ITOTIABSAM | Infinite Flow | 189
The unchanging Transfer Station underwent a transformation.
A vast expanse of black mist surged from the Outer City in the blink of an eye, rising straight up and covering the sky, enveloping the entire Inner City, thick and heavy like a round wall.
Since being drawn into the Infinite Game, players had never seen the Transfer Station change its appearance, even with the changing seasons, which were strictly controlled by the system every three months.
Even several death broadcasts simultaneously refreshing on the World Channel couldn't stop the curiosity of Inner City players from peering outside.
Dozens of related hot topics quickly rose on anonymous forums:
【Help! Did the BOSS cause this black mist? Does anyone in the Outer City have a real-time broadcast?】
【Hate killing? What about you killing five people?】
【How strong are those who appeared on TV? Can someone give us some information?】
【Feeling a bit scared.】
【Does this count as seizing power from the system?】
【I suddenly believe that the BOSS was speaking sincerely during the chat.】 Like that previous sentence, "the system is very weak."
…
Whether intentional or not, players all unconsciously avoided using Xie Ye's name, opting for other titles instead.
After all, the more powerful monsters are, the more taboos there are, a lesson learned from countless instances.
It seemed like a way to vent their concerns about the unknown or just to join in the fun, as meaningless water posts dominated the homepage until a thread titled "I've come out" forcefully grabbed all the attention.
If the leaderboard uses nicknames, the forum must synchronize. The poster's ID is "Lemon Iced Tea," considered a rising star in the recent top hundred. Information provided by such a high-level player naturally carries more credibility.
However, Lemon Iced Tea's opening post was very concise: "Don't go in."
In just two words, it managed to evoke more fear than lengthy descriptions. Of course, many players thought the user was being cryptic and responded with rows of question marks to express their doubts.
Three minutes later, a new reply appeared:
【Lemon Iced Tea (OP): Thanks for the invite. Just found a café to sit down, grateful for the NPC's late-night business.
As you can all see, the outer city has completely fallen, but from my observation, the spread of the black fog is not endless. It seems to be restrained, conveniently stopping at the border between the inner and outer cities.
As for the danger of the black fog, I can only say that if you don't intend to cause trouble for that individual, getting out should be straightforward; just use a flashlight for illumination. On the contrary, if you harbor hostility towards them and wish to locate them within the black fog, congratulations, hell difficulty awaits you.
Items exchanged in stores are all ineffective here. No matter how expensive or sophisticated they are, I've seen several drones explode into fireworks, pistols misfire, and talismans turn to ash. The only thing you can rely on is your physical body.
By the way, the nameless black fog seems to come with a confusion debuff, albeit weak. Nevertheless, many unlucky individuals have lost their wits and are wandering the streets like zombies. I suggest friends and family hurry to rescue them. (Priority given to those with higher mental ratings).
That's all. The reward of a hundred thousand points sounds tempting, but I choose to prioritize survival. Additionally, players who originally resided in the outer city are also migrating outward. I'm curious about how the system will handle this.】
The stone thrown into the water caused a thousand waves to rise. This "Black Fog Survival Guide" immediately attracted hundreds of comments. Especially among those ambitious players aiming for the reward, instead of fear, there was more frustration:
1. Being hunted by numerous players, the BOSS actually escaped. Not only did they suffer heavy losses in items, but even the territory that should have belonged to the players was casually taken away by the other party. It's like losing both the wife and the soldiers.
2. What kind of reward mission is this? It's clearly the system tricking them out of their points and lives.
3. The system, which was quick to have its face slapped, is also quite temperamental.
The system didn't expect Xie Ye to resist this time. From the players' perspective, the game's BOSS is the villain, destined to be defeated. Over time, Xie Ye also accepted this perception, always calmly waiting for death to come.
But he ultimately has his own thoughts. He feels pain when injured, feels lost when rejected, not to mention the relentless betrayals in the instance…
The accumulation of various negative emotions, without an outlet for release, will inevitably give rise to endless resentment. This is what the system intended to create: an unwavering, indiscriminate slaughter, the perfect gatekeeper BOSS.
Unexpectedly, Xie Ye learned to resist. Whoever hurt him, he hurt them back. An eye for an eye. This allowed the pent-up grievances to be released, pulling the other party's sanity back to a safe line.
Jiang Chuan.
Jiang Chuan didn't die either.
The system could even imagine how Xie Ye would go crazy and despair if Jiang Chuan died at the hands of players. But unfortunately, Jiang Chuan didn't die.
The power stemming from the same source prevented the system from even reclaiming the outer city. It could only watch helplessly as the black mist representing Xie Ye flaunted its dominance in its territory.
"It's very angry," Xie Ye said, looking up at the increasingly vibrant red moon. "But it doesn't matter."
"We're very safe."
As the black mist passed through, the outer city became visibly empty. The shops with their signs still lit up mostly had peculiar-looking owners, each peering out cautiously through doors and windows.
Their powers were generally weaker, not qualified to join in the "feast" of dungeons, and were a group eliminated by the system, barely passing as "mascots" that intimidated players with their appearance.
Suddenly encountering such a formidable member of their kind, they were both afraid and excited, whispering about how Xie Ye would feast on the lively human beside him.
Gu Cong noticed that beneath Xie Ye's coat, there was no longer the sign of the wristwatch, and his fair, clean right hand had been seemingly avoiding his accidental touches.
Having seen the system's broadcasts on the world channel, Gu Cong could probably guess what Xie Ye was feeling uncomfortable about.
With utmost concentration, just as Xie Ye was about to move his hand away again, Gu Cong accurately caught hold of those cold fingertips.
Xie Ye instinctively struggled, "Dirty..."
Being too close when he killed Li Jie, he inevitably got some blood spattered on him, even though he had carefully wiped it off. Yet Xie Ye still felt like there was a lingering stickiness and scent of blood.
"I've killed people too," tightly holding onto the young man and not letting him pull away, Gu Cong didn't delve into pale and hollow moral debates. Instead, he simply empathized with Xie Ye to the fullest extent, "We've made the same choice, so it's okay."
The struggling in his hand ceased.
As if absorbing warmth, yet also as if drawing strength, Xie Ye firmly held onto him, gripping Gu Cong's bones so tightly it hurt, but he welcomed the sensation like sweet syrup.
Under the obscured red moon by the thick fog, they stood side by side for a long time before finally entering a hotel that passed the minimum standards for cleanliness and decoration.
Though it was called a hotel, it was not any more luxurious than the inns in "Nightmare Town." The receptionist was a voluptuous woman with a long, slender tail. As soon as she saw Xie Ye, she immediately hissed and slipped under the table, pretending to hibernate on this midsummer night.
Gu Cong had no choice but to fend for himself. He led Xie Ye while rummaging through the drawer for a room key and then transferred some points to pay for it using his wristwatch.
The room was on the top floor, surrounded by relatively low buildings, offering a rare good view in the outer city area. As soon as they entered, Gu Cong locked the door behind them and pressed Xie Ye down onto the bed, rolling up his pant leg.
The flesh wrapped in the yellow talisman rope was reddened from burns, with wounds deep enough to reveal bone, yet very little blood had been shed, likely due to the high temperature during the injury.
The light outside was too dim, and Xie Ye walked as usual, so it wasn't until Gu Cong habitually let Xie Ye enter first and followed behind him that he noticed the dried crimson stain under the corridor lights.
Caught off guard and with no defense against Gu Cong, Xie Ye tried to cover up when he came to his senses, but some old scars were already exposed.
He was accustomed to seeing these scars every time he bathed, and he had long since become accustomed to them without any self-pity or self-pity. However, the man squatting in front of him was different, his voice hoarse but gentle as a feather:
"Does it hurt?"
This question had been asked before by Gu Cong in the hotel in "Nightmare Town", and at that time, Xie Ye had shaken his head without hesitation. But this time, he wanted to tell a serious lie.
So, the black-haired youth pursed his lips and whispered, "It hurts."
Before he had become accustomed to death and the numbness of pain, indeed, it did hurt.
But now, even though his flesh was torn, he found it difficult to give any intense reaction, appearing almost like a resilient monster.
"Xie Ye."
Unexpectedly, a warm and gentle kiss landed on his knee, like a gentle breeze.
Due to the angle, Xie Ye couldn't see the man's expression. He panicked and tried to move his leg away, but he was held firmly but gently by the man's distinct knuckles.
"Xie Ye..."
"I think I'm starting to feel the pain too."
Gu Cong spoke slowly and earnestly, repeating Xie Ye's name as if he were dissecting his own heart, devoid of any superficial frivolity.
At that moment, the scarred and numb flesh on Xie Ye's body seemed to come alive again. He could clearly feel the dryness of Gu Cong's thin lips and the subtle itchiness that made his toes curl.
Raising his hand with a slightly awkward movement, Xie Ye imitated Gu Cong's comforting gesture and touched his head.
"It won't leave a scar," he reassured as the medical kit from his wristwatch was opened and laid out. He let him carefully bandage his wounds. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Xie Ye explained, "It couldn't kill me..."
His intention was to ease the tension, but he received a glance from Gu Cong with a furrowed brow.
Quick-wittedly, Xie Ye realized he had said the wrong thing.
So he immediately added, "It will reset by tomorrow morning, after the sun rises."
— Although, under the premise of not being reborn, only clothes would refresh.
In the description provided by Cheng Xiaorong, the bustling and crowded outside of the transfer station, rich with nightlife, seemed to quiet down as if there were only the two of them left. Only Xie Ye could hear the relentless determination of the deceased.
As his mind throbbed, as if being torn apart by countless invisible hands, in the moment when Guo Cong finished applying the spray bandage and stood up, the black-haired Xie Ye suddenly lifted his arm and encircled Gu Cong's waist. "It's so noisy."
"Jiang Chuan."
"Will you tell me a bedtime story?"
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