In Virtual Reality 105 ☆ The Hydrangea Park (29/33)

A peculiar, ancient tree rustled its green leaves. It seemed to regard Xu Jin Yi with disdain.

"You..." It hesitated, then continued, "...Only petals?"

She pondered for a moment, then contemplated, "Maybe I should fetch her for you?"

Whoosh! In a sudden frenzy, the gnarled branches sprung to life, weaving a twisted barrier before her.

On the tree's brownish trunk, a monstrous eye blinked lethargically. "Petals suffice," it murmured.

Extending a tender green branch, it delicately accepted the two or three white petals Xu Jin Yi held. Then, with a swift withdrawal, as though fearing rejection.

Xu Jin Yi watched in awe as the tree worked its enchantment—a wondrous spectacle reminiscent of a scene from a tale by Disney movie.

The result? A sleek black robe, far too large for her, necessitating several folds to fit properly.

With a grateful wave, she addressed the tree, her voice gentle. "Thank you, Mrs. Magnolia."

Slipping the black robe into her pocket, it vanished without a trace. She glanced around, finding no sign of the reaper.

Among the surviving players, she alone remained untouched by the "Weakness" debuff. She had also acquired Wang Jin Long's dagger and Fox Snap's book. This would make it exceedingly difficult for the lurking werewolfs to claim any lives tonight. Tomorrow's morning vote would be crucial.

Though she had sworn to Murphy's officials that she wouldn't kill Wang Jin Long, she yearned to test both his limits and her own prowess in this realm.

Her choices held the power to shape her future plans.

With determination, she made her way to the broadcasting station, ready to ring the bell, though the bell wouldn't be a real one. The blue moon overhead grew fuller and brighter, signaling that the game might conclude before the vote commenced. Thus, she decided to toll the bell herself, ushering in the dawn.

**

The rusty gardening shears gleamed menacingly, a large crimson stain adorning them, emitting a pungent odor that stung Wang Jin Long's eyes. He scrambled to his feet from the ground, abandoning any thought of fleeing toward the western gate. Instead, he spun around and sprinted back the way he had come.

But how could a mere human's speed ever hope to match that of a monstrous creature?

A sudden gust of wind brushed against the back of his head, and he instinctively ducked, though his reaction was a hair's breadth too late. A sharp blade grazed the side of his ear, breaking the skin and causing his blood to burst, leaving his entire right ear throbbing, blood flowing relentlessly.

Oh, the pain!

Wang Jin Long was no stranger to pain; it was something he had skillfully avoided throughout his life. He cursed inwardly as his right hand instinctively reached to cover the injury, only to meet with a wet and excruciatingly painful result.

...How many years had it been since he had felt such torment?

Perhaps the looming specter of death weighed too heavily on him, for an untimely thought flashed through Wang Jin Long's mind. But it vanished almost as swiftly as it had come, and he didn't have a chance to ponder it further before his escape was abruptly thwarted once again.

The group of players he had encountered not long ago reemerged, blocking his path to freedom.

Compared to the bizarre monstrosity pursuing him from behind, these people seemed almost like potential allies.

Indeed, humans were inherently social creatures.

"Run," urged a rough-voiced girl, breaking the tense silence. "Let's see if you can still slip away."

BGM seethed with anger, nearly hurling his longsword at Wang Jin Long. Yet, Fox Snap silenced him with a stern glare and a cautionary word. "If you kill him now, he'll be out of the game. We won't gain a thing."

True, that would mean they'd have wasted their time. BGM reluctantly restrained himself.

Wang Jin Long found himself trapped between a rock and a hard place. However, a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes. As long as there were "humans" on the field, he believed he could defeat them with words.

So, he opened his mouth, intending to say something, but the vigilant Madam Stargazer, who had already singled him out, cut him off sharply. "Watch out! He's about to speak!"

With nimble precision, the lady swiftly hurled a glimmering purple ball crackling with electric energy. It moved with such velocity that it struck Wang Jin Long's head in an instant, electrocuting him and plunging his vision into darkness.

Opening his mouth, he suddenly saw white smoke billowing forth from between his lips.

“…”

All eyes fixated on Madam Stargazer, their faces a blend of astonishment and terror.

"Is there anything special about her avatar skin in this game?" Fox Snap whispered to Fishhead Man Old Attorney. He shot her a bewildered look. "You're telling me this isn't some kind of electric judge skill?"

Old Attorney maintained a stoic facade. "It's just her skin's natural talent, it doesn't exactly eliminator anyone."

"It doesn't matter," the pink Beast-ear Girl remarked with a dismissive wave. Her gaze shifted to Wang Jin Long, now smoking like a barbecue after that electric jolt. She raised her right hand, giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "But I gotta admit, that was pretty darn impressive!"

Old Attorney scanned the area, unable to spot the initial frontrunners, Lone Wolf and Asmodeus, who had bolted ahead. He pondered their whereabouts but brushed it off; the current situation played into their hands.

"You're not getting away!" Fox Snap declared, taking purposeful steps toward him. She employed her enchantment to freeze him in his tracks. The Beast-ear Girl's eyes flashed with menace. She wrested control of the enemy's movements and urged the others to seize the opportunity and pummel him.

Spotting his chance, BGM lunged forward, a wicked cackle escaping his lips. He raised his right fist, poised to deliver the "Lushan Rising Dragon Thrust" from below—

"Ouch, damn it!"

Before his fist could connect, his vision blurred, and he found himself staring at a pair of terrifyingly enormous garden shears just inches from his face. In the next instant, BGM felt a tug on his shirt collar, and he was hurled backward.

Fox Snap, taken aback, lost her grip on the enchantment. But her regret was cut short as chaos erupted around them.

Lone Wolf was the first to yank BGM out of the fray, with Asmodeus clinging to his back like a koala. Asmodeus's once-dapper appearance now lay in ruins, his receding hairline gleaming under the moon's eerie light.

Their narrow escape came just in time for Wang Jin Long to receive a knee strike from the gardening ghost, propelling him into a dizzying 720-degree mid-air spin before crashing into a distant tree trunk. The impact was thunderous, causing everyone nearby to involuntarily shudder.

"Cough...hack..." It was more than a mere kick; Wang Jin Long felt his chest ablaze, his throat spasming uncontrollably. In the end, he coughed up a pool of blood.

The blood drops splattered onto the earth, melding swiftly with the soil below.

His sight grew dim, and a pulsating pain surged through his mind.

Were his bones fractured?

A decade of nurturing his body, and he'd never endured such agony—like a descent into the very bowels of hell.

The ghost gardener unleashed its fury without bias, showing no allegiance. Wang Jin Long, who had just taken a ghostly kick, found himself farthest from its malevolent reach. The apparition then shifted its attention to those nearer.

"This NPC's park respawn timer is relentless; no fighting back or fleeing," Asmodeus declared, his tone frosty. "We must unite, distract it, and endure until the game clock ticks down!"

The Madam Stargazer, anxious, hurled an electric ball at the ghost, longing for her power to paralyze it as Wang Jin Long's had. She'd seen how he'd been immobilized by the electric jolt.

But the electric ball's impact merely generated a feeble spark, barely disturbing the ghost.

Madam Stargazer: "…"

Her ball-throwing efforts felt futile.

"Let me give it a shot!" Fox Snap chimed in eagerly. The girl with beastly ears had her eyes gleaming, though they soon dimmed. "It's no use!"

Her 'Compulsion' talent only influenced the living, not these soulless ghosts!

Wisely, she retreated, recognizing her vulnerability.

With resolve in his eyes, BGM brandished his sacred sword and cried out, "Witness my performance—!" He barely finished his sentence when the sky darkened with clouds. A brilliant, white light descended from above, tracing the edge of his blade before striking the ghost.

“…”

Old Attorney's heart raced with anxiety as he watched the trio's futile struggle. Gathering his courage, he finally spoke up, "Could it be that NPCs are immon to player attacks?"

Silence hung in the air.

"You should've mentioned this sooner!"

Old Attorney stood there, utterly flabbergasted. "Did I really need to spell it out? When you're playing Werewolf, do you ever think about offing the game master?"

The ghost gardener continued its relentless pursuit. The guys darted around the field, but the ghost outpaced them, closing in with each passing moment.

"Sorry," Old Attorney muttered, grabbing Wang Jin Long by the collar and hurling him into the ghost's path. Wang Jin Long had been resting against a tree trunk, gasping for breath.

Wang Jin Long: “…” How could you do this to me? I'm already in a pitiful state!

He fought desperately, parrying the ghost's relentless advances. The metallic scent of the gardening shears grew stronger, and his heart raced as they inched closer to his throat.

No, he couldn't meet his end here.

He refused to.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The sky reverberated with the tolling of bells, followed by a haunting, soothing chant.

"Oh, my apologies," a familiar voice broke through the tension, instantly recognizable to Wang Jin Long.

"I'm not very good at this, so please bear with me." Inside the broadcast station, Xu Jin Yi stopped recording of a bell on her phone, offering a smile as she addressed the microphone. "So, how did you enjoy the game, my formidable adversary destined for the depths of hell?"

——— Translator's Notes ———

Table of Content | ☆| Next chapter>> My other Translations