DSMC Chapter 118

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“Ahhh, they made it!”

“Several riders just fell, and I was too scared to watch. Sisters, did our kitty and Zhuifeng make it?”

“They did, they did!”

“Why do you sound like someone just gave birth?”

“I’m breaking out in cold sweat… the game is really messing with us.”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Haven’t they faced danger before? They always turn it around. I believe they can work together.”

“Yeah, but the obstacles ahead are even crazier. The first few were just warm-ups. Even though they cleared the fourth, the fifth to twelfth get harder and more insane. I don’t want to see our kitty eliminated. My heart can’t take this.”

The race continued.

After safely clearing the fourth obstacle, Yan Jiyun and Zhuifeng rushed toward the next challenge!

The fifth obstacle was the anti-cavalry barrier he had seen earlier. If Zhuifeng couldn’t clear it, they would truly fall here.

His worry was justified. Zhuifeng was provided by the system. He didn’t know if it had built-in limitations, like a maximum jump height.

But so far, the NPCs didn’t seem heavily restricted. Aside from the unusual flying horse, animals mostly followed normal logic.

Anti-cavalry barriers were originally used in ancient warfare. So horses failing to jump them was normal. But here, failing meant death.

After clearing the fourth obstacle, their ranking moved into the middle. Many riders had already been eliminated.

As they got closer, Yan Jiyun could clearly see the fifth obstacle. It had blades and spikes embedded in it. It was hell-level difficulty.

Zhuifeng didn’t slow down, instead it accelerated. Yan Jiyun felt himself lifted into the air again.

With a jump, it stalled airborne for several seconds. He loved the feeling. His adrenaline surged, excitement filled him.

He didn’t say much this time. Just followed his instinct as if he were a cat, synchronizing his jump with Zhuifeng.

Zhuifeng cleared the barrier effortlessly!

“Beautiful, Zhuifeng!” Yan Jiyun patted its neck in encouragement.

As expected of Zhuifeng. It lived up to its name.

They kept running, overtaking more than three riders. Though difficult, most riders managed to clear the obstacle, with only a few failing.

Now only 22 riders remained!

Yan Jiyun and Zhuifeng were in tenth place, not too noticeable.

“Seven obstacles left,” Yan Jiyun said. “Let’s push through in one go, alright?”

Zhuifeng’s mane flew in the wind. It was clearly well cared for, a truly beautiful horse.

It seemed to like the idea.

Zhuifeng hadn’t even reached its full speed yet, and now it accelerated further, without needing any prompting.

Their coordination improved again!

They cleared the sixth obstacle. Then the seventh… eighth… ninth—

Until the tenth obstacle, where the difficulty increased again!

With perfect cooperation, they surged from tenth to fifth place. Four riders remained ahead.

Each rider sat firmly, their coordination with their horses flawless.

Yan Jiyun didn’t wait for others to make mistakes. He focused entirely on the obstacles ahead.

Only three obstacles remained!

“Be careful with the next ones,” he told Zhuifeng. “Don’t rush blindly. You’re the best, so let’s go!”

The second race was better in one way. No riders carried weapons. The danger came from the obstacles instead.

The tenth obstacle was two towering walls covered in thorny vines.

They had cleared something similar before. Yan Jiyun was certain the game wouldn’t repeat obstacles without a twist. There had to be a trap behind the wall.

They were only four to five meters behind third place, but twenty to thirty meters from first.

Suddenly, the leading rider slowed down. The second-place rider seized the chance and sped up, overtaking.

He didn’t realize he was being used, to trigger whatever trap lay beyond the obstacle.

Excitement dulled awareness. The second-place rider jumped—

He cleared the wall perfectly.

But instead of landing safely, both rider and horse collapsed, screaming in pain.

There was a trap behind the wall!

Yan Jiyun patted Zhuifeng’s neck, trying to steady it. The trap was invisible. They had no idea what it was.

As Zhuifeng’s temporary rider, he didn’t want it to get hurt.

What should they do?

They were in fourth place. One rider ahead had already fallen. If they wanted to maintain position, they had to jump now.

After the trap was triggered, the first-place rider jumped, and cleared it effortlessly.

He glanced back at the others, his eyes full of disdain.

Clearly, he thought no one else could pass.

The third-place rider followed and also cleared it.

Now the pressure fell on Yan Jiyun and Zhuifeng.

Their decision came in an instant. With Zhuifeng’s powerful hind legs, Yan Jiyun believed they could do it.

“Zhuifeng, we can do this.”

Zhuifeng didn’t slow down. Its legs blurred with speed as it leapt again.

Midair, Yan Jiyun spotted the trap: a metal barrier that had tripped the second rider.

The fallen rider and horse had already disappeared, likely removed by the system after failure.

Yan Jiyun trusted Zhuifeng, and Zhuifeng didn’t let him down.

They landed safely.

They became the third rider to clear the tenth obstacle.

Two obstacles remained.

They needed just one more rank to complete the objective.

Yan Jiyun didn’t rely on others failing. He wanted Zhuifeng to surpass them through strength alone.

The eleventh obstacle lay ahead.

The first and third riders had slowed at the tenth obstacle, allowing Yan Jiyun to close the gap. They were now very close to second place.

They had to clear the eleventh obstacle!

“Zhuifeng,” Yan Jiyun said, “let’s push through this next one in one go!”

The eleventh obstacle was still very difficult, but with the experience from the first ten, Zhuifeng’s confidence had already risen. It showed no fear at all.

The rider in first place still wanted to hold his position and hoped the current second-place rider would trigger any traps for him. But the second-place rider had learned from him. His horse also slowed down. The only one charging straight ahead now was Yan Jiyun and Zhuifeng.

Yan Jiyun didn’t look at the first or second place riders. His eyes were fixed on the plants growing along the fence ahead. They were extremely tall, at least 1.7 to 1.8 meters, and completely blocking the view behind.

Choosing the right moment to jump was critical.

No matter what, he had to secure a top-two finish in this race. Even if a cliff lay ahead, he had to jump.

Zhuifeng might not understand his exact words, but it understood the encouragement and positivity behind them.

Only two obstacles remained.

Both the audience at the venue and the livestream viewers were extremely tense.

To the live audience, Yan Jiyun and Zhuifeng were a dark horse. To the livestream viewers, Yan Jiyun was literally gambling with his life.

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“Can they clear the eleventh obstacle?”

“They should be able to… once that’s done, only one remains!”

“Zhuifeng jumped! Isn’t that jump a bit far?”

“Oh no… what if they don’t make it? The bushes completely block their vision. They’re basically jumping blind!”

“Damn, I can’t watch!”

At that moment, Yan Jiyun himself almost closed his eyes, just hoping Zhuifeng would pull through again!

But he kept staring forward. Zhuifeng had confidence, and so did he.

He felt Zhuifeng’s front hooves land.

They made it!

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Zhuifeng didn’t stop. It was still excited. One more obstacle remained!

The twelfth obstacle, the final one.

As if the game had heard his thoughts, the last stage was truly deadly. It is straight-up a cliff.

Below was a bottomless abyss.

The livestream viewers were stunned. Wasn’t this basically sending him to his death?

But if he made it across, it would be unbelievably thrilling!

Yan Jiyun grew tense, but Zhuifeng didn’t slow down.

The announcers were nearly shouting themselves hoarse.

Announcer 1: “Oh my! Number 19 is heading straight for the final obstacle?!”

Announcer 2: “Zhuifeng is the biggest dark horse today. Is he going to defeat the defending champion?!”

Announcer 1: “Can the twelfth obstacle really be cleared? Many riders choose to stop here!”

Announcer 2: “That’s right, Number 19 is already in first place. He could stop now!”

Announcer 1: “Perhaps he’s young and bold. If he clears it, he’ll set a record!”

Announcer 2: “Ahhh—! Number 19  jumped!!”

Yan Jiyun didn’t even know skipping the final obstacle was an option. Before today, he had never experienced this kind of race. To him, finishing meant completing every jump. More importantly, Zhuifeng was already charging at full speed. There was no stopping it.

Holy shit, it’s a cliff!!!

At the moment Zhuifeng leapt, Yan Jiyun’s mind went blank. His fingers gripping the reins went numb. He didn’t dare look down.

‘Don’t fall… please don’t fall!’

‘Zhuifeng, you have to make it!’

‘Damn it, I’m going to cry!’

‘Otherwise, we would meet at the bottom of the abyss!’

In that brief moment, it felt like an entire year had passed. His body was drenched in cold sweat.

Clop, clop, clop—

In a daze, Yan Jiyun felt something solid beneath him again. He was still on the horse; no free fall, no experiment of whether they’d land together at different weights. They hadn’t fallen.

They made it. They really made it!

Only a few dozen meters remained. Zhuifeng kept running at full speed. It seemed even braver than Yan Jiyun.

This first place was hard-earned and incredibly dangerous.

Yan Jiyun gripped the reins for a long while before finally exhaling, nearly suffocating from holding his breath.

After crossing the finish line, he belatedly hugged Zhuifeng’s neck tightly.

“Well done, Zhuifeng! You’re freaking amazing. I’d call you our guardian angel!”

Usually, he did all the climbing and jumping himself. Now, riding another creature made the fear far more intense… and fucking terrifying.

He had nearly lost his life.

Yan Jiyun still needed time to recover. The thunderous applause and cheers were completely blocked out.

Even after winning the second race, his legs were still weak. He was afraid that if he dismounted, he might collapse.

After a while, he finally got off Zhuifeng, not wanting to burden it.

But his legs were still shaky. Not just that, his backside was numb. He had to lean against Zhuifeng to stand.

Why did he have to suffer in the Horse Door? This was killing him.

There was still the third race ahead. He only had ten minutes to recover.

Yan Jiyun lay flat on the grass, unwilling to move.

“Ah, why is my life so miserable?”

Zhuifeng circled around him. It didn’t eat the grass or drink from the nearby stream.

Supporting his head with one hand, Yan Jiyun asked, “Were you scared of falling off the cliff just now?”

Zhuifeng lightly kicked his calf.

“Guess you were.”

Zhuifeng kicked at the grass again, sending bits onto Yan Jiyun’s fair face.

Patting his chest, Yan Jiyun said, “Hey, cut it out.”

Zhuifeng stood still, resting. They still had one final battle ahead.

Before entering, Yan Jiyun had only eaten a slice of cucumber. Now he felt hungry.

Once he left the Horse Door, he was definitely going to have a proper meal.

In Angel City’s games, the system barely appeared. Everything was driven by NPCs guiding the players’ actions.

The ten-minute rest passed in the blink of an eye.

Even after the intense race, Yan Jiyun hadn’t fully relaxed.

The third event was cross-country race.

Three minutes before the start, many more riders and horses appeared around him. He counted, there were nearly fifty in total.

The upcoming cross-country race would be even more intense than before.

The obstacle race was thrilling and intense, while the cross-country race, like the first round, was a speed competition. Whoever reached the finish line faster would win. As for the race process, Yan Jiyun felt it wasn’t much different from the first round. He could see that the riders’ pockets and boot covers were bulging, clearly hiding weapons they couldn’t show openly.

Yan Jiyun still had no weapon in hand, but when he looked toward the forest, it felt oddly familiar.

Wait… they’re not going to make them cross the Demon Forest, are they?

The riders took their positions, and the audience and hosts appeared again.

The lively host began introducing the upcoming outdoor natural obstacle competition.

“This cross-country race will enter the Demon Forest, with a total distance of 30 kilometers. Compared to previous years, it’s even more thrilling. Although the distance hasn’t increased, the danger and natural obstacle difficulty have doubled. Brave riders, while striving forward, please also pay attention to your safety.”

“All riders, please remember to follow the marked route. Leaving the race area will be extremely dangerous.”

“This time, the victory condition is stricter. Only when both rider and horse reach the finish line together will it count as a win.”

“The race will begin in three minutes. Riders, please get ready.”

The moment Yan Jiyun heard “Demon Forest,” his scalp tingled. No one knew the dangers inside better than him. However, this reminded him of the group of players who had left on horseback. They seemed to be among the earliest to arrive at Angel City. After entering, he had heard some players chatting about it. Strangely, riding heavenly horses or bicycles couldn’t completely avoid the dangers of the Demon Forest, let alone those traveling on foot. So why could horses running on land avoid it?

What he needed to worry about now were those NPCs with bulging pockets and boots. They were obviously planning to eliminate others through underhanded means to win.

Yan Jiyun climbed onto Zhuifeng and rode toward the audience area. He asked a beautiful woman holding a cloth bag, “Hello, could you lend me your bag? I’ll return it after the race.”

The woman smiled. “Sure, it’s not worth much. Take it if you need it. There are some corn cakes I made this morning inside. You can eat them if you get hungry. Brave young man, I’ll be cheering for you.”

Yan Jiyun took the bag. “Thank you.”

He hung the bag on the saddle and tugged it a few times to make sure it wouldn’t fall off during the ride.

The race time arrived, and the referee rang the bell.

Yan Jiyun patted Zhuifeng’s neck. “Zhuifeng, let’s go!”

The riders in the three races were all different NPCs. This time, Yan Jiyun again stayed in the middle, not standing out.

There was only a short stretch before entering the forest, and the riders rushed into the Demon Forest.

Thinking of the smell of meat that once came from the forest made Yan Jiyun even hungrier.

Maybe this Demon Forest would be different?

He thought so, but he wasn’t naive enough to believe the same game would have two identical maps.

They had to run 30 kilometers. At a horse’s top speed of 60 km/h, it would take at least half an hour, probably even within an hour.

But with obstacles in the forest, finishing within an hour wasn’t guaranteed.

The light around him dimmed as Yan Jiyun and the other riders entered the forest. All he could hear was the pounding of hooves and dust rising.

Once inside, everyone realized the terrain was uneven. Whether they could speed up depended on the horses.

The route was pre-arranged, with markers on the ground and signs on trees guiding the way.

Yan Jiyun stayed within the main group, keeping a low profile, slightly controlling Zhuifeng’s speed with the reins.

Gradually, the riders split into three groups. Those aiming for top positions rushed ahead into the first group. Yan Jiyun, who could join them but chose to observe, stayed in the second group. The third group lagged behind.

After ten minutes, everyone focused only on the terrain. No one caused trouble yet.

They climbed uphill, then downhill, and after that had to cross a river.

The river wasn’t shallow, but not too deep either. Riders had to dismount and lead their horses through.

The journey was calm.

Until they reached an open stretch. Now riders didn’t have to worry about stones or branches hurting their horses.

They began sprinting.

Yan Jiyun did the same, but kept his distance. If he could stay 2 meters away, he wouldn’t stay at 1.9.

Though still in the forest, the ground was flat, and the horses ran fine on fallen leaves.

This Demon Forest was different. There were sounds of insects and birds, no tentacle monsters or man-eating creatures, just rough terrain.

Just as Yan Jiyun thought it would only be physically demanding, something happened ahead. Someone had set up a tripwire, and the leading rider in the second group fell!

Yan Jiyun immediately pulled Zhuifeng back. The first group had teamed up to set traps, so there might be more than just the tripwire.

The riders behind hesitated.

Yan Jiyun warned, “Let’s slow down. Be careful. Don’t hit their traps.”

While others hesitated, Yan Jiyun and Zhuifeng charged forward. The tripwire was already exposed. They could jump over it easily.

The forest was wide, but only one path was marked. Not knowing the route, Yan Jiyun didn’t dare stray. There might be more traps ahead. He abandoned Plan A.

The second group didn’t follow immediately, now only Zhuifeng remained on the path.

Yan Jiyun asked, “Would you run easier without my weight?”

Zhuifeng snorted.

An adult man’s weight was indeed a burden. To catch up to the first group, he had to use his original idea, the Plan B.

The stakes were too high. Only first place would earn the information card.

He had to win.

“Zhuifeng, I’ll lighten your load. Keep running, I’ll reach the finish with you!”

A riderless horse would likely be seen as disqualified.

Yan Jiyun glanced at his experience card.

[Human Form Time Card remaining time: 3s]

No players, no human NPCs, so why waste it?

Suddenly, Zhuifeng felt its back lighten. Instead, a black cat appeared in the right-side bag.

After the card expired, Yan Jiyun slipped into the bag. Standing inside, hind legs planted, one paw on the saddle, the other tapping the horse’s side: ‘Go, Zhuifeng!’

Ahead, two horses had stopped. Two riders hid in the forest, waiting to ambush others, but all they saw was a riderless horse approaching.

“Why is there no rider? Should we still set traps?”

“Set what traps? Don’t waste them. A horse without a rider doesn’t count even if it reaches the finish.”

Yan Jiyun, hiding in the bag: ‘Sigh… NPCs are still a bit naive.’

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A visual of our MC this chapter: