43 - Dungeon Growth Log

Xia Ge endeavored to stay composed and calm. "So, you went back to the third stone chamber, waited for me, and then tricked me into continuing forward." Su Chan looked at the serene expression on the young girl before her. Her soft black hair draped over her shoulders, and her delicate face—which once illuminated with a captivating spark—now appeared tranquil like a still lake. Paralyzed by the poison of the black vines, she was stiff and immobile. Her torn black attire had been undone, revealing pale white skin. Despite her frail and slender appearance, she exuded an unyielding resilience that was hard to break. A beauty lost but unbowed. Su Chan chuckled softly. Xia Ge ignored the other's expression. "What I can't figure out now is...how did you know the Lost Deer would be connected to me?" "I didn't know," Su Chan gently pulled the undergarment over the girl's shoulders and smiled, "I just like to wander around your back mountain when I'm in a bad mood. Who knew I'd stumble upon a little thief sneaking around?" System: "..." Xia Ge: "..." You come to Lingxi Peak's back mountain when you're upset?! Who are you trying to fool! Su Chan continued, "That deer was always in the corner watching you steal spiritual herbs everywhere you went. It followed you everywhere, and where it was, no 'Guardian Spirits' dared to approach. So I thought..." "Seeing how pitiful it was, I decided to help it out and let it watch you." Su Chan smiled innocently, "So, I controlled those useless Guardian Spirits to attack you—oh, that deer was so worried, constantly calling out to you, telling you to run, but it didn't dare come out. And you, clueless, even after hearing, didn't run—ah, I just remembered." The girl in red's voice was languid and bewitching. She lightly lifted Xia Ge's chin with her jade-like hand, her eyes and brows full of smiles. "You wanted to run, but you couldn't...escape." "The Lost Deer is indeed powerful." Su Chan let go. "Once it appeared, all the puppets were out of my control." She squinted her eyes, "So beautiful and strong." Hearing this, Xia Ge suddenly understood. —So that's what happened. The Lost Deer's "yo yo yo" was actually a warning for her to escape... She had thought the Lost Deer was controlling the Guardian Spirits. Xia Ge felt like she had been completely fooled. Su Chan fastened Xia Ge's belt, "Any other questions? I can tell you everything." Not sure if it was an illusion, Xia Ge felt her paralyzed body slightly improving. She felt the coldness of the teleportation stone in her hand, showing no emotion on her face, but her heart began to race. [Black Vine: Contains slow-acting poison. Effect: The toxin paralyzes the body within three hours and gradually causes a loss of consciousness after four hours.] According to the poison...it should only become more paralyzed. So why now...does it seem like she can move? The pain in her abdomen also started to become slightly noticeable. "What's the deal with Mo Qiu Ran?" To not let the other detect her oddness, Xia Ge asked, "Why do you know her?" Su Chan gave an "oh" sound, and just when Xia Ge thought she was about to explain, Su Chan smiled slowly, "That's something I can't tell you." Xia Ge: "..." Weren't you going to tell me everything? Even without being told, she could guess: definitely an undercover agent of the demonic sect, no doubt about it. Getting some feeling back in her body didn't help. She still couldn't crush the teleportation stone, and she certainly couldn’t beat the person in front of her. Instead of beating around the bush...why not— "Since you are someone who repays kindness." Xia Ge raised her gaze to her, "I want to leave here." "Oh?" Su Chan's smile broadened, "It would be best not to move." "I have something very important to do," Xia Ge replied. Su Chan: "To warn others?" Xia Ge realized. Su Chan: "Seeing that, how could I let you go?" Xia Ge: "..." Makes a lot of sense. But she wouldn't have thought of it if you hadn’t mentioned it. Taking a deep breath, Xia Ge forced a smile, "I won't. You see, I don't even know your name. Do I look like someone who would repay kindness with enmity?" Indeed, she didn't seem like someone who would repay kindness with enmity, but definitely someone who would repay grudges. Su Chan glanced at the place where she had stabbed the girl and thought. The girl’s forced smile turned into a stiff one, making Su Chan sigh and honestly say, "Stop smiling. It's really ugly." Xia Ge: "..." Sometimes you have to endure for peace and take a step back for a broader view...endure, endure, endure... System: "…It seems you've met your nemesis." Xia Ge: "..." Shut up. When the magic is high, the way prevails. Xia Ge, resigned, "I’m really ugly, how about you let me go?" Su Chan pondered, "You're not very attractive, but you are interesting." Xia Ge sighed, looking up at her, "I truly won't inform anyone. I have something very important to do." "Just now, you said you don't know my name." Su Chan seemed not to hear Xia Ge, speaking to herself, "That's not good. You must remember me." Xia Ge: "..." No need, I've already remembered you. She would never forget who stabbed her in the stomach this lifetime. Such crap happening to anyone would leave an indelible memory—one could rage about it well into their old age, recalling the person who stabbed them in the stomach vividly. Unless her future was even more miserable—no, nothing could be worse than having a hole in the stomach. "That's great." Su Chan’s words sounded insincere, her eyes glimmering with a smile, her voice tender, "Tell me what is so important, ask my name, and say you'll never forget it. I'll let you go, okay?" Su Chan's voice was languid, as if Xia Ge were her long-lost lover, "Alright, Xia Xia?" Alright, my ass! Xia your sister! ...Endure for peace. Xia Ge, expressionless, "Oh, what's your name?" Su Chan raised an eyebrow, "I'm called A Chan." Xia Ge looked at her with a 'I've been made a fool' face. A Chan? You must be kidding me! Su Chan saw the girl's complex expression and couldn’t help but laugh. She ruffled Xia Ge's hair until it was a mess, then leisurely said, "My name is Su Chan." Xia Ge, numb, "Oh." Xia Ge seemed to understand now what Ye Ze felt like with her leading him around. It wasn’t that retribution doesn’t come, the time just hasn't arrived yet. If given another chance, she would definitely not bully him...probably. System: "..." Completely insincere. "I don't like you talking to me with that face." Su Chan lowered her head, pressing her forehead against Xia Ge's, her eyes shimmering, "Change it, any expression will do. Come, call my name." Xia Ge: "..." So demanding. Xia Ge put on a visibly perfunctory expression, "Oh oh, Su Chan, Su Chan." System: "..." Su Chan seemingly unhappy now, straightened up, still smiling but with a cold gaze. The red-clad girl's aura shifted, making her presence slightly menacing despite the smile, an intangible pressure with a hint of killing intent. Xia Ge shivered, instantly adopting a serious expression, eyes downcast, "Yes, Su Chan." The vast world, but one's life is paramount! System: "..." The girl's serious tone while calling her name added a touch of cuteness. "What is your important matter, exactly?" Just as Xia Ge thought her angered, came Su Chan's leisurely voice. Not angry? Xia Ge was a bit surprised. ...Good thing she didn’t get mad, otherwise a single sleeve toss could crush her injured self against the wall, and that would mean certain death. Since the paralyzed feeling started to fade, her strength had been gradually recovering. The medicine power of the Scarlet Blood Pill hadn’t waned. As soon as Su Chan's attention was diverted, she'd crush the teleportation stone and escape. Just a little longer, a little longer. Lingxi Peak's ancestors above, please protect her for a smooth getaway. First, calm this person down. "I promised someone I’d win the entrance contest." Xia Ge lied with a straight face, "The entrance contest starts tomorrow." "You promised someone?" Su Chan echoed, finding it amusing, "This should be your concern, why phrase it as 'promised someone'?" As her words dispersed the previous cold air, Xia Ge felt a sense of safety returning. Thinking carefully, she replied after a while, "Precisely because it's expected of oneself after making a promise to someone...more reason to accomplish it." "Oh?" Su Chan seemed intrigued. "If they were merely strangers, they wouldn't say things like, 'I hope you become stronger,' 'I want you to be better.' When someone says that to you, you're very important to them. They genuinely wish for you to become the best version of yourself. When you achieve what they envision, they will be sincerely proud of you," Xia Ge spoke with heartfelt sincerity. In the past, she never wanted to try because it felt meaningless. Alone in this unfamiliar world, she had no attachments. Whether she shone brilliantly or sank into obscurity, no one would truly care or worry about her. But... Ye Ze had told her to ace the entrance exam. At that moment, Xia Ge thought, it's good; someone is actually concerned about her well-being. The System had missing memories, missing data, missing levels, and it didn't know what it should know while understanding a lot of what it shouldn't. When she first met Ye Ze and received the System, she thought she had found hope to return home. But in the end, all she got was a firm, "I don't know." Xia Ge: "..." That was utterly disheartening. In this strange world, she might never return to her modern life. She might always be alone, but at the very least, someone now cared about her. It was worth it to try her best, to ensure that those who had hope for her would not be disappointed. At the very least, she shouldn't appear so miserably that they would worry. "I see." Hearing this, Su Chan lowered her eyebrows, lost in thought. —If you care deeply for someone, you want them to excel. Su Chan's hand beneath her red sleeve gently touched the bone flute hidden there. Indeed... that's correct. …That time, it was the same feeling. —She had hoped that person could stand at the pinnacle of the world, unstoppable, laughing at the world with a wave of her sleeve. She wished for the most beautiful things in the world to be hers. At that time... she had truly thought so. But, there was no 'then' anymore. Just as Xia Ge felt her strength return and noticed Su Chan seemed absent-minded, planning to quietly crush the teleportation stone and make her escape, Su Chan's voice abruptly broke the silence. "If you leave right now, you'll die." Su Chan’s voice, light and elegant, sounded again, "I suggest you behave yourself. Just because you don’t feel pain now, doesn't mean it won't come. When the poison fully recedes, you'll be in excruciating pain." Xia Ge was startled, lifting her eyes to look at Su Chan. The girl in red stood up, and from the missing corner of her sleeve slipped a jade dagger she had used earlier. "The poison on the Dagger of Rebirth can neutralize the paralysis from the black vine's poison. I deliberately avoided your vital organs, but the poison on it is very irritating. When the paralysis poison dissipates, your wound will hurt due to the residual toxin." What Su Chan said made sense to Xia Ge, but somehow it didn't connect. ...Neutralize? What does that even mean? Wasn’t that what she thought it meant? Was she really stabbed just to detoxify her? Su Chan, looking somewhat disappointed, half-jokingly said, "I’ve always been someone who repays kindness, but it seems Xia Xia doesn't believe me." Xia Ge: "..." Believing that would be unbelievable. Besides— No sane person would see stabbing someone as a way to repay a favor! Even if this was how to detoxify someone, you should at least ask for their consent first! And stop calling me 'Xia Xia,' it's creepy. Xia Ge tried to gently appeal to her, "Please don’t call me Xia Xia…being stabbed hurts." Su Chan looked at her with a smile, then made a confused face, "It hurts when you're stabbed?" Xia Ge: "..." That expression looks like it deserves a punch. How about I stab you once and see? It won't hurt at all, just let me try it—please. Su Chan: "But weren't you paralyzed?" Xia Ge: "..." Yes, paralyzed. When stabbed, it felt like something was puncturing in, but it didn't hurt at all. Yet because it didn't hurt, it was all the more terrifying! The knife really went into her stomach! Seriously! It went in without any feeling at all! Xia Ge emphasized, "But my psyche was severely traumatized." Su Chan then mimicked Xia Ge's earlier visibly perfunctory expression, "Oh, Xia Xia, I'm sorry." Xia Ge: "..." Damn it. Author’s Note: How did I get 56 on my elementary accounting exam... (life in doubt) Aaaah slamming the ground! Clearly passed economic law, so why one leg is lame! Why! I clearly passed Conan! Is it fake TAT Heartbreak to the point of suffocation. = = Chai Gui threw a landmine on: 2018-06-08 01:28:20 Chen threw a landmine on: 2018-06-08 01:44:12 The Rainbow Pigeon threw a grenade on: 2018-06-08 02:12:16 The Rainbow Pigeon threw another grenade on: 2018-06-08 02:12:23 Please Call Me Fresh threw a rocket on: 2018-06-08 10:24:19 Gui Nuo threw a landmine on: 2018-06-08 10:42:03 Bai Ge threw a grenade on: 2018-06-08 18:14:29 Thanks to everyone for the grenades, landmines, and rockets, TAT, thanks for supplementing this author’s exam fee (tear) I'll strive to keep writing TAT = = Reader “c06”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 21:39:30 Reader “Acting King”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 20:14:10 Reader “June Night”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 17:15:19 Reader “Twice Main”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 14:39:58 Reader “jDance”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 13:50:05 Reader “Little Public Son”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 10:59:10 Reader “Gui Nuo”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 10:41:09 Reader “First One”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 09:26:57 Reader “Eighteen Dynasties”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 09:09:35 Reader “Chen”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 01:44:12 Reader “Xia Yu Le”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 01:13:39 Reader “aibo7800”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 01:09:01 Reader “faith”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 00:33:15 Reader “One Leaf Knows Fall”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 00:28:02 Reader “Little Cool Kid”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-08 00:25:19 Reader “j”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-07 23:55:38 Reader “never”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-07 23:49:07 Reader “Nameless Name”, irrigated nutrient solution on: 2018-06-07 23:43:23 Thank you everyone for the nutrient solution! Too many exams lately, might only be able to update daily _(:3)∠)_