Chapter 68
Chapter 68
Lu Yuanshi froze. In that instant, he seemed to see a field of burning roses wreathed in nearly deranged black flames.
It was that very madness that seized his heart and pulled hard.
Beautiful.
In that moment, he saw the infinite possibilities within Xiao Huai. If this man truly vanished after blooming for only an instant…
It would be far too great a waste.
The system issued an announcement to everyone.
[Congratulations to player Lu Yuanshi for successfully clearing *Diamond Magnate*. You will now return to the game lobby!]
Lu Yuanshi’s body began turning translucent.
The last thing he saw was Xiao Huai using every ounce of strength to destroy the heart.
Blood poured from Xiao Huai’s mouth.
His strength failed, and he dropped to one knee. Time seemed to take physical form, blurring everything except him.
Was he truly going to die?
He would become perfection, fixed forever in place by death.
But the flames still burned, scorching through unseen barriers.
Bit by bit, his defenses fell.
Just before he disappeared, Lu Yuanshi reached toward Xiao Huai, his hand seeming to brush the other man’s earlobe.
“Xiao Huai.” Lu Yuanshi’s voice held an emotion Xiao Huai had never heard before.
It was like a green shoot emerging from a fissure in a snowbound mountain after ten thousand years. Small though it was, it sought to drive its roots into another man’s heart.
Xiao Huai raised his eyes to meet Lu Yuanshi’s. The world fell silent.
Lu Yuanshi’s fingers had not truly touched him, yet the instant their gazes met, a faint current seemed to pass between them.
Lu Yuanshi bent closer. For perhaps one second, Xiao Huai caught his distinctive scent, a calming fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose.
“Live.”
The moment the word fell, a force seemed to surge through Xiao Huai’s entire body.
His pupils widened slightly, and a trace of clarity flashed through the darkness in his right eye.
His vision sharpened.
Lu Yuanshi vanished.
For one brief moment, Xiao Huai felt as though his own heart had vanished with him. But it lasted only an instant.
Perhaps it was because Xiao Huai yearned for that fleeting beauty.
It was all nothing more than an illusion.
Nearly drained of all strength, Xiao Huai pushed himself to his feet. His Sanity hovered at a precarious point.
[Sanity: 2.]
From beginning to end, the entire sequence of events might have lasted no more than ten minutes.
At the same time the monsters destroyed every diamond, Xiao Huai destroyed Manager Tang’s heart, the primary source of corruption.
Vast amounts of black vapor dispersed from their bodies as the system issued announcement after announcement.
[Notice: The *Diamond Magnate* instance is collapsing. The main system is intervening and will now clear all abnormal values.]
[Attention, all players. The main mission is now void. Teleportation will begin immediately!]
Excitement appeared on Old Mo’s face and those of the other players.
The main mission had been voided, which meant there would be no penalty. Even if there was no reward, at least they could leave alive. Was that not the best reward possible?
They had only just begun to distinguish themselves in a second-floor instance, yet, to their surprise, the audience in the Gods’ Livestream had also grown considerably.
They secretly rejoiced, unaware that most of those viewers merely wanted to watch Xiao Huai through someone else’s perspective.
Switching away from the omniscient perspective once in a while was not bad either.
When the system screen asked [Teleport immediately?], they selected [Yes] without hesitation.
Tang Weiqi was the last of them to leave. He called out to Xiao Huai.
“Xiao Huai, thank you.”
Xiao Huai’s pale lips curved almost imperceptibly, and he gently shook his head.
Once everyone else had departed, the two Soul Contracts appeared before him. They dissolved into golden light and gradually faded away.
Victoria had not interfered with Xiao Huai from beginning to end, but the excitement on her face at the start had long since given way to a deathly pallor.
As a guide NPC, she could not violate the system’s rules. Divine punishment was no trivial matter.
Victoria walked over to Xiao Huai, her lips pressed into a thin line.
When she saw how handsome he remained despite being in such a sorry state, she finally sighed.
“As expected, you really do fit my taste in investments. I lost our wager, and I know how to accept defeat. You will receive my blessing.”
She stepped forward, her body gradually fading. The instance was collapsing, so she had to leave as well.
Before she disappeared, however, she still told Xiao Huai something she had been longing to say.
“Xiao Huai, you are the most, most, most, most abnormal player I have ever seen.”
Who went around planning to destroy game worlds at the slightest provocation?
He had even dared to strike bargains with NPCs, risking his own complete transformation into an instance monster.
Xiao Huai looked at her with a faint smile. “Miss Victoria, you are also the most charming woman I have met so far.”
Victoria’s eyes flew wide, her pupils expanding. “Wh-what?” Her ears abruptly turned red.
Xiao Huai waved to her. “As the first god to sponsor me with a blessing, please come cheer me on in my livestream often.”
His smile carried an almost bewitching allure.
Victoria vanished completely the next second, but she was reluctant to leave and wished she could speak with Xiao Huai a little longer.
For one instant just now, she had truly become Xiao Huai’s fan.
That move of his… It had almost seemed like fan service.
Back in the gods’ waiting lobby, she silently opened Xiao Huai’s livestream and secretly followed him.
Victoria sighed, propped a hand against her forehead, and gave a wry smile. “Ah, if I’d known, I would have stayed a little longer. I can’t believe the day has come when even I would act like this.”
She looked at Xiao Huai on the screen and extended a finger toward him.
“Where did this brat get so much charm? Even I’m a little captivated. How infuriating,” she muttered in confusion.
Infuriating. The longer she watched, the more she liked him.
Meanwhile, Xiao Huai received a system notification.
[Greetings, dear player Xiao Huai. The system has automatically enabled the livestream-blocking effect for you.]
[Game settlement in progress.]
[1. Successfully investigated the real world. Reward: One chance to trigger a random reward.]
[Triggering…]
The system abruptly emitted a burst of static.
[Error. Error. Fault detected… Repair successful! Trigger successful!]
[Congratulations! You have triggered a god-tier supernatural ability!]
Xiao Huai froze. He had not expected this.
Countless fireworks exploded across the system interface.
If he had triggered a god-tier supernatural ability, and that ability belonged to him alone…
Would that not be like possessing the power of a pseudo-god?
[Accept god-tier supernatural ability: Bond of True Friends?]
[Bond of True Friends] Ability Description: A main-god soul-type supernatural ability with two modes.
[Help from a Soul Friend] – Summon an NPC whose affection has reached 100% to fight for you. Each summon may last no longer than one hour, and the same NPC may be summoned only once per instance.
[Help from a Soul Companion] – Gain unlimited access to Soul Contracts! Any being who has formed a soul relationship with player Xiao Huai will be recognized as a soul companion.
Eligible targets: NPCs, gods, players, and all nonhuman life-forms.
Usage: Summon a soul companion to fight for you. Each summon may last no longer than one hour, and the same soul companion may be summoned only once per instance.