Yu Deng constantly reminded himself of his fake identity. When he spoke, he deliberately lowered his voice, pressing down that soft, highly recognizable tone until it sounded deeper.
He wasn't good at threatening people, and the words he spoke weren't fierce at all. But hidden beneath a cloak and mask, commanding a savage and terrifying beast, he really did manage to put on an air of unfathomable mystery.
When the unbelievably abstract creature heard Yu Deng call it a little pet, it immediately lifted its tail in pride and wagged it even more enthusiastically.
The crow, however, let out two displeased caws, dodged the swinging tail, and glared at this strange creature that had suddenly become Yu Deng's pet. Its wings itched with the urge to slap it again.
As for the two players, they had already completely believed Yu Deng's identity.
"I understand."
One-Eyed Three Sabers looked warily at the beast. Still, he knew when to bend. Seeing that the mysterious merchant had such a terrifying companion and knowing he couldn't win, he immediately changed his attitude.
"I was rude just now. I sincerely apologize and offer you my most heartfelt apologies."
One-Eyed Three Sabers' live-chat barrage was just as uncertain and shocked as he was.
[Holy shit, that really is the mysterious merchant? And that thing is his pet? I remember those creatures are insanely strong—several players got eliminated by it last night.]
[Just saying, I checked the neighboring stream. That's not a merchant, that's a player! (Message blocked for special reasons.)]
[Damn, I checked too. He's been on the popularity rankings for weeks. I thought he was just a pretty face and never watched, but he can actually tame that kind of creature?! (Blocked.)]
[Welcome to our smart and adorable Deng-Deng baby!! (Blocked.)]
Yu Deng had no idea that a new wave of viewers had flooded into his stream. Relying on the tiger-leopard beast as his bodyguard, he boldly put on a show, imitating a moody final boss and slowly delivering something even more frightening:
"So… would you like to purchase some goods? All you need to do is… leave behind a pair of legs."
One-Eyed Three Sabers took several steps back. "...No thanks."
After that, he didn't even bother trying to kill the female player anymore and turned to flee into the depths of the forest.
Yu Deng scared off a player and straightened proudly beneath his cloak.
See? When you're out in the world, your identity is something you give yourself!
Not long after the one-eyed player ran off, a new message appeared in the public channel, clearly trying to drag others down with him.
[Anonymous]: I ran into the mysterious merchant. Tons of supplies, very easy to talk to. I already bought special items—just wait to be eliminated, everyone else.
Yu Deng suddenly found another tall hat placed on his head.
But too many hats don't weigh you down. He watched the one-eyed player flee in disgrace, then turned around just in time to see the tiger-leopard beast and the little crow swatting at each other again and hurriedly stepped in to break it up.
The female player, Xiao Gao, was tied up nearby, staring at the scene in shock—and feeling a faint sense of familiarity.
How should she put it… this kind of inexplicable charm that attracted small animals to fight for attention—she'd only seen it once before, with that beautiful young noble in the castle dungeon. She hadn't expected to encounter it again here.
Her gaze was a little too complicated. After calming the pets, Yu Deng noticed her and met her eyes.
He thought for a few seconds, then walked toward her, stopping a few meters away at a safe distance. The abstract-looking tiger-leopard beast followed closely at his side.
Gao Yan watched Yu Deng approach, nervous. She stiffly searched for something to say and forced out a compliment against her conscience:
"Hello… your little pet is really cute."
Yu Deng had no idea how she managed to say that out loud, but after staring at it long enough, it really wasn't that scary.
Well… kind of ugly-cute, maybe…
He cleared his throat and gave the abstract creature a name on the spot:
"Xiao Huang is very cute, but also very naughty."
The tiger-leopard beast froze for a few seconds, apparently stunned by Yu Deng's terrible naming sense. Its blood-filled maw hung open as it failed to figure out how to react.
Seeing Xiao Huang's silent resistance, Yu Deng felt a little dejected and asked softly, "Is it… not a good name?"
The massive creature looked at Yu Deng's drooping expression, panicked, nudged him with its head, shook it frantically, and wagged its tail wildly into heart shapes—clearly expressing how much it loved the name.
Yu Deng was successfully cheered up and regained his confidence. He patted Xiao Huang's fur, the corners of his mouth lifting beneath the mask.
"I knew it… Xiao Hong and Xiao Lü both love the names I give them. You'd like it too."
Xiao Huang: "?"
So I'm not the only victim?
The little crow slapped the creature again with its wing and cawed loudly at Yu Deng, demanding a name too.
Understanding its meaning, Yu Deng reached out and patted it.
"Xiao Hei, you're cute too."
[HAHAHAHA baby you're killing me—certified trash at naming.]
[Baby already has Xiao Hong, Xiao Lü, Xiao Hei, Xiao Huang… not many colors left for future pets (doge).]
[In such a tense multiplayer competition dungeon, baby's vibe is always uniquely unhinged.]
Watching the fierce pets fight over affection, Gao Yan felt that strange sense of familiarity grow even stronger.
Yu Deng turned his attention back to her. After hesitating, he walked over, drawing the scalpel hidden beneath his cloak and cutting through the binding item.
"You're injured."
Gao Yan flexed her hands and feet and wiped away the blood still seeping out.
"Thank you for saving me, but I don't have any medicine. I'll just leave these wounds be—they won't kill me."
Yu Deng froze for a few seconds. It suddenly dawned on him that not every player had as many points as he did. Many of them probably only had a few tens of thousands in liquid points, making it impossible to stockpile healing items.
He had a decent impression of this female player. After struggling to think of an excuse, he offered help in a roundabout way.
"Judging from your clothes, you came from somewhere else? An outsider—tell me about what you saw on the road. I'm curious about your story."
Maintaining the mysterious merchant's tone, he added, "In exchange, I can give you some medicine."
Perfect! He could gather information and help another player at the same time. He really was smart!
"Yes, as you can see, I'm not a resident of this town," Gao Yan said after observing the cloaked merchant for a few seconds.
"I accidentally heard rumors of a mysterious treasure here, so I decided to come take a look."
She continued, "I came from the west. The forest there is filled with fog and beasts—I never once saw sunlight. I wanted to head to the town to see if I could find clues. Oh, right—on the way, I ran into some very troublesome outsiders. They've probably already reached the town."
She meant extreme players, didn't she?
Yu Deng pondered for a moment, deciding to stay alert. After she finished speaking, he kept his word and handed her a potion, then waved and turned to leave.
His newly acquired pet, Xiao Huang, lay down in front of him and eagerly lowered its head, signaling Yu Deng to ride it.
[Came over from Xiao Gao's stream—thank you to kind and beautiful Deng-Deng for helping her. She was hurt pretty badly; One-Eyed's skill hard-countered her.]
[Yep, already sent Deng-Deng some donations.]
[Baby is always soft-hearted. As long as it's a normal player in trouble, if baby sees it, he'll help.]
Yu Deng clumsily climbed onto Xiao Huang's back. Though it looked abstract, its fur was soft, and it carried him forward at high speed.
Along the way, Yu Deng ran into several other players. They weren't fighting but had formed a small team—probably friends who knew each other from the player hub or a temporary group.
He symbolically asked if they wanted to buy goods, but Xiao Huang was far too intimidating, and the players fled in panic.
…
Xiao Huang ran extremely fast. Riding on its back, Yu Deng easily passed through the forest. The trees thinned out, and the mysterious town gradually came into view.
When he reached the edge of the town, it was exactly noon. The dungeon's weather was unusually clear, sunlight pouring down warmly, though the air was a bit dry, making Yu Deng feel thirsty.
At the boundary between the forest and the town stood a massive stone monument.
Unsure if there were other players nearby, Yu Deng observed it from a distance. The monument was red and black, carved with complex, strange patterns divided into upper and lower sections. A twisted line ran through the middle, and the two ends together formed a dizzying image.
Yu Deng stood at the edge of town, hesitating for a few seconds.
He had found the town, but he still didn't actually know what he was supposed to do in this dungeon. He never cared much about points and didn't want to kill other players. Wouldn't it be enough to just avoid collapse zones and other players?
Could it really be that simple? Given how these dungeons usually worked, was there some hidden danger they hadn't discovered yet?
And that temple treasure…
Yu Deng felt that since this was a special dungeon, the items produced inside might have special effects as well.
Maybe… he should try finding the temple treasure.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Deng stepped into the town.
Xiao Huang didn't follow. It stayed at the roadside, wagging its tail at him. Yu Deng blinked.
"Can't you go into the town?"
Xiao Huang nodded its huge head.
"Then… will I see you again?"
Xiao Huang nodded vigorously again, nuzzled Yu Deng with its head, and slowly retreated into the forest. The crow Xiao Hei cawed happily at the sky, only to have its beak pinched shut by Yu Deng.
Yu Deng stood at the edge of town and looked out. Judging by size alone, the town could probably hold around fifty thousand people. Yet after walking dozens of meters, he barely saw any residents. Most of the buildings were dilapidated and covered in dust, clearly abandoned for a long time.
This environment was… pretty suitable for alley warfare and the like.
Yu Deng proceeded carefully down the street. After about ten minutes, he finally saw an NPC.
How could he be so sure it was an NPC? Because the man had a pointed head and wore a blissful smile while trimming flowers in front of a house.
Players usually weren't that uncanny.
Feeling uneasy, Yu Deng quietly hid himself. Suddenly, he heard someone call to him softly.
"Baby, over here."
Yu Deng froze, then looked around and spotted Qin Jun inside an empty house not far away.
He hurried over and slipped inside.
"Qin Jun, how did you recognize me?"
"Instinct. I can recognize my baby at a glance." Qin Jun found it hard to explain and smiled when he saw Yu Deng's outfit. "I guessed the mysterious merchant would be you."
"Huh? Why so sure?"
Qin Jun lowered his voice. "Because only Deng-Deng baby would do something like this."
Always full of strange ideas, occasionally mischievous, but never cruel or bloodthirsty.
Yu Deng tilted his head, not really understanding. Feeling a bit warm, he raised his hand and removed the crow mask, unconsciously licking his lips.
Qin Jun didn't explain further and instead warned him, "This town isn't right. My warning item says it's extremely dangerous—"
He paused, sharply noticing movement outside.
"Careful. Someone's coming."
Yu Deng peeked out. It was a young man in a sleek black robe, expression arrogant and cold, rapidly searching the surroundings.
Yu Deng recognized him and waved casually.
"Oh, no worries. I know him."
Qin Jun narrowed his eyes. "You know him? Are you close?"
"I know him," Yu Deng replied simply. "My first dungeon—we were in it together."
Cheng Xiao was the first person who had ever tasted his lips, so he counted as an acquaintance, right?
Outside, Cheng Xiao noticed movement and snapped his head up, dagger gleaming in his hand.
Yu Deng leaned by the window and secretly waved at him.
Cheng Xiao's aura instantly softened. A smile appeared in his eyes, and his steps quickened, like an eager puppy rushing to its owner.
From afar, he silently mouthed:
"Baby."
The intimacy of the nickname was unmistakable.
Qin Jun stared coldly at the boy, already aware that he was another male coveting Yu Deng.
"Deng-Deng."
The man suddenly leaned close, frowning gravely.
"Your lips look dry. Are you dehydrated?"
"Huh?"
Yu Deng nervously parted his lips and touched them.
Oh no—
They did feel kind of dry. Would they crack? Cracked lips hurt a lot…
Outside, the black-robed youth was already approaching the secluded house.
"There's a very simple way to moisten your lips," Qin Jun said, deliberately exposing half his body at the window. He wrapped an arm around Yu Deng and lowered his head, capturing those soft lips.
Yu Deng was confused. "Mm?"
Qin Jun coaxed gently, "Doesn't it feel less dry now? I won't bite—just lightly touching. Doesn't that feel better?"
Dazed and muddled, Yu Deng didn't realize the man's little trick, nor did he remember that drinking water was an option.
After thinking for a moment, he felt Qin Jun's words made sense, so he tilted his head up and obediently let him play with his lips.
And to the boy standing outside the house—
This was the scene he saw...
—A beautiful, innocent baby (young man), held in someone's arms, obediently tilting his head up to accept a kiss.
Completely forgetting that he was still outside.