Chapter 85 : Death Nightmare
Death Nightmare
Just as Chen Zixuan was about to fall asleep, his phone on the bedside suddenly vibrated.
He snapped back to alertness.
Picking up the phone, oh, it was a message sent earlier by Lin Wei.
"Does it look good?"
Looking at this latest message, Chen Zixuan felt puzzled.
What does this mean?
Seeing that Lin Wei had also sent a photo, curiosity sparking inside him, Chen Zixuan opened the chat window.
What greeted him next was a sight that almost made blood spurt out from his nose.
The girl's long hair was loose, and the top two buttons of her pajamas were undone, revealing a large expanse of milk-white skin. Whether it was the sensuous collarbones beneath her neck, or the deep cleavage, everything was on full display.
From a downward angle, she was sitting upright on the bed, slightly tilting her head back, with a blush on her cheeks and a hint of confusion in her eyes, giving off an indescribably seductive aura.
Was this really Lin Wei?
Chen Zixuan had truly never imagined that a seemingly unremarkable and inconspicuous girl like Lin Wei, after taking off her glasses and letting down her hair, could appear so dazzling and captivating.
How should he put it...
It was quite risqué.
But, generally speaking, girls only send such photos to their closest girlfriends, right?
Men and women should maintain a respectful distance—is it possible that she doesn't even understand this...?
At this thought, Chen Zixuan's face immediately showed embarrassment.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he deleted the photo, and replied:
[Chen Zixuan: Well... I'd say it looks very nice.]
For the rest of the night, Lin Wei did not send another message...
,,,,,,,,,,,,
Half asleep, half awake, Chen Zixuan finally made it to nine in the evening.
He put on his VR headset, "Legend of Kaloran", log in!
With the nine o'clock time restriction lifted, he could finally begin the【Night Visit to Vampire Mentor】quest.
Although the game's background is another world, in the night, both sides of the Main City's main street were still brilliantly lit, as bright as daylight.
Every so often, laughter and boisterous talk from players could be heard from taverns along the road, while in the streets and alleys, nPC bard poets played light melodies on their lutes.
Beside the fountain in the central plaza, a young couple flirted, having already booked a room at an inn for the night; though not allowed in reality, in the game, they could not wait to savor the taste of forbidden fruit.
Unlike the daytime, when adventurers went out fully armed and emboldened to hunt monsters, the Main City at night lost some of that air of grimness and gained a touch of tranquility and warmth.
Among the eighty million "Legend of Kaloran" players up to now, aside from the combat enthusiasts, there were also many laid-back "life sim" players who simply wanted a taste of another life—which was why they bought this game.
Only, few noticed that in the shadows under the streetlamps, a petite figure cloaked entirely in black robes was moving silently, slipping through shadowy alleys.
That lone shadow wasn't anyone else—it was Chen Zixuan, already logged into the game.
Following the quest guidance, he ducked into an alley so dark that one couldn't see their own hand, winding this way and that, guided by the Vampire's night vision ability. After several twists and turns, a few minutes later, he arrived in front of a dilapidated old building.
It was a small, rundown building, about ten meters tall, with walls mottled by large, peeling patches of plaster.
The top floor leaned slightly, looking so precarious that it might topple over at any time.
Though it was deep into the night, inside the building was pitch black, with only one window on the third floor emitting a faint yellow glow.
On the desk inside, an oil lamp was burning that looked about to dry up.
—For some reason, such a scene suddenly appeared in Chen Zixuan's mind.
It seemed that the room with the lit lamp was the destination for this quest.
The【War God Hall】for warrior classes, the【Healing Church】for priests, the【Divine Radiance Sanctuary】for Holy Knights...
Compared to other professions' awakening sites, his own class's location... was truly shabby...
Chen Zixuan smiled self-deprecatingly, but he did not complain further.
After all, he possessed the only class on the entire server, and there was no way it could be as ostentatious or showy as the others.
Discretion was never a bad thing, and setting the awakening quest here—well, most other players would never suspect this place.
Pushing aside those messy thoughts, Chen Zixuan reached out and, with a creak, pushed open the door and stepped into the dusty staircase.
"One floor, two floors... here."
Counting as he climbed, Chen Zixuan reached the third floor and saw a half-closed door with a narrow beam of light streaming through its gap.
For no apparent reason, a sudden wave of nervousness rose within him.
It felt as if something terrifying was lurking behind that door.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Zixuan pushed open the half-shut door.
What he saw inside immediately entered his view.
It was a small room, barely more than a dozen square meters. The chandelier on the ceiling was not lit. A black solid wood desk and a wide, tall bookshelf took up almost the entire space.
On the desk, a silvery oil lamp was burning, the oil nearly depleted. The flame on the wick flickered like a bean, casting the whole room in a quivering, eerie light.
Behind the desk, a high-backed chair was set at an angle.
A young woman was now seated in the chair, hands clasped, her long right leg crossed over her left, back perfectly straight, with a graceful smile and an elegant yet relaxed pose, silently sizing up the uninvited Chen Zixuan.
She looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall and slim, her jet-black hair falling straight over her chest and back, her white-as-cream complexion a sight impossible to look away from.
Though her bust was not particularly prominent, the tight black dress she wore clung from her neck and back all the way down her slightly concave spine, forming an alluring silhouette that made her waist look incredibly slender—so slender it felt as if it could be held with one hand.
Honestly, this was the most beautiful woman Chen Zixuan had seen in his life.
Even though she only sat there quietly in a dim, old room, lit by a lamp that could go out at any moment, she exuded the natural air of an aristocrat.
Unlike those bloated, cowardly clowns who courted attention, there was no doubt—she was a true noble.
But more than her beauty, Chen Zixuan was most captivated by those deep blood-red eyes, a color as unfathomable as a sea of blood.
A single glance would make your very soul shiver in cold terror.
Precisely because of those eyes, no matter how gentle her smile looked, she could not conceal her chilling, aloof nobility.
Staring blankly at the woman before him, the honest son of workers and peasants, Chen Zixuan, again felt his knees grow weak, encountering, for the first time, the urge to kneel.
He also kind of wanted to pee...
Seeing Chen Zixuan's rather pathetic appearance, a trace of gentle light flashed in the woman's eyes, and she spoke softly: "What an honor, to meet you on such a beautiful night, miss Cecilia."
Her voice was a bit chilly, somewhat ethereal and aloof—not just in appearance but even in tone, one hundred percent aristocratic.
Damn! Is this what it means to look down on the world from above?
Wait, if she is my mentor, then her race should also be Vampire.
"Um... It's my honor as well."
The twin-tailed silver-haired girl nodded dumbly.
"No need to be so restrained."
The woman, still sitting upright and motionless, smiled and said:
"I am only a few years older than you. So you may call me Miss Augustine, or, if you wish to be more intimate—"
She paused, then continued, "Miss Aesther."
"All right, miss Aesther."
Chen Zixuan took a deep breath, finally managing to calm his erratic mind.
Aesther looked at Chen Zixuan with her blood-red eyes, the smile vanishing as she said expressionlessly, "Very good. Now the introductions are over, let us talk about more important matters."
Chen Zixuan relaxed a little, finally able to learn new skills.
But the next second, miss Aesther's gaze turned cold, her tone icy as she said clinically: "I see a curse on you—the curse of an angel!"
In that instant, it was as if thousands of spirit-piercing sword-blades shot out from her blood-red eyes, striking Chen Zixuan head-on and making him feel as if he had plunged into an icy abyss!
......
That night, Chen Zixuan and Miss Aesther talked for a long time.
The more they talked, the more despair grew in his heart, until it felt like it might swallow him whole.
By the time he retreated from the game in utter defeat, it was already past two in the morning.
Outside, torrential rain poured, the winds driving rain and leaves against the flooded streets, forming countless rapid streams.
"Why? Why?"
Curled up in his small single bed, Chen Zixuan muttered to himself, finally realizing that something truly bad was beginning to happen to him.
The room was warm—almost too warm—yet he began to shiver uncontrollably.
It really is true—there's no such thing as a free lunch.
If he had another chance, Chen Zixuan would rather work black labor jobs his whole life than log into "Legend of Kaloran".
But, is there really such a thing as a regret medicine in this world?
His restless tossing and turning lasted until five in the morning before at last he calmed down.
Too exhausted, he slipped into a confused slumber.
And in that half-dream, half-awake state, Chen Zixuan had a nightmare.
The scene in the dream was a particularly dimly lit room.
It had a pink, fluffy big bed, a yoga mat on the floor, a computer desk, and all kinds of cute plush dolls.
Although he had never been here in reality, somehow, Chen Zixuan's instincts told him this must be Gu Yanxi's room.
In that nightmare, he really became the silver-haired and twin-tailed girl named "Cecilia."
Covered in wounds, her delicate hands were bound behind her head to the bed; every movement brought tearing pain throughout her body.
And the girl standing in the doorway, backlit by the light, who was she? Why did she look at me with such hatred?
Could it be Gu Yanxi...?
....................
Really couldn't find a logical chapter break, so as compensation, I'll update one more 3,000-word chapter for free!
Don't be mad, don't be mad, I swear I'm not short! (crying voice)
Words on Launch
Unknowingly, it's already my third time launching a book.
Following tradition, first I thank readers who have made it to this point.
And my diligent editor Tuli—you really helped this "failed author" a lot.
When I started this book, I only meant to write an unconventional online game novel. I didn't expect that once the book started, I couldn't stop, and in the end, it became more and more cliche. (laughs)
Well, at any rate, I've been writing yuri (gender-bender) for two years, and I won't poison the plot or add any dumb arcs. You can be at ease and read on.
Probably many readers know, this book didn't have good stats at the start, missing the first wave of contest pushes. At 100k words, it only had a few thousand saves.
But to get over a thousand monthly votes back then really touched me.
To have so many saves and so much banter, I really want to cry.
So I want to show everyone my best.
My typing speed isn't fast. For the last few days, I've been working all-nighters, only building up a backlog of 11 or 12 chapters—not much. So I apologize in advance.
Still, for the next month, I should be releasing 3 to 4 chapters a day, hoping to pay off last month's 40 owed chapters by the end of December.
As always, if I can't make it, I'll go to the Pineapple Circle and post punishment photos in women's clothes.
Just thinking about it gives me motivation to write.
Bonus chapter rules stay the same:
1 extra chapter per 100 monthly votes.
1 extra chapter per 10,000 reward points.
The backlog is tight, and with an extra 3,000-word free chapter, I think I've done my best.
At last, shamelessly begging for subscriptions.
Not to play for pity, but it really isn't easy for original writers. Each paid chapter is just ten cents, and I've worked day and night for over a week—full subscription only costs a few coins.
That's all, back to writing.
I'm not good at emotional speeches, nor can I say anything truly touching.
So I'll just wish that every reader who sees this will have success in studies and a brilliant future!
December 4, 2020. Salutes from Raven-chan.