[In a factory in Mist City, human flesh was used to feed the Meat Lingzhi using dark magic. The little boy and his grandpa depended on each other. When the boy was two or three years old, his grandpa was fed to the Meat Lingzhi by the people in the factory. The Meat Lingzhi, repeatedly fed with human flesh, eventually turned into a monster.]
[The two or three-year-old boy didn’t understand what a monster was; he only knew it was his grandpa. When he saw people feeding the Meat Lingzhi with flesh, he picked up scraps of meat everywhere to feed his ‘grandpa’.]
[I don’t know if he turned the Meat Lingzhi into what it is now, but it seems the Meat Lingzhi recognizes him and, in its frenzied retaliation, intentionally avoids the boy while quietly protecting him.]
The boy’s dirty hands held onto the sticky, reddish-brown membrane of the Tai Sui, with its long tentacles stiffly draped over the boy’s shoulder, no longer piercing or expelling fog.
Many players remained silent.
The boy turned to Shi Tianzhu and asked, “Can you cure my grandfather’s illness?”
There were many severed limbs around them, including those of the doctor who was talking to him, but the boy seemed accustomed to it, completely unaware that this was abnormal.
Shi Tianzhu replied, “I cannot cure your grandfather’s illness, but as long as you stay by his side, you can cure the illness of this city.”
Perhaps this Tai Sui monster was transformed from his grandfather. In front of his only grandson, he refrained from being a harmful monster.
Perhaps this “Tai Sui” monster was formed from the souls of numerous players who had been fed Meat Lingzhi. Over the course of five years, the little boy innocently and consistently nurtured it, feeding it with his emotions.
As long as this dirty little boy was here, the Tai Sui was his “Grandpa,” not a monster.
“Are you saying that from now on, I can be with Grandpa every moment of the day and night?”
This seemed to be the boy’s utmost concern.
Shi Tianzhu nodded, and a smile appeared on the boy’s dirty face, a childlike and content smile.
For some reason, Shi Tianzhu didn’t want to look anymore. She turned to Ning Changfeng and asked, “Can we start now?”
Ning Changfeng looked at the boy, then at Shi Tianshu, his face marked with wounds, expressing both intensity and pain, his thoughts unclear.
“If I fight with you, no matter what the result, it won’t be good.”
If he won, he’d hurt the mother of the child. How could he explain that to his son?
If he lost and got hurt by the mother of the child, what hero image could he maintain in front of his son?
Ning Changfeng felt it was too difficult.
Shi Tianzhu: “?”
“Ning Changfeng, what are you up to?!”
Ning Su: “...”
He sent a barrage: [Jiayou.]
Not knowing who or what he was cheering for.
Ning Changfeng was in great pain.
Under the suspicious and astonished gaze of Shi Tianzhu, he deserted for the first time in his life.
Ning Changfeng “committed suicide” to withdraw from the competition.
Amid the shocked stares of all the players at the base.
On the main screen of the game hall, the player rankings were reshuffled.
Shi Tianzhu was first, Ning Changfeng was second, Gu Witch was third, Black-clothed Azan was fourth, and the doctor was fifth.
Just as Ning Su and Manman predicted, Shi Tianzhu took first place this season.
But for this first place that was handed-over to her, she surely wouldn’t be happy.
Not only was she unhappy, but her expression was also very ugly.
As soon as the game was announced to be over, many players from the base rushed outside, waiting for all sixty players to emerge from the light circle together.
Ning Su had gone out early too.
As soon as the light circle disappeared, Ning Changfeng flew behind Ning Su just as Shi Tianzhu was about to make a move.
“...”
Ning Su didn’t even dare to congratulate, obediently stood upright, looking like he barely knew Ning Changfeng.
Shi Tianzhu looked at the two for several tens of seconds before walking away with a cold face.
Among the densely packed players around, some cheered while others grumbled.
After the two struggled out of the crowd, Ning Su asked him, “Why bother doing this?”
Ning Changfeng said in pain, “If a real winner was determined, it could have resulted in serious injuries or even death. If she had injured me, wouldn’t you be angry? And if she had ended up injured because of me, would you not be upset?”
Ning Su blinked his clear peach blossom eyes and looked at him.
Ning Changfeng continued irritably, pulling at his collar. “Don’t ask me to go easy on her. If Shi Tianzhu finds out I let her win, she’d be angrier than she is now.”
“I don’t want to deceive her,” he muttered.
Ning Su continued to stare at him unwaveringly.
Ning Changfeng felt guilty under his gaze. “I’ve endured too much for this family!”
Ning Su: “This family?”
Ning Changfeng hesitated.
Glancing at the players behind them, Ning Su whispered, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll criticize you?”
“I don’t care about them, I only care about...” Ning Changfeng stopped himself.
Ning Su smiled softly.
He truly believed that Ning Changfeng didn’t care about anyone else’s opinions; within the entire base, he only cared about two people’s views.
He just hadn’t fully realized it himself.
Before Ning Changfeng could explain, Ning Su received a message from Shi Tianzhu: “She wants me to go to the Yinhua Guild to watch the preliminary competitions.”
Ning Changfeng responded with a simple “Hmm,” still not fully understanding what he said.
Ning Su: “Last time you said you’d join me in the next instance?”
Ning Changfeng: “Yes.”
Ning Su continued, “We might not be able to do the next instance together; I’ll likely be participating in the guild competition.”
Ning Changfeng: “?”
Ning Su: “You don’t want to join a guild, right? Even if you do, unless you join the Yinhua Guild, no matter which one you join, we’ll be enemies in the guild competition instance.”
Ning Changfeng: ???
Earlier, when Ning Changfeng was experiencing pain in the final dungeon and “self-sacrificing,” he thought to himself that enduring the pain was okay because leaving the dungeon would allow him to watch the guild competition with his adorable son and heal himself.
Who knew it would only bring more bitterness?
These days had become unbearable.
Ning Changfeng and Ling Xiao watched the guild’s preliminary competitions together at Ning Su’s home.
After about five or six minutes, Ling Xiao excused himself and left.
Ning Changfeng sighed.
Even waiting for just ten minutes would have been better.
Ning Changfeng watched the guild competition alone.
He used to be always alone, doing everything freely and casually.
It’s more enjoyable to watch alone.
As he watched, he began to think about these guilds— which one would make it to the finals, which one would target his son during the finals.
Then he thought of those troublesome guys from the Yongming Guild, especially that Black-clothed Azan. It had been a while, and even dealing with him had become difficult.
Ning Changfeng couldn’t stand it anymore.
Shi Tianzhu personally took Ning Su to watch the preliminary competitions of the guilds.
At times like these, the guilds that were guaranteed to advance to the finals all watched together to analyze each guild in the preliminary dungeon.
Shi Tianzhu didn’t specifically ask people to sit together; instead, they watched online together so she could easily talk to Ning Su.
“Have you watched the individual competitions? Have you noticed the differences between the competition dungeons and the regular dungeons?”
Ning Su nodded. “Large-scale competition dungeons focus more on selection and confrontation, fast and direct.”
Shi Tianzhu said, “The guild competitions are somewhat similar to individual competitions, but also different.”
“In the early stages of individual competitions, players will also form groups, but fundamentally it’s about free-for-all combat between players. In guild competitions, the dungeons are set up around guild confrontations, which involves more constraints.”
Ning Su: “Do I have to fully comply with the group?”
Shi Tianzhu shook her head. “I told you in advance that the dungeons would be set up based on guild confrontations to let you know that once inside the dungeon, don’t let such settings restrict you.”
“A perfect team is not about obedience and accommodation, but about each person being able to maximize their strengths.”
Shi Tianzhu said to Ning Su, “Do as you please in the dungeon. We believe in you. Our presence isn’t to restrain you, but to allow you to soar boldly without fear of falling from the sky.”
Because someone would be there to catch you.
Ning Su was taken aback; he had never experienced this before.
Shi Tianzhu handed him a stack of materials. “Look through these guild materials while watching the preliminary competitions with me.”
Ning Su pursed his lips and nodded.
These past few days, Ning Su had been with the two children, watching guild competitions with Shi Tianzhu.
There was no better teacher on the entire base than Shi Tianzhu.
Shi Tianzhu also felt that there was no better student on the entire base than Ning Su.
The two of them were enjoying themselves very much.
The two kids were sitting on the side eating happily, occasionally listening attentively.
In short, all four of them were having a great time.
As the guild’s preliminary competition was about to end, Shi Tianzhu unexpectedly received a message from Ning Changfeng.
Ning Changfeng: [President Shi, is your guild still recruiting new members? Do you think I can join?]
Shi Tianzhu: “......?”
Dad is worried but it's unsure that Mom understands 😁
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update 🤗 🤗