Chapter 63

Although Ye Zheng did not know why Pei Xi had actually triggered a warning, she guessed it was probably because her changes had brought about some chain reactions.

This world did not need more uncontrollable variables. That would only make the things in her hands even more troublesome.

So Pei Xi should just be a brave and kind comic character according to the original plot. He did not need to think too much. This was also for his own good.

Ye Zheng quietly erased the trace of water at her fingertip. 【Stream】 had a healing effect. Even when the other person had no wounds, it could bring clarity of mind, calmness, and soothing to the spirit.

The boy’s green eyes turned slightly. The light in his pupils reflected the smiling faces of Pei Xi and his teammates chatting. Sometimes, ignorance really was a kind of happiness.

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The Cloud Soarers rested in the camp for half a day. To prevent any further changes, everyone still decided to head to that red forest sooner rather than later.

Yu Tianming selected a few knights to set out with them. The Bai siblings also joined. Yet Pei Xi could not find Zhao Mei’s figure for a while.

He shuttled through the crowded camp, passing hungry crowds, passing crying children, until he was drawn by sounds from deep within the camp. He pushed through the onlookers and finally found Zhao Mei.

The boy had one hand twisted behind a middle-aged man’s back, forcing the man’s face against a tree trunk. The man could only cry out for help.

“Help! I clearly did nothing! Can ability users just do whatever they want?”

“Should I wait until you rob their food before I act?”

“I just looked once! Are you sick or something!”

An elderly person with a somewhat panicked expression walked over, accompanied by a little girl. She trembled as she spoke: “Thank you, sir. We… we are fine.”

“The food you gave us, we will protect it well. Really, thank you so much…”

The boy released his hold. The middle-aged man had just turned around in relief when he immediately met the boy’s green eyes that concealed a threat.

“Do not think about touching their things. I will come back.”

Pei Xi noticed that the boy’s volume was a little higher than usual and quickly understood. Zhao Mei’s words were not only directed at that middle-aged man.

After finishing, the boy once again shouldered the large backpack he had placed on the ground. The onlookers automatically parted to make a path for him.

“Zhao Mei, I feel like I understand you a little more now. I did not know you had such a strong side too.”

Pei Xi said half-jokingly. He felt that ever since encountering Zhao Mei in this aberrant realm, the other’s temperament was no longer purely quiet and gentle as before. There was now something restless, as though it could erupt at any moment.

“If I am not a little strong, the food I gave to that elderly couple and their granddaughter will soon be snatched away by others.”

Pei Xi’s expression sank a little upon hearing Zhao Mei’s words.

He had already heard that someone in this place had died from mistakenly eating poisonous things in the forest due to extreme hunger. Edible fruits nearby were running low. The knight order led by Yu Tianming did bring food, but even those knights could only eat once a day. They could not possibly share with civilians.

They could only destroy this aberrant realm as quickly as possible and take everyone out.

…Not only for everyone, but also to end the nightmare that had haunted him all this time. Ten years ago, he had watched it all happen helplessly, only able to cry and scream for his parents. This time, he would personally destroy this nightmare.

Pei Xi noticed that Zhao Mei was still carrying that large backpack, which seemed to hold quite a lot. He asked curiously, “Zhao Mei, do you still need to bring all those things? We should not spend too much time in the red forest.”

From his experience, either they would resolve the core in that red forest within today, or they would be resolved. It was unlikely they would camp in the territory of an aberrant plant.

“There are some things that must be brought.”

The boy smiled and briefly glossed over the topic.

What was in her bag was not just daily necessities.

The two walked out of the camp. The others were already waiting for them at the edge of the forest. When Yu Tianming saw the black-haired, green-eyed boy approaching, an inexplicable sense of relief settled in his heart.

Bai Muqing habitually took a few steps forward, then suddenly remembered that in others’ eyes, she and Zhao Mei should not seem familiar. The one she was familiar with was Ye Zheng. So Bai Muqing restrained her pace.

“Let us go. No more delays.”

The boy walked to the front of the group, turned half of his fair face sideways, and issued the order gently.

This time, no one felt anything was wrong. It seemed perfectly natural to follow him.

The group stepped into the tall forest once more. Ye Zheng took out a compass from her bag and checked the direction.

That red forest was some distance from the camp, so the camp was still relatively safe. But to be cautious, Ye Zheng still left most of the knights there.

Although Sela was a moving danger, Ye Zheng guessed she probably was not very interested in slaughtering civilians. Sela’s interest in her was likely much greater.

Ye Zheng suddenly recalled a scene from the manga spoilers that had appeared. She asked in her mind: “Has the plot where Sela kills me already passed?”

She had encountered Sela yesterday. For reasons unknown, Sela had not attacked her directly.

The system conducted a check.

『Action points have not changed. This plot segment has not been altered yet. It should still be waiting for you later.』

『Be careful. In the original plot, Pei Xi would save you, but just now even Pei Xi triggered an OOC warning. Although that bug has been fixed.』

Ye Zheng blinked.

Her curiosity about why the system had appeared before her, forcibly awakening her from within the manga world, only deepened. Unfortunately, this was not the time to investigate those questions.

Ye Zheng led the group forward for more than an hour, until at last they once again saw that eerie, pale red forest. Encircled by towering, deep green woods, the cluster of trees at the center appeared especially abnormal, pulsing faintly like a beating heart.

From trunk to branch, everything bore varying shades of red. Long tendrils dangled from the canopy, swaying slowly. They did not move with the wind. Each tendril shifted independently, like bored children swinging their legs.

“Head straight in? Isn’t that too dangerous?”

Yu Tianming pushed up his glasses uneasily.

“I circled this forest once. At our normal walking speed, it would take roughly half an hour from here to reach the center.”

Luqi spoke optimistically. “That is not far at all. If we run, we can charge straight to the core.”

“Idiot Luqi, do you think those man eating trees will let us run around freely?”

Roy crossed his arms, his expression anything but hopeful.

“Why not?”

The boy had somehow moved to the white haired girl’s side. He leaned in slightly and smiled. “If it is Muqing, there will not be a problem.” Faced with the suddenly close face, Bai Muqing’s heart skipped a beat.

She had not expected that, in front of so many people, Ye Zheng would not only pretend to be unfamiliar with her, but would instead openly bring her up.

“Yesterday, when Muqing and I entered the forest, her ability showed overwhelming dominance. She can control living creatures within a certain range.”

Luqi remembered. Back at the shelter, Bai Muqing had helped restrain that core monster.

She immediately chimed in, “That’s right. Muqing can control those monster trees.”

Yu Tianming hesitated briefly before stepping forward on his own initiative. “My ability enhances others’ talents. I can buff Bai Muqing. Perhaps this approach could actually work.”

All eyes turned toward Bai Muqing, filled with hope. Even though the white haired, white eyed girl could not see their expressions directly, she could feel the weight of their expectations pressing down on her.

She stepped forward.

A tall figure beside her instinctively followed, then froze in place. Bai Mulin watched his sister with complicated eyes as she walked to the very front.

She no longer needed his protection. Perhaps his protection had even become a burden to her.

Standing before the swaying pale red forest, Bai Muqing’s chest rose and fell once.

After a brief hesitation, she closed her eyes.

Pure white specks of light suddenly drifted down from the air like falling snow, settling upon the towering canopy and the swaying root tendrils.

The eerie forest seemed to hold its breath. Even the constantly moving branches paused for an instant.

Everyone’s breathing hitched.

They followed closely behind Bai Muqing, holding their breath as they stepped into the domain of the aberrant plant.

Once inside, the chill deepened to the bone.

Up close, the bark that should have been brown and rough was instead smooth and glossy, like congested human skin, tinged with a tender red.

Walking through it felt less like traversing a forest and more like treading across the body of a sleeping giant.

Even the ground beneath their feet seemed to rise and fall, as if breathing.

The group remained tense and alert.

Only after a long while, when they finally confirmed that Bai Muqing’s control was indeed effective, did they begin to relax slightly.

The bizarre branches and tendrils right beside them made no move to attack.

“Do not lower your guard.”

The boy walking behind Bai Muqing reminded them gently.

“There may still be a little madwoman hidden within this forest who is not under control.”

If Sela appeared and nullified Bai Muqing’s ability once again, the man eating trees would attack immediately.

Under the suppression of Sela’s ability, they would all become extremely passive.

For now, the path ahead remained peaceful.

The surrounding aberrant plants were as quiet as ordinary vegetation.

Yet Ye Zheng did not relax.

Instead, her focus sharpened.

A faint shadow settled between her brows.

Sela still had not appeared. That made the situation even more troublesome. It likely meant that she…

“What is that ahead!”

Luqi, walking at the front, widened her eyes and pointed toward something pale and statue like protruding from among the pale red trees ahead.

Everyone’s expressions changed.

They quickened their pace, rushing out of the red forest and into the very center of this aberrant realm. Ye Zheng lifted her gaze.

Complex emotions flickered within her illusory green eyes.

An abnormally thick and towering red trunk supported a massive white skull, looming overhead and gazing down upon the intruders with absolute majesty.

The skull was narrow and elongated.

Its protruding mouth revealed rows of sharp teeth. Two enormous eye sockets yawned hollow.

In life, it must have belonged to a terrifying and imposing ferocious beast.

The pale red trees connected to the solitary skull, as though reconstructing for it a sprawling, sinuous body capable of enveloping the entire aberrant realm.

A familiar aura struck her face.

Ye Zheng’s palm trembled faintly.

She immediately realized something.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, pupils contracting uncontrollably as she stared at the massive skull.

“No… no, sitting on top of that is…”

Yu Tianming gripped his glasses, staring upward in shock at the merciless skull looming over them.

He spoke in disbelief. Inside the two hollow eye sockets of the white bone sat two figures.

One was red.

One was blue.

Both possessed dazzling golden hair. Both wore the same ruthless, contemptuous gaze.

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Authors Note  

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Next, Zheng is going to discipline two blond mad dogs……