DSMC Chapter 125.2

Meanwhile, after losing the match, Yan Jiyun felt his body grow light again. He had no idea where he was being teleported.

One advantage of hiding his identity became clear now. Qi Feng didn’t know that the player he had just eliminated was actually his own cat. If he knew the truth, he would definitely be in immense pain.

Yan Jiyun knew Qi Feng would have struggled. Would he choose to save the cat, or choose to lose the match himself? Either choice would have been agonizing.

He could already imagine Qi Feng’s dilemma.

So Yan Jiyun treated it as repaying a favor. He sent Qi Feng forward in the Peak Competition, letting him conserve energy for what came next.

After all, Qi Feng was used to life-and-death separations. Yan Jiyun was just an ordinary newcomer. There was nothing worth holding onto.

His body kept falling and failing, until, with a clang, he felt himself thrown into an enclosed space.

It was dark, completely without light. But his eyesight was good enough to make out his surroundings.

Before he could examine the place, he heard a familiar sobbing sound.

Someone was crying, and he knew exactly who it was.

Wasn’t this that so-called “brain-type” player who claimed to clear everything using only his intellect?

What was he crying about this time? Seriously, Yan Jiyun didn’t even cry after losing to his own master, and here this guy was bawling again.

Yan Jiyun lips twitched. Couldn’t someone just knock this guy out already? He was way too noisy.

Finally unable to bear it, Yan Jiyun asked, “What exactly are you crying about?”

The brain-type player had thought he was alone. His sobbing wasn’t loud, but hearing someone suddenly speak nearly made him choke on his own saliva.

“Cough, cough! Who are you? Did you lose too?”

He was nearsighted. His glasses had been shattered during the fight, and now only half a lens remained usable.

“Obviously. If I’d won, I’d already be out,” Yan Jiyun replied, his patience for chronic crybabies extremely limited. He still didn’t even know what awaited them next. Even someone with a strong mindset would feel low at a time like this.

After successfully sending his pooper-scooper onward, he felt strangely empty inside. He didn’t know whether to blame himself or blame Qi Feng.

No… neither.

If anything, blame this damned game system.

Only the incompetent and cowardly vent their resentment on others.

Yan Jiyun sat cross-legged on the ground and took a deep breath, steadying his mindset.

If he wasn’t dead, it meant he still had a chance to leave the game. He had understood Qi Feng’s hint, and he had gambled correctly.

The system would still give defeated players another opportunity.

The sniffling brain-type player hiccupped and asked, “My name is He Yuanle. What’s yours?”

Yan Jiyun didn’t bother using a fake name anymore. He felt there was a good chance he wouldn’t make it out anyway, so he casually gave his real name.

He Yuanle’s attention was diverted, and he stopped crying. He even sounded a bit excited. “I feel like I’ve heard your name somewhere.”

Yan Jiyun didn’t think he was that famous. He had only cleared four instances so far.

He Yuanle was expressive, slapping his thigh. “You’re Yan Jiyun, the one ranked first on the ‘Ashes Leaderboard,’ right?”

Yan Jiyun knew players called the NPC Favorability Ranking the “Ashes Leaderboard.” “So what if I am?”

He Yuanle had arrived early and had already adjusted to the darkness. He shuffled closer to Yan Jiyun. “Can you tell me how you raise NPC favorability? I’ve been following that ranking, now only your name is left on it. Everyone else has been completely pushed down by you.”

Yan Jiyun fell silent. “……”

He hadn’t checked the rankings recently and didn’t even know he had completely dominated the favorability board.

Of course he knew how he’d gained favorability. NPCs were simply more willing to give face to him as a cat. If he were human, he wouldn’t be able to grind favorability at all.

Without any modesty, he said, “There’s no special method. Just help NPCs fulfill their wishes, complete some tasks, and they’ll give you favorability. Overall, it’s pretty simple.” Not wanting He Yuanle to focus too much on him, he smoothly changed the subject. “Where is this place?”

Ever since he’d been brought here, there hadn’t been a single system notification.

“I don’t know either. My opponent was a brute who could crush two of me with one punch. I surrendered immediately, and then I got locked in here,” He Yuanle said gloomily.

“You lost pretty fast,” Yan Jiyun remarked flatly.

“I couldn’t win anyway,” He Yuanle sighed.

Before He Yuanle could continue explaining, Yan Jiyun had already stood up from where he was sitting.

As they talked, his mind had gradually calmed, and he began observing the surroundings.

Soon, more and more players started dropping into their square-shaped enclosure.

He Yuanle instinctively shrank closer to Yan Jiyun, looking particularly timid.

Many players bore injuries of varying severity; some were exhausted, others heavily wounded, clearly on the brink of death.

Some smarter players quickly used healing props to treat themselves.

That meant over a hundred players would be eliminated from the final showdown, and some had likely already died at the hands of others.

Just as Yan Jiyun was about to search for a way out, the system prompt suddenly appeared.

[Players, your performance in this Peak Competition is deemed acceptable. Despite losing the final duel, your vital signs remain. You have been granted one opportunity to leave the game. Please cherish this hard-earned chance~]

[Please choose a mini-game to clear within 10 seconds. Clearing it will allow you to exit the game.]

[Option 1: Happy Haunted House]

[Option 2: Happy Scripted Murder Mystery]

[Option 3: Happy Abyss Adventure]

Yan Jiyun glanced over the three options.

He was somewhat afraid of supernatural themes, so the haunted house was out. The murder mystery would take too long and require effort, and he didn’t even know how it worked. Plus, his Human Form Time Card time was limited, so he ruled it out.

That left only the final option.

He checked his temporary inventory. The other information cards had disappeared after Qi Feng opened the exit, since they had been used. But the Dragon Door card had never been taken out and was still there.

So, he decided to gamble.

He Yuanle asked quietly, “Which one are you picking?”

Yan Jiyun replied, “Option 3.”

He Yuanle hesitated. “You’re not tricking me, right?”

“Pick whatever you like. I can’t help you anyway.”

“It’s fine. I just want to follow you. Even if I die, I’d rather die with someone I find agreeable,” He Yuanle said, trusting that someone who could max out NPC favorability must be reliable. He also chose Happy Abyss Adventure.

“……” Yan Jiyun hadn’t expected a confession like that.

With three seconds left, he decisively chose Happy Abyss Adventure.

Many players selected their preferred mini-games and disappeared from the square one by one.

When Yan Jiyun opened his eyes again, he found himself standing atop a mountain peak, surrounded by ranges of mountains, with no path down.

[Players must leave the Abyss within 20 minutes. Once time is up, the Abyss Gate will close permanently, and players will remain trapped forever.]

Before he could curse, He Yuanle — who had chosen the same option — started screaming in panic.

“Ahhhh, I shouldn’t have picked the Abyss—!”

“Damn it.” Yan Jiyun kicked him lightly. “Can you shut up for a bit?”

He Yuanle froze, then said, “Yan Jiyun, can you take me with you? I’m afraid of heights!”

Yan Jiyun rolled his eyes at the sky. ‘I’m just a newbie myself, how am I supposed to take you along?’

Ignoring He Yuanle’s wailing, he surveyed the area and confirmed there was indeed no obvious way down.

It really was an abyss.

There was one more person who had chosen the same option, a quiet young man Yan Jiyun recognized from the first day. He had a perpetually gloomy expression and was currently clutching his bleeding shoulder, brows tightly furrowed in pain, yet not making a sound.

Seeing there was no one else around, He Yuanle asked, “Hey, you okay?”

The young man replied sharply, “If you stay quiet, I might live a bit longer.”

That suited Yan Jiyun just fine. He couldn’t help but smile.

He Yuanle sat down awkwardly. “I didn’t mean it… How about I help bandage you? I used to fall a lot as a kid, so I learned how to treat my wounds. I’m pretty good at it.”

The young man shifted slightly, likely aggravating his injury, and let out a muffled grunt. “Fine.”

Finally having something to do, He Yuanle stopped whining and tore a strip from the man’s T-shirt.

The young man frowned. “Why not tear yours?”

“I need mine to wear,” He Yuanle replied.

“…Fair enough.”

He Yuanle worked quietly, afraid the impatient man might toss him off the cliff otherwise.

He was skinny, so thin it looked like he barely had any flesh on him, almost like a minor.

Meanwhile, Yan Jiyun lay at the cliff’s edge, peering down. Below was a bottomless abyss. Jumping would likely result in nothing but being smashed to pieces.

He muttered, “Happy Abyss Adventure? Don’t tell me we’re supposed to jump down and go swimming at the bottom…”

He Yuanle finished bandaging, he even tied a neat little bow on top.

The young man: “……”

Seeing his expression darken, He Yuanle quickly moved back to Yan Jiyun’s side. “So… what do we do now?”

There were only three of them. Discussion was limited to just the three.

Yan Jiyun watched the time on his experience card ticking down, wondering if he’d have to reveal his true form in front of strangers.

He had used 15 minutes fighting Qi Feng, then about 5 more minutes waiting earlier. Now less than 20 minutes remained.

[Time until Abyss Gate closes: 18m]

[Human Form Time Card remaining time: 16m 30s]

He wasn’t sure if the Peak Competition had a rest area. If he got out early, he might still be able to use the card.

Just as they were lost in thought, a loud impact echoed from the abyss below.

A creature with black wings shot upward, slamming another silver dragon into the mountain.

The silver dragon fell, then rose again into flight.

Yan Jiyun let out a breath of relief, delighted. I picked the right option.

Taking a deep breath, he shouted toward the distant black figure: “Lucifer!”

The name echoed through the mountains.

Hearing the familiar voice, the black dragon paused its play with its companion and flew upward. At the peak, it saw the black cat that could turn human. The dragon was happy, evident in the way it circled.

As the dragon approached, Yan Jiyun knew it hadn’t forgotten him.

He waved. “Lucifer, can you take me home?”

He Yuanle and the young man were both completely stunned.

He Yuanle muttered, “So this… is what it means to max out NPC favorability…”