chapter 33

“As long as I can do it… I’ll do anything you ask!” Zhu Yue’s bloodstained face was pressed tightly against the ground, distorted by the pressure.

She coughed up blood. “Cough… please, I’m begging you… I only followed Qi Mingda because I had no other choice… Give me another chance!”

The interface on Lu Li’s Wristband was displaying a line of text:

Detected that the Player’s current health index is 100. Item cannot be used. Transfer/retain this Item.

After selecting [Transfer], a blank space appeared to fill in a name.

Under Zhu Yue’s hopeful gaze, Lu Li slowly wrote the radical of “Zhu,” but stopped halfway, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

“I want to see Qi Mingda make a fool of himself. Do you have the ability to do that?”

If before, he had treated the harmlessly annoying Qi Mingda as a dog to amuse himself with, now he was already tired of it.

A mad dog barking from morning till night was not entertaining.

If only it could shut up forever.

Lu Li turned to look at Luo Jia Bai. “I remember your Life-Saving Items are running low too, right? Maybe I should just transfer the usage rights to you. What you said earlier made sense-she’s not much use.”

Luo Jia Bai, suddenly called out, pointed at himself in surprise and excitement. “Me?”

“Really, for me?”

Luo Jia Bai grinned: a windfall from the heavens-getting a mouthful of sand earlier was worth it.

“Give it to me instead! I can do it! I have the ability!” Zhu Yue hurriedly promised, crawling forward two steps in excitement, afraid Lu Li would suddenly change his mind.

Her voice was hoarse and resentful. “The Evil Spirit Ability I exchanged for can not only make him look ridiculous, it can even make him suffer… and die. I’ll prove it to you!”

Lu Li changed the subject. “What is your Evil Spirit Ability?”

He wanted to know exactly what ability could make Qi Mingda wary.

Zhu Yue’s hair at her forehead was soaked with blood, sticking together in clumps. Her lips parted and closed.

“Curse of Dreams.”

“Those cursed will see what they fear most, and will be unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, eventually dying of fright.”

She forced herself to explain to Lu Li, “This Evil Spirit Ability is pretty useless in most Instances. That’s because Instance Bosses and monsters aren’t afraid of anything, so it’s only really effective on people.

I have to use this ability as a bargaining chip to seek protection from a team.”

There were only three people in the room, so Zhu Yue simply laid everything out.

“At first, Qi Mingda ordered me to use the curse on you, but I refused.”

Lu Li asked, “Why?”

“Within a single complete Instance, I can only use my Evil Spirit Ability once. Using it to settle his personal grudges is less valuable than protecting myself.” Zhu Yue laughed at herself. “Now, isn’t it coming in handy?”

“I don’t trust verbal promises.”

Lu Li felt around in his clothes pocket and took out a small black sphere.

About the size of a thumbnail.

“This is a very special high-level Item-also a Poison. Even if you use a Life-Saving Item, it will still take effect. After swallowing it, you have to come to me for the antidote every 12 hours, or else…” Lu Li threatened coldly, “When time’s up, you’ll drop dead on the spot.”

The terms were harsh. If she agreed, it meant putting her life in Lu Li’s hands.

Without hesitation, Zhu Yue snatched the Poison. “I’ll take it.”

Luo Jia Bai was also intimidated by Lu Li’s serious demeanor. He whispered, “I’ve checked all the Poisons in the Shop, and none of them look like this. Where did you get it?”
Lu Li blinked. “Secret.”

The Live Stream Room was stunned by the Streamer’s rapid moves:

[The Streamer just said they love watching dog-eat-dog fights. Isn’t that exactly what Qi Mingda said at the start? Hahaha, serves him right for always stirring things up-now it’s his turn to suffer! Great job turning the tables!]

[See? See? Human evil can be triggered so easily! Just to survive, they’re willing to betray, deceive, frame, and act hypocritically at the drop of a hat. I’m convinced: goodness dies young; only evil is eternal.]

[Who said the Streamer just wants to slack off? Stand up! Look at the Streamer now, so petty and ready for payback-I’m obsessed!]

[Wait, why does that Poison look so familiar?? The Streamer exchanged for chocolate beans, right? A bag of 50 costs 500 Points, and the Streamer stuffed it in their pocket and pulled one out to use as Poison? Respect!]

[Zhu Yue couldn’t even tell chocolate from Poison? That’s just dumb! I honestly suspect this is a plot the Streamer cooked up to make us flood the Live Stream Room with Bullet Comments and raise the popularity!]

[Upstairs doesn’t understand how tough this game is. Most Food and Drink items are just for decoration-if a Player has 500 Points, they’d never exchange them for chocolate beans. They’d buy a Weapon.]

As Zhu Yue swallowed the “Poison,” Lu Li wrote her name under [Transfer].

The Item took effect instantly.

A moment ago, Zhu Yue had been battered and filthy, her features unrecognizable, but now she was brought back to life.

All her wounds vanished, she was dressed in a clean Initial Outfit, and even her missing Arm had grown back.

She touched her restored Arm in excitement, tears streaming down as she thanked Lu Li over and over. “Th-thank you, I really didn’t expect you to help me.”

Lu Li smiled. “We help each other-glad to cooperate.”

“Weren’t you just saying you’d give it to me?” Luo Jia Bai’s mouth hung open for a while before he closed it, unable to help but protest, “You’re messing with me again!”

Lu Li teased him with a promise. “A Life-Saving Item is only worth ten thousand Points. Next time, I’ll get you something even more expensive.”

Luo Jia Bai was tempted by the promise and nodded eagerly. “Even more expensive!? I’m holding you to that. You can’t go back on your word.”

“I won’t,” Lu Li said, watching him as his gaze drifted down. He reminded, “Your bandage is loose. Want to redo it?”

“Crap!” Luo Jia Bai looked down to find the bandage not only loose, but with the skin underneath showing. He panicked, clutching his Arm and jumping back two steps, shouting anxiously, “Don’t look!”

“Alright,” Lu Li said, tilting his head up to look at the Television on the ceiling, which was still pouring out sand.

“I’m watching TV.”

The sand dwindled, until the last grain fell to the ground.

The Television above crackled as it tuned.

The flickering static grew louder and harsher.

Luo Jia Bai squatted in the corner, threw away the bloody old bandage, and carefully wrapped a new one. Once he was sure it was perfect, he walked over.

He pointed uncertainly at the only Television with a picture. “Just now, we came out of this TV, right?”

Lu Li quietly looked up. “That’s right.”

The Television caught a signal.

The static stopped.

Nuo Nuo’s face appeared on the screen.

Even though they were looking at the Television, it felt as if they were being watched.

On the screen, Nuo Nuo met their gaze and giggled. “Looks like you made it into my living room. Is it big?”