Chapter 4: Indeed, I am just an ordinary person after all
Others must have already known that Jiuming was about to take action, and by now, he must have found a place to hide. Unable to suppress a curse in his heart, the frail man glanced back, and Jiuming was still closely following behind him
The mere appearance of the frail youth shattered his last glimmer of hope
After taking just two steps, his eyes twitched a few times; indeed, this place has shrunk significantly again. Otherwise, where did the hand bone, still stained with blood at his feet, come from?
With a faint crack, several sharp cracks appeared on the phone screen due to external force
The luminous membrane that appeared on the frail young man manifested at the very moment the man drew his last breath. This implies that regardless of which of the two Nine Lives resolves, there will always be one person who survives, either him or the dying man, unless Nine Lives can resolve both individuals without any time lag.
You ... ...
NPC ? Store clerk ?
The thought of quickly eliminating others to help a certain individual, in order to bring everything to a swift conclusion, was also ruthlessly extinguished by him. There was no need for it, and he did not desire it. In that case, it was better to simply "observe"...
It has been nearly two days, and it has surprisingly developed into such a situation. How could he have been in a daze for so long?
What? He is not a person, this is against the rules! I want to report it! Thinking of his own painful and twisted experiences, and then looking at how Jiuming can just 'get by' as a mere observer, a profound sense of injustice echoed in his heart, why should this be allowed!
... ...
Let's give it a try
The journey was almost like treading upon various corpses, a cat with nine lives, feeling as if a wind named resentment was constantly blowing by my ears
What the hell!
Once again, after turning a corner, the frail young man directly saw a wall that was already visible at its edges. The wall was approximately fifty meters long, and the once vast maze had now shrunk to this extent
Ah! Even after trying his best to evade, the slender youth's abdomen was still pierced by a knife. With a cry of agony, he fiercely bit at the throat of the man who had already lost his strength
Ka!
Nine Lives noticed that the subtitles assigned to the frail young store manager seemed to have disappeared... Oh? Is it that the 'screen' is not sufficient?
Why can't I hear the sounds of fighting anymore
Ha ha! Hahahaha! I survived! Seeing himself unscathed, the frail young man suddenly burst into wild laughter. Reflecting on the twisted experiences he had endured over the past two days in the struggle for survival, he felt an additional impulse to cry out loud. "Aren't you very powerful? Come and kill me!"
Upon seeing Jiu Ming, the frail young man charged over with a loud shout, swinging the leg bone in his hand down fiercely towards Jiu Ming's head. Naturally, the leg bone passed right through Jiu Ming's head, as if it had struck nothing but air.
From now on, just consider this as a rather unpleasant memory, a dark chapter in history
Having wiped off the stains from the found phone, it is evident from the color of the phone and the wallpaper that its owner is likely a woman. The battery still has a little less than half charge, sufficient for him to play with it for a while. Nine Lives aimlessly opened the text messages, revealing some casual daily exchanges. From the variety of message contents, it is clear that the owner of this phone is a person with a good social network.
Congratulations, the last survivor, your tenacious life has earned you the title of the mysterious shopkeeper and *book* owner. Next, you will undergo a suitable training to better fit the identity of the mysterious shopkeeper
Like a dying beast in a corner, upon seeing the frail young man who had shattered his hopes charging directly at him, the man with nine lives tightly gripped the dagger pressed beneath him. As the frail young man approached, he summoned all his strength and surged forward with a sudden burst of energy
No matter how he helps others through their difficulties, the final outcome is merely to postpone someone else's time of death; rather than doing this, he might as well sit here and wait.
Damn it, you finally couldn't help but take action!" Looking at the broken leg bone in his hand, the previously evasive and frail young man turned and ran. He had no choice but to run; the opponent's punch came down and... directly broke the hard leg bone in his hand. The force transmitted made him stagger back several steps, no doubt about it... This guy could kill him with a single punch. It directly broke the hard leg bone in his hand, and the force transmitted made him stagger back several steps, no doubt about it... This guy could kill him with a single punch.
Leaning against the edge of the maze, Jiuming was unsure if the boundaries here had shrunk again, as he surprisingly heard several sounds from different directions. How long had it been?
A crisp sound echoed, and Jiu Ming's arm trembled slightly as he was pushed back two steps. Was it a moment too late? ... Forget it, since he missed the opportunity due to his hesitation ... it cannot be considered a complete loss.
Opening the draft box, Jiuming was momentarily taken aback as he saw the diary left by the owner of the phone. It was a brief account of experiences here, yet it was filled with a profound sense of despair, leaving Jiuming feeling quite conflicted. After reading it, he gripped the phone with much greater intensity.
Similarly, his greater concern is that Nine Lives might possibly 'share' this place, the mysterious shop? Regardless of what this place truly is, with such magical and *illustrative* powers, it must be remarkable
Sigh... hurry up and end all of this!
He had prepared himself to die at any moment while dragging that frail body, and now that he is dead, where else can he die again
"Wait, why hasn't he disappeared yet?" Seeing the subtitles appearing in the air, the frail young man suddenly pointed at the one who intended to leave after disappearing here, "Or is he also a special NPC here, like a shopkeeper?"
A line of subtitles appeared in the air, and Jiuming felt something sweep past him.
Hello, is it possible that my identity appears this way in the eyes of you normal people? ... Well, he can see the subtitles too
The target is the type of 'BUG' that can be accepted by the mysterious shop
He picked up a blood-stained phone from the ground. Jiuming glanced at the time; after 12 hours had passed since then, another 34 hours had gone by
Things that are destined to have no outcome... it is better not to engage in them!
As the footsteps of the nine lives suddenly quickened, the frail young man looked at the man who was desperately holding onto him, filled with terror as the man's breath weakened. He could not break free; was he also going to die?
As he ran, the frail young man began to sweat from his forehead. Having grasped the rules of the maze, he realized that accurately locating a specific place might be quite difficult. However, finding a spot with sound was relatively easy. Now, without the guiding sounds to direct him, locating others would depend on sheer luck
Then... if all the people here die, will this selection fail
The emaciated youth, pressed into a corner, felt a flicker of light in his eyes as if he had thought of something, rekindling a glimmer of hope, and even his steps quickened significantly.
Rubbing his eyes, he regained his spirits. Many of the nine lives stood up again, moved their bodies, and let out a long breath... He felt that he had been a bit foolish before
Finding a clean place, he stood quietly for a while. Jiuming raised his head again, as the sounds of fighting were approaching him. A seemingly frail young man, with a face twisted in unwillingness, could not escape the pursuer behind him, no matter how much he tried to dodge.
Unlike the sound of a shattered screen, this time it was the sound of bones. Jiu Ming had already sensed it; his current soul body was roughly on par with that of an ordinary person in terms of strength, yet its explosive power was terrifyingly high. The force unleashed in an instant was capable of breaking hard bones.
No, he is also considered one of the participants
This expression does not contain translatable content.
With a smirk and his eyes glancing to the side, Jiu Ming simply sat cross-legged. He could understand this person's feelings, but understanding or not, his own displeasure still lingered. If it weren't for that layer of light membrane preventing him from breaking through, the thing he most wanted to do right now was to rush up and give him a good beating. For now, he could only wait for the 'punishment' from this subtitle master.
Dead end
Relying on the protection of the light membrane, the frail youth provoked the Nine Lives for a while, alternating between crying and laughing as he vented his emotions. Once he settled down, if he could endure the shadows within his heart, a resilient mindset would take shape.
A bald man lying on the ground had the fierce expression on his face replaced by weakness. His body bore several deep wounds, some of which were so severe that the bone was visible. A massive wound on his abdomen made it difficult for him to move. Even if the frail young man had not found him here, he would not have survived much longer. He was now completely relying on a thread of willpower to hold on. If he were left all alone... then he could continue to live.
It is you, isn't it! It must be you who brought us here to watch us kill each other! Let me out!
The corner of Jiuming's mouth twitched violently as he followed behind, feeling a bit bitter in his mouth. Indeed, he was just an ordinary person; even when it came to chasing someone, he could hesitate for a long time without making a decision.
Bang
Why am I so unlucky!
Tilting its head, the creature with nine lives squinted one eye and circumvented this place, continuing to move forward. Along the way, the abundance of resources reached an 'extreme' level, and a deep scent of blood permeated the air. It was not uncommon to see severed arms and legs by the roadside.
Unfortunately, due to bad luck, I was brought here
In the light membrane, a frail young man provocatively confronted the Nine Lives, as the stains on his body rapidly dissolved along with everything here. The sense of weakness and his injuries had vanished completely. The labyrinth disappeared, replaced by a white space where a person and a ghost stood in confrontation.
Where is it! Where is it! The frail young man, roaring loudly in his heart, anxiously wandered around, desperately searching for something. The maze had already shrunk significantly; even if his luck was not particularly good, he would still find what he was looking for after thoroughly exploring this place... or rather, a person.
I truly do not understand the purpose of creating all of this. What use is there for such 'employees'? Is this a recruitment for slaughterhouse butchers?
"... ... Think as you wish." With a face full of helplessness, Jiu Ming turned and left. How many of those who remain can still retain their 'humanity'?
Despite his frail physique, he has managed to survive until now, which surely indicates his intelligence is not lacking. While running, he is also actively engaging his thoughts. Nine Lives has taken the initiative, and with his assistance, it should be possible to deal with some more troublesome individuals.