Chapter 18
by GideonChapter 18: Snow Mountain Town
18: Protecting Teammates at All Costs
Footsteps echoed from the courtyard. Jiang Qibai and her two companions hastily retreated from the Forestry Station Master’s bedroom and relocked the door. Before leaving, Jiang Qibai paused, turned back, and snatched the blood-stained necklace from the Station Master’s neck.
Yu Xian returned shortly after. His expression was a mix of confusion and deep thought, as if he’d just discovered something unsettling.
The moment A Hai saw him, he blurted out, “We found a skeleton in the Station Master’s room—picked clean!”
Yan Nanfei added, “We suspect that was the real Station Master.”
The real Station Master? Yu Xian’s furrowed brow gradually smoothed. “I followed the fake Station Master to the cellar.”
He still found it hard to believe what he’d just witnessed. “…He was crawling all over the cellar floor, devouring a whole sack of sweet potatoes raw.”
The sound of the fake Station Master munching on those sweet potatoes—crunch, crunch, crunch—was still echoing in Yu Xian’s mind.
And in the end, despite using a stealth item to conceal his presence, the fake Station Master had still spotted him.
Yu Xian watched in horror as the fake Forestry Station Master, crawling on all fours in a grotesque posture, snapped its head up. Its eyes, glowing with a faint, eerie light in the darkness, locked onto his position. Drool continuously leaked from its half-open mouth.
In this monster’s dream, it was not only invincible but possessed immeasurable strength. Yu Xian didn’t dare linger and immediately retreated from the cellar.
“This Forestry Station Master isn’t just a fake,” Yan Nanfei mused, piecing the clues together. “It’s not even human.”
Combining all the information with the tooth marks she had seen, she deduced, “Some kind of rodent in the forestry station mutated before the Station Master did. For some reason, it turned into a Blood Terracotta monster. It ate the Station Master and seems to have inherited some of his memories. In its meager brain, those memories are the only ones it can use to weave this dreamscape—the scene of the Station Master welcoming visitors.”
“Could exposing the monster’s true identity be the key to breaking the dream?”
A Hai was the last one to figure it out. A look of sudden realization dawned on his face. “So it’s just a…”
As they were talking, the fake Forestry Station Master suddenly appeared and started walking toward them. A Hai clamped a hand over his mouth, but then, remembering their plan to expose the monster’s identity, he slowly lowered it.
The fake Forestry Station Master, now out of the cellar, seemed to have returned to his normal self.
“It’s almost time for dinner. Guests, follow me,” he said, addressing the empty air.
A Hai went straight for the jugular. “You’re a rat.”
The fake Forestry Station Master’s expression didn’t flicker. “I will treat you all well.”
“Why isn’t it working?” A Hai’s voice rose a few octaves. “I said, you’re a rat! You’re a rat! Do you hear me? You’re not the master of this place at all—you’re just a rat!”
The fake Forestry Station Master ignored him and walked into the kitchen, quickly bringing out several platters of food and arranging them on the long table in the living room.
Jiang Qibai glanced at Yu Xian. Yu Xian had no idea where they’d gone wrong. If exposing the monster’s identity didn’t work, what was the key to breaking this dreamscape?
“Meow.” A cat’s cry rang out.
The fake Forestry Station Master froze instantly. He shrank his neck, glancing left and right. After a moment, finding no cat nearby, he relaxed.
Yan Nanfei meowed again, and then a third time. Her imitation was so perfect that even Jiang Qibai thought for a second there was a real cat nearby.
But the fake Forestry Station Master had already seen through the trick. After flinching at the first meow, he acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
“Meowing didn’t work. Do we really need to find a real cat?” Yan Nanfei asked, frustrated. Not only were they trapped in the farmhouse, but even if they could leave, they wouldn’t find a single cat in all of Snow Mountain Town.
Well, I technically have a cat at home, Jiang Qibai thought, but it only robs me blind and does no work.
“He’s about to eat. How about we slip some rat poison into his food?” A Hai suggested. “Maybe that’ll remind him he’s a rat.”
“…”
Seeing that the other three offered no support for his idea, A Hai huffed. “Fine, I’ll find some myself.” A farm this big—how could they not have some rat poison on hand?
Jiang Qibai glanced at A Hai, then rose to follow him.
Yan Nanfei and Yu Xian tried a few more methods. Some showed promising results, successfully triggering the fake Forestry Station Master’s animal instincts. But each time, the creature beneath the Forestry Station Master’s false skin would snap back to its senses mid-way and resume its clumsy roleplay. They still couldn’t completely shatter the illusion.
The two sat at the long table, their appetites completely gone despite the lavish spread before them. The imposter Forestry Station Master, however, was already digging in, stuffing his face with gusto.
“Where’s Bai Qi?” Yan Nanfei asked. Did she go look for the rat poison with A Hai?
The moment the words left her lips, Jiang Qibai suddenly strode over, snatched the imposter’s tray, and dumped its contents onto the floor.
Yu Xian flinched. He had encountered more than one Blood Terracotta before, so he knew they were theoretically omnipotent within their own dreams. Though the creature itself might not be fully aware of this, he still tried to avoid provoking it.
Faced with Jiang Qibai’s blatant act of aggression, the imposter Forestry Station Master merely froze for a second. Then, without hesitation, he dropped to all fours on the floor and continued his feast.
A pair of dark brown work boots stepped down in front of the crouching imposter. A familiar Beast Fang Necklace slipped from someone’s neck, landing with a soft clink.
The imposter slowly raised his head.
A tall figure in a corduroy jacket and dark cargo pants loomed over it, face obscured by the backlight. A low, enraged snarl rumbled in its throat as it stomped forward.
A familiar, primal terror surged from the depths of its soul, and the fake Forestry Station Master couldn’t help but shriek.
Screee—
It was as if an invisible barrier had shattered. The sudden rush of icy air jolted everyone’s spirits awake.
The Forestry Station Master was gone. In his place, a monstrous rat, over two meters long, crouched on the floor. Its body was covered in coarse, black, short fur, and its skin was marred with dark brown, scar-like protrusions. Its abdomen was unnaturally bloated.
Jiang Qibai, who had already drawn her Fishbone Sword, struck immediately, dealing a whopping two points of damage.
Seeing the damage value, she decisively retreated, leaving the battlefield to the true main DPS.
[ Achievement Unlocked: [Protecting Your Teammate With Your Body]. Reward: +2 Life. ]
A silver flash signaled Yu Xian’s weapon unsheathing. This time, Jiang Qibai saw it clearly: a silver thread was attached to the gleaming, circular blade, which Yu Xian controlled with a flick of his wrist.
The Blood Terracotta, its true form now revealed, glared with a vicious light in its cloudy eyes. Despite its massive frame, it moved so fast it left afterimages, lunging at Yan Nanfei in an instant.
A Hai, dressed in the Forestry Station Master’s clothes, was the first to react.
[ Player Playing with Phone used skill [ Set the Rhythm ]: Area-of-Effect Crowd Control. All enemies within range will follow the rhythm (mimic the player’s movements) for 15s. Cooldown: 1 hour. ]
The Blood Terracotta froze mid-action. Yan Nanfei backed away, landing two more attacks, but her efforts were clearly thwarted by the creature’s staggering Defense multiplier. Yu Xian seized the opportunity to unleash a full-power assault, leaving seven or eight bloody gashes on the Blood Terracotta’s body.
[ Player Playing with Phone used skill [ Ride the Hype ]: Designate a teammate to receive a bonus equal to 20% of their Base Attributes. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 12 hours. ]
[ Designated Player: cos ]
The fifteen seconds flew by in a flash. A Hai eagerly charged forward, feeling as if he possessed Herculean strength and the agility of a swallow. He couldn’t help but marvel, “Bro, your attributes are insane!”
Seizing the buff, A Hai charged in for close-quarters combat. The Blood Terracotta, reeling from the pain, smashed through the living room window leading to the courtyard, desperate to escape to the cellar.
But A Hai wasn’t about to let it get away. He blocked the monster’s path, his hammer raining down heavy blows on its head and spine. The dull thuds of shattering bone echoed continuously.
Blood oozed from the Blood Terracotta’s nose and mouth. It let out a shrill, creaking shriek, suddenly rearing up on two legs. Its bloated belly tore open, revealing a maw lined with stark white fangs. From the center of the tear, dark red fleshy tendrils erupted, instantly wrapping around A Hai’s limbs and dragging him toward the “mouth” on the monster’s stomach.
“Holy shit! Help me!” A Hai screamed, struggling desperately. Just as his plea rang out, Yu Xian’s Crescent Moon Blade sliced through the air, frantically hacking at the tendrils binding A Hai.
Just as A Hai was about to break free, Yu Xian saw the raised scars on the Blood Terracotta’s back begin to writhe. They coalesced into the closed-eyed face of a middle-aged man.
Before he could even process the chilling familiarity of that face, the man’s mouth snapped open and spewed a cloud of green mist.
Jiang Qibai stood on the edge of the battlefield, unable to see the finer details. She only saw Yu Xian’s HP bar plummet and immediately prepared her healing skills.
Yu Xian, engulfed by the foul-smelling green mist, felt his head spin. He retreated, shouting back to Jiang Qibai, “I’m poisoned! Losing 5 HP per minute for the next ten minutes!”
Healing skills were precious, and Yu Xian didn’t want Jiang Qibai to waste them in a rush. He quickly reported his status, knowing he could still tank the damage for a while without immediate healing.
Seeing their two main attackers in trouble, Yan Nanfei quickly deployed her crowd-control skill.
[ Player Yan Nanfei used the skill [Give Me a Colorful Black]! The target is now Confused. Accuracy and Speed are drastically reduced. Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 2 hours. ]
The Blood Terracotta, now under the skill’s effect, stumbled in confusion, its attacks missing repeatedly. A Hai seized the opportunity, slicing through the last fleshy tendril binding him with his blade. He glanced at Yu Xian, who had retreated a few steps. “How’d you get poisoned?”
“Watch the faces on its body—they spit poison mist,” Yu Xian warned. Just as he regained his footing, he lunged forward like a wraith, his razor-sharp chakram slicing through the skin of the face on the Blood Terracotta’s back.
The face that had been sliced in two suddenly scattered, only to begin reforming elsewhere.
Having anticipated the attack, A Hai had already leaped away. The toxic mist missed its mark and was instantly dispersed by the chilling wind.
Only when Yu Xian’s HP bar dipped to around 15% did Jiang Qibai finally use her skill, [ Blessing Therapy ]. Yu Xian’s health instantly refilled. He leaped back onto the Blood Terracotta’s back, his fingers tracing a perfect circle in the air. The silver threads guiding his wheel blade erupted in a brilliant light.
The dazzling silver moon-wheel silently sliced into the Blood Terracotta, nearly cleaving it in two. From this angle, Yu Xian saw a dark golden object, pulsing like a heart, deep within the gore and shredded flesh.
At the same time, the severed muscles immediately sprouted new flesh, weaving the two halves of the body back together and healing the wound. Even the HP they had so painstakingly chipped away began to gradually refill.
“How is it still regenerating?” A Hai exclaimed in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Yan Nanfei immediately reset Jiang Qibai’s skill, allowing her to save her teammates at a moment’s notice.
[ Player Yan Nanfei has used the skill [ Must Be Done Before Clocking Out ]. The designated teammate’s skill has entered an Urgent State, reducing its cooldown by 2 hours. Cooldown: 1 day. ]
The cooldown for Blessing Therapy was only an hour, and it refreshed instantly, lighting up again.
“Yan Nanfei,” Yu Xian panted slightly, “have you used that skill that completely resets the cooldown period?”
“Saving it,” Yan Nanfei replied immediately. “Do you need it now?”
[ Player Yan Nanfei used the skill [The Previous Version Was Better], resetting the cooldown of one teammate’s skill. Cooldown: 2 days ]
Yan Nanfei reset the ultimate skill Yu Xian had just used—the one that had nearly sliced the Blood Terracotta in half.
As the Crescent Wheel Blade flew out, forcing the Blood Terracotta to retreat, Yu Xian took the opportunity to shove a box into Ah Hai’s arms, his words coming out in a rapid-fire blur. “When I attack the monster, you’ll see a dark gold, gel-like object inside its body. Grab it and put it in this box. That will severely wound the monster and strip it of its healing ability.”
“You’ll lose HP when you touch that dark gold object, but don’t panic. Bai Qi will heal you.” With that, he gave Ah Hai a push, and the Crescent Wheel Blade in his hand once again erupted with a brilliant light.
Ah Hai proved reliable in the clutch, gripping the box tightly as he readied himself, even tossing a Buff on himself in the process.
[ Player “Playing with Phone” used the skill [Run Away After Streaming]. Movement speed increased by 100%, but attacks and skills are disabled during this period. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 4 hours. ]
As the dazzling crescent moon descended, A Hai bolted forward. He ignored the blood and flesh splattering around him, cutting through the gore to find his target. He reached out and snatched the dark-golden object, gripping it firmly.
Its texture was bizarre. It looked like metal but felt soft, flowing in his palm like warm mercury.
Just as Yu Xian had warned, A Hai’s health began to drain rapidly the moment he touched it. The terrifyingly fast HP loss sent him into a panic, and he scrambled to stuff the object into the box.
In his frantic haste, about one-fifth of the dark-golden mass slipped from his grasp and fell. The moment it hit the ground, it vanished without a trace, like a drop of water sinking into the ocean.
[ Player [Bai Qi] used the skill [Blessing Therapy] on you. HP +26. ]
The Blood Terracotta, now missing its dark-golden core, failed to regenerate. It collapsed, dying on the ground. The four of them quickly finished it off.
Jiang Qibai received a notification: [ Assisted in killing Blood Terracotta x1, earned 100 Points. ]
A Hai wiped the blood splattered across his face. It wasn’t just his face, though; from retrieving that mysterious object, his entire body was covered in gore.
“Good thing I’m wearing the Forestry Station Master’s clothes,” he muttered. He couldn’t stand the sticky, cloying feeling of blood-soaked fabric, especially when the cool breeze chilled him to the bone. Shivering, he hurried inside to change.
Before heading off, A Hai handed the box back to Yu Xian. The box seemed unable to be stored in a Spatial Bracelet, so Yu Xian had been holding it all along.
“What’s that golden thing inside?” Yan Nanfei asked.
Yu Xian was busy chatting with Mr. Tree. Now that the Blood Terracotta’s Dream One had been shattered, they could reconnect with the outside world.
He ignored Yan Nanfei’s question, simply stating, “Mr. Tree is willing to trade a Skill Upgrade Card for the item in this box. One card per person.” All four of them had contributed to the Blood Terracotta’s defeat, and this loot hadn’t been part of their original agreement. If Mr. Tree wanted it, he had to pay them a fair price.
Yan Nanfei didn’t hesitate for a second. “I’m in.”
Seeing Yan Nanfei’s reaction, Jiang Qibai knew the Skill Upgrade Card must be incredibly valuable.
“It’s a rare System Item that can upgrade skills,” Yan Nanfei explained, noticing Jiang Qibai’s confused gaze. “Sometimes it enhances a skill’s effect, other times it reduces its cooldown. Basically, it’s all good.”
No wonder Yan Nanfei agreed so readily, Jiang Qibai thought. It’s definitely tempting.
“Yu Xian, what kind of box is this?” Jiang Qibai asked a strange question.
Yu Xian was taken aback that Jiang Qibai was interested in the box. He paused, but decided there was nothing to hide. “It’s just an ordinary leather box. I think it’s sheepskin or cowhide.”
The reason Jiang Qibai asked was, of course, because she had seen Hugo holding a similar leather box in front of the inn, though its size and color were different.
An ordinary leather box… not even an Item. So the only important thing is the leather itself. Only leather can contain that semi-solid, dark-gold substance.
Human skin is leather. Rat skin is leather.
The so-called Blood Terracottae are monsters mutated after trapping “it” inside their own bodies.
What exactly is “it”?
It was freezing outside. After being trapped in the monster’s dream for so long, night had completely fallen. The three of them hurried back into the farmhouse.
It looked like they were definitely spending the night here.
The living room window had a gaping hole, letting in a freezing draft that made it no warmer than the outdoors. It was out of the question. The Forestry Station Master’s room was a complete mess, and no one wanted to go in there.
That left them with only the guest room.
Yan Nanfei pushed the door open and immediately saw a pair of pale, bare legs. She turned her head away in disgust. “You’re still not dressed? How long has it been?”
Why had they been standing in the cold for so long? Wasn’t that exactly what A Hai needed—time to change? How was he still not done?
A Hai had already grabbed some clothes to cover his lower half the moment he heard them coming. Hearing Yan Nanfei’s question, he protested, “You saw how filthy I was! I had to wipe myself down! You guys should have waited a minute before coming in—Hey!”
He protested vehemently, but the other three still pushed into the room without a word, rubbing their frozen cheeks, ears, and fingers.
Fortunately, they still had the tact to turn their backs to him, preserving a shred of A Hai’s dignity.
That evening, Yu Xian brought back some firewood from the backyard and lit the fireplace in the living room. To accommodate guests, the Forestry Station Master had installed a hydronic heating system connected to the fireplace that ran through all the rooms. The guest room soon warmed up.
The item in the box would attract Shadow Ghosts within a certain range. Jiang Qibai had witnessed a Shadow Ghost riot in the town before. The forestry station’s remoteness, with no one else around, had actually become an advantage. So far, everything remained calm.
When A Hai heard that Mr. Tree wanted to trade a Skill Upgrade Card for the item in the box, he agreed instantly. “I have no use for that thing. Of course I’ll trade!”
However, the Skill Card didn’t just trade ownership of the item. They also had to bring it back to Snow Mountain Town safely. Mr. Tree would bring people to meet them in advance. It was obvious that the journey wouldn’t be peaceful.
Someone still had to keep watch at night. The four of them drew lots, and Jiang Qibai was lucky enough to be assigned to the first shift.
While the others lay down to rest, Jiang Qibai looked at her mission interface.
Having pre-booked her trip to the forestry station, Jiang Qibai had thought she wouldn’t have time to complete her daily missions, meaning she was bound to lose Points. Unexpectedly, today’s mission was very strange.
[ Novice Dungeon Welfare Mission: Submit Points to purchase a Safehouse Upgrade Service.
Safehouse Basic Upgrade Service (0/100) Safehouse Intermediate Upgrade Service (0/300) Safehouse Advanced Upgrade Service (0/500)
Note: Only one of the three upgrade services can be chosen. Mission time: 3 days ]
Jiang Qibai had already asked Yu Xian and the others about this quest. They told her that they had all received the same one in their first Dungeon and urged her not to miss it, as it was a rare opportunity to upgrade her Safehouse risk-free.
“How many days have you been in the Dungeon?” Yan Nanfei asked.
“…Nine days,” Jiang Qibai replied honestly.
“Your luck’s not great,” Yan Nanfei said, a flicker of sympathy crossing her eyes. She added gently, “Usually, people get this quest around the fifteen-day mark.”
Generally, the longer a player stayed in a Dungeon, the more Points they would accumulate—unless they were struggling so much that they had to spend all their Points on expensive daily supplies from the Mall.
Getting this quest on the ninth day was an absurdly early trigger. Novices still had to pay off their house loans; players with Combat Skills could clear that debt within five days, but Support players struggled. Without help from other players, a week was considered a fast repayment time.
Because players’ Talents were so varied, some Supports couldn’t even buff themselves. Yan Nanfei, for example, had two Talent Skills that only worked on teammates. That was why she had decisively teamed up with other players to hunt monsters. She had also learned from them that a Novice Dungeon bonus quest would spawn soon. After paying off her house loan, she hadn’t dared to spend a single Point, ensuring she didn’t miss the chance to upgrade her Safehouse.
She told Jiang Qibai, “I’d rather choose the most basic upgrade service than risk forgetting it at the last minute. New players are always so careless—they just keep thinking about farming more points, only to realize the quest time has already run out.”
Jiang Qibai didn’t think the System was targeting her personally by not giving her enough time to earn points. She just guessed that the Safehouse Upgrade Quest might be timed based on when the mortgage was paid off. Since she had paid hers off so early, the quest had appeared ahead of schedule.
Her fingertip hovered over the ‘Submit’ button next to the Intermediate Upgrade Service for a moment before she withdrew it.
When the quest first refreshed, Jiang Qibai had 226 points. After helping to kill the Giant Rat Monster, her total had increased to 326, meeting the threshold for the Intermediate Upgrade Service.
But she didn’t want to stop at Intermediate. There were still two days left before the quest deadline—why not aim for 500 points?
Tomorrow, they would be bringing the box back to Snow Mountain Town. It was bound to be a lively affair.
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