In Virtual Reality 95 ☆ The Hydrangea Park (19/33)

The wind raged against Wang Jin Long's face ferocity, leaving him feeling battered and vulnerable. The collar at the nape of his neck dug into his skin like iron tongs, inflicting pain that made him feel like he had been dragged from an icy river. But he refused to give up even as his cheeks stung with the biting wind and dust. He squinted his eyes, determined to discern his surroundings through the hazy swirls.

[TN: If you are not reading this novel on puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon, please support the original translator by visiting my website. Thank you!]

This was his first time experiencing Lone Wolf's speed in full force, and as they came to a stop, Wang Jin Long's feet landed unsteadily on the ground. He reached up to touch his cheek with a trembling hand, surprised at the cold sensation that spread through him like death.

Behind him, the massive wolf shook its fur and stood tall. "We've lost them," he said smugly, then turned to Wang Jin Long with a hint of hesitation. "So, you're not Silence?"

"That's my friend's name," Wang Jin Long gasped, his face pale and weak. At the sight of his frailty, the dissatisfaction in the barrage seemed to fade.

【...Is he okay? Jiang Wen En is pretty perceptive!】

【But who would trust a stranger so easily?】

【Jiang Wen En might have deceived the host, but he has a good heart!】

Lone Wolf: "..."

When you've already said everything in the barrage, what is there left for the host to say?

Sighing, Wang Jin Long continued, "I'm sorry, but this is my first time playing this game. I can't die until I find my friend." He pursed his lips, his eyes alight with determination.

Though Lone Wolf remained unhappy, he knew nothing could be done. Since starting his live broadcasts, he had rarely felt so stifled. It wasn't anger he felt, exactly, but a growing sense of frustration and restlessness.

"It's fine," he said gloomily. This wasn't the time for chatting. He asked Wang Jin Long what he planned to do next.

In response, Wang Jin Long asked, "Who do you think the werewolf is among those three players from earlier?"

【Oh, oh, oh! Are we going to speculate about their identities now?!】

【The new guy keeps touching your belly!】

【What kind of language is that upstairs...】

【Of the three players earlier, Madam Stargazer doesn't seem like the werewolf, but Fox Snap is highly suspicious. And is the knight in the costume a man or a woman?】

【Probably a man. They don't seem to be using a voice changer. The Old School Keyboard Faction is fond of using female avatars.】

【Are there any fans of his in the live stream? Can someone reveal his identity?】

The barrage scoured the live stream for connections, hoping to aid Lone Wolf. Asmodeus fan slumped in their chair, watching the frenzied barrage group on the screen, a melancholy creeping over them as they lit a cigarette. Don't they realize the person in front of them is a true blue wolf? They expect Lone Wolf to use their intuition to guess their teammates, but Asmodeus fan is already playing dead. They even moved away from the screen, coldly observing everything with white eyes. The wise man doesn't save the fool.

On the screen, Lone Wolf scrutinized the barrage's contents before giving their answer, "I believe it should be Fox Snap."

"Only her?" Wang Jin Long inquired before elaborating, "If so, then our chances of victory are high."

Lone Wolf shook their head with a hint of regret in their voice, "But now the vote is invalid."

"Invalid?" Wang Jin Long dismissed the notion. "I don't think so. Just because the Reaper cannot immediately execute the person voted off for some reason, it doesn't mean that they can't."

All it takes is for the Reaper to get closer and swing its sickle, taking the life of the voted-off person without anyone noticing. Wang Jin Long didn't explain this to Lone Wolf, instead turning to the person who led him away from the slaughter earlier with a thoughtful expression.

"By the way," he smiled, "thank you for earlier."

Lone Wolf scratched their head, feeling slightly uneasy, "It was, it was nothing."

They thought back to their own experiences. The giant wolf leaned against a tall tree, and in this dark and gloomy forest, their eyes held a rare hint of tenderness. "Actually, when I was surviving in the apocalypse, I also encountered many similar situations."

"At the time of the zombie outbreak, I was a beginner, with little experience in dealing with the undead. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to get bitten, just within a month. I was in the company of over fifty people, and we had taken refuge in an abandoned factory. With less than ten bottles of vaccine left, tensions were high. Shockingly, even with so few doses available, some people still kept their bites a secret after receiving the vaccine. The situation was dire, and panic was spreading quickly among us. I realized I had to act fast to save myself. I told the others that I was going out for a walk, but in reality, I was leaving to avoid the madness. "

When Lone Wolf started as a streamer, the barrage of comments he received was overwhelmingly negative. People quickly dismissed him as a lost cause and urged him to start over. However, despite being a novice, Lone Wolf survived for an entire month - a remarkable feat during his first apocalypse. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, he created another way of survival: superpowers.

"It was the best news since I started streaming," Lone Wolf exclaimed, his voice ecstatic. But when he returned to the abandoned factory with the good news, he was met with a ghastly sight. The place was filled with corpses, all of whom had died not from being bitten but from killing each other. As he surveyed the grisly scene, he spotted a small vaccine tube stained with blood-red marks.

Lone Wolf let out a heavy sigh. "After that, I rarely encountered any living people. It's hard to survive until the end in this kind of situation," he said, his tone sombre. "That's why I believe honesty is crucial. Even though this is my first time playing this type of game, I'm confident that if we stick together, we'll eventually come out on top," he added, rubbing his head and smiling.

Under the gentle blue moonlight, the young man's gaze was fixed on Lone Wolf. Though he tried to hide it, his gaze was somewhat shaky.

"That's right." The rewards won't be enough to go around as long as we unite. Wang Jin Long smiled in agreement, knowing the truth behind the statement. Only the final survivor of the "Shenanigans" game would be granted unparalleled rewards. He understood this all too well. Even his teammates would serve as nothing more than mere stepping stones towards his victory. Eliminating them would pave his way to win, and the fruit of his success would be his alone.

As for the guy standing in front of him? Indecisive, naive, and foolish, he had nothing much to offer. His physical fitness was the only redeeming quality, but it was not enough to impress Wang Jin Long. It was ridiculous to think about it. His current body was a reward of "Mystery," yet he pretended to be sincere and trustworthy, trying to deceive Wang Jin Long into cooperation. However, this little trick was not enough to fool Wang Jin Long.

Previously, Lone Wolf had some use, but with many people showing hostility towards Wang Jin Long, Lone Wolf's position became very suspicious. Wang Jin Long didn't believe that Lone Wolf didn't have a bit of wavering. Even if it was just a little, with his formidable strength, Lone Wolf could instantly kill Wang Jin Long. Therefore, instead of putting his life under the giant wolf's claws, he would rather take the initiative to attack when the time was right.

[TN: If you are not reading this novel on puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon, please support the original translator by visiting my website. Thank you!]

As Wang Jin Long was pondering over his strategy, there was a rustling sound from the bushes on the other side. Lone Wolf immediately looked over, his muscles tense and ready to strike. Wang Jin Long glanced at the other's bulging muscles and silently stepped back half a step, retracting the dagger in his sleeve. He wasn't good at fighting. He had to rely on his wits. But he didn't expect that the next thing that happened didn't require wits. It happened too quickly, and even Wang Jin Long didn't anticipate it.

The grasses whispered in the air before a sleek black cat slinked out of the bushes. The feline's meow was crisp and clear, its velvety fur arching gracefully as it locked its hooked gaze onto the towering wolf.

Lone Wolf: "..."

Lone Wolf: "Well, well, well, whose little kitty is this~."

Wang Jin Long: "?"

【...?】

【Coquettish? Really coquettish!】

【Do all the words preceding 'little kitty' have to be coquettish?】

【The contrast is a bit too extreme...】

【I recall the host having a white cat too?】

The mighty wolf lowered himself, cautiously creeping closer to the tiny feline, his paws gingerly reaching out as he called out in a high-pitched voice, "Meow~ Meow Meow~" The onlookers were stunned by this extraordinary sight of a ferocious wolf sniffing a delicate cat.

Suddenly, a figure leapt out from the opposite direction and pounced on the unsuspecting Lone Wolf.

"Ah-oo!!"

The wolf's weak point was believed to be his waist and abdomen. The newcomer struck him in the flank, causing him to lose control of his tongue and bite it as his jaw closed before he could retract it. It was a devastating double blow.

Who was this mysterious intruder?

With weeds tangled in his hair, paint smears, and petals adorning his clothes, it was none other than Asmodeus, who had previously sported a polished appearance.

He stumbled onto Lone Wolf's soft fur, only to find himself staring down the sharp tip of a dagger.

Asmodeus fan: "Holy shit!"

Trembling with fear, he sprang from his chair, leaping towards the screen. As an ardent admirer of Asmodeus, he nearly mashed his face into the monitor.

"Asmodeus!"

Luckily, Asmodeus was quick to react. He instinctively ducked as the dagger whizzed past his head and impaled itself into the tree trunk behind him, leaving only the handle visible.

Lone Wolf rubbed his waist, still grimacing from the earlier blow.

"What's going on?" he asked, his frustration evident.

Lone Wolf couldn't help but wonder when the constant attacks would end.

Enraged, he stood up and picked up Asmodeus, relying on his size and strength. As he looked at Asmodeus closely, he realized he knew him.

"Why is it you?" Lone Wolf questioned, perplexed by the turn of events.

Asmodeus was a mess, his glasses nowhere to be found and his lips trembling, but his eyes were as clear as ever.

He took a deep breath, but his movements paused, and his pupils dilated in fear.

"What's happening?" Lone Wolf was about to speak, but he noticed that his screen had turned blood red.

【What's going on?】

【I don't know... Hey, wait, can we leave the live broadcast room?】

【I received a system notification saying we can go to other live broadcast rooms, but we can't expose our identity as the original broadcaster. Otherwise we'll be banned】

【Was the broadcaster eliminated? How could this happen?】

【That's too fast... Could it be that guy on the other side, Asmodeus?】

Lone Wolf's audience could leave the room, but he couldn't. Instead, he waited for an eternity until his perspective returned to The Hydrangea Park.

"Am I out or what?" Lone Wolf asked, but the system didn't respond, nor did the game end. Perplexed, he returned to the spot where he had died earlier. To his surprise, he saw the young man he had trusted before pulling out a crimson dagger from behind his lifeless body.

Wang Jin Long's cold gaze fixed on the tall wolf, who struggled to stand but couldn't. His huge body hit the ground, raising dust. Then he shifted his eyes to the stunned Asmodeus.

"Is he your teammate?" Wang Jin Long asked, glancing at Asmodeus, who was sitting on the ground, then shook his head in denial. "Doesn't look like it."

"Are you a werewolf?" Asmodeus asked nervously.

"I'd advise you not to yell," Wang Jin Long warned quietly, grinning as he continued, "or else I'll cut out your tongue, slice open your trachea, and let you gasp for air."

"You want to kill me," Asmodeus retorted, his reaction not as frightened as Wang Jin Long had expected. Apart from the initial shock, Asmodeus remained surprisingly calm.

"Haha," he even chuckled, teasing Wang Jin Long with a mocking expression. "You just killed a gullible fool who trusted you."

Wang Jin Long raised his dagger threateningly. "Are those your last words?"

"Asmodeus shrugged nonchalantly, poking his nose with a finger, pausing, and finally saying, "Nevermind."

He bravely met Wang Jin Long's eyes as he sprinted towards him. "Can't wait to meet you again next time, werewolf."

**

【The night has passed. It is now daytime voting time.】

【You have five minutes to decide. Each person only has one vote.】

【Reminder, surviving players from last night: 8.】

The reminder came as Xu Jin Yi and Celestial Master collected the last detergent from a high climbing pole. Celestial Master's calves trembled as he heard the news.

"Two have been eliminated already?! It's only been a short time," he exclaimed in shock.

Xu Jin Yi brushed it off. "Almost two hours have passed, there should be some progress," she said calmly.

【But isn't Excelsior's reaction a bit strange? It was clearly werewolf time just now, and the werewolves obviously killed two people last night!】

【Excelsior has seen bigger things before. They made a big fuss over something trivial earlier】

【But what if she's a werewolf and hasn't shown her identity card yet?】

【No 'what ifs.' If there were any, the host would have eliminated her already. Ten hosts can't beat one Excelsior】

Celestial Master sighed. "Although that's the case, can you be more tactful? I'm still watching," he said, trying to maintain his composure.

The barrage of apologies came, but they refused to repent, making Celestial Master's nose almost crook in anger. Meanwhile, Xu Jin Yi focused on the map and planned their next move.

Out of ten players, Wang Jin Long had already eliminated two. That left five people they needed to eliminate, apart from themselves. Xu Jin Yi wondered if he was too rusty and if he could make the most of his time? The revenge mission had not even started, and the rest of the story had not yet unfolded. But with two people watching, they had to be courteous and handle the situation.

On the opposite end of the laundry shop, Xu Jin Yi collected the detergent but had yet to locate the white hydrangea on Red Ghost's body. She pondered if it was wise to return to the hydrangea sea now. Still, she decided to hand the detergent to Celestial Master before setting off.

"Remember which way Nine Springs Laundry Chain is?" she asked, pointing in a direction. "Head there, and I'll check if the two have stopped fighting in the flower sea."

Celestial Master held the big bottle, looking perplexed. "Alone?"

Xu Jin Yi raised an eyebrow. "Otherwise?"

After hesitating, Celestial Master muttered, "Fine, I'll go by myself." Though it was dangerous, he stumbled toward Nine Springs Laundry Chain with the cumbersome bottle.

Now alone, Xu Jin Yi looked around and took the concealed path to the deepest part of the park where the hydrangea sea lay. Ghost Eye Trees on both sides of her opened their single eye, and their eyeballs spun around, watching the pink hoodie weaving through the group of Ghost Eyes. They whispered to other ghosts, making the once eerie and silent forest noisy.

Meanwhile, Wang Jin Long tried to avoid other players and find lone wolves. He needed more werewolf companions, even though he planned to betray them eventually. He stepped on fallen leaves of the Chinese parasol tree, and the dry leaves let out a faint rustle. After only a few steps, he halted. His luck wasn't in his favour.

"You guys came too fast, didn't you?"

He looked ahead with a helpless expression and found himself face-to-face with the same people who had previously blocked him outside the broadcast station. Madam Stargazer led them, and her gaze towards Wang Jin Long was cold and merciless.

"Wang...Jin...Long!" She said icily. "Do you have any last words?"

"..."

Wang Jin Long chuckled suddenly, his eyes darting from person to person. "Do you know my name? Let me guess, did the newcomer spill the beans?" His gaze landed on the fish-headed person at the end, and he paused for a moment before continuing in a nonchalant tone, "How intriguing. But with your appearance, can you still be considered human? Or," he narrowed his eyes and grinned, "do they also call you a 'monster'?"

Old Attorney: "..."

【If this is true, I think I will go crazy】

【This is the limited edition skin from last year! Don't you have any taste, Wang Jin Long?】

【If he had any taste, he wouldn't have that name...】

【Is he trying to sow discord? It seems he doesn't know he's an NPC in a game?】

This barrage caught the attention of Old Attorney, his thoughts turning to something.

Madam Stargazer sneered at Wang Jin Long. "Your last words were quite peculiar. Just wait for death."

Wang Jin Long's polite smile morphed into that of a crazed killer as he raised his red-stained hand, holding a sharp knife. "Hold on a moment," he said, tilting his head. "I recall that civilians can't kill werewolves, correct?" 【TN: I have no idea if rules change all the time or author makes mistakes or not, but oh well.】

Silence descended upon the group.

"I'll come clean," Wang Jin Long continued leisurely. "I'm a werewolf. I was hoping to meet one of you and chat for a bit, but now it seems like you won't believe a word I say. So I won't waste any more words. Fox Snap, that knight, and I make three wolves on the field. Now, guess," he drew out his tone, his gaze flickering to the suddenly alert fish-headed person and Madam Stargazer, "who will be the obedient civilian who will surrender?"

[TN: If you are not reading this novel on puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon, please support the original translator by visiting my website. Thank you!]

——— Translator's Notes ———

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