Chapter 92: Cocooning Oneself

Because Han Shi's disappearance, Tuzi had been irritable lately.

He wasn't as easy to fool as the boss, not someone who could be brushed off with a few words by that kid called Xiang Jianxing from the Administration.

Ha, a common C-rank instance—could it really have taken down Han Shi? Try fooling a ghost! The three of them had been paired together since their first team instance, then joined the Iron Armor Guild together, and rose to fame together.

Calling them sworn brothers despite different fathers and mothers wasn't an exaggeration—in ancient times, they'd have cut roosters' throats, burned yellow paper, and sworn blood oaths.

He knew Han Shi better than anyone—Han Shi looked carefree, but in truth, he was meticulous beyond measure.

This "meticulous" referred to his mindset.

In the Iron Armor Guild, Han Shi was one of the few specialists in clearing instances—he studied instance rules and completion methods with extraordinary depth.

Dying from instance rules? Anyone might—but not Han Shi.

Someone must have murdered his brother, and that person was very likely Xiang Jianxing.

To be blunt, he didn't think the boss truly believed it—he was afraid. Afraid of clashing with Xiang Jianxing, afraid of clashing with the Administration.

Tui! His own brother's dead, and he dares not demand an explanation—what a pathetic coward.

Even more pathetic—he dared not either.

It wasn't that he lacked courage—he simply lacked the ability.

If the boss and he teamed up, under surprise conditions, they might have taken down Xiang Jianxing.

But alone? Even with a surprise attack, he had zero chance.

When he first entered the instance and Xiang Jianxing's flying sword pinned his neck on the beach, he realized the gap between them.

Grief over Han Shi's disappearance, contempt for the boss's weakness, and despair over his own frailty—all mixed together—kept his mental pressure crushing.

For a player who had once suffered a mental breakdown, this wasn't good.

He needed to do what he always did—find something to distract himself from the pressure.

Then he saw the girl named Cangshu—her aura was warm and full of vitality, a feeling he recognized well: it matched his first love's memory.

It had to be her!

Tuzi trailed Cangshu, planning to find a quiet corner to talk to her about life.

The two walked out from the town center, heading toward the suburbs near the small pier.

The farther they got from people, the less he could control his desire.

She's not like her—she is my first love. She's come back for me.

She used to be so kind to me—she'd surely agree to my request.

Tuzi's already weak will gradually shattered under the rising tide of desire.

Just as he was about to act, a woman suddenly appeared around the nearby corner.

She wore townsfolk clothing, resembling Cangshu by eight-tenths; the remaining two-tenths added an indescribable heat and allure.

No—Cangshu wasn't his first love. This one was!

He was certain! He walked straight toward the woman, murmuring: "Why are you here?"

The woman answered gently: "Five silver coins an hour, fifteen for the night—basic services only. Extra services cost extra."

"Add! Add everything!" Tuzi pulled out all the money he'd earned these past two days, and fearing it wasn't enough, he took out a gold leaf from his personal space.

This gold leaf, usable across all instance realms, was expensive—each worth one hundred Rotten Silver Coins—typically used to bribe instance officials—but right now, Tuzi didn't care.

The woman took the gold leaf, opened the door behind her, and coaxed: "Come in."

Three minutes later, Tuzi pulled out his pipe, took a drag, and his eyes cleared considerably.

Once the pressure was released, his will returned to normal. Looking back, he felt a chill of dread—if he'd truly done anything to Cangshu, he'd have invited trouble.

Just as he sank into sage time, pondering life, the woman's voice came from behind.

"I think you're quite good. Will you stay on this island?"

On the strictly regulated Bu Li Fu Island, finding a specialist was hard; rarer still was that even after his will had returned to normal, he still felt she resembled his first love—and the more he looked, the more she did.

"I'll stay a while longer. If I have time, I'll come back to see you."

"Can't you stay forever?" the woman asked.

Tuzi was confused—what was this? Wasn't she temporary labor? Why was she asking for a lifetime contract? "Probably not. I'll leave soon."

"Oh." The woman's voice sank, sounding deeply disappointed. Tuzi felt pity—he was about to turn back and comfort her, maybe even give her two more gold leaves.

Before he could speak, sudden agony erupted in his abdomen.

The next instant, countless black iron spikes burst from within him, turning his head and body into two hedgehogs.

Tuzi lowered his head to examine his wounds—but his eyes had already been punctured from inside out by the spikes.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The next moment, he collapsed with a thud, utterly still.

He couldn't understand why his defense hadn't activated, nor why he'd suddenly become as fragile as paper.

The woman rose slowly, picked up the now-water-filled Tuzi—like a garden sprayer—and nailed him to the display wall in the back room.

"Now you'll stay on the island forever."

As she hammered halfway, she suddenly sensed something, whipped her head toward the outside, and licked her lips.

At the edge of the town center stood the town's only garden, surrounded by several small houses.

They were specially designed—each structure unique, far more refined than the rigid, uniform buildings in the town center.

Wu Chang's true body stood before one of these small houses, holding two bottles of wine, and knocked on the door.

Footsteps came quickly from the other side. The door opened, and Mo Leina stood before him in a black nightgown, waving him in.

"Come in. I thought you wouldn't come for a while."

Mo Leina lived alone; her home was clean, tidy, and tastefully arranged.

She brought out two baking trays from the kitchen, each holding seared steak, accompanied by several kinds of roasted vegetables.

Her insulation was excellent—the moment she lifted the cover, steam still rose from the food.

"Have you eaten?"

"I had a little at the restaurant."

Mo Leina cutely scrunched up her nose. "At a time like this, you should say you haven't eaten. No matter — you can keep me company and have a little more."

She pressed Wu Chang down at the dining table and opened the wine that had just arrived today — a crystalline, pomegranate-red liquid that looked especially gorgeous in the candlelight.

"Try it and see if it suits your taste."

Honestly speaking, the dinner hour passed especially pleasantly.

Mo Leina's cooking was not bad — it could even be said to utterly blow away the restaurant's head chef. Apart from the roasted golden flying fish, this dinner was the best meal Wu Chang had eaten since entering the instance.

Three rounds of wine, five flavours of dishes.

As the plates were cleared away, the dining table no longer stood as an obstacle between the two of them, and the distance between them grew closer and closer.

Today's Mo Leina gave off a rose scent mingled with musk — impossible to refuse.

But just as things were about to come to fruition, a knock at the door interrupted the two of them.

"Sheriff, something big's happened! The Holy Mother statue has collapsed, and the Bishop my lord has caught fire!"

The officer's words outside were like a basin of cold water, instantly dousing the flame in Mo Leina's eyes and shifting her gaze into the calm, steady look she wore as sheriff.

"I understand. You go on ahead — I'll be right there."

Mo Leina expressionlessly put on her uniform, gathered her loose red hair into a bun, glanced back at Wu Chang, and said regretfully, "I'm afraid I won't be free tonight. If you can't wait, you can go back first and come again tomorrow."

It was only after Mo Leina had dressed neatly and left the room that Wu Chang came to his senses as if waking from a dream.

No way — the main event was only half done, how could anyone yank the reins back so abruptly like this?

So when you said you'd be right there, you didn't mean wrapping up the main event here first — you really meant right there, right now!

You're gone, so what am I supposed to do? At this moment, he somewhat regretted having controlled his True Self to kill too quickly in the Inner World.

Sometimes clearing a dungeon too fast isn't a good thing either.

He sighed, and was just preparing to leave for the day when another knock came from outside.

He pulled his coat back on, opened the door, and had just been about to say that Mo Leina had already rushed to the scene — but before he could speak, he discovered that standing at the doorway was actually another Mo Leina.

"What are you standing there for? Not going to let me in?"

(End of this chapter)