Chapter 85: Impulsive Thought

    Cycle 2: Temple of Anubis

    ***

    On that very same night, Jin Jiuchi received the ticket to his second Cycle issued by the Nightmare App. The date and time displayed on the ticket was exactly one week from now, at nine in the morning. And the destination written on the ticket was – Temple of Anubis.

    As soon as Shen Nianzu received the news the following morning, he immediately dragged Jin Jiuchi to the library to learn everything about Anubis, the ancient Egyptian deity associated with the afterlife and mummification.

    "You have to make use of the preparation time given by the Nightmare to the fullest," he elaborated with a grim look on his face. His side profile as he was driving was as exquisite and cold as a marble statue, and Jin Jiuchi just could not tear his gaze away. "One week, it’s a very short time. We should cram everything in as much as we can. It will surely come handy in the Cycle later. Temple of Anubis, it means we should be prepared to live in the desert..."

    Jin Jiuchi, who was wilting like a rotten radish at the mention of studying, immediately perked up when he heard what the jade doll said. "We?" He sat up straighter and demanded excitedly. "Nian’er, did you just say ’we’? Are you going with me?!"

    "Of course," Shen Nianzu said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Even though you are an intermediate player, you practically don’t know anything about the Cycle. Not to mention, you have been in the limelight since you rose to the 100th rank. Who knows what kind of players you will meet in the Cycle later? One thing we know for certain, Dance of the Wind will surely find a way to get into the Cycle and kill you in person."

    When players advanced in rank, the duration between ticket allocation and the actual boarding of the bus also increased. For Veteran players, they would typically receive their tickets six to nine months prior to the Cycle, whereas Elite and Legendary players were even twice and thrice longer than that.

    This arrangement was done to afford players ample time to prepare for the Cycle they were going to challenge, so one could easily imagine the inherent risks and perils that came with it. Within this buffer timeframe, players of veteran rank or above were free to challenge other Cycles in order to brush up their experience points, receive additional props and refine their skills to deal with the nightmare creatures.

    Both Shen Nianzu and Dance of the Wind were veteran players, and thus they could very well get into Jin Jiuchi’s next Cycle as long as they could pinpoint the destination and had enough experience points to purchase the entry ticket.

    "Ohh~" Jin Jiuchi’s lips curved into a sly grin as he poked the jade doll’s soft cheek. "Nian’er, you are worried about me, aren’t you?"

    Shen Nianzu leveled him with an unimpressed stare before turning his gaze to the road in front again. He let out a soft harrumph, "I have painstakingly dragged you out of that collapsing apartment, and you dare to get yourself killed just like that?"

    A delightful laughter bubbled out of Jin Jiuchi’s throat and he stated in an airy tone, "Don’t worry, Nian’er. If I have to die, then I’d prefer to be killed by you alone."

    Shen Nianzu’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that, albeit his expression gave nothing away. For a split second, he thought that Jin Jiuchi had noticed his hidden purpose in entering the Cycle – to observe the man’s performance and behavior in close proximity. But on another thought, it should not be possible. Jin Jiuchi was the kind of person who tended to blurt out his real thoughts without any underlying meaning, and the fact that he was missing half of his soul also caused him to be more simple-minded.

    ’I should not overthink his words,’ Shen Nianzu told himself as he tightened his grip on the wheel.

    For the next few days, they practically spent all of their time perusing books about Anubis. Shen Nianzu pulled his connection and managed to obtain antique texts that looked old enough to be framed in a museum, claiming that they should cover all sources so as to not be misled by second-hand information.

    Not only that, they also had to learn how to survive in the desert, things to take caution of, and analyze the suitable props they needed to buy. To be exact, it was Shen Nianzu who studied diligently whereas Jin Jiuchi would fall asleep seconds after the book was placed in front of him.

    Within the week, Jin Jiuchi received a lot of private messages from the players inviting him to join their organization. The Broker was right, when he scrolled through the forum, all he could see was his nickname being discussed with zeal. Everyone was eager to find out more about him, and it was thanks to Shen Nianzu blocking it on time that JJ remained a profound mystery to others.

    Annoyed by the constant notification, Shen Nianzu activated the ’block all messages from non-friend players’ features and told Jin Jiuchi seriously, "No need to worry about the organization. We have to focus on studying first."

    Just like that, one week passed by in a flash and it was time for them to board the bus.

    On that day, Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu were dressed in quick drying, lightweight and neutral colored clothes, hiking boots, UV goggles that would shield their eyes from the intense sunlight, and headscarf to prevent sunburns and reduce the risk of heatstroke. The set of clothes had come from the common prop ’Basic Necessity’ and they would receive a new one for each day they spent in the Cycle.

    Jin Jiuchi stared at the jade doll who was covered from head to toe to show only a pair of beautiful purple eyes, and he could not contain the smile on his lips. Though his tone sounded petulant when he asked, "Nian’er, must we go to this extent?"

    Shen Nianzu sent him a quiet glare. "Of course, haven’t you read that the temperature can get as high as 50 degree celsius in the desert? Moreover, this is the Cycle we are talking about and we don’t know what kind of insanity we will encounter there. We have to do this at the very least so that we don’t suffer from heatstroke and blindness."

    Let alone going, Jin Jiuchi had never even seen a desert before except for the pictures Shen Nianzu had shown him beforehand. And thus, he had no idea how hot fifty degrees celsius was.

    As they made their way out of the villa dressed in this outfit, Jin Jiuchi continued to ask, "The ticket stated that we are going to spend three days in the Cycle. Will other people not get suspicious when we disappear all of a sudden, Nian’er? What about the last Cycle when we stayed in Shishen Apartment for a week? Did you leave a note beforehand? No, that’s not right, you said that we can’t tell non-players about the existence of the Cycle..."

    "Correct, we are not allowed to tell anyone," Shen Nianzu replied to him. "That’s why when we go on a Cycle like this, the Nightmare will blur the world’s perception toward us, it’s like we are momentarily forgotten by everyone. Only after we return will everything go back to normal again."

    Jin Jiuchi mulled over the information he had discerned so far. They would be forgotten by the world while they entered a Cycle, and the injuries they sustained in the Cycle would also manifest in a different way after they returned. Exactly what was the Nightmare and how could it have such magical ability? It seemed like the more he knew, the more questions would pop up afterward. How interesting...

    Jin Jiuchi really could not wait to find out more about the Nightmare Cycle!

    His spirit lifted, he began to hum in a cheerful tone, "Cycle, Cycle, we are going into a Cycle. The desert is hot, the yellow sand is hot, even Nian’er is— wait," he halted in his tracks upon noticing that Shen Nianzu was leading them deeper into the mountain instead. "Shouldn’t we go to the bus, Nian’er? What are we doing here?"

    "The bus is here," Shen Nianzu gestured at the space in front of them.

    Jin Jiuchi’s eyes flew wide when he caught sight of the familiar bus parked in the middle of the wilderness, now creamy white in color. "Wow..." he let out an astonished whistle. "How did you know that the bus is there, Nian’er?"

    "That’s how it is," Shen Nianzu said as he observed the bus with narrowed eyes. There were already a few players sitting inside, none of them realized their presence yet. "You only need to go into a secluded area, and you will find the bus waiting for you there. Now, we have left the real world and entered the boundary of the Cycle. Let’s go in first."

    Jin Jiuchi was shocked to hear the last sentence of Shen Nianzu’s words were spoken in a childish, milky voice.

    He turned to find that the big and tall Nian’er beside him was no more, but was replaced with the tiny and short Nian’er. Along with his shrinking stature, the full gear he wore had also shrunk to fit his size perfectly, making him look like an adorable dumpling.

    "Nian’er!!" Jin Jiuchi exclaimed in extreme shock. Shen Nianzu had indeed told him before that his change of appearance was due to a prop, but he had not expected the jade doll to return to this young version of his in this Cycle too. "How can you do this to me?! How unfair! Me too, I want—"

    Shen Nianzu had an ominous premonition when he heard the last half of Jin Jiuchi’s sentence. Alas, by the time he reacted, it was already too late to stop the impulsive thought in Jin Jiuchi’s mind.

    Skill Card: A Wild Beast’s Psyche

    Skill Type: Shape-shifting

    Skill Level: 8

    Number of usage: 3/4

    "Y–You crazy bastard!" Shen Nianzu sputtered out in shock, and he lunged forward to strangle the idiot husky in a fit of rage. "You dare to use your skill card before you even arrive in the Cycle?!!"

    And thus, when the bus door slid open, the players inside raised their heads sharply only to find... a child and a huge fluffy white dog rolled inside while tangled in a fierce scuffle.

    The child was radiating extreme killing intent as he pinned the whimpering dog to the floor with his whole body. "I’m going to kill you today!"

    The players: ...What the hell is going on here?