Mo Yang laughed happily, and Song Kefeng could only seethe with anger without saying a word. However, what caught the attention of the remaining dozen or so players more than Mo Yang and Song Kefeng themselves was the clown in the white coat saying, “Come and eat cherries.”
Since their escape, they hadn’t had a drop of water or a bite to eat. The other players hiding in the warehouse had been a bit luckier, finding something resembling potatoes and sweet potatoes that they nibbled on. Although the taste was terrible, it provided some sustenance and alleviated their hunger. But after three hours of hacking at plants, they were exhausted and their stomachs were growling, reminding them of their desperate need to eat.
So when Wan Mei said to come and eat cherries, the other players instantly turned their heads to look. They saw a cherry held in Wan Mei’s hand, as red as a ripe apple. The cherry stem had two cherries on it, glossy dark red, with a plump appearance and an enticing sweetness.
Gurgle.
The sound of swallowing saliva resounded around them.
Mo Yang walked over under the eager eyes of others and then looked at the two big cherries in amazement.
“These cherries are so big? I almost mistook them for apples.”
Wan Mei smiled and separated the two cherries on the stem, grabbing one and placing it in Mo Yang’s hand. “Go ahead and eat. They just evolved, so they are a bit challenging to pick, but otherwise, they’re fine. They’re nutritious and taste good.”
Mo Yang smiled at his words, and the mask’s cat mouth and whiskers curled up even more. It was finally worth it that he hadn’t rested much along the way, helping Wan Mei cut branches for her research. Moreover, this was food shared by his demon king boyfriend. Just thinking about it made him feel great. He took a big bite of the cherry in his hand, and the fresh, sweet juice entered his mouth, causing Mo Yang to squint his eyes.
“Oh my god, is it so delicious?!” Mo Yang blurted out. “It feels like my life value increased by 10.”
The other players, who were already longing for food, had their eyes shining even brighter. Zhou Api, relying on himself as the top henchman, walked up to Wan Mei with a sycophantic smile and said, “Boss Bai, how did you get these cherries? Can you teach us? We’re really starving.”
Wan Mei looked at the chubby guy with a pleading look (not really) and condescended to say, “Find their weak points and pick them without causing pain.”
Zhou Api’s mouth twitched, and the other players also felt disheartened.
Boss, not everyone is as amazing as you to be able to see the weak points of these plants at a glance. They’ve been walking for three hours and haven’t found any weak points.
Also, picking the fruit without causing pain is like trying not to hurt someone while grabbing their head, it’s too difficult!
Mo Yang noticed everyone staring at him.
He didn’t have Wan Mei’s composure, and being watched like this, he felt like he couldn’t even eat the cherry in his hand.
“Cough, can you tell us where the weak points are? After all, we’re all in the same game now, it’s fate.”
Mo Yang spoke to Wan Mei, and the other players nodded eagerly.
Wan Mei glanced at his adoring (not really) little wife and sighed, “The nodes of the branches, the roots of the plants, and areas with fragile tissue or old injuries are weak points. If you can’t find any, you can rely on brute force, just like this Black Charcoal. As long as he runs fast after stabbing with a dagger, it’s difficult to kill the roots and stems of those plants.”
Song Kefeng: ‘Heh heh. I don’t feel happy at all.’
“However, some plants use their fruits as weapons, so be careful when picking them,” Bai Wan warned for once. “Don’t be too greedy.”
The other players vigorously nodded, then discussed among themselves. They decided to rest here for now and find food before continuing.
At this point, out of the 99 players who embarked on the great escape from the Black Panther Duke’s castle, only 34 were still alive. Fortunately, all 34 of them had escaped the castle and entered the Plant Guardian Zone. They had been walking for three hours without any pursuers catching up from behind, so everyone’s mood had relaxed somewhat, as long as they could leave this plant guardian zone, they should consider it a pass.
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.
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He then continued, “Also, can we bring the food we find here back to the Dream World? If we can successfully cultivate these big cherries, they would definitely sell for a good amount of money. And you can cook higher-level dishes.”
Wan Mei nodded and said, “It should be possible. But don’t go for plants with extremely large fruits. Some of the plants here have similar components to Earth’s plants, but others are completely different… Here, take this. If there’s danger, sprinkle it around.”
Dr. Bai Wan took out an expensive-looking miniature research station from his backpack and sat in the center of the open space to conduct experiments. The sight left the onlooking players conflicted and awestruck, involuntarily walking around him, thinking they had finally seen a terrifying living research fanatic.
“Oh, I’m truly doomed. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a research fanatic. But to be honest, even with his clown mask and explosive hair, I can’t help but feel he’s incredibly handsome when he’s focused on his research!” The curly-haired beauty, wearing a silver mask adorned with a diamond rose, couldn’t help but exclaim.
Zhou Luoluo, the one with the ponytail, initially nodded in agreement but then looked at the beauty in horror and said, “Uh, miss, is your taste a bit… unusual?” Despite the fact that Mr. Clown did indeed seem serious, focused, and strangely attractive, his personality throughout the journey alone made it evident that he was a dangerous individual!
The curly-haired beauty chuckled, “Little girl, that’s because you lack experience. My twenty years of experience in the love scene tell me that the Clown is definitely a top-tier handsome guy. Similarly, the one with a black cat mask is also top-tier. Just by looking at their overall aura, ordinary people can’t compare.”
“Ah, it’s a shame they’re not NPCs in this game, otherwise, I would definitely pursue them. But… hehe, looking at how clingy they are to each other, it’s clear they’re gay.”
The beauty vented her frustration and used her whip to entangle a two-meter-tall cornstalk-like plant. She gave it a hard tug, then turned and ran, successfully obtaining a cornstalk before saying, “Damn it, all the good men have turned gay these days. As a stunning beauty like me, I can only look at those rough guys and fat guys who don’t know how to appreciate the beauty!”
Zhou Luoluo: “…” You’re quite fierce, sister.
Then Zhou Luoluo nodded with a melancholic expression and said, “Ah, you’re right, all the good men have turned gay.”
Then she fixed her gaze on a plant diagonally ahead. The leaves of that plant resembled carrot leaves, so she walked over to pull out a carrot.
However, Zhou Luoluo exerted all her strength but failed to uproot the carrot, and in the end, this girl stared silently at the leaf that had cut her hand, swaying back and forth in a self-congratulatory manner. She then took out a lighter from her backpack, lit it, and casually set fire to the leaf.
The Beauty, witnessing her expression to the fire, twitched her mouth and asked, “How did you enter the Dream World?”
Zhou Luoluo let out a cry, then saw the screaming and flailing leaves extinguishing the flames and ultimately sprouting out of the soil on their own. She stepped on a carrot that was as long as her entire arm and said, “It’s nothing. It’s just that I set fire to my dad and stepmom’s house, burned them to death, and nearly died myself. Then I was chosen.”
The beauty: “…” Suddenly realizing that this girl was quite fierce.
Zhou Luolu smiled and said, “Well, my mom was beaten to death by my dad, but before she died, she told me that my dad didn’t mean it. According to her, my dad couldn’t control himself and asked me not to hate him.”
“I just can’t understand, if once could be considered unintentional, and twice could be attributed to drunkenness, then my dad beat my mom for ten years. Are all those beatings in those ten years also unintentional? After my mom died on her sickbed, my dad found my stepmom within two months and started beating me.”
“I think he wanted to beat me as badly as he beat my mom and make me lie in bed until I died on my own. Then he would be at peace. But why should I? So, I set the fire. It doesn’t matter if we die together. I didn’t set the fire intentionally either. It was just an accident when I was paying tribute to my mom in the living room and accidentally set the curtains on fire.”
The beauty sighed, “You burned it well. But now that you’ve entered the Dream World, with a chance to start anew, don’t think about your dad and stepmom anymore. Focus on how to make your own life better.”
Zhou Luolu nodded, peeled the carrot, and took a bite. It was crispy and sweet.
“Mm.”
Song Kefeng stood not far from the two individuals, holding a carrot stick that he had forcefully obtained, feeling somewhat conflicted. When he heard the girl with the ponytail deliberately starting a fire, he initially thought about how to warn or punish her. But as he listened, he gradually lost interest in intervening.
The harm caused by domestic violence is often difficult to define and address. He had witnessed many women angrily crying for help and vowing to go to the police while being beaten, only to change their minds at the police station under the persuasion of their parents’ friends, giving their husbands another chance after calling it a minor quarrel.
Just like the ponytailed girl’s mother, who ended up dead from the beatings but still believed that the person who beat her didn’t do it intentionally. Living in her own lies, she burdened her child with the same falsehoods.
“Tsk.” Song Kefeng gave a deep glance at the ponytailed girl, then turned around and vented his frustrations by pulling out a carrot. That grimace on his face, with his features distorted due to the exertion, scared off many nearby players.
After about an hour, all sixteen scattered players returned. Although some were injured, their expressions improved considerably. Everyone had managed to find some edible food to varying degrees.
“Hey, the four of us went to great lengths and only managed to pick one big pumpkin. But I heard roasted pumpkin is quite delicious.” The male player wearing sunglasses carried a large pumpkin back with three other male players, all in good spirits.
Then, five players with torn clothes and bleeding legs beside them smiled bitterly and said, “We got a watermelon, but it’s barely enough. We need to replenish our nutrients quickly.”
In addition to that, there were corn cobs, carrots, radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and more that were also brought back. When gathered together, it became apparent that there were more common crops and fewer fruits.
Then the players made use of the available resources to roast corn, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins for eating. Some even exchanged their surplus items with others, creating a picnic-like atmosphere. It didn’t seem like an escape but rather a gathering. Although everyone’s appearance was a bit disheveled.
Mo Yang was the last to return.
However, he brought back the most surprising thing of all.
Besides the seven players trailing behind him, he held a golden glowing apple in his hands.
The apple looked crystal clear, like a yellow gem, resembling a work of art. When everyone saw it, Mo Yang walked over to Wan Mei and said, “Come and take a look. What kind of apple is this?”
“When I went there, that tree had already eaten six people. They were all bound by the branches. Even after throwing the medicine bag, you gave me, I couldn’t kill the tree. In a moment of desperation, I don’t know where I stabbed, but one stab killed the tree, revealing this apple inside.”
Wan Mei raised an eyebrow as he looked at the apple that resembled a yellow crystal. This apple was quite intriguing.
When his hand touched the apple, a system prompt sounded in his ears.
[Found a rare fruit that can be taken into the Dream World. Can be exchanged for 30,000 Dream Coins. Would you like to exchange?]
Exchanging one apple for 30,000 Dream Coins meant that its actual value was even higher. Both the Dream World and the Guides wanted it.
No.
Wan Mei directly refused. However, he looked up at Mo Yang and said, “Bring it back, and I’ll make apple jam for you.”
Mo Yang immediately nodded, “Okay, I’ll share half with you.”
Wan Mei curled his lips. When Mo Yang received the apple, he must have also heard the system prompt, yet he still brought it over for Wan Mei to study. What did this mean?
The pleased Bai Wan directly stood up, then, under the unbelieving gazes of the other players, squeezed into the dense vegetation and returned a few minutes later, completely unharmed, with a bunch of cherries in his hands. “Eat them as fruit. I’ll make cherry jam for you when we get back.”
Players: “???” Did I just go blind? Why did this guy walk into a group of man-eating plants and come out completely unharmed? His clothes aren’t even torn!
Mo Yang, with a smile on his face, was about to eat the cherry-sized apple when Zhao Ruoxi’s voice rang weakly: “Um, can you give me a cherry? My health points are down to 18.”
Mo Yang paused, looking at the pitiful girl with the ponytails.
“You can find food for yourself. That’s what everyone does.”
Zhao Ruoxi felt uneasy. “But if I go alone, I’m likely to get injured and might even die.”
Mo Yang pulled out a cherry and handed it to Zhou Api. Zhou Api happily took a big bite and then hesitantly offered a bunch of red peppers in return. The moment Mo Yang saw the peppers, he felt the spiciness. Zhou Apu also reminded him, “Hold them carefully. They released pink spicy gas earlier, and I almost died from the spiciness. My health points dropped to 50 instantly.”
Mo Yang: “…” Is this a biochemical weapon?!
“Um…” Zhao Ruoxi spoke again.
Mo Yang looked at her and asked, “Did you bring anything out of the castle?”
Zhao Ruoxi was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
Mo Yang raised an eyebrow. “Did you kill or defeat an elite patrol member?”
At this moment, Zhao Ruoxi understood what Mo Yang meant, and her face turned pale.
“My stamina and health points are already low, and I don’t have the money to buy powerful weapons. How could I complete that task?”
Mo Yang remained silent.
On the other side, Zhou Luoluo spoke up directly, “Then what do you want to eat? Even if Brother Hei gives you the big cherry, you still won’t be able to clear the game. You might as well just run into the plant group now.”
Feeling that she might face a second game failure punishment, Zhao Ruoxi began to tremble. Suddenly, she angrily shouted at Zhou Luoluo, “And what about you? Did you bring anything out of the castle? Did you kill an elite patrol member? I’m sure you didn’t. You’re not even willing to die, so why should I?!”
Zhou Luoluo replied, “Because I still have a chance and the courage to try. But you, besides asking others for help, have nothing.”
Zhao Ruoxi was choked and then helplessly looked at the male players present, one by one. Unfortunately, most of the male players ignored her or rolled their eyes at her.
Zhao Ruoxi couldn’t help but break down in tears, “How can you be so heartless? Why can’t you help me? I need your help so much!”
“After helping you, you’ll turn against us. You don’t do anything and just want others to do everything for you. I really don’t understand why Dream World chose you. Just because you like tricking others into doing your work for you?”
As Zhao Ruoxi was about to respond, a somewhat smug male voice suddenly came from behind: “Why would you speak to such a delicate girl like this? Isn’t it just helping her in the game? What’s the big deal?”
Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the voice and saw four male players wearing Batman, Superman, Hulk, and Iron Man masks. They were the first four players who had escaped from the underground dungeon. In addition to them, there was a small and timid male player accompanying them.
Zhao Ruoxi turned her head, and the player wearing the Batman mask spoke, “Beauty, as long as you agree to be my lover after we get out and sign a contract with me, selling me 10 points of mental power every day for three consecutive months, we will help you clear the game. How about it?”
Mo Yang’s eyes suddenly became sharp.
Song Kefeng and Zhou Apu furrowed their brows.
Only Wan Mei packed up his research station, looked in that direction slowly, and suddenly smiled.
Only scum people picks trash along the way. It’s only right for that Zhao Ruoxi and Superhero squad to go together. Hypocrites!
Also, Wan Mei really likes it when Mo Yang comes to him and asks him for suggestions! Despite being labeled as dangerous, he’s just a peacock in front of his wife; keeping his beautiful tail out for his Black Dog to see. Love them both so much!
love this description
Thank you so much for the updates! I missed this, but it’s worth it waiting knowing that Translator-nim is reliable when it comes to translating! <3
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Really strange girl, maybe she’s evil genius?
Thank you for your translation 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
to the sistwr complaining that all good men have turned gay, there is actually a simple solution to that. Turn gay too~ quite coincidentally, there’s a sister right beside you~