Chapter 14: Huh, Why Did You Die?

As the group drew closer to the small hill, the sounds of children laughing and playing became increasingly distinct.

Strangely enough, though it should have been a harmonious sound, it carried a certain… non-human sense of deathly stillness.

It wasn’t quite like the robotic feel that Isana gave off.

Moreover, the strangest thing was that almost all of those people had their backs turned toward Li Meng and the others.

Even for the children running in circles around the tree, in those moments when their faces should have been visible, there were only blurred, indistinct images.

“Hand in hand~ walk together~ don’t look back before reaching ██.”

Finally, after reaching the top of the hill where the figures were gathered, the group could clearly hear the rhyme the children were singing.

However… much like the deliberate audio censorship in classified videos, two specific words… were exceptionally muffled.

“Sigh… strange… for a moment just now, were two words blocked out?”

“Most likely. It’s just a common trick used by Guiyi. By deliberately hiding key information, they bait others into speculation, thereby triggering psychological panic.”

“However… some Guiyi are indeed unable to provide key information for certain reasons,” Li Meng added. “But I don’t believe the Guiyi of the Four Corners Game falls into that category.”

“Smile a bit~ count them up~ see whose extra hand is here~”

The children held hands, continuing to circle the great tree with laughter and cheers…

Combined with this eerie rhyme and the adults who sat nearby watching — completely immersed and swaying to the rhythm — the scene inevitably sent a chill down one’s spine.

“Little Qian… these people…”

“They are all Guiyi.”

As if anticipating what Li Meng was going to ask, Qiu Qiqian immediately gave her judgment.

This surprised Li Meng slightly, but she soon broke into a smile, her eyes showing a bit more appreciation as she looked at Qiu Qiqian.

Being a Guiyi herself, Qiu Qiqian could tell that these so-called people… didn’t possess a single shred of “vitality.”

While others could see the Nether Breath emanating from them, that same effect would occur if a human were being possessed by a Guiyi.

However, because Qiu Qiqian and Li Meng were chatting, Yao Xueyue and Mo Ling had already walked over to the figures and hadn’t heard the content of their conversation.

“Hey, you guys…”

Just as Mo Ling reached out her hand, intending to tap one of the people on the back to get their attention, all of their movements suddenly stopped.

The original rhyme also ceased abruptly.

The children circling the great tree froze in place like puppets with their strings cut.

“Are you… also here to attend the party?”

“What party?”

As Mo Ling pressed for an answer, the “person” sitting in front of her suddenly whipped their head around, revealing a pale, featureless face…

“█████”

Bang!

In that same instant, a Black Arm tore through the air from behind Mo Ling, grazing past her and pinning the Guiyi to the ground with a single strike.

“What are you standing around for?”

After the Black Arm pinned the Guiyi, several crescent-shaped ring-blades flew out from Yao Xueyue’s side.

In the blink of an eye, they sliced the Guiyi that were also turning their heads into halves.

Qiu Qiqian subconsciously looked toward Yao Xueyue and discovered several silver-white ring-blades hovering around her.

These blades could not only be sent out to actively attack the humanoid Guiyi, but they could also automatically defend whenever a Guiyi suddenly lunged at Yao Xueyue’s face.

It looked… surprisingly intelligent.

“That is Yao Xueyue’s ability, Interminable Ring-Blades. It can actively attack targets and can also strike automatically when it senses danger.”

Isana slowly walked to Qiu Qiqian and Li Meng’s side.

She glanced at the two of them getting along well before returning her gaze to the front.

“Tsk, I know!”

Mo Ling, who had been acting somewhat timid before, showed a hint of impatience, likely because she didn’t get along with Yao Xueyue.

She then manifested several explosive guns in the style of the Youxun out of thin air.

These guns hovered around Mo Ling like floating turrets, making the short-haired girl look quite imposing.

“Fire!”

At Mo Ling’s command, the explosive guns hovering around her fired simultaneously.

The released energy slammed into the Guiyi; while it couldn’t eliminate them in one hit, it was enough to cause cracks to spread across their bodies.

However… the group all noticed one thing.

The Guiyi that had just been sliced in half by Yao Xueyue were now starting to piece themselves back together automatically.

Seeing this, Yao Xueyue controlled her ring-blades to cut the Guiyi more thoroughly, while Mo Ling blasted the fragments in an attempt to destroy them completely.

But even so, those Guiyi still retained a certain level of mobility… especially when Yao Xueyue saw a scene where even a single hand could crawl along the ground, she couldn’t help but look troubled.

‘Guiyi with regenerative abilities… they’re the type I hate the most…’

Seeing the situation, Isana also raised her hand and began to mobilize the Nether Breath within her body.

As the butterfly hair ornament on her head flickered slightly, a trace of sternness appeared in Isana’s usually calm eyes.

“Go.”

In an instant, a large number of butterflies flew out from in front of Isana.

They danced and circled, skillfully bypassing the Guiyi but accurately sprinkling butterfly powder over each one.

Under the influence of the powder, the movements of the Guiyi almost completely ground to a halt.

To be more precise… they seemed to fall into a state of confusion because they could no longer find where the group was located.

“I say… are you still not going to step in?”

Qiu Qiqian looked at Li Meng, who had been watching the battle the entire time, and asked with her hands on her hips.

“Well… I wanted to give the others a chance to show off~ But… considering those people are still being held… alright, it’s time to move.”

“Why… are you unwilling to participate in the ████.”

The children who had been circling the tree without moving seemed to be provoked by something.

They began to accuse everyone present in an… overly ethereal voice.

“With us… together… become one.”

As they spoke, the children’s heads slowly twisted all the way to the back in a way that was impossible for humans.

Unlike the Guiyi with featureless faces, the features of these children… looked like complete corrupted code, twisted and covered by chaotic black squares.

And they were using those eyes to stare at everyone.

“Behind you sisters… right now… they are there too…”

As all the “children” spoke those hair-raising words in unison, Yao Xueyue and the others could vaguely feel something standing behind them… something ethereal yet impossible to ignore.

Furthermore… perhaps due to the influence of the Guiyi, Isana and Mo Ling were unable to turn their heads.

Although Yao Xueyue had her ring-blades for protection, she was similarly unable to look back and see exactly what was standing behind her.

No… they couldn’t even manage a normal turn of the body.

To be able to hard-control all of them… it meant that the Guiyi standing behind them were likely Chimay-class.

Being a Guiyi herself, Qiu Qiqian had not been prioritized as an enemy, so she could clearly see a humanoid entity composed entirely of darkness standing behind each of them.

Among them, the heads of the Guiyi behind Isana and Mo Ling were even beginning to elongate… they were about to touch the girls’ cheeks…

And… there was one such Guiyi behind Li Meng as well.

Wait… hiss…

How… how did it dare to go behind that girl, Li Meng?

In an instant, powerful Nether Breath erupted from Li Meng’s body.

The Nether Breath, so vast it condensed into flows of white light, flooded the entire space like a tsunami.

Both the Guiyi hiding behind them and the “children” standing under the tree with their necks twisted to the right, mocking them, vanished without a trace under the wash of this Nether Breath.

The three young girls who had been hard-controlled also felt this immense power.

Although it wasn’t aimed at them, the piercing light and powerful pressure were enough to cause a trace of physiological fear, forcing them to close their eyes.

Once Li Meng’s Nether Breath had finished washing over the space, everything returned to a state of calm.

The tree, the houses, the children, and the “people” had all dissipated, leaving only a floor covered in Wart Crystals.

“Well… that was certainly…”

Yao Xueyue, who had been frozen in place just a moment ago, slowly opened her eyes once she noticed Li Meng’s powerful Nether Breath subsiding.

Suddenly, what greeted her eyes was no longer an endless grassland, but… a vast field of golden wheat.

A gentle breeze blew past, creating waves in the wheat.

A distant windmill turned with a creak, silently watching over the field.

In her ears, the pleasant sound of birds chirping — just like in the normal world — rang out, making Yao Xueyue and Mo Ling almost forget they were still inside an Inner World.

“You really do love remodeling the Inner World.”

Qiu Qiqian looked at the completely different scenery and remembered that during the last mission, Li Meng had also transformed that Inner World into something else.

“Since I’ve already seized control of this Inner World, I should naturally make everyone feel comfortable.” Li Meng smiled softly and looked at Qiu Qiqian beside her. “Does Little Qian not like it?”

“Well… it’s… it’s okay, I guess…”

Qiu Qiqian said stubbornly, making Li Meng chuckle secretly again.

“Phew~ I really didn’t expect… there would be other Chimay-class Guiyi.”

As Yao Xueyue spoke, she began to collect the Wart Crystals scattered on the ground.

A few of them clearly contained more energy than the others; those were likely the Guiyi that had been standing behind them.

At that moment, Qiu Qiqian noticed a Wart Crystal at her feet.

She leaned down and picked it up.

Her golden eyes stared straight at it, and her instincts as a Guiyi began to flare up again.

‘I want to eat it…’

Just as Qiu Qiqian’s lips parted slightly, ready to swallow the crystal at any moment, Li Meng acted quickly and snatched the crystal from her hand.

“Honestly… Little Qian, pay attention to your surroundings.”

After taking it, Li Meng whispered a reminder.

Only then did Qiu Qiqian remember that Yao Xueyue and the others were there.

If she were seen eating a Wart Crystal… it would definitely be a huge problem!

“Ahem… I know! Thanks for the reminder…”

Qiu Qiqian looked away and whispered her thanks.

Looking at Qiu Qiqian’s slightly flushed profile and her light brown hair blowing in the breeze, seemingly blending into the waves of wheat, a touch of softness appeared in Li Meng’s eyes.

‘Little Qian… is actually quite cute~’

“By the way, Miss Li Meng.”

While Li Meng was admiring Qiu Qiqian’s profile, Yao Xueyue and the others had finished picking up the scattered crystals and gathered around.

“Should we look for the location of the Four Corners Game Guiyi now?”

“Speaking of which… the area is filled with Miss Li Meng’s Nether Breath now. It seems we can’t track the corresponding Nether Breath as a lead anymore…”

Mo Ling sensed the Inner World; she could no longer feel that chaotic, twisted Nether Breath.

“Don’t worry. While we were playing the Four Corners Game, I already absorbed a bit of the Nether Breath it emitted. I can use it now to find it, as well as the location of the people who were captured.”

Li Meng blinked with a hint of playfulness.

Then, she closed her eyes as she had done before, channeling the Nether Breath belonging to the Four Corners Game Guiyi into her eyes as a guide.

When she opened them again, those light blue rings appeared in her eyes once more.

She looked around, searching for the Guiyi’s position.

“Wait… how strange…”

Li Meng suddenly frowned and said.

“What’s wrong?”

“That Guiyi from the Four Corners Game… isn’t here…”

“What?”

Almost everyone asked in unison, including the robotic Isana.

“I can see a spot where the concentration of Nether Breath is relatively higher, but that isn’t the source… the true source is no longer in this Inner World.”

“But… how could…”

Yao Xueyue rubbed her temples again, unable to figure it out.

“I think someone must have summoned that Guiyi out again. As for the area with the higher concentration of Nether Breath… it’s most likely where the survivors are located,” Isana analyzed.

“Yes, I think so too. Regardless, let’s find the survivors first. Then I’ll dissolve this Inner World so we can take them out.”

“Alright, let’s do that for now.”

***

Meanwhile, in a certain corner of the world, in an equally dark room, four people wearing black robes stood in four corners…

The game proceeded as scheduled…

In the fifth round, the Guiyi appeared.

Perhaps it thought this was just another ordinary ritual, an ordinary summons, until…

Its throat was instantly seized by someone wearing purple robes, and it was pinned against the wall, unable to move.

With its Chimay-class power, it could have easily destroyed the entire room in an instant and fled back to its Inner World.

However, it could no longer do so.

Because before that could happen, it had already become a Wart Crystal… for someone to play with.