***
Bonus chapter! Thank you to Fray for the donation! ^^
***
The moment all the mirrors in the room shattered, Ruan Qing's live stream was plunged into brief darkness.
The screen went black, and even the sound completely disappeared, as if the player had died.
However, the barrage of comments flashing across the live stream screen reminded everyone that the stream had not been closed, and the player had not died.
After all, if the player had died, the live stream would have been shut down immediately, and no further comments could be sent.
Just as all the viewers were puzzled, the live stream's screen began to flicker incessantly, as if there was a poor connection.
A few seconds later, two lines of large red text abruptly appeared on the screen, accompanied by a progress bar below.
[Player: **.
ID: 0.
Mutation Level: 11.17%.]
The red text displayed on the black screen gave off an extremely eerie and ominous feeling.
The viewers, who were already struggling to make sense of the situation, became even more confused upon seeing these two lines of text and the progress bar.
What did this mean? Had the streamer already died?
But if he had died, wouldn’t the live stream have been closed? Why could they still send comments?
[Wait, what’s going on now? Has the streamer already kicked the bucket? All I saw was the mirror breaking. Did the streamer get instantly killed?]
[The streamer definitely isn’t dead. If he was, the live stream would’ve been closed. But I’m still confused—what do these two lines mean? Why is the name censored? And what’s with the ID being 0? Isn’t the ID supposed to be the live stream’s number? How can it be 0?]
[I remember that a player’s ID is usually the year and month they first started streaming, plus the order in which they began. It’s usually at least eight digits long. What’s with this 0?]
[No, I’ve seen two-digit IDs before. Remember that top-ranked big shot on the leaderboard? I think his live stream had a two-digit ID. I heard that the earliest players who entered the game were assigned IDs based on the order they joined, but even then, it should start from 1, right? And this streamer doesn’t seem like a veteran who’s been in the game for long.]
[Didn’t anyone notice the mutation level? Is that progress bar what I think it is? A measure of how far the player has transformed into something non-human?]
As it turned out, it seemed to be exactly what the viewers were thinking. The progress bar was slowly advancing, inexplicably giving off a sense of urgency and danger.
In the game, players could sometimes undergo mutations and become non-human entities due to certain incidents. This didn’t necessarily mean the players would become more powerful; instead, it often posed significant dangers.
Once a player fully mutates, they would be judged by the Infinite Horror Game system as non-human, thus losing their qualification to clear the level and becoming permanently trapped as part of the game instance.
In other words, once the mutation rate reached 100%, it was no different from dying within the instance.
...Was it because the final boss was inside the player's body?
The live-stream audience speculated that this was highly likely. After all, the player's body was inherently fragile, and being influenced by the final boss to mutate seemed entirely plausible.
The live-stream screen displayed the two lines of text and the progress bar for a few seconds before returning to normal. However, the text did not disappear; instead, it appeared in the stream's sidebar, under the introduction section for the streamer.
This was a section present in all live-streams, but this particular stream had lacked one until now. Finally, it had a proper introduction—though one that looked eerily unsettling.
***
After returning to his own body, Ruan Qing could see some of the less important chat messages, but he could not see the two lines of text or the ominous progress bar in the live-stream.
His mind was completely blank, filled with nothing but fear and terror. He even felt a chilling coldness spreading through his entire body.
It was so cold.
Ruan Qing was almost entirely enveloped by a sinister, icy chill, as if he were trapped in a frozen wasteland. The cold was so intense that he couldn't stop trembling, his entire demeanor radiating unease.
He looked utterly pitiful.
Although Xu He's eyes remained dark and unreadable as he watched the shivering figure, he subconsciously reined in the dense, almost tangible aura of Yin energy surrounding him. He picked Ruan Qing up and gently placed him on the bed.
After setting Ruan Qing down, Xu He lay down beside him, pulling Ruan Qing into his arms with a forceful, unyielding grip. His hold was so tight it felt as though he wanted to crush Ruan Qing into himself.
The embrace was painful, but Ruan Qing bit his lip, his face pale, and said nothing.
Xu He held him for nearly a minute before finally loosening his grip. He gently wiped away the tears at the corners of Ruan Qing's eyes. "Why are you still so prone to crying?"
Xu He's tone was intimate, as if nothing had happened at all. Even the danger in his eyes seemed to fade slightly.
It was as if everything had returned to those days in the basement, when he had pretended to be Ruan Qing's lover after Ruan Qing lost his memory.
But his icy, lifeless hands, along with his lack of breath or heartbeat, were a stark reminder that he was no longer human.
No matter how much he tried to hide it, the dominance and aggression in his eyes were impossible to conceal. His gaze remained fixed on Ruan Qing, as if he wanted to devour him whole.
It was eerie and spine-chilling.
Xu He's eyes were dark and unfathomable. He didn’t seem to mind Ruan Qing's silence. Instead, he gently caressed the corner of Ruan Qing's eye, his movements tender yet carrying an indescribable sensuality and ambiguity.
A cold, oppressive aura clung to the air. Ruan Qing wanted to struggle, but he had no strength left to resist—nor did he dare.
Because if he angered Xu He, the only thing awaiting him was death.
And after death, an eternity of being trapped in this nightmare.
Xu He didn’t seem to notice Ruan Qing's stiffness. After lightly touching the tear mole at the corner of Ruan Qing's eye, his slender, well-defined fingers trailed down the pale, jade-like face, finally coming to rest at the edge of Ruan Qing's lips.
Ruan Qing's lips were naturally pale, but now, perhaps from being pressed together so tightly, they looked as if they had been tinted with rouge—vivid and alluring, like ripe cherries, tempting one to taste them.
Xu He's eyes darkened. He pinched Ruan Qing's chin, lifting it slightly, forcing Ruan Qing to meet his gaze without escape. "Am I that scary?"
"Hmm?"
The fear and unease in Ruan Qing's eyes were unmistakable. He instinctively wanted to shake his head, but with his chin firmly held, he couldn’t move at all. He could only stare stiffly at Xu He, tears silently streaming down his face.
Xu He froze for a moment, his pupils dilating slightly. The greed and excitement in his eyes were impossible to hide.
At this moment, his expression was no different from that of a vengeful spirit outside, hunting for living souls.
It was an obsession and instinct that could not be suppressed after becoming a ghost—a sight that sent shivers down one’s spine.
In truth, Ruan Qing's current state could only be described as utterly disheveled. His hair was disheveled, a few strands clinging to his cheeks, damp with sweat. His white shirt, stained with dirt from hiding under the bed, added to his disarray.
Yet, this disheveled state did nothing to diminish his beauty. Instead, it lent him an air of fragile elegance, like a delicate flower on the verge of withering—beautiful yet vulnerable.
But this very beauty stirred dark desires in countless hearts, a longing to possess him completely.
It had been this way when he was alive, and it remained the same even after he became a vengeful spirit.
Xu He's grip on Ruan Qing's chin tightened slightly, tilting it up further. Then, without hesitation, he leaned down forcefully.
"Boom—!!!" The door to the room was violently kicked open, the sound piercing and deafening.
Upon hearing the sound, Ruan Qing quickly hid the dagger Lan Xu had left him inside his sleeve. He then turned his gaze toward the room’s door, his eyes glistening with hope, like a drowning person catching sight of their last lifeline.
It really was… Lan Xu!
The reason Ruan Qing had hesitated to use the dagger was that he had been waiting for Lan Xu to return. Aside from this dagger, he had no other means to protect himself. If he acted and failed, he would lose any chance of leaving alive.
Fortunately, Lan Xu had finally returned.
Just as Ruan Qing began to relax slightly, he noticed that Lan Xu wasn’t alone. Behind him were several twisted, terrifying figures in pursuit.
When Ruan Qing saw those figures clearly, his expression froze.
Because he recognized them all too well.
They were the very people… he had killed in the explosion.
