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Anchor Hall
Chapter 133: Ouroboros
In the end, everyone had a bewildered look on their faces.
Wen Jianyan didn’t press the issue or demand an immediate response. On the contrary, after extending an olive branch, he courteously stepped back, giving the other party room to think and maneuver, and left his contact information behind.
What he had an abundance of was patience.
Just before parting ways, Wen Jianyan extended his hand to shake hands with Wen Ya briefly.
His fingers were long and powerful, his palm dry, and his eyes warm and sincere, as if they held a thousand words, but all of them were ultimately hidden in a word:
“Goodbye.”
Wen Ya looked at Wen Jianyan.
She knew that this guy, with his sharp wit, must have understood everything that happened in the instance since the moment he didn’t see Lilith in the group.
But as the one who had sacrificed the most to find Lilith within the entire group, he didn’t utter a single word.
He didn’t ask about Lilith’s whereabouts, nor did he inquire about what had specifically happened. He simply maintained a gentle silence, leaving space for her grief and mourning because Wen Jianyan knew very well that, among the entire group, Wen Ya was the one who had been hurt the most. Even though she now seemed no different from usual, it was merely a survival instinct for a nightmare anchor.
“Goodbye.”
She smiled at him, her expression calm and determined.
Although Wen Jianyan hadn’t demanded an immediate answer, Wen Ya had already made up her mind.
She would join.
Even if it meant giving up her precious position in the third top guild of the entire server and entering a guild that was virtually unknown and possibly even without the qualifications to establish one.
For Wen Ya, Lilith’s death had been devastating, and nothing had ever caused such a horrific impact on her increasingly numb soul.
In this world of debauchery, desire, and slaughter, she woke up for the first time to the realization that she needed to leave.
Even if it was just for Lilith.
She shouldn’t be forgotten, and she shouldn’t be left alone on the missing person posters.
Wen Ya had already made up her mind.
She wanted to visit the Jiangnan region that the other party had always dreamed of, savor the cuisine she had praised so much, and, most importantly, bring the news of her death to her loved ones.
For this, she had to leave.
Wen Ya took a deep breath, turned around, and disappeared into the vast crowd.
***
When Wen Jianyan returned to his own suite, Ji Guan happened to be inside, doing who knows what.
“You’re back!”
His eyes lit up upon seeing Wen Jianyan, and he visibly sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. You’ve been gone for so long; I was starting to worry that something happened to you…”
The flow of time in the system space was the same as in the instance. Although the instances were perilous and every moment required careful consideration, for the people within the system space, time still passed quickly, especially since most low-level instances were short and often ended within a few hours.
For a D-level anchor like Wen Jianyan, his absence this time was just too long.
It was long enough for Ji Guan to start worrying that he might not return.
Like a concerned mother, Ji Guan got up to welcome him and bombarded him with questions in rapid succession:
“What level was this instance you went into? Was it difficult? Why did it take so long? Did you find the item you were looking for? Did everything go smoothly—”
“Wait, hold on!”
Wen Jianyan hurriedly raised his voice. “Let’s take one question at a time.”
“First, the first question…”
He subtly looked Ji Guan up and down and pointed with his fingertip at the unfinished, colorful ball of yarn around Ji Guan’s neck. Slowly, he asked, “What’s this?”
Ji Guan blinked, lowered his head to glance at the yarn wrapped around his neck, and a shy expression appeared on his face.
“Oh, this?”
He scratched his head. “I thought I’d try making a scarf or something.”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
?
He hesitated and asked, “Do you… lack points? Do you want—”
“What are you thinking?” Ji Guan rolled his eyes. “There’s no distinction between seasons here, and even if I have points, there’s no need to exchange them for a scarf.”
Wen Jianyan: “So, why are you…”
Ji Guan: “Cultivating my artistic sensibilities.”
“The entertainment activities here are so rich; the more they are, the more one should focus on self-improvement.” Ji Guan explained seriously, then looked down at the half-finished little scarf hanging around his neck. A satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face. “Besides, don’t you think my craftsmanship is quite good?”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
You have my respect and blessing.1“尊重” means “respect,” and “祝福” means “blessing.” This term is used sarcastically by Chinese netizens to express a mixed feeling of disapproval and understanding toward someone or something they think as absurd.
“Ahem, anyway, getting back to the point,” Ji Guan cleared his throat. “How was your instance this time?”
Wen Jianyan briefly summarized the general situation of the last instance.
“Wow… Level A?”
Ji Guan’s eyes were about to pop out, and his voice even cracked a bit. “And it even turned into a level S in the end?!”
After receiving Wen Jianyan’s affirmative response, Ji Guan looked at Wen Jianyan with a different expression in his eyes, full of admiration for this senior player.
“Brother Yan, I knew I didn’t make a mistake with you. To come out of that alive, you’re truly amazing…”
“Did your level increase?” Ji Guan asked.
Wen Jianyan nodded, “I’m now at level B.”
Ji Guan: “…”
He had spent so long in the nightmare and was still at level D. He would need to complete at least two more instances to reach level C. Yet, Wen Jianyan had entered and completed only four instances and directly skyrocketed to level B!
This was simply the speed of a rocket!
Truly, some people are just on another level!
Wen Jianyan added, “By the way, there’s one more thing.” He briefly described his plan to establish a guild. Surprisingly, Ji Guan didn’t seem surprised.
“Well, how should I put it…”
Ji Guan scratched his stylish cockscomb head and said, “Bro, ever since I met you at Fukang Hospital, I felt you were no ordinary person. Starting a guild is nothing; you’ll eventually become a level S or even a level SS big shot!”
He wore a silly expression of blind trust:
“When your guild eventually surpasses the Oracle Guild, I should at least be an elder there by then!”
“No problem,” Wen Jianyan squinted his amber-colored eyes and said with a smile, “In that case, do you have something to show appreciation to the future guild president?”
Ji Guan: “?”
Wen Jianyan: “Two more plates of those small cakes from last time.”
Ji Guan: “…”
Bah! I knew you were just greedy for them!
“Speaking of which, where’s Su Cheng?” Wen Jianyan looked around and asked, “Where did he go?”
Ji Guan: “Well… I’m not quite sure. He left a while ago. Do you need to find him for something?”
Wen Jianyan shook his head, “Not really.”
He stretched lazily, relaxed his tired muscles, and then patted Ji Guan on the shoulder. “I’m going to take a nap. Don’t bother me.”
Ji Guan nodded, but before Wen Jianyan could sit down and start working again, he heard Wen Jianyan lazily toss a sentence his way, “Don’t forget the cakes.”
Ji Guan remained expressionless: “…”
Staring at Wen Jianyan’s closed door, he sighed, resigned to his fate, and put on a floral apron before disappearing into the kitchen. Soon, the sound of clinking kitchen utensils came from within.
Wen Jianyan’s room.
The curtains were tightly drawn, casting a dim atmosphere in the spacious and luxurious room. Wen Jianyan never spared any expense, and the room he exchanged with points was of the highest standard. Even though it was just part of a suite, its size could almost rival the most luxurious presidential suites in the real world.
Wen Jianyan quickly took a shower, and with his body still emitting a hint of moisture, he walked out of the bathroom. There was a slight weariness in the corners of his eyes and brows. He let out a yawn and collapsed onto the bed.
The large, clean bed was fitted with high-quality goose-down blankets that were soft and comfortable, like clouds cradling him.
Although the system had used points to repair his wounds, the long hours of intense survival had still taken a toll on Wen Jianyan. This fatigue was so intense that it felt like running three marathons back-to-back.
However…
Contrary to his physical exhaustion, his spirit seemed unusually exhilarated at the moment.
Wen Jianyan lay on the bed, his bathrobe slightly open. He stared up at the dark ceiling, his half-dry hair hanging down, leaving a faint mark of moisture on the bed.
Indeed, the higher the level of the instance, the more clues it revealed.
This was especially true for the “Fantasy Amusement Park” instance.
In the previous three broadcasts, the background was mainly based on elements from the real world. Even though there were cruel and terrifying things that would never appear in the real world, the basic framework remained unchanged.
But the “Fantasy Amusement Park” was different.
Wen Jianyan couldn’t find any elements of reality within it, making it difficult to connect it with the other instances. This almost otherworldly place had almost overturned all his previous conjectures.
However… One thing had caught his attention.
That was the change in the final difficulty level.
It had changed from level A to level S.
At that time, the system notification used the phrase, “Detected a discrepancy in the instance difficulty with system assessment, system recalibrating…”
This seemingly ordinary sentence held a lot of significance.
If the instance was created from scratch by the Nightmare Live Room, there would be no need for “detection” or “assessment.” As the creator and rule-maker of the entire alternate instance, it wouldn’t make mistakes in judging the difficulty level, nor would it need recalibration.
Moreover, it was evident that the system’s recalibration had started after Wen Jianyan entered the Frog Food Processing Factory, which was deeper into the core of the alternate world.
In other words, the system’s understanding of the instance was likely limited.
So… this “Fantasy Amusement Park” might not be the “alternate dimension” he initially imagined.
As for what it truly was… it was still difficult to say.
Wen Jianyan’s eyes flashed with a hint of determination.
At the moment, he had too few clues in his hands. He needed more evidence to make more accurate and specific conjectures.
He took a deep breath and picked up his phone from the bedside table. Opening the Nightmare App’s system backpack, he found the hidden items he had obtained in the instance.
Before the next instance started, these hidden items couldn’t be transformed into usable items, so he couldn’t know their true names and uses.
In the “Fantasy Amusement Park” instance, he had obtained three hidden items.
One was the door-opening card obtained from the attic in the haunted house, one was the diamond necklace found in Bloody Mary’s bathtub, and the last one…
Wen Jianyan was startled.
What about the Ouroboros ring?!
He was immediately frightened and got up. He jumped up from the bed, pulled the clothes he was wearing earlier from the side, and leaned forward to check his pocket—
Wen Jianyan breathed a long sigh of relief and sat back on the bed.
He pulled out his hand, and a heavy metal accessory appeared in his palm.
The pitch-black ouroboros was exquisitely crafted, its slender body forming a small loop. The scales were tiny and discreet, shimmering with a cold light in the dim environment.
Its size was quite delicate—a bit too large to be a ring and a bit too small to be a bracelet.
Wen Jianyan carefully examined this metal accessory, pondering for a long time but unable to figure out how to use it.
He sighed and lowered the hand that was holding the ouroboros.
“Hiss!”
Wen Jianyan’s eyebrows twitched, and he involuntarily took in a sharp breath.
He raised his hand and saw that somewhere near the palm had been scratched by something on the serpent’s body, and crimson blood was trickling from the shallow wound.
The slender and pitch-black body of the serpent seemed to be moving in a vivid and slow manner, appearing as if it were a living creature in the dim light.
The blood dripping on it sparkled brilliantly.
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
He had a feeling… that in that instant, the small piece of skin near his hip bone seemed to burn faintly.
“???”
He stared at the ouroboros ring in his palm in surprise, his body tensing up nervously as he waited.
However, nothing happened.
Wen Jianyan blinked and turned it over and over in confusion, but couldn’t find any clues.
He lowered his eyes and thought for a long time, then suddenly thought of something.
Wen Jianyan opened his backpack, took out the prop “Mr. Mirror,” and tentatively pocked it into the ouroboros, holding his breath slightly.
……
Still, nothing happened.
Well, it seems there’s no connection between the mirror and the ouroborous ring.
Wen Jianyan sighed. He separated the two items and placed them back in his system backpack.
But… strangely, this time he was able to put the ouroborous ring away, but the mirror wouldn’t go back in.
Though countless doubts and confusion lingered in his mind, Wen Jianyan was utterly exhausted at this point.
He would think about it when he woke up.
At that time, he would check the forum to find some information. Who knew, if he might have some gains there?
Wen Jianyan yawned and casually tossed the items toward the pillow, then rolled over and buried himself under the thick, soft goose-down blanket. In just a few seconds, he drifted into slumber.
Darkness enveloped him.
In the spacious room, the even breathing of the young man soon filled the air.
Within the mirror fragments casually thrown by the pillow, faint and thin shadows swirled, slowly sipping on the remnants of bloodstains along the mirror’s edge.
A slightly hazy and delicate shadow emerged from the depths of the mirror, so thin that it seemed like it could dissipate at any moment. It silently wrapped around the young man’s body.
“Ugh…”
In his slumber, Wen Jianyan furrowed his brow slightly, emitting a muffled groan. He instinctively rolled over.
The bathrobe and blanket shifted with his movement, revealing the young man’s well-proportioned and slender body. His clean skin had a hint of moisture, glistening with a faint, pale light in the dim room. The contours of his chest and abdomen were gracefully smooth, meandering inside the open bathrobe. His flexible waistline gently curved downward.
At his hip bone, intricate crimson patterns faintly lit up, giving off a mysterious and eerie vibe, as if the name was responding to the summoning.
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Thank you for the update ❤️💯
woah! website change
Thank you for the chapter! Letting piece of his hubby out, and even taking him to bed…… hue hue hue!
Very nice new look!
Thanks for the chapter ❤️