I Rely On Poverty To Sweep Through Survival GamesCh137 - Mishap

Edited by Jules

After dinner, the two returned to their accommodation and went to return the motorbikes to the owner. QjJqml

The location of the garage wasn’t far from their house, and it didn’t take much time to walk over.

Thus, under the moonlight, the two slowly walked along the coast.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

The moonlight was clear and cold, and their shadows were cast on the beach. The sea waves slapping against the beach covered their footsteps.

Neither of them spoke; they just walked silently, and there was a tranquility and serenity in the air which belonged only to them. b jYNe

Upon returning to their wooden house.

At that moment, although the sky had darkened, it was still too early to sleep.

As such, Xiao Lan fiddled with the projector in the room, trying to find something to while away some time.

As a result, he unexpectedly discovered many old movies in the film library.

Practically all the classical movies of various genres and eras could be found.

Among them was the movie released in 1955 with Marilyn Monroe as the lead — ‘The Seven Year Itch’.

This movie featured the unforgettable scene where she tried to pull down her white skirt which had blown up.

This was also a cheerful and light-hearted comedy. lMfz23

It was the story of the male lead who was having a midlife crisis. After his wife went away on vacation, he indulged in flights of fancy about the new neighbour upstairs, played by Marilyn Monroe.

After the male lead experienced several fantasies and internal struggles which people didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at, he finally controlled his thoughts and returned to his family.

Marilyn Monroe was the greatest highlight of the show. Her beauty wasn’t conventional, and she had a sort of innocent yet sexual appeal, unlike the seductive eroticism people were generally used to; it was a sort of cute charisma.

Xiao Lan recalled that his mother liked this film a lot. 7RpuLY

But he had been too young back then and was unable to understand the male lead’s midlife crisis and moral struggle, and merely felt that this uncle was comical and funny.

Suddenly seeing it again truly made one feel nostalgic.

Xiao Lan selected the film and turned to say to Luo, “How about we watch this one?”

Luo was wordless for a time. “…” qZvNS7

As a nonhuman, in order to swiftly integrate into human society, he still understood a little of human movie culture.

Naturally, he hadn’t skipped over this film, which was renowned in movie history.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

However, in this setting which was similar to a date, wasn’t watching this comedy in which a man dithered on the brink of having an affair a little too hardcore?

Moreover, they weren’t even together yet; why did this feel like a flag? y9s Fi

This feeling of not sticking to one pattern; as expected of the style of his family’s sir…

But looking at Xiao Lan, who seemed completely unaware that this wasn’t quite suitable subject matter, Luo sighed quietly in his heart.

In the end, he still nodded and didn’t say anything to ruin Xiao Lan’s mood.

The movie started and the screen delineated the American film style of the fifties. Coupled with the light-hearted plot, it was a pretty good movie to watch while on vacation. pbJ5mf

Staying comfortably in the real world, sitting on a soft sofa, watching a light-hearted movie, the faint sounds of the ocean splashing nearby, and a person who could be relied on beside him.

Xiao Lan suddenly felt incomparably relaxed.

Sometimes, he wondered what life would be like if he hadn’t met Luo.

Perhaps he would be like many of the players who spent more and more time in the Advent World, gradually turning into a missing person in the real world until they truly died in a certain game one day, no longer remembered by anyone. 4ijhsR

Xiao Lan secretly peeked at Luo beside him.

Luo was sitting on the sofa at the moment. His posture was relaxed, but he still maintained his elegant demeanour.

Right now, the two were sitting very close together. Xiao Lan could even feel the heat emitted by the other.

As Luo continued to retrieve fragments of himself, he was becoming more and more human in his outer appearance. Not only breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature, but at some unknown time, even the texture of his skin seemed more and more human. ebsqvS

Even his actions and bearing were more human than at the very start.

Xiao Lan didn’t know whether this change was good or bad for Luo, but it didn’t seem harmful for the moment, and Luo himself also seemed quite happy.

Xiao Lan knew very well that only a hand-drawn line separated them.

It was an extremely frail barrier. As long as he wanted to, he could step over it at any time. 9ItcFE

But…

Xiao Lan thought of his own identity as a human.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

A human was very frail and many accidents could cause one to lose their life, even after being tempered by the Advent World. Even Xiao Chengyan, that strong, legendary player, had died without a sound.

Luo’s life should be very long ba. In such a long life, a few decades might just be the blink of an eye. 3pesW6

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At that moment, Xiao Lan thought of Qi Ning and his slaughter of prejudice after his lover died. fbDthN

And that untouched coffee in the cafe.

Xiao Lan, who had never feared a challenge, suddenly felt a little cowardly.

He didn’t want… to make Luo turn into something like that…

Xiao Lan nestled against the sofa, casually indulging in his drifting thoughts as he felt his eyelids slowly grow heavier. Cs1mbS

Sensing the breathing of the person beside him change, Luo turned his head and saw Xiao Lan’s peacefully sleeping face.

Xiao Lan looked very calm as he slept. He quietly rested against the back of the sofa and didn’t move about.

Luo quietly drew closer.

As if long used to his proximity, this movement didn’t startle Xiao Lan awake. g P9hM

Luo pressed a soft kiss to his lips, as if he was kissing treasure, then said in a voice only he himself could hear, “Don’t think about leaving me, sir.”

The next morning, Xiao Lan came face-to-face with Luo’s face upon opening his eyes.

Xiao Lan was instantly dumbfounded; only then did he notice that he seemed to have laid down on Luo’s lap at some point?

Could it be that he slept so restlessly? v7yS1r

Moreover… Luo allowed him to lie down for an entire night like that?

Xiao Lan’s mind was filled with question marks.

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Conversely, Luo had no unusual reaction. He casually stroked Xiao Lan’s hair where he laid in his lap, telling him “good morning” like usual.

Once again, this gave Xiao Lan the illusion that he was some evil boss. w4iCnv

For the next few days, the two enjoyed a carefree life on the island.

But they didn’t use up the entire month in the real world. At the end of the trip, they returned to the player hub.

After returning to the Advent World.

Xiao Lan entered that ‘absorbed in training, only training will give me happiness’ state again. FAZwH3

Perhaps because he had concerns now, he became even more focused when training.

During combat training, he even chose to fight random players to temper his reactions in dealing with different skills.

Who knew how the Advent World was able to do it, but it unexpectedly could pull out deceased players to act as sparring partners.

They probably weren’t the people themselves, but all of them retained some of their memories when they were alive, yet they couldn’t remember anything about their deaths. I60Pcv

Moreover, they would instantly disappear at the end of the training, like data copies.

On a certain day.

Xiao Lan had just finished sparring and was sitting on the ground and taking a breather.

The player hub had already switched to night mode. He intended to rest for a while before going back. Lk18VU

At that moment, he felt his contact item being activated. After searching in his storage space for a while, he realised that it was the 【Plastic friendship】 which Wang Taidi had given to him.

Xiao Lan smoothly accepted the connection.

Before he could say anything, he noticed that something was wrong with Wang Taidi.

The usually smiling and upbeat Wang Taidi now had red-rimmed and bloodshot eyes, as well as deep dark circles under them. His hair was matted and his clothes were crumpled. There were also injuries on his face; he looked extremely dispirited. u8kSN5

This youth who was so cheerful that he was incompatible with the Advent World seemed to have finally been engulfed by the darkness.

Xiao Lan sensed something was wrong and asked, “Taidi, what happened?”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Wang Taidi’s voice was hoarse and slightly shaky. “Xiao- Xiao Lan… something happened… to my ge.”

Xiao Lan hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong? Wang Ke, he…” e7IYh4

He didn’t see Wang Ke by Wang Taidi’s side, and was now hearing that something had happened to him.

Xiao Lan initially wanted to ask whether Wang Ke was alive, but then felt like asking so directly was a little too much, so he could only cut himself off.

“My ge…” Wang Taidi sniffled. He forcefully slapped his face, doing his best to clear his head.

But as he tried to organise his words a few times, it was hard for him to voice it out loud. aT04DX

Xiao Lan didn’t speak unnecessarily. “Where are you?”

Wang Taidi gave him his address from moving after he became an intermediate player.

Xiao Lan: “I’ll come over right away. Wait in your room first; don’t do anything stupid, you hear me?”

Wang Taidi nodded. “Okay…” dnqK3a

Xiao Lan immediately ended his training and rushed off in Wang Taidi’s direction.

Knock knock knock. 

Xiao Lan knocked on the door.

Wang Taidi silently opened the door. He was still wearing the same clothes, and was still very miserable. zi8PM7

After just barely greeting Xiao Lan, Wang Taidi led him to sit on the sofa.

After sitting down, Wang Taidi sank into silence. Xiao Lan didn’t urge him either and quietly waited for him to speak up.

During this time, Xiao Lan looked around him.

This was a standard intermediate player’s room. The area wasn’t large and the interior decor looked like it was also a template. CFUapW

The only thing unique about it was a four-person family photo hanging on the wall.

In the family photo, a young Wang Taidi and Wang Ke were standing in the front, and next to them were a corgi and toy poodle.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Behind them should be their parents.

Mother Wang was like Wang Taidi, with a head of brown curls. She looked plump and was smiling very good-naturedly. r3ylai

Father Wang had very short hair and was very similar to Wang Ke. The only difference was that he was wearing glasses and had a refined and educated scholarly aura.

At that moment, Wang Taidi finally spoke.

His voice was low and hoarse. “When my parents had an accident, I was only ten, but at that time, my ge was already a senior in high school.”

What he spoke, it had nothing to do with the current situation. LlXGkR

But Xiao Lan just listened quietly. He knew that, right now, Wang Taidi might just need someone to listen to him.

Wang Taidi continued, “Grandpa and grandma died early. At that time, a few distant relatives took a liking to my family’s home. It was my ge who rebuked them harshly and sent them away. He said, ‘I’ll raise him myself, I don’t need your useless concern’.

“Later, he began working while studying, and supported us by himself. None of the teachers in school really liked him because his grades were bad and he always skipped classes; he looked like a school slag.”

Wang Taidi still didn’t forget his habit of exposing his older brother. akzplt

After speaking, he subconsciously reached up to grasp his nape, as if afraid Wang Ke would come grab him by the neck again.

But then he stopped halfway —

Wang Ke wasn’t here now.

Realising this, Wang Taidi’s hand trembled. jNEdCQ

He then forcefully held back his tears. “My ge… has always taken care of me… but I can’t help him at all…

“This time too…”

Xiao Lan finally opened his mouth to ask, “What happened?”

Wang Taidi swiped his eyes with a hand. “My ge… was preparing to become a contract player, but in that instance… he disappeared.” sEpLxf

Xiao Lan was a little astonished. A contract player – didn’t that mean being tied to the Advent World, and no longer being able to leave?

Wang Ke didn’t seem like someone who would choose to take a contract to survive; why did he make such a choice?!

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Wang Taidi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “My ge always felt… that it was his fault that I entered the Advent World. Because that night, he had an accident while he was at work, and didn’t come home even when it was very late. I was so worried that I ran off to find him at his workplace.

“As a result… on the way back, we were roped into the Advent World. In that game, I nearly died. oEfrJw

“He’s always blamed himself, feeling that it was all his fault. So, he would stake it all in games, taking everything on him and always doing his best to grow at the risk of his life. He always told me that he would definitely take me to leave the Advent World.

“But after I rose to the intermediate level, I experienced harder and harder instances. A few times, I narrowly had an accident, but I managed to overcome all of them by relying on my ge.

“At that time, he grew quieter, always secluding himself and not speaking. I know he was probably reevaluating himself and thinking that he wasn’t strong enough, but I didn’t think he would actually consider becoming a contract player. That idiot; if that happens, he won’t be able to leave…

“After that, his teammate just happened to be interested in becoming one too, so my ge concealed it from me and chose the refinement instance to be promoted to the contract level with his teammate.” L09CQ6

Speaking up to this point, Wang Taidi’s voice began to tremble once more. He tried his best to control it.

“Then… my ge’s teammate was the only one to return. He said… that instance was called Sara’s Song, which just happened to be capable of restricting my ge’s ability, and greatly affected him. After that, there was a crisis, and my ge was injured. At that moment, two teammates betrayed them; they directly ambushed my ge and… pushed him to the monster.

“After that, he was no longer able to find any traces of my ge.

“Everyone else says my ge is definitely dead…” PJX0d3

Xiao Lan also didn’t expect Qi Ning’s previous analysis of the Wang brothers to come true this soon.

What was unexpected was that Wang Ke wasn’t injured in the process of protecting his little brother, but instead, had an accident in an instance to be promoted to the contract level, though the reason he chose to be promoted was still to protect his little brother.

However, Xiao Lan felt a little skeptical after he finished listening to Wang Taidi’s explanation.

Generally, the failure to clear an instance resulted in death, but the way Wang Taidi described it sounded different. bt0QkO

Xiao Lan asked, “You seem very certain that Wang Ke isn’t dead?”

Wang Taidi raised his head. “The contract instance is different from other games. It won’t reset; it’s said that even the way to clear it is different from other games. Traces from each time a player enters the instance won’t disappear, and players who fail to be promoted or who are unable to leave will always remain inside.”

Wang Taidi took out a tiny pendant from his pocket. “This was given to me by ge. I can see his condition with this; we both have one.

“As long as it’s still glowing, my ge isn’t dead.” KNvTgQ

Wang Taidi placed the pendant before Xiao Lan. “Look.”

However, this pendant now appeared dim and lightless, just like an ordinary rock.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Wang Taidi also noticed.

He hastily stood up, rushed to the wall, and turned off the light, before blocking out the street lights outside the window with his body. He reached out and did his best to block out any light around the pendant. zdjv94

This time, Xiao Lan clearly saw that the pendant was still glowing. It was just that —

It was a light so weak it was almost about to go out, and was hard to discern without a close look.

If this light truly represented a person’s life, that could only mean that the person was already on the brink of death.

Wang Taidi looked at Xiao Lan, hope in his tone. “Look, it’s still glowing. My ge is definitely still alive, right? But no one else believes me; they all say I should stop fantasising.” tQmnsN

Xiao Lan looked at that bare illumination in Wang Taidi’s palm. He was silent for a moment, but still nodded in the end. “Right, he’s definitely still alive.”

Wang Taidi smiled with red-rimmed eyes. “That’s right, my ge isn’t dead… isn’t dead…”

Looking at the pendant in his hands and smiling for a while, Wang Taidi stared firmly at his palm. “Not allowed to die, Wang Ke, you’re not allowed to die…”

Following his words, an intangible power spread outwards, and this pendant miraculously brightened for an instant. UdVdey

Wang Taidi seemed to have inadvertently activated his skill.

His 【I have no interest in money】 could make his words come true at the cost of wealth value. To some degree, it could be said to be a powerful skill that could change the rules.

But at that moment, it caused a trace of blood to spill from the corner of Wang Taidi’s mouth.

This was the effect of overusing his ability. Just that sentence had consumed 100 million of the wealth value he had recently accumulated. O9JNYL

If it were a little more, his skill would have returned to its inactive state.

The price of this sentence could be said to be considerably great.

Xiao Lan was a little worried. “Taidi, what’s wrong?”

Wang Taidi, however, completely ignored him. “Cough cough cough… Look, it’s brighter!” jNHrzG

After speaking, he passed the pendant to Xiao Lan again.

This time, although it was still dark, it appeared slightly brighter than before.

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The corner of Wang Taidi’s lips was still bloody, but his eyes had brightened. “I found a way to save him. As long as I keep using my ability, then he won’t die. Even… as long as I get stronger, he can definitely be saved.

“He was able to become an advanced player, and so many people were able to become advanced players…” Wang Taidi turned his gaze to Xiao Lan. “You’ve also become an advanced player, right? When you came in, I already noticed that your aura is different.” Zotqxf

Xiao Lan nodded.

Wang Taidi tightened his fist around the pendant in his hand and whispered over and over again, “I also definitely can become an advanced player, definitely…”

He repeated it again and again, as if to strengthen his conviction.

“Ge used to always say that he would carry me and we would keep on living, and sooner or later, there would be a day we can leave this place.” QXuxwq

Wang Taidi gritted his teeth. “Ge, wait for me… This time, I’ll carry you and leave.”

At that moment, Xiao Lan said, “When the time comes and you’re prepared to go save your brother, remember to look for me.”

His tone was serene and firm, as if what he was talking about wasn’t a contract instance that was extremely dangerous and difficult, as if it wasn’t Sara’s Song that even the elite of advanced players had suffered a disastrous defeat in.

Wang Taidi hummed lightly in response. He lowered his head and didn’t let Xiao Lan see his current expression. “Thank you… Xiao Lan… thanks…” nBRoeA

The author has something to say:

Little theater of the two Wang dogs who haven’t been seen in a long time:

Wang Taidi: I, Wang Taidi, will change my name from today onwards to be Wang— Ri— Tian—.

Wang Ke: …You go ba, I’m good here. 5MqA7n