At the corner of Building D, the young man walked ahead, completely unaware, while Lan Xu followed at a distance, not too close nor too far. The two were heading toward an even more remote corner, now completely shrouded in shadows.
Lan Xu stared at the young man’s slender, fragile figure and tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand. Just as he was about to strike, the young man suddenly turned his head to look down the corridor, then spoke with a hint of uncertainty.
“Over there… does it seem like there’s something?”
Lan Xu quickly hid the exposed dagger back into his sleeve and followed the young man’s gaze. He saw nothing, but his eyes caught sight of a staircase at the far end of the corridor, leading downward beneath the main stairs.
Building D gave off an unsettling vibe. Lan Xu had thoroughly investigated the area during the day, but this particular staircase was tucked deep in the corner. The building had other staircases leading upstairs, so he hadn’t noticed this one earlier. Moreover, it was only visible if you turned into this specific area, making it easy to overlook.
A basement in a place like this might hold important clues, but Lan Xu wasn’t in a hurry to investigate just yet. He wanted to finish what he had started. Once the young man was dealt with, he’d have all the time in the world to explore.
From the moment Lan Xu had first laid eyes on the young man, he had found him utterly irritating. So much so that even a glance filled him with disgust.
As Lan Xu watched the young man gaze toward the staircase, the dagger in his sleeve slipped out once more. But before he could act, the young man changed direction and began walking deeper toward the stairs. Lan Xu had no choice but to suppress his urge and follow.
At the end of the corridor, there was indeed a staircase leading underground. Lan Xu glanced at the seemingly bottomless stairs, then turned his attention to the young man standing at the entrance. Once again, he prepared to strike.
Yet his plan was foiled again. Just a second before Lan Xu could act, the young man stepped onto the descending staircase. Lan Xu paused for a moment, then followed him down without a change in expression.
At the bottom of the stairs was a basement. The door wasn’t locked and seemed like it could be pushed open with a light touch. However, 'Ruan Qing' didn’t push it. Instead, he turned to Lan Xu with a look of fear and unease. “Could there be… something terrifying inside?”
Without knowing the other’s true intentions, a direct confrontation was far less effective than a sneak attack. And with the young man watching him, the opportunity for a surprise strike was lost.
Once again, Lan Xu suppressed his murderous intent. He stepped forward, following the young man’s lead, and prepared to push the door open for him. He also prepared to strike the moment the young man stepped into the basement.
‘Ruan Qing’ watched as the man reached out to push the door open, and he couldn’t help but let a smile creep onto his lips. He was eager to see the person in the basement.
The barrier was meant to protect the young man. Over the years, it had absorbed a terrifying amount of energy. While the barrier prevented this energy from causing harm, it would instantly consume anyone alive who opened the door, erasing their existence without a trace.
But what did that have to do with him?
From the moment the man had declared, “I am your master,” he had deserved to die. The fact that ‘Ruan Qing’ hadn’t killed him directly was already an act of great mercy.
However, to ‘Ruan Qing’s’ surprise, Lan Xu slowly pushed the basement door open, and nothing happened.
It was as if there had never been a barrier at all.
‘Ruan Qing’ instinctively furrowed his brow, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
But he didn’t have time to dwell on it. If the barrier isolating the basement had been broken, the energy would begin to seep inside, putting the person in the basement in danger.
He had to get the person back into their body first.
‘Ruan Qing’ hurriedly stepped past Lan Xu and entered the basement. Then, with a subtle movement of his fingers, he closed his eyes.
***
By 6 a.m., Ruan Qing noticed that the floor-length mirror in the basement had returned to normal, no longer showing any strange images.
The only way he could communicate with ‘Ruan Qing’ now was through the phone.
Still, the daytime was relatively safe, so nothing unexpected should happen.
He had already given all the warnings he could. ‘Ruan Qing’ should be able to find some clues. Once night fell and he could possess ‘Ruan Qing’s’ body again, they could investigate the clues together.
Since Ruan Qing couldn’t leave the basement and had nothing else to do, he decided to go to bed.
But just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard a creaking sound.
It was… the sound of a door being opened!
The sound was very close—so close that it seemed to be right next to him. And the only door nearby was the one to the basement!
Ruan Qing instantly snapped awake. He sat up immediately and saw another figure entering the basement.
Before he could clearly make out who it was, his vision blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. In the next moment, the scene before his eyes changed.
Ruan Qing stared blankly at the basement in front of him, momentarily disoriented.
It was still the same basement, but his position and perspective had completely changed. He was now standing near the entrance.
The feeling of having a body versus not having one was entirely different. With a body, he could feel his breath, his pulse, even the beating of his heart—sensations that simply didn’t exist in his ghostly state.
Ruan Qing instinctively looked down at his hands. It seemed like he had entered someone else’s body?
Lan Xu, who had followed the young man inside, noticed his dazed expression and a glint flickered in his eyes.
This was a perfect opportunity.
Lan Xu’s eyes were cold and emotionless as he swiftly raised the dagger in his hand, striking without hesitation.
But just as the dagger was about to descend, Lan Xu’s hand froze. The aura of the person in front of him had changed.
It had become… indescribable.
Although Ruan Qing hadn’t fully grasped what was happening, he caught sight of the glass mirror not far away.
The mirror faintly reflected two figures. One was him, and the other was a man standing behind him, holding a dagger high in the air. The sight was chilling.
Ruan Qing instinctively turned around.
There really was a man behind him, his dagger raised as if he were about to bring it down with deadly force.
The moment Ruan Qing saw this clearly, his pupils contracted, and his eyes widened in shock. He stumbled backward in panic.
But because of the angle at which he was standing, the open door was right behind him. As he stepped back, he bumped into it, leaving him no more room to retreat—no more chance to escape.
Like a helpless rabbit cornered by a vicious wolf, he could only tremble as he stared at the predator before him.
Lan Xu hadn’t expected the young man to suddenly turn around. When their eyes met, Lan Xu’s heart skipped a beat, and an unfamiliar emotion surged from deep within him, spreading rapidly through his entire body.
It was a feeling so foreign that it left Lan Xu at a loss.
Just moments ago, he hadn’t felt anything like this, nor had he found the young man’s appearance particularly striking. But now, Lan Xu could clearly hear the pounding of his own heart.
It was louder than usual, beating faster than ever—so fast that it felt abnormal.
Lan Xu instinctively tightened his grip on the dagger, his knuckles turning white and the veins on his hand faintly visible. It wasn’t until he noticed the young man’s slender frame trembling slightly that he finally snapped out of it.
…It seemed like he had scared him.
Lan Xu pressed his lips together, his movements stiff as he lowered his hand. Then, he held the dagger out to Ruan Qing, his voice awkward and forced. “Don’t misunderstand. I just noticed you don’t have a weapon, so I thought I’d give you this dagger for self-defense.”
Ruan Qing: “?”
The live-stream audience: “?”
[Am I still asleep, or am I seeing things? Did Boss Lan just give away his precious dagger?]
[Wait, wasn’t Boss Lan here to kill him? How did it turn into him giving the dagger away?]
[Boss Lan, what’s wrong with you!? Isn’t that the S-grade item you’ve always kept close!? You’re just handing it over like that!? You went through so much trouble to get that S-grade item! Wake up!!!]
[So, Boss Lan, you followed him all this way… just to give him a dagger!?]
The entire live-stream audience was in shock, and Ruan Qing himself was equally baffled.
He glanced down at the cold, gleaming dagger in Lan Xu’s hand, unsure of what the man’s intentions really were.
“Take it,” Lan Xu said, turning the dagger so the blade faced himself before offering it again. His voice was low. “This dungeon is dangerous. Don’t wander around alone next time.”
It must have been a mistake on his part. The person in front of him was clearly too weak to pose any threat. Giving him the dagger as an apology was only right.
Ruan Qing gave Lan Xu a skeptical look but cautiously took the dagger from his hand.
Since the handle of the dagger was rather short, Ruan Qing’s fingers accidentally brushed against Lan Xu’s hand as he took it.
Though the contact lasted less than a second, Lan Xu’s hand froze. He awkwardly pulled his hand back. “Do you want to search for clues together?”
Before Ruan Qing could respond, Lan Xu instinctively added, “It’s dangerous for you to be alone. You don’t have much combat ability, and it’d be hard for you to avoid danger if you run into it. It’s better to stick with me.”
Lan Xu wasn’t the type to explain himself, nor was he the type to protect others. In fact, he usually found it annoying when people asked him for help.
Yet this time, he rambled on with explanations, as if he were afraid Ruan Qing might refuse him.
The live-stream audience was stunned.
[Has Boss Lan been possessed? I’ve been watching his streams for so long, and this is the first time I’ve seen him invite someone to search for clues together. Is he really not planning to kill him?]
[This is my first time seeing this too. Did someone put a spell on him? Why does this feel so unreal? Is there some kind of scheme here? Does he know that this person is the dungeon’s big boss?]
Lan Xu ignored the live-stream audience. After Ruan Qing agreed, the two began to move together.
However, Lan Xu didn’t take Ruan Qing to Building D. It was too dangerous, and Lan Xu instinctively didn’t want to drag this person into unnecessary risks.
Instead, Lan Xu led Ruan Qing away from the dangerous corner and headed to other buildings to search for clues. Throughout the process, he kept Ruan Qing behind him, only allowing him to enter rooms after ensuring they were safe. Even when searching for clues, Lan Xu always checked ahead to confirm there was no danger.
Compared to wandering alone in a dungeon filled with ghosts, Ruan Qing was more than happy to follow a player like Lan Xu. He quietly trailed behind, never running off or causing trouble, nor interrupting Lan Xu’s search for clues.
Ruan Qing carefully examined the areas Lan Xu had already checked, but his gaze suddenly fell on a mirror not far away.
When Ruan Qing had seen the reflection in the basement’s glass mirror, he realized he had entered his own body. Along the way, he had been conversing with ‘Ruan Qing.’
Though the two seemed to coexist peacefully, Ruan Qing knew that, given his own arrogant nature, he wouldn’t tolerate someone taking over his body—even if that someone was his past self.
Ruan Qing walked toward the bathroom mirror, wanting to test whether he could return to the mirror.
Once again, he succeeded.
But this time, it was different. Previously, returning to the mirror meant returning to the basement. Now, however, Ruan Qing had truly entered the mirror itself.
Looking at the mirrored layout of the room, Ruan Qing instinctively glanced around.
Meanwhile, ‘Ruan Qing’ regained control of the body. But instead of searching for clues, he stared at Lan Xu’s busy figure with a deep, unreadable gaze, his eyes carrying a hint of danger.
The next second, ‘Ruan Qing’s’ delicate face showed a mix of grievance and sadness. He spoke in his mind, “Kill him. I don’t like him.”
Ruan Qing: “...?”
Thank you for the chapter!!
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