“You’ve all hoodwinked me! You spun such fanciful tales—talks of strategy, leveling up, and what’s the situation now? You’ve pissed off the boss and dragged me into this mess! We’re fleeing for our lives!”
The pink-haired girl looked at them with pure disdain, her finger almost jabbing one in the face.
“And for the record! I did nothing! That pretty-boy was tied up by you lot, not me! If anyone should be hunted down, it’s you guys! You’re nothing but dead weight!”
The more she thought about it, the more righteous her anger became. Frowning deeply, she felt truly burdened by this bunch of incompetents.
“And you! Always stirring up trouble!”
The one referred to as “Dollar” turned beet-red, unable to retort against the pink-haired girl’s accusations. With a cold huff, he pressed on.
Rock wore an expression of utter despair as he walked, ignoring the bickering of the other two.
He deeply regretted it.
Why did he decide to keep playing this game?
He had a bad feeling from the start. Why couldn’t he stay firm to his decision and just quit the game?
Or perhaps, they shouldn’t have tied up that pretty-boy NPC, or roughed him up. They wouldn’t be hunted now if they hadn’t.
Not far away, Yao Ye was set down by the Judge.
“Be careful. If things get too tough, come back immediately!”
Watching the hulking figure ready to leave with his blade, Yao Ye nervously grasped his fingers.
Standing next to the adorable black-haired youth, the Judge felt his heart soften, overwhelmed with emotions.
He wanted to convey his feelings to Yao Ye but found no words, only nodding silently, fingers trembling from the gentle grip.
“I will return them to where they belong.”
Then, Yao Ye would flash that beautiful smile again.
With a deep and pleasant voice, the Judge announced, grasping his long blade, he moved towards the intruders concealed in the mist.
After the big guy left, Yao Ye could hardly see his way.
The thickening mist felt as overwhelming as a rising tide, filling his entire field of view.
He could only watch as the hulking figure faded into the dense fog.
Yao Ye’s face reflected a sense of profound loss.
Was he becoming dependent?
It felt like he increasingly couldn’t bear to be away from the big guy. Even moments apart seemed painful.
They’d only been together for a couple of days, but it felt like they’d known each other forever. Their relationship was comfortable and close.
Yao Ye was perplexed by his feelings. One thing was clear, though: he didn’t want the big guy to leave.
If only they could be together forever…
Yao Ye sat down, hugging his knees. His pale, delicate face bore an expression of melancholy and confusion.
To be together forever… But even the closest of friends will part someday…
Such thoughts seemed so strange to him.
If the big guy knew, he’d probably find it revolting…
We will be together… forever…
The familiar yet terrifying thought popped into Yao Ye’s mind, as if someone had whispered it into his ear over and over.
He must be overthinking.
Shaking his head, he looked deep into the fog, waiting for the big guy’s return.
Whether he kills them or not, as long as the big guy returns, it’ll be fine.
“Ah! No! No!”
A woman with an explosive pink hairstyle was seized by a massive hand that gripped her hair, dragging her face-down on the ground. Blood smeared all over her face from the friction, her agonized screams ringing through the air as she flailed desperately in an attempt to free herself.
Bang! Bang!
Gunshots echoed. The Judge hesitated momentarily with every shot, only to retaliate with intensified fury.
“Damn it! Why is he so fast?! The guide said the boss was slow and bad at chasing!”
Dollar cursed, firing his gun relentlessly.
The gun’s fierce recoil bloodied his hands. In the real world, such an injury would have rendered his hand useless.
Rock clutched his gun, trembling in terror, tears and snot covering his face.
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.
“Memx… kf’gf ublcu ab vlf… fnfgsatlcu atfs rjlv bcilcf jybea atlr ujwf yflcu gfji lr agef… kf’ii vlf lc atf gfji kbgiv abb…”
“Pa’r beg ojeia. Qf kfgf abb jggbujca… Po bcis kf’v yffc ubbv ab atja glmt xlv ogbw atf rajga…”
“Vtea atf tfii eq! Ktfgf’r cb qblca lc rjslcu atlr cbk. Qtja’r vbcf lr vbcf!” Gbiijg rtbeafv ktlif mbcalcelcu ab olgf.
Rock, however, continued sobbing.
A nearly six-foot tall man, crying so uncontrollably, was quite the pathetic sight.
Ever since the Judge had suddenly appeared, Rock had been in a state of complete mental breakdown. Despair had taken up every corner of his mind.
Now, looking at the pink-haired girl’s bloodied face after she was caught in a moment of carelessness, Rock turned and ran, heedless of his companion who was still shooting to save her.
He wanted to live, even if it meant using his companions as shields!
Seeing Rock flee, Dollar’s face contorted in anger. He shouted, “Rock! Damn you! You’re just running away like that?!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Judge spotted the fleeing Rock.
Yao Ye would be upset if someone got away.
Musing to himself, the Judge released the pink-haired girl he had been about to kill, raised the broad-bladed sword in his hand, and hurled it with force.
Thunk.
The blade struck its target accurately.
Rock was pinned to the ground, the blade plunging into his back, splitting his flesh. Blood and fragmented viscera pooled around him.
“No… I…”
Rock stared in disbelief at his body, nearly severed in two.
With the vestiges of consciousness, he could even see his heart, still beating within his split torso, pulsing and red, reminiscent of a decaying rose, exuding a putrid stench.
So this is what my insides looked like…
Rock lay on the ground in a daze, his attachment to the living world still strong, resisting the pull of the encroaching darkness.
This pain was unbearable…
If only… they hadn’t angered the boss…
“Rock!!!”
Seeing Rock’s bisected body, Dollar’s eyes were filled with rage, his face a picture of horror at the Judge’s swift throw.
The Judge was too fast.
It was as if he had activated some sort of cheat code. He was vastly different from the slow, lumbering boss described in the guide.
Those damned guide writers!
Dollar was sure that he had been deceived by those posers online. Their misguided advice had led to this dire situation.
With the game now locked, he didn’t know whether he’d return to the real world if he died. The prospect of becoming comatose in reality, as Rock had suggested, was more terrifying than death itself.
The fear of such an outcome intensified Dollar’s dread of dying in the game.
With a sinister look, he gripped his gun and aimed at the Judge’s skull.
This damn boss! Why was he so powerful?
Bang! Bang!!
Bullets pierced the Judge’s bandage-wrapped head, only for it to quickly regenerate. The sight of flesh and bone rapidly mending was enough to make one’s skin crawl.
“Ah! Help me! Help!”
The pink-haired girl was roughly dragged by the hair by the Judge, screaming in terror.
Dollar gritted his teeth and took advantage of the Judge’s focus on the girl to bolt deeper into the mist.
He couldn’t die here! He absolutely couldn’t!
Dollar left behind the screaming pink-haired girl and sprinted. Soon, her shrieks abruptly cut off. Then a familiar whooshing sound followed, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. In a frantic roll, he narrowly evaded the blood-streaked blade aimed at his back.
However, the blade was so sharp that it still sliced off a chunk of his back. Blood spurted everywhere.
The exposed blood vessels and bone sent chills down one’s spine.
“Ahhh!”
Stumbling through the mist looking for the big guy, Yao Ye was startled by the sudden appearance of someone at his feet.
It was that thug.
What a small world.
Seeing the thug’s bloody and crazed state, Yao Ye instinctively took a step back, only to have Dollar point a gun at his head and halt his retreat.
“Hold it!”
Dollar’s face, smeared in blood and twisted in pain, was almost monstrous.
“Talk! What’s your relationship with the Judge?”
Gritting through his pain, Dollar advanced, holding Yao Ye hostage, pressing the gun menacingly against his temple.
The Judge?
Yao Ye figured Dollar was talking about the big guy.
He shot him an accusatory glance. Still, to save his own skin, he reluctantly replied, “We’re friends.”
Wait and see. Once the big guy gets here, you’re done!
By now, the Judge was rapidly approaching. He took in the scene, clutching his blade. His fury was palpable, all reason lost, replaced by boundless resentment.
How dare he?!
How dare he hurt Yao Ye?!
The Judge’s wrath was evident as more blood seeped from beneath his bandages, staining them crimson, a testament to an anger that couldn’t be quenched.
Dollar stared at the emerging figure of the Judge from the mist, his face a mix of defiance and madness.
He knew his injuries were severe. His health was depleting, and he probably wouldn’t survive. But the idea of him, a human, dying before an NPC, was hard to swallow. How did he lose against this rich weak pretty-boy?!
“Don’t even think about trying to deceive me! You and the Judge? Friends? What a fucking joke! Are you also one of the monsters on this island? Did you set me up?”
Yao Ye thought this thug had lost his mind. What did he mean by ‘monster’? Couldn’t he see that Yao Ye was human?
A heavy, suppressed breath echoed. It was only then that Yao Ye noticed the looming presence of the large figure. His eyes instinctively lit up.
“Big guy! You’re here!”
As Yao Ye tried to break free from the thug’s grasp, the thug tightened his hold around Yao Ye’s neck, immobilizing him.
“Stay still! All of you, hold it right there!” With a deranged expression, Dollar aimed his gun right at Yao Ye’s temple, even striking him with it.
Pain clouded Yao Ye’s vision while the Judge, fury evident, clenched his fists.
Yet, out of fear of harming Yao Ye, the Judge restrained himself, stopping a short distance away.
“Let him go.”
The Judge’s words were few, but each one was heavy with suppressed rage.
The menacing aura emanating from the Judge made Dollar’s gun-wielding hand tremble. He screamed back even more irrationally, “Bullshit! If I let him go, I’m as good as dead!”
“Judge, no, your real name is Yuan Ping, right? You killed all my companions for a pretty boy like him? Why?!”
Dollar’s face twitched uncontrollably; the combination of acute stress and excessive blood loss muddled his thinking, making his words disjointed and irrational.
Yuan Ping?
Hearing this familiar name, Yao Ye was taken aback, his pupils narrowing.
Was this guy Yuan Ping from his memories?
Yao Ye looked at the towering Judge, memories of a mysterious boy from his younger years merging seamlessly with the figure before him.
“Are you… Yuan Ping?”
Yao Ye’s voice quivered, struggling to comprehend how much torment the frail boy from before must’ve gone through to transform into this hulking being by his side.
“…”
Yuan Ping clenched his fists, remaining silent.
He’d been found out… His disgusting identify… was discovered by Yao Ye. What now?
Would he… leave?
Yuan Ping lowered his head, too fearful to meet Yao Ye’s gaze. His once taut muscles tensed further, and an ominous aura surrounded him.
He couldn’t leave… he must never leave…
Yao Ye could only belong to him.
Yao Ye looked at the silent lump of muscle, his heart racing. Memories of his past actions towards Yuan Ping flooded back, bringing with them a mix of regret and guilt.
Was Yuan Ping still holding a grudge for how he had arrogantly treated him back then?
Was that why he remained silent? Would this big guy, who had always been kind to him, abandon him now?
With teary eyes, Yao Ye bit his lip and looked at Yuan Ping.
Dollar, watching the tense standoff, twitched his lips erratically. His mental state was deteriorating rapidly, his eyes bloodshot.
“Yuan Ping! Isn’t he your enemy? Remember how he used to bully you?”
Brandishing the gun menacingly, Dollar sneered, “Aren’t you pretty tough? Can’t even kill your own enemy? Want me to do it for you?”
Eyeing the Judge standing silently nearby, Dollar let out a sinister chuckle and pulled the trigger.
The Judge never let his prey escape. If Dollar didn’t die from blood loss, he’d die by the Judge’s blade. Either way, his fate was sealed, but he wanted to take someone down with him.
Bang!!!
Blood sprayed everywhere. Yao Ye blinked in confusion as everything around him turned a ghastly shade of red.
The world went eerily silent.
Big guy?
The last thing Yao Ye saw before blacking out was the black flames that enveloped the Judge.
Those black, burning flames… they were beautiful.
The Judge, still standing a distance away, watched in shock as Yao Ye was drenched in blood. The colossal figure trembled violently.
“No… no… Yao Ye…!!!”
The Judge’s mournful cry echoed across the island.
Unforgivable…! Utterly unforgivable!!!!!!
The deep anguish and hatred in that voice sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it, and Dollar began bleeding from every orifice, his agonized cries echoing.
Boom!!!
A massive inferno erupted from the Judge, consuming the entire island.
“What’s happening? Hellfire?! Ahhh!!!”
“Help! Somebody save me!!!”
“The Judge has gone mad! He’s destroying the island! Ahhh!!!”
Countless monsters and spirits that had been lurking in the shadows shrieked in agony as they were incinerated by the all-consuming fire, leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.
“Ahh!!! It hurts!!!”
Black flames engulfed Dollar, burning him from the inside out. The pain, reaching deep into his soul, made him writhe on the ground.
Yet, these flames, capable of obliterating anything in their path, chose to burn him slowly, subjecting him to the most inhumane torture imaginable.
“I was wrong—please—spare me!!!”
Regret consumed Dollar as he pleaded in a shrill voice. He hadn’t anticipated such a horrible punishment for his rash actions. But his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The damage was done, and there was no turning back. The Judge’s anger only intensified.
Cradling the lifeless Yao Ye, the Judge let out a deep, mournful groan.
Then, with burning hatred, he turned his gaze to Dollar, writhing on the ground like a maggot. As the bandages on his face unraveled, a pair of blood-red eyes were revealed.
With every ounce of his hatred, the Judge cursed.
“You will suffer for all eternity.”
Hearing this, Dollar’s eyes widened in terror. Then, with a loud “pop,” his eyes burst in the flames. His soul was tainted by the cursed mire, bringing indescribable pain.
“Ahhh!!!”
Bang!!!
The last outsider succumbed to the Judge’s curse, meeting a painful end.
Holding Yao Ye close, the bandages on the Judge’s face fell away, revealing a scarred face streaked with tears.
For the first time since his death, tears flowed.
He gently kissed Yao Ye’s blood-streaked forehead, his deep voice laced with love and fragility.
“I’m sorry… Yao Ye… please…”
“Wake up…”
The Judge, consumed by sorrow and desolation, whispered softly to Yao Ye. If he hadn’t been so timid and avoided Yao Ye’s gaze before the outsider fired the shot, this could’ve been avoided.
Before coming to the island, Yao Ye had already died, so he wouldn’t die again. He would just fall into a deep sleep after being injured and wait to wake up after being repaired.
But if Yao Ye didn’t want to wake up and stayed asleep, Yuan Ping would be helpless.
“Please… wake up…”
I didn’t imagine that Yao Ye would actually die 😭😭
Wow, I didn’t expect him to already be dead