Deng still didn't know how the barrage audience was stressing themselves out for his sake. After saying that arrogant line, he really saw the buzz-cut man believe more than half of it.
"Then… can I buy information?" The buzz-cut man had already taken Yu Deng as some kind of randomly appearing special NPC. "Do you know where the shrine is?"
Yu Deng: "?"
Why ask something like that right away? He didn't even know!
Yu Deng took a deep breath, barely maintaining his mysterious façade. "Of course I know… but what can you offer as a price?"
He lowered his voice further, saying bizarre things: "Your hand, your foot, your heart… or perhaps your soul?"
After speaking, he sized up the buzz-cut man. Under the dim light, the raven mask reflected a cold gleam, actually giving him a bit of a mysterious aura.
The buzz-cut youth clenched his fist and tested him again: "What if I don't pay the price?"
Yu Deng froze for two seconds.
Oh—what do you do if they don't pay? Wait, even if he did pay, Yu Deng still couldn't tell him anything, because he was just a fake merchant making things up!
They confronted each other for another moment. Quietly, the duration of Yu Deng's "Rational Thinking" skill ended.
Yu Deng instantly felt all thinking abilities desert him. His mind became truly empty. He stared silently at the player in front of him, dazedly asking his system:
"Tongtong… what did he just say…? Why am I… so slow…?"
Even his language felt scrambled. He spoke incoherently, unable to understand why he'd become like this.
—Rational Thinking: After use, there will be a three-hour weakness period where the user cannot think.
[Host.]System 01 sighed gently, soothing him. [This is just the aftereffect of your skill. Don't be afraid. Follow what I say.]
"Oh…"
Yu Deng had stayed silent for too long, and the buzz-cut man grew cautious again.
Before he could speak, a strange black mist suddenly rose around Yu Deng, carrying an icy pressure. The buzz-cut youth felt suffocated and couldn't dodge at all.
"My friend, there's no such thing as a free lunch." Yu Deng repeated stiffly, following the threatening lines the system taught him.
His reaction only confirmed that he was not simple and that he had a bad temper. The buzz-cut man backed away warily. "N-no, you don't have to tell me anymore. Sorry to bother you—goodbye!" He tossed out the words and immediately ran off.
There was no need for further confrontation; both sides quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Yu Deng watched the buzz-cut youth leave, reacting several beats too slowly, and let out a soft, confused whimper.
Not far away, once the buzz-cut man had run out of Yu Deng's sight, he decided to let other players test the mysterious merchant's limits. Moving his fingers, he posted an anonymous message in the public channel.
[Anonymous]: Everyone, this dungeon has a mysterious merchant NPC who refreshes. You can buy all kinds of things from him.
...
This was the very first message in the public channel, so almost all players noticed immediately and began to mull over it.
Yu Deng, of course, saw it too.
He stared at the channel for dozens of seconds before slowly processing that the buzz-cut youth had accidentally advertised him—strongly reinforcing his fake identity as a "mysterious merchant NPC."
There really were still kind people in this world…
Feeling foggy, Yu Deng sighed inwardly and looked up again to observe the surroundings.
In front of him were towering mountains; behind him was a stretch of flat land, and at the edge of his vision, the color turned into blue—likely the sea.
Yu Deng opened the dungeon's mini-map. The map showed all areas of the dungeon in rough layout: a small town in the center, surrounded by alternating valleys and mountains. Yu Deng was located in the southern region, near the outer edge.
He wanted to carefully study the layout, but his mind was empty. He had no choice but to put that aside for now.
[Host, this is an A-rank dungeon. In a multiplayer competitive scenario, you must beware of other players and also the dangers within the dungeon.]System 01 worried over its confused host. [And since the dungeon has already been running for some time, other players may also be in disguise. Please be careful.]
"I get it…"
When players entered the dungeon, it was evening inside. After Yu Deng's confrontation with the buzz-cut youth, the sky had begun to darken.
Yu Deng forced his little remaining brain power to think.
The distant mountains looked like a primitive forest. In his current state, he'd easily get lost, and if he encountered a beast or a player, he wouldn't be able to fight.
It was better to take a chance and see whether those small huts ahead housed anyone. If he met an NPC, he could at least gather information.
So Yu Deng began wobbling forward. It felt like he walked forever before finally reaching several shabby wooden huts scattered ahead.
Squinting carefully, he saw that only the one in the center showed signs of being lived in. He cautiously approached and knocked on the door.
Creak—
The door opened. An elderly lady with a head of silver hair, dressed in a plain long dress, appeared before him.
Yu Deng nervously observed her for a few seconds, instinctively feeling that she was an NPC, not a player.
The old woman looked at the heavily wrapped-up Yu Deng and spoke bluntly, "Masked man? I don't welcome your kind here. Don't disturb me."
Yu Deng paused to process, then slowly removed his mask. His black-and-white eyes were a little misty, and his voice sounded both aggrieved and polite: "But… I'm very tired… and I don't know where to go. Grandma, can I rest inside for a while? I won't do anything bad."
Old lady: "…"
This child… he looks so pretty and is so polite. Why does he seem like such a fool?
[Why is baby extra slow? He was so calm and smart earlier.]
[LMAO do you guys not read the skill description? Wife gets a weakness period after using that skill.]
[Aiyo, whether you're Smart Baby or Dumb Baby, you're always the cutest!]
[Baby don't be sad! Polite baby come here let me kiss you!]
At that moment, a faint gaze from inside the hut drifted toward Yu Deng, landing squarely on him.
Sensing something, the old woman looked at the pretty, obedient boy again, her tone softening. "Come in." She paused and introduced herself, "Mara White."
Yu Deng obediently called, "Grandma Mara."
A touch of fondness appeared in her eyes.
Following behind the old woman, Yu Deng entered the hut, enduring his dizziness as he looked around. There was barely any furniture, but everything was neatly arranged. On the center of the wall hung a painting—its colors and lines chaotic, impossible to decipher. Yu Deng stared for a few seconds and felt dizzy.
He thought he saw an eye…?
He shook his head and looked again, but saw nothing.
[Wait, did the livestream screen just go black for a moment?]
[Yeah, I thought my signal died.]
[Hiss… something's wrong here.]
[Normal. It's an A-rank dungeon after all.]
"Grandma Mara," Yu Deng sat down and asked softly, "I saw lots of houses nearby, but why are you the only one here?"
Grandma Mara spoke ambiguously, "The ill-boding prophecy has already come. Destruction always accompanies rebirth… Oh, they all left. Perhaps you'll see more people in the central town."
Yu Deng couldn't process the meaning, so he just stored the information. "Then why didn't Grandma Mara leave?"
"No, no, of course I won't leave." Her tone rose. "This is my destiny."
Yu Deng: "?" He didn't understand, but felt the information was useful.
He chatted a bit more about the town. He learned it was in the center of the dungeon, mainly agricultural, with fewer than five hundred residents. Yu Deng tried to sort this out but couldn't hold on anymore, letting his mind go blank to rest.
Outside, the sky had turned completely dark.
Thankfully, as time passed, the weakness period was gradually fading. Yu Deng could feel his empty head beginning to move again.
He opened the real-time player information. Only 170 players remained. In just a few hours, 30 players had been eliminated.
He found Qin Jun and Cheng Xiao's names—they each had seventy to eighty thousand points, ranking in the top twenty. Several extremist players were also in the top ranks, while Yu Deng had zero points, sitting at the very bottom.
He closed the screen. He wondered when he would meet Cheng Xiao and the others… The dungeon would randomly collapse areas, effectively shrinking the space and forcing players together. Eventually, everyone would meet.
Special dungeons differed from normal ones; the main goal was to earn as many points as possible. Players either obtained treasures or hunted other players.
But the shrine treasure was worth only two million points. If someone was strong and violent enough, killing players could earn far more than the treasure. So what was the significance of getting first place? Was it connected to the hidden shrine or the evil god mentioned in the background?
Yu Deng was still dizzy. He couldn't figure it out, so he gave up thinking. He looked toward the old lady by the fire and asked tentatively, "Grandma Mara, do you know the rumored evil god?"
"Hush…" The old woman lifted a finger to her lips, her gaze sharp. "It must not be spoken of carelessly."
Yu Deng vaguely understood.
[Ding. Three hours remain until midnight. Players, please note: a collapse zone will refresh at midnight. Collapse zone warning now commencing.]
Yu Deng immediately opened the mini-map.
He had been wondering earlier—if the collapse zone refreshed right where he was, would he just be eliminated? Now he knew: there was a warning, giving a full three hours to escape. Of course, some players might camp at the borders to force others to be eliminated.
A few seconds later, three large circles appeared on the mini-map.
[The collapse zone will randomly appear in one of the following three areas.]
Yu Deng took a closer look—and saw that the area he was currently in was one of the possible collapse zones.
Yu Deng: "..."
Uuugh… he had to start running again.
"Grandma Mara, I have to go now." Yu Deng stood up tiredly and bid the old lady farewell.
He walked to the door, then, holding his woozy head, turned back to look at the NPC.
The old woman was still sitting by the fireplace, expression serene, softly chanting something that sounded like a psalm or scripture.
"Grandma Mara, maybe you should leave here too…?" Yu Deng still didn't understand the riddles she spoke in, but he knew this place might collapse. He hesitated for a few seconds and gestured vaguely, "This place could get dangerous… like landslides or something…"
"I knew this long ago. This is my eternal resting place."
The old woman was very calm.
"But since this place may collapse and be swallowed by the river of time… I shall give that thing to you, good child."
The old lady stood up, opened a certain chest inside the wooden hut, and handed him a small lantern.
"Eh?"
Yu Deng blankly accepted the lantern. "Thank you…?"
[Ding. Congratulations to player Yu Deng for obtaining a key item. Score +50,000. Final score will be settled when the instance ends.]
[Note: Items obtained in this instance can only be used inside the instance and cannot be taken out.]
Yu Deng held the lantern, utterly confused. "?"
How did he get an item? He clearly didn't do anything.
"Goodbye, child."
Yu Deng took one last look at the old lady, hid the lantern under his cloak, and followed the mini-map route to escape the potential collapse area as he headed toward the central town.
The sky was dark, the mountain roads rugged, and the air filled with uncomfortable miasma. Yu Deng seriously considered using his Blood Bat Wings to fly, but that skill had a 48-hour cooldown… After struggling with the choice, he ultimately decided to save it for a more crucial moment.
He only used his night vision skill so he could walk steadily.
The journey required more than just climbing mountains—he also had to watch out for players and wild beasts.
Yu Deng was exhausted, as if he had returned to the darkest moment years ago when he foolishly attempted to climb a famous mountain.
He was hungry, too. Earlier his brain had been too foggy to think about food. He should've asked Grandma Mara for something to eat… But wait—Grandma Mara didn't look like she had eaten either.
Lost in these messy thoughts, midnight arrived. A rumbling noise sounded behind him.
He whipped around and saw thick clouds of dust rising in the distance—a huge piece of land caved in, clearly the collapse zone. It was exactly where he had been earlier.
The player list updated in real time: ten players were eliminated. He wondered what happened to Grandma Mara…
Yu Deng pressed his lips together, feeling a bit down. After escaping the collapse, he slowed his pace.
It was already past midnight. Player rankings had barely updated—everyone was probably resting somewhere safe.
Yu Deng didn't want to keep walking, either.
He happened to spot a tree hollow beneath a withered tree. After hesitating, he crawled inside.
From his stash of one-time-use items, Yu Deng pulled out a defensive shell and placed it over the tree hollow. After securing it, he summoned two small paper dolls to stand guard. The lantern he'd been given was hung in the corner as a night-light.
After rushing nonstop to escape the collapse zone, he was utterly drained. He curled up inside the hollow, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
Outside, the miasma thickened, corroding both living and dead things. The defensive shell cracked with a snap, splitting open.
The next second, the miasma abruptly stopped and receded like a tide—
Yu Deng's lantern shook a few times, and then a pool of black, unknown substance slowly oozed out of it, spreading over Yu Deng's legs and creeping upwards, lifting his raven mask.
The unknown creature was pure black, icy cold, with no facial features or limbs—only a body, if it could even be called that. Its exterior had elastic, jelly-like properties, but was far tougher than jelly.
The creature exuded a terrifying and eerie aura. Despite its awkward, clumsy form, it was something no one could bear to meet eyes with.
All creatures near the tree hollow immediately sensed danger and fled.
The two paper dolls standing guard didn't even get the chance to throw a punch before a higher-level force pinned them down, flattening them into lifeless sheets of paper.
Meanwhile, the disguised "mysterious merchant," Yu Deng, showed no reaction at all—under some kind of influence, he only fell into an even deeper sleep.
Yu Deng turned over, and his stomach rumbled loudly. He scrunched his little face and mumbled sleepily, "Uuuh… so hungry…"
The unknown creature paused, as if thinking for several seconds. Then it slowly produced a bright red fruit.
Part of its body stretched into a tentacle-like appendage. The fruit was crushed into juice and gently fed into Yu Deng's mouth. Yu Deng latched onto the tentacle, drinking the fruit juice, his expression softening with satisfaction.
His soft lips quickly became stained with sweet, sticky juice–
pink, dewy, and glistening.
Although this indescribable creature had no facial features, the way it froze made it obvious, it was stunned.
Its pitch-black body trembled, and that tentacle tapped Yu Deng's lips again. The next moment, the creature almost completely wrapped itself around him.
Its shifting body pressed closer, and more parts of it formed into tentacle-like limbs, slipping under Yu Deng's clothes—clumsy, unskilled, and blindly wandering.
"Mm… don't touch me…"
In his hazy dream, Yu Deng frowned, scolding the unknown "bad guy" that appeared from nowhere.
His fair, delicate little face rubbed left and right, the tips of his ears and the corners of his eyes turning red. Warm tears slid uncontrollably down his cheeks.
The moment the tears touched the indescribable creature, it froze—then suddenly grew even more excited.
A tentacle brushed between the soft curves of his body, even wrapping around the trembling, sensitive spot that had been teased.
Yu Deng let out a short, fragile cry, instinctively mumbling, "Bad… bad guy… go away…"
Reluctantly, the tentacle withdrew from beneath his clothes.
The pitch-black limb was covered in glistening moisture, carrying a soft, intoxicating scent. Minutes later, the traces slowly faded and dried.
The eldritch being impossible to look at directly—shuddered, letting out a soundless cry, conveying its message in wild excitement:
—"So fragrant."
T/N: Sorry, guys, for having no updates for so long. My laziness is possessing me again (lol, as always), and I'm currently reading a lot of my unread ongoing webtoons. Because of that, I'm not sure when I'll have enough time or energy to translate the next chapters.
Especially since, as you can see, each chapter of this story is usually very long, so it really takes a lot of time whenever I translate it. This chapter and the previous ones were already in my notes as translation drafts since 2024...that's why I was able to upload them easily, since they were already translated last year.
But don't worry, this is one of my favorite novels, so I promise I'll finish translating it no matter what (unless my account here gets banned again, lol). Anyway, this will be the only chapter I'll upload for now.
And Merry Christmas, you all 🎄