DSMC Chapter 119

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“Hahaha, holy crap! So Xiao Mao asked the NPC for a cloth bag to pack himself in? Ahhhh, so freaking cute! Damn it, why is he this adorable?!”

“At such a tense moment, Kitty Baby actually managed to break my anxiety. Baby, Baby… all that worrying I did was for nothing.”

“How can he be both cute and smart? I’m dying laughing. A single cloth bag solved the whole being-hunted crisis. The riders ahead are still busy setting traps, and he’s already tricked them. If you don’t take first place, who will?”

“I bet Zhuifeng is confused too. There was a whole human on its back just now, and suddenly, poof! It’s gone.”

Yan Jiyun didn’t want to stuff himself into a bag either, but the rules were the rules. What were Chinese people best at? Finding loopholes in the rules~ He had no choice. The bag held a cat, and what did that have to do with him, Yan Jiyun?

Zhuifeng felt the weight on its back become much lighter and began running even more freely.

It knew the rider had become lighter, but the person was still there, still guiding its movement by tapping its side so it wouldn’t veer off course.

It focused and kept charging forward.

Before long, Yan Jiyun caught up with the leading group.

To them, Zhuifeng looked like a riderless horse. Even if it ran ahead, they didn’t care much.

According to this year’s rules, a horse without a rider wouldn’t count even if it crossed the finish line first.

Zhuifeng overtook the leading group, and then even passed the current first place. The riders could only watch as it sped away alone into the forest.

Yan Jiyun glanced back at the overly confident leader and chuckled inwardly.

Didn’t expect that, huh? There is a rider on Zhuifeng, and it’s a cat, meow~ 

Of course, he couldn’t get careless. Being in first place wasn’t necessarily a good thing; he didn’t know what dangers lay ahead.

Zhuifeng’s speed in the forest was no slower than on flat ground.

Clinging to the saddle, Yan Jiyun observed the path ahead. In the forest filled with chirping insects and birds, only Zhui Feng’s hoofbeats echoed.

There were no visible traps, no signs of monsters.

While staying alert, he also found himself appreciating the beauty of the forest. He had once burned it down, yet now it was restored to perfection, stunning and dreamlike.

With no competitors and no monsters, he could actually enjoy the scenery.

It felt like a leisurely ride. Back when he rode a leopard, there were distance limits. But this time, the journey stretched 30 kilometers. He could truly savor it.

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“First-person view! Come see the forest through Kitty Baby’s eyes, and it’s like a movie. So relaxing. All my stress is gone.”

“As expected of Mimi! His stream always turns into something healing. The mountain breeze feels so nice, cool against the face.”

“I hope Zhuifeng just keeps running like this. Riding freely like this feels amazing. My mind suddenly feels so open. Work stress? Gone. This is awesome.”

Zhuifeng crossed streams, leapt over fallen logs, and slipped through dense foliage.

While admiring the scenery, Yan Jiyun remained attentive to his surroundings.

Along the way, he saw birds perched on unknown trees, squirrels darting between branches, a massive python coiled up waiting for prey, and many other small animals.

Eventually, they spotted the boundary flag of the Demon Forest. That meant their 30 kilometer journey was about to end, and they hadn’t encountered any further danger.

Seems like the host exaggerated. What danger? Everything was perfectly normal.

He could already see the finish line in the distance. Only when they reached the forest exit did Yan Jiyun use his transformation card again. Pulling on the reins, he charged toward the finish.

The moment he returned to Zhuifeng’s back, the horse slowed slightly, probably startled by the rider suddenly disappearing and reappearing.

Seeing victory ahead, Zhuifeng carried him across the finish line!

Only after crossing did Yan Jiyun notice the main group bursting out of the forest behind him.

The NPCs didn’t matter anymore. He and Zhuifeng had secured first place in the third race!

Yan Jiyun jumped down and hugged Zhuifeng’s neck. “Well done, Zhuifeng!”

Just as he was wondering how to obtain the information card, Zhuifeng suddenly vanished beside him. A card fell into his hand.

The card depicted a Pegasus identical to Zhuifeng, mid-gallop, majestic and imposing.

The one he got from the Rat Door showed a jeweled, gold-adorned mouse. This one, by comparison, was much simpler.

So… was the key factor the horse he chose?

If he hadn’t picked Zhuifeng, would he have failed?

He stored the card in his temporary inventory.

The Horse Door exit led directly to the entrance of Angel City. There had been no guide throughout this stage, but he understood. He just needed to enter from here.

As he approached the gate and touched it, ripples spread before his eyes. In the blink of an eye, he was inside Angel City.

Dawn was approaching.

Less than 14 hours remained before he had to leave the city, and he only had two information cards so far.

He had been separated from Qi Feng and Chu Mo after entering the Horse Door, and had no idea how they were doing.

Something felt off. Why did exiting the Horse Door lead directly into Angel City instead of back to the casino?

Could different gates have different exit rules?

Then he noticed something even stranger.

This Angel City was different from the one he first entered.

There was no lively atmosphere here. Instead, it resembled a medieval setting, with ordinary-looking pedestrians.

He realized: this wasn’t the same Angel City.

The one he knew was filled with neon lights and bustling players. But here, he hadn’t seen a single player.

According to the game’s design, Angel City was a hub connecting multiple instances. It shouldn’t be empty.

Did he enter a different gate entirely?

Just then, a powerful gust of wind slammed into him, nearly knocking him over!

Darkness spread above him, blocking out the sky.

What filled his vision was a pair of massive black wings, thin like cicada wings.

Before he could react, a voice shouted from above, “Move!”

But it was too late.

Suddenly, someone grabbed him and rolled them both to the side of the street.

A loud crash followed!

A massive black, pot-bellied creature with enormous wings had just slammed a man onto the ground. It glanced at the fallen man and Yan Jiyun before flapping its wings and flying into the sky.

Yan Jiyun realized the person who saved him was a man in a white robe.

The man looked at him with concern. “Are you alright?”

Yan Jiyun shook his head, still a bit dazed but quickly regaining composure. “Where is this?”

The blond, blue-eyed man replied, “This is Angel City. Are you from the countryside? Didn’t you know a black dragon escaped? You shouldn’t be wandering around the city.”

Yan Jiyun saw someone riding a massive winged creature in the sky. The creature shook its body, throwing the rider to the ground before flying away, truly an intense sight.

Looking at the slightly disheveled blond man, Yan Jiyun asked his rescuer, “Was that thing that flew off… the black dragon?”

The blond, blue-eyed man nodded, his voice gentle. “Yes. The black dragon that escaped from the arena is extremely violent. You should leave quickly. Don’t get hurt.”

Yan Jiyun realized he might have entered the Dragon Door for some reason. But he hadn’t chosen it earlier, so how did he end up here?

The blond man stopped talking to him and went to help up his companion, the one who had just been thrown off by the black dragon. The man had a bare, muscular upper body, still slick with sweat from fighting the dragon. His face was tense, like someone owed him a fortune.

Yan Jiyun stepped forward, hoping to gather some useful information. “Are you taming the black dragon?”

The blond man helped his companion to his feet and replied, “Of course not. We’re guards of Angel City, sent by His Majesty to capture the black dragon.”

Yan Jiyun was puzzled. “Dragons are that easy to catch? You can even keep them in an arena?”

The blond man smiled. “How could dragons be easy to catch? The arena has only managed to capture three so far. If they were easy to catch, they’d be everywhere. Rarity makes them valuable. Otherwise, why would noble guests risk their lives to watch humans fight dragons in the arena?”

However, the blond man didn’t explain where the dragons came from.

“Humans fighting black dragons?” Yan Jiyun asked.

“Mm. If you’re interested, you can go watch. There are quite a few young people in the arena today preparing to fight the black dragon. Matches are already underway. You might still get a good seat if you go now.”

Who were “they”?

Yan Jiyun’s first thought was Qi Feng and Chu Mo, or maybe other players.

“Where is the arena?” he asked.

The blond man turned out to be a warm-hearted NPC. “We’re heading there too. You can come with us.”

“That would be great.”

After that, the blond man stopped talking to him and instead discussed the dragon with his companion.

“Adonis, do you think that black dragon will come back?”

Yan Jiyun noted the strong man’s name — Adonis.

Adonis said, “No idea. We almost pinned it down just now. Daniel, later bring more meat, we’ll try to lure it again.”

Yan Jiyun couldn’t understand. This was supposed to be a Chinese zodiac gate, so why had it turned into Western dragons? It was way too chaotic, ah.

Adonis and Daniel brought Yan Jiyun to the arena.

Thunderous cheers echoed from inside.

Daniel said to him, “Go through this entrance and you’ll reach the audience stands. Of course, if you want to join the challenge, you can sign up too.”

Adonis scoffed. “With that build? He’d get killed in seconds.”

Yan Jiyun thought he was right. There was no way he’d sign up to be a gladiator. He wasn’t stupid.

What he really wanted to know was who Daniel had mentioned earlier.

Following Daniel’s directions, he found the entrance to the stands. The place was packed, and all eyes were fixed on the central arena.

People were shouting, “Kill him!” “Go!” “Charge!” “Don’t be a coward!”

The arena was built on blood and brutality. In Yan Jiyun’s eyes, there was no passion here. Only cruelty.

Suddenly, a wave of roaring cheers erupted from above.

Yan Jiyun swept his gaze across the arena, and his blood pressure nearly spiked.

The person standing in the center… wasn’t that the very pooper-scooper he’d been looking for?

He immediately squeezed his way to the front.

At that moment, half of Qi Feng’s clothes were torn apart. Standing opposite him was a brown-haired, green-eyed man. He was massively built, at least 2.1 meters tall. Compared to him, Qi Feng looked relatively lean.

Yan Jiyun tensed all over. If it were him standing there, what would happen?

Only one outcome: death.

Both fighters held weapons.

There were no firearms in the arena. The burly man wielded a longsword, while Qi Feng gripped a pair of cross-shaped twin swords.

Before entering the game, Yan Jiyun had studied various weapons. Cross twin swords were a medieval weapon, fitting perfectly with the arena’s setting.

How could he help Qi Feng?

The Dragon Door clearly wasn’t a solo game. Based on the system’s design, if there were single-player games, there would also be multiplayer ones. Maybe it wasn’t just them, other players could be here too.

Yan Jiyun hadn’t been guided here, so he hadn’t entered the waiting area immediately.

At that moment, the burly man launched an attack, slashing at Qi Feng. Qi Feng instantly blocked it with his twin swords.

Even from that single exchange, Yan Jiyun could feel the immense pressure Qi Feng was under.

He asked a calmer spectator beside him, “How long have they been fighting?”

He could already hear both fighters breathing heavily.

“At least half an hour,” the spectator replied.

Yan Jiyun understood. If Qi Feng had entered the Dragon Door while others were still fighting, he must have waited a bit before being forced into the arena. Adding half an hour of combat, the timing matched when Yan Jiyun entered the Horse Door.

Half an hour… that would’ve drained a lot of stamina.

Still, one thing reassured him: the burly man was breathing even harder than Qi Feng.

Yan Jiyun watched the fight without blinking. The burly man completely dominated in weight.

The crossed swords were slowly being forced toward Qi Feng’s throat. Just a little more, and his throat would be cut.

But in the next moment, Qi Feng shifted his blades, locking the opponent’s sword in place. He kicked the man’s knee, forcing him to drop to one knee and lean forward. Seizing the opportunity, Qi Feng slashed the man’s sword hand, then kicked his temple. His movements were fluid and precise, but also so fast they left afterimages.

The burly man collapsed onto the arena floor, blood pouring from his right hand.

It was the first time Yan Jiyun had seen Qi Feng like this. His eyes devoid of any extra emotion, like a fighting machine.

Qi Feng raised his right hand and drove his sword straight into the man’s heart.

Thud, the sound of steel piercing flesh.

Was the NPC dead?

Yan Jiyun let out a breath. He’d once seen a documentary about gladiator arenas; only one person could leave alive. If no one died, both would be executed. He didn’t think Qi Feng was wrong for killing the NPC. The game demanded this outcome. If players wanted to survive, they had to make that choice.

The crowd reacted with mixed gasps and cheers.

Qi Feng, the victor, was escorted away.

Yan Jiyun followed him with his gaze. He needed information, and that meant meeting him.

The arena was too dangerous.

These zodiac door games were each more perilous than the last.

Yan Jiyun hurried downstairs. He saw Qi Feng being escorted by guards and quietly followed behind them.

The lower level resembled a basement, dimly lit.

He found a thick wooden stick, knocked out a lone passing guard, dragged him into a corner, stripped his clothes, and changed into them. The smell of sweat was awful.

After quickly changing, he moved through blind spots and followed Qi Feng to an underground dungeon.

Qi Feng had entered as a gladiator, won the fight, yet hadn’t exited the game or received an information card. What was going on?

The guards shoved Qi Feng into a damp, dark cell and locked it with chains.

After they left, Yan Jiyun hurried over.

He also heard Chu Mo’s voice, but from another section of the dungeon.

For now, he needed to meet up with Qi Feng first.

In the surrounding cells, many players were covered in blood, either sat or lay on the ground. Their faces were filled with despair. Some were even crying nonstop.

“I’m so unlucky… If I’d known, I wouldn’t have entered the Dragon Door. If you don’t kill three NPCs, you can’t get out at all. Wuwuwu…”

“What are you crying for? Don’t boost the NPCs’ morale while crushing your own!”

“What do you know? I rely on my brain, not brute force. Fighting these barbarians… I’ll only end up dead.”

“Enough already. Either think of a way out or just go fight. Some people get dragged into battle the moment they enter and don’t even complain. You still have several rounds before it’s your turn, so what the hell are you crying for? You’re annoying me. Keep it up and I’ll kill you myself to warm up.”

Sniffling, the player who relied on brains over brawn didn’t dare speak anymore after being threatened, quietly sobbing in the dungeon.

Yan Jiyun ignored them and headed straight for Qi Feng’s cell.

He saw Qi Feng sitting on a pile of straw, resting. He called softly, “Qi Feng.”

The icy coldness in Qi Feng’s eyes softened a little. “How did you get out?”

“I’ll explain later,” Yan Jiyun said. “Are you okay?”

Qi Feng shook his head. “I’m fine. What about you? Why are you here?”

Yan Jiyun noticed a couple of scratches on his arm. His skin was broken, but thankfully no heavy bleeding and no worsening.

The dungeon lock wasn’t very sturdy. There was a key on the guard uniform Yan Jiyun was wearing, so he opened the door and walked in.

“I just came from the Horse Door. What happened to you guys?”

Qi Feng explained, “We were thrown straight into the dungeon after entering. The guards told us we’re gladiators. We have to win three matches to get the information and leave. So far, no one has gotten the clearance card or numbers to exit. The clear rate here is extremely low.”

Yan Jiyun asked, “Can we get out?”

Qi Feng shook his head. “No use. Some people tried escaping, but they were quickly caught and brought back. There’s no way to leave and look for clues.”

“How many matches have you done?”

Qi Feng lowered his voice. “Just finished the first. The next one is in half an hour. How did you get in? I noticed you’re the only one who didn’t go straight into the dungeon after entering the game.”

“I got the Horse Door information card. When I came out, I entered Angel City directly.”

Qi Feng had gone straight into the arena and didn’t realize this was also Angel City. “You’re saying this is Angel City?”

Yan Jiyun lowered his voice mysteriously. “Yeah. Guess what I saw when I first came in?”

Qi Feng smiled a little at his expression and played along. “What?”

“A dragon. A big-bellied Western dragon, with massive wings. Completely black.”

Qi Feng was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected the Dragon Door to actually have dragons. He figured the newcomer already had an idea. “So what are you thinking?”

Yan Jiyun stated his plan. “The arena is too dangerous. We have to leave.”

Qi Feng glanced at the other players outside. “But we have to finish three matches to get the information card.”

“What if it’s a wording trap?” Yan Jiyun said. “Remember that female guide? She said winning two rounds would let us win, but the second round had no solution. That means she was tricking us, or hinting that we shouldn’t be getting clues from her at all.”

Qi Feng nodded. “I thought of that too. The clue is in the dice. Only you triggered the boss chasing you after winning points. When we won points, nothing happened.”

Yan Jiyun nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. So isn’t it possible the Dragon Door works the same way? Winning three matches might not actually give us the information card.”

Qi Feng said, “Following that logic… it’s very likely.” He found the newcomer quite clever. “So what do you want to do?”

“I heard Western dragons breathe fire.”

“Fire?” Qi Feng thought of the blaze in the Demon Forest. “You mean… burn down the arena?”

“Yeah.” 

—But what he actually thought was: ‘since I’ve already ridden a horse, why not try riding a dragon too.’

Then Yan Jiyun continued, “Other gates didn’t have extra maps, but the Dragon Door is the entire Angel City. I think the arena is just a small part of it.”

“It’s worth trying. But how do we control a dragon?” Qi Feng was concerned, after all, that wasn’t a cat or dog.

Yan Jiyun raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been in this game for three years and don’t have experience with that?”

Qi Feng replied honestly, “I’ve never encountered a dragon.”

Yan Jiyun: “…” So he’s never done a dragon-slaying instance.

Seeing the faint disdain in the newcomer’s eyes, Qi Feng quickly added, “But I can tame horses.”

“That works.” Yan Jiyun nodded.

“But taming a horse and taming a dragon are completely different. The danger level is much higher.”

“You won’t know until you try.”

“Then let’s go together.”

“No need.” Yan Jiyun refused. “We split up. You find Chu Mo and the place where the other dragons are held. I’ll go find the escaped dragon outside.”

Since this was the Dragon Door , it had to revolve around dragons.

More importantly, he couldn’t keep using the transformation card. Being a cat made it easier to search.

Just then, they heard a player being dragged away by guards, the same “brain-type” player, crying his eyes out.

Yan Jiyun’s human form could only last two more minutes. If he didn’t change back into a cat soon, he’d have to use another card.

After finishing his words, he ran off.

Qi Feng stood there in the dungeon for a second, stunned. For the first time, he felt the newcomer moved a bit too fast. They hadn’t even decided where to regroup.

Meanwhile, after leaving the dungeon, Yan Jiyun turned back into a black cat in a corner of the arena.

He had smelled the black dragon when he first entered the city. Following that scent, he ran toward the eastern gate of Angel City.