***
Bonus chapter! Thank you to Somebody for the donation! ^^
***
Ruan Qing’s scalp prickled under that gaze, and he instinctively struggled to move back. But the man’s hand was on his waist, the grip so firm that retreat was impossible.
With one hand securing Ruan Qing’s waist, the man pinched his pale chin again and leaned in.
“Don’t… Mmm—” Ruan Qing turned his head in panic, trying to avoid it, but the man was far stronger. Taking advantage of his parted lips, the man invaded ruthlessly.
Ruan Qing wanted to struggle, to push him away, but he couldn’t break free or even speak. His eyes reddened at the corners as he was forced to endure everything the man gave him.
Their clothes remained perfectly intact from head to toe—not a single button undone. At most, Ruan Qing’s shirt was slightly wrinkled. But there was nothing innocent about what was happening between them.
In reality, Ruan Qing’s body was too weak to withstand much—too weak to endure even a trace of 'His' power. But the Nightmare World was different. As long as its master didn’t wish to kill the dreamer, no amount of mistreatment could break them.
As long as 'He' willed it, Ruan Qing wouldn’t be corrupted by 'His' power, nor would he collapse from the strain.
The man kissed him without restraint, his long fingers slipping to the first button of Ruan Qing’s shirt, undoing it effortlessly.
Just as he moved to the second, a noise came from outside the classroom.
In an instant, the man pulled Ruan Qing against his chest, one hand cradling the back of his head, shielding him completely.
Only after ensuring Ruan Qing was fully hidden did the man coldly turn toward the sound, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent.
The Nightmare World was not static. It shifted with the dreamer’s fears—and with the whims of its master.
There might even be spatial splitting and merging.
When space splits, which space you fall into depends entirely on luck.
With good luck, you might land in a relatively safe space. With bad luck, you could end up in an extremely dangerous place.
Just like the few people outside the classroom—they were extremely unfortunate.
Standing in the classroom were the players. Staying awake for three days straight had already pushed them to their limit, and in the end, they were unknowingly dragged into the nightmare world.
The players stood at the classroom door, momentarily stunned, as if they hadn’t expected to encounter such a scene. But when they saw the murderous look in the man’s eyes, they realized they had interrupted something.
Danger!!!
Every cell in their brains screamed at them to run. Their hair stood on end, cold sweat breaking out instantly, but their feet felt as heavy as lead, impossible to lift.
It was an indescribable fear—like a tiny mayfly facing the vastness of heaven and earth, utterly powerless.
They couldn’t even muster the slightest will to resist.
Deep terror filled the players’ eyes as all strength seemed to drain from their bodies, leaving them frozen stiff in the doorway.
Except for Lu Xiuyuan and the others.
Although the man shielded the person in his arms tightly, the four of them recognized Ruan Qing at a glance.
The tall man held the delicate youth, who obediently buried his face in the man’s chest, their posture intimate, like lovers.
Like… lovers…
Lu Xiuyuan stared fixedly at the figure in the man’s embrace, his eyes dark and turbulent, his entire demeanor sinister and terrifying.
Most psychopaths couldn’t tolerate their lover escaping them, let alone being held in another man’s arms.
The temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees as danger and tension spread, time itself seeming to freeze.
Ruan Qing naturally sensed the intense gaze. His slender body trembled slightly as he buried his face completely in the man’s chest.
He wasn’t in any state to be seen right now. His lips were already swollen from the man’s kisses, and his pants bore obvious traces of what had happened. If those men saw him like this, the situation would become even harder to control.
The man didn’t notice Ruan Qing’s unease, but he immediately recognized the strange look in the eyes of the four at the door—they were clearly coveting the person in his arms. His gaze turned even colder.
He expressionlessly averted his gaze and unhurriedly buttoned up Ruan Qing’s shirt, then spoke in a low voice.
"Stay put and wait for me."
After saying that, the man walked toward the classroom door. But halfway there, the space around him suddenly began to split apart, shattering like broken glass.
In the next second, Ruan Qing was no longer in the classroom.
The man stared at the empty room, his face instantly darkening. The spatial fractures were caused by his own overwhelming power—the very fabric of reality couldn’t withstand his presence, leading to frequent ruptures wherever he went.
But this time, someone had exploited that instability to take Ruan Qing away.
***
Ruan Qing hadn’t been kidnapped. The moment the man’s attention wavered, he had forcibly altered the nightmare world to escape.
There was no useful information to gain from that man—only danger. So Ruan Qing ran without hesitation.
Luckily, the spatial distortion masked his escape. No one realized he’d fled on his own.
But even though he’d gotten away, the situation couldn’t be worse.
The second clearance method was likely sealed off by the system, and surviving seven days was outright impossible. This dungeon seemed like a dead end.
As he walked, Ruan Qing lowered his gaze, rapidly analyzing and calculating his options.
There were always ways to clear a dungeon beyond the official rules—killing 'Him' or destroying the dungeon outright.
But neither was feasible for him. Not alone, at least.
Unless… there was someone as powerful as the dungeon boss—and not another System avatar.
That left only the other players… or 'Su Zhen'.
'Su Zhen' was too dangerous. Manifesting him again was a risk Ruan Qing couldn’t afford, so he ruled that out immediately.
The school remained unchanged, but now devoid of students, its false tranquility stripped away.
Manifesting reality within the nightmare world required the least mental energy.
Ruan Qing was deep in thought when he suddenly froze. A creeping unease prickled at his instincts—the unmistakable sensation of being watched.
It wasn’t paranoia. The weight of that gaze grew heavier, thickening until it bordered on unbearable.
That... came from behind him.
Ruan Qing's pale, slender fingers tightened around his sleeve, but he didn't stop walking, pretending as though he hadn't noticed anything at all.
As he passed by the glass windows of the school building, he stole a discreet glance—the reflection revealed everything behind him.
At some point, a figure had begun silently following him.
It was... 'Su Zhen'!
He hadn't disappeared just because Ruan Qing had left the nightmare world!
The moment Ruan Qing recognized the figure, his eyes widened, his delicate frame stiffening for a split second before he pressed his lips together tightly and continued forward without a word.
'Su Zhen' still dragged that blade behind him, its tip scraping a cruel line across the ground—yet not a single sound was made.
He followed Ruan Qing at a leisurely pace, exuding an eerie, unsettling presence, like a parasite clinging to bone.
Inescapable. Unshakable.
The manifested campus was deathly quiet, the empty path occupied only by the two of them—one in front, the other behind.
'Su Zhen' matched Ruan Qing's pace step for step, but his strides were longer. Even as they moved at the same speed, the distance between them steadily shrank.
Watching the approaching figure through the glass reflection, Ruan Qing clenched his hands nervously, his eyes dark with tension.
Yet there was nothing he could do.
Against overwhelming strength, all schemes and strategies were rendered useless.
He could only watch helplessly as 'Su Zhen' drew closer—five steps away, then four, then three—until ignoring him became impossible.
And then, the path ahead ended.
Ruan Qing stared at the dead end before him and slowly came to a halt, standing rigidly in place.
The man behind him stopped as well.
"Who... are you?"
A hoarse voice rasped from behind Ruan Qing, rough, as though its owner hadn't spoken in a long time.
Ruan Qing's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He didn't turn around, only casting a sidelong glance at the shadow behind him.
If he could communicate... then he could be used.
Ruan Qing's expression suddenly changed. His face went pale as he trembled and turned around, looking anxiously and fearfully at 'Su Zhen'.
“You… you’ve forgotten everything?”
'Su Zhen' didn’t speak, nor did he move. He simply stared at Ruan Qing expressionlessly.
Ruan Qing bit his lip and carefully asked, “Do you still remember who you are?”
Still no response from 'Su Zhen', but a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes—it was clear he no longer remembered who he was.
Ruan Qing didn’t miss that flicker of confusion. Nervously tugging at the hem of his clothes, he said in a small voice:
“I… I’m your younger brother…”
“You’re Su Zhen. You died two years ago.” Ruan Qing recited the backstory of the dungeon boss without a hint of guilt, even going as far as fabricating a role for himself as Su Zhen’s biological younger brother.
“Because we grew up together, that’s why you followed me. That’s why I feel so familiar to you.”
Ruan Qing spun Su Zhen’s emotions into something familial, trying his best to twist his sense of reality.
Su Zhen’s gaze landed on Ruan Qing’s lips. His voice was filled with certainty: “You’re not.”
Then he even stubbornly repeated, “You’re not my brother.”
“I wouldn’t want to f*ck my brother.”
Ruan Qing: “…”
Ruan Qing pitifully pursed his lips, on the verge of tears. “I… I really am your brother.”
Su Zhen, seemingly devoid of any emotion—no joy, no anger, no sorrow—replied in a flat, mechanical tone:
“I’m already dead.”
Hearing this, Ruan Qing looked up at him, eyes wide with confusion, clearly not understanding what Su Zhen meant by that.
Su Zhen stared blankly as he said:
“Even a brother can be f*cked.”
Ruan Qing: “…”
Even a brother hardcore hahaha
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