Chapter 126: Love Welfare Institute
Liu Huai turned his head to look at Liu Jiayi who was pressed to the ground. Suddenly, he took a deep breath, shook off the daggers hanging from his waist and lowered his body to bite at the dagger falling through the air. At the same time, he let the other dagger pierce his body. The dagger pierced his skin and flesh. Liu Huai lowered his head and let out a muffled grunt.
Mu Ke was shocked. “What are you doing, Liu Huai?!”
[System notification: Player Liu Huai has been attacked by the shadow dagger and your mental value is decreasing… Due to player Liu Huai’s mental value fluctuating violently, your mental value is decreasing. Mental value has decreased to 9. Rage mode is opened and physical strength is being violently consumed…]
Liu Huai lowered his body like a flying swallow. He was so fast that only his shadow could be seen. He skimmed over the ground and flew toward Miao Feichi.
The moment when Miao Feichi’s double knives were about to descend, Liu Huai emerged like an assassin coming out of the shadows. He stepped on the ground and turned around. He used the dagger held in his mouth to face Miao Feichi’s double knives that were cutting down toward Liu Jiayi.
Miao Feichi stared at Liu Huai in astonishment. Biting a dagger using the mouth and resisting the double knives—this was the first time he had seen an assassin player who could still resist him even after having his arms cut off and being ‘disarmed.’
Liu Huai’s eyes had a desperate yet thrilling strength and brightness. One of his eyes was half closed from pain while the corner of his mouth cracked due to Miao Feichi vigorously cutting down with the double knives. The wound dropped blood, his face was as white as a ghost and his mouth was drooling.
Liu Huai stood in front of Liu Jiayi without retreating. His chest was moving up and down violently.
“Fuck.” Miao Feichi was speechless for a while. He felt Liu Huai’s crazy determination to resist him. Miao Feichi gritted his teeth and viciously slashed his knives. “All the people brought out by Bai Liu are crazy! Father! I will give Liu Jiayi to you!”
[System warning: The player Liu Huai’s health has dropped by 1! Please flee to a safe zone quickly!]
Liu Huai, who was kneeling on the ground, staggered to his feet again. He bit the dagger and stared at Miao Feichi. The meaning of the look in his eyes was clear. ‘I will still fight you. I won’t fall down easily.’
Sweat dripped from Miao Feichi’s jaw. He raised his hand and wiped it before gritting his teeth. “What the hell did Bai Liu fill your head with? Is it worth doing this for him?!”
Liu Huai suddenly glanced at Liu Jiayi, whose body was covered by a black fog. She was thrown away by Miao Feichi for Miao Gaojiang to handle her.
If he didn’t have the dagger in his mouth, Liu Huai might’ve told Miao Feichi that Bai Liu hadn’t filled him with anything. They had just made a deal.
[Bai Liu, will you really ensure that Liu Jiayi can leave the game safely? I don’t mean just this instance. I’m referring to the whole game. Are you sure you can take her out?]
[I’m not sure but I promise, as long as I’m still alive, I’ll try to take Liu Jiayi out.]
[…I believe in the trading effectiveness of your words. Ah, sometimes I feel it would be better if Jiayi wasn’t my sister. She is too smart. I… in the past, I’ve always been standing by without doing anything. I don’t deserve such a smart sister. Bai Liu, if you were Jiayi’s brother, she wouldn’t have had to work so hard to protect you.]
[If only Jiayi wasn’t my sister. She is so good, smart and sensible. She deserves a better birth and a better brother.]
Miao Feichi’s double knives once again fell relentlessly. Mu Ke ran wildly while holding little Mu Ke, his heart about to explode. Liu Jiayi was also running to their side with her potion bottle, the black fog fading little by little. She was thrown down onto the ground by Miao Gaojiang and looked hysterically at Liu Huai, crying out, “Brother! No!”
Liu Huai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He gripped the dagger in his mouth with his bloody teeth and whispered words to Bai Liu in his heart like he was praying to a god.
Bai Liu, please.
I will use the last of my life to pave the way for you. I beg you to do what you have promised.
[Bai Liu, I still have one thing I particularly regret in my life. Can you help me… say some words of apology to Brother Si?]
[You can talk to him in person.]
[How can I tell him if I die?]
[You can wait until Mu Sicheng dies and then tell him face to face.]
[…Does Brother Si know that you curse him like this behind his back?]
[I speak like this in his presence.]
Liu Huai finally laughed with relief, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes.
In fact, being alive was a very hard thing for now. Now he had finally found a strange depository for his soul.
There might be a charge for this depository but it was considered a safe place.
Before Miao Feichi’s knives could cut down again, Bai Liu jumped over from the side. He calmly swung his whip at Miao Feichi’s double knives, interrupting Miao Feichi’s attacks. He stood in front of Liu Huai and faced Miao Feichi’s angry knives that fell one after another.
Bai Liu used the whip to block the double knives while taking the time to turn around to tell Liu Huai, “Liu Huai, pay attention to Miao Gaojiang. He is going to become a border monster and he will definitely kill Liu Jiayi.”
The moment his words finished, both Miao Feichi and Liu Huai were startled. They turned their heads to look at Miao Gaojiang who was controlling Liu Jiayi.
Miao Gaojiang’s zombie appearance had an ominous blue-black color. His eyes were black in the middle while the whites of his eyes were large and raised. They were black, bloodshot eyes. His teeth almost touched his chin and his skin was wrinkled, with the texture of thick, moldy leather. Long, black nails grew from his hands. At this moment, Miao Gaojiang was holding the back of Liu Jiayi’s neck with one hand and his strength was increasing.
Meanwhile, Liu Jiayi’s potion bottle fell to the ground, empty. The poison that could instantly corrode a child monster was poured on Miao Gaojiang but he didn’t react at all.
[System warning: Player Miao Gaojiang’s mental value is fluctuating. It is in an unstable state… very low—down to 0.]
[System warning: You are alienated by the monster attached to the personal skill and have become the monster corresponding to the personal skill in the monster book—Monster Book: Immortal Creature Carrion Zombie.]
[System warning: The carrion zombie is an S-grade monster of a level 3 game. It has a very high defense power of 10,000+ and it will attack all players without distinction. All players, please escape quickly!]
Miao Feichi was numb as he slowly lowered the knives. He looked at the man with the big, open mouth, face bruised and looking completely like a zombie. “Father…?”
The zombie with a blue face and fangs raised his head. He looked at Miao Feichi with ferocious eyes and exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas that smelled like rotting meat.
A chill went down Miao Feichi’s spine. Facing Miao Gaojiang’s familiar face, he couldn’t help staggering back. This was a monster with over 10,000 defense. Moreover, he didn’t have time to explore the weakness of this monster. He knew how terrible Miao Gaojiang’s defense was. Once Miao Gaojiang fully used his skills, he could only leave a white mark on Miao Gaojiang’s arm.
Yet when Miao Gaojiang’s skill was fully activated, the defense didn’t surpass 10,000.
This thing… this monster derived from his biological father, they couldn’t beat him at all!
Liu Jiayi glanced at Liu Huai with teary eyes.
She seemed to realize what Liu Huai was about to do and her fingers grabbed the sand on the ground. She struggled frantically to stop Liu Huai, hoarse words popping out from the throat held by Miao Gaojiang.
“Brother… don’t come over!”
The infrared image that represented Liu Huai was about to go out. In Liu Jiayi’s tearful eyes, he was like a fire destined to be extinguished.
This person was suspected by her and hurt by her. From the moment she was born, he smiled, carried her to warm her and said he would give her a bright future. In the darkness, he shone with an unprecedented dazzling and warm light, almost burning her eyes.
The fire rushed toward the crying, cold witch who was pinned to the ground.
[System notification: Does player Liu Huai want to use the explosive personal skill, One Hit Flash?]
[Yes.]
Liu Huai bit the dagger and jumped into the air. He stepped on Miao Gaojiang’s back, which had become abnormally thick.
Miao Gaojiang let go of Liu Jiayi, who was about to be strangled, and roared as he tried to punch Liu Huai.
Liu Huai didn’t avoid it at all. He clamped onto Miao Gaojiang’s neck with his legs and his upper body moved along with Miao Gaojiang’s movements. Like a wounded beast, he bit the dagger with all his strength and thrust it into Miao Gaojiang’s neck.
[System notification: Player Liu Huai has used the explosive personal skill One Hit Flash…. since the core desire of the skill has changed, the skill effect has changed…]
[System notification: Player Liu Huai’s violent killing intent and protective desires have been detected. The stiffness effect caused by the shadow dagger has remained unchanged but there is an additional damage effect. The damage calculation is in progress…]
[System notification: Player Liu Huai has used One Hit Flash to cause the monster, the carrion zombie, to be stiff for 1 minute and 15 seconds. There is 6 damage and the monster’s remaining health value is 10.]
[System notification: Due to the skill change, player Liu Huai’s skill status of ‘Cowardly Assassin’ has changed to ‘Bright and Brave Assassin’.]
Miao Gaojiang was stabbed by this dagger and roared. He grabbed Liu Huai’s neck and threw Liu Huai hard. Then he stiffened.
Liu Huai was thrown to the ground and rolled several times, coughing with a lot of blood pouring from his mouth and nose. Yet there was an inexplicable smile on his face.
[System warning: Due to player Liu Huai over exhausting his body with the skill use, the multiple injuries and excessive blood loss, your health is dropping rapidly…. 2… 1… warning! Player Liu Huai’s health is about to return to 0!]
Liu Jiayi crawled to Liu Huai’s side and gently raised Liu Huai’s head, placing it on her knees in a trembling manner. She was breathing fast as she frantically looked at her system panel while trying to stay calm.
[System notification: Player Liu Jiayi, your personal skills ‘Antidote’ and ‘Poison’ are both on cool down. You can’t use it to restore anyone’s health right now…]
[System notification: There are no items or potions in your system backpack that can instantly relieve severe injuries.]
[System notification: Your only extraordinary-grade item, Psyche’s Tears, is a consciousness level item and has no healing effect…]
“Fuck you! Fuck you grandfather’s father!” Liu Jiayi exploded into foul language. Her face was flushed with impatience and the composure she was trying to maintain shattered with the sound of Liu Huai’s gradually weakening breathing.
Liu Jiayi’s hands shook as she touched Liu Huai’s mouth and nose. She breathed heavily to calm her emotions but her mouth was shaking. She said calmly while holding back her tears, “Brother, hold on just a little bit longer. My healing skill will soon return! I can save you!”
“…Jiayi, I can’t hold on.” Liu Huai coughed and blood gushed out from his mouth. As he said this, he was still smiling. “Why are you still cursing…”
“I won’t curse later. I will listen to you and I won’t curse any longer.” The heat image representing Liu Huai slowly turned blue in Liu Jiayi’s arms, as if it was about to go out. Liu Jiayi finally couldn’t help it. She hugged Liu Huai like a normal eight year old girl and cried loudly, tears pouring out. “Brother, I beg you! It’s all my fault! It’s my fault! Please hold on! Don’t leave me alone!”
“Don’t stop wanting me!”
“…Jiayi, it isn’t your fault.” Liu Huai’s eyes gradually became as dull as Liu Jiayi’s eyes. “It is my fault…”
He worked hard to slowly speak, word by word. “I don’t deserve a good sister like you. Jiayi…”
Liu Jiayi cried until she was out of breath. She shook her head desperately but she didn’t know what to say. She just lowered her head and cried, tears falling everywhere.
“You know Jiayi, before you were born, I thought I would be like this all my life, living in the mud.” Liu Huai’s voice slowly weakened as he kept smiling. “Then after you were born, I looked into your eyes that couldn’t see and you held out your hands to hug me. Sometimes, I couldn’t bear to go on like this but I was determined to take you out.”
“It is because I am your brother.”
Liu Jiayi wanted to cover Liu Huai’s bleeding mouth as she sobbed out, “Please stop talking, stop talking!”
“You gave me the future.” Liu Huai was in a trance as he smiled from his heart. “You are the world’s best sister, Jiayi.”
His eyelids fell down wearily. “But… I’m not the best brother in the world. I am too stupid… I will entrust you to Bai Liu. He is also very smart and he understands you. You don’t have to doubt him and work so hard to protect him in the future…”
“You have been working hard to protect me, Jiayi.”
[System notification (for all players): Player Liu Huai’s health has reached zero. His death is confirmed and he has exited the game.]
Liu Jiayi stared at the red color in her arms that was completely extinguished. She reached out to touch Liu Huai’s face and tears slipped from her eyes. “Brother?”
[System notification: Player Liu Jiayi’s item, Psyche’s Tears, has taken effect in stages.]
[Psyche’s Tears will guide you to the path she once walked. You will completely lose him before you have him again. This is from Psyche’s jealousy. She doesn’t want a woman who has doubts to be happy before her but she is also kind enough to make you happy eventually. You will be happy in pain and thus cherish the happiness.]
Heart’s bewitching voice suddenly sounded in Liu Jiayi’s ears. “Cupid flew away and returned to Heaven.”
Liu Jiayi hugged Liu Huai’s head tightly. She lowered her head to Liu Huai’s chest that didn’t have a heartbeat and pain pierced her heart. She burst into tears and cried out in pain. Big tears fell from Liu Jiayi’s completely lost eyes and onto Liu Huai’s lifeless face.
She couldn’t shout any words. She only opened her mouth and cried out hoarsely, “Ah—!”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
[Psyche finally tasted the bitter fruit of doubt. She shed tears day and night but she couldn’t get back Cupid who flew away.]
[Doubt, like a poison, corroded Psyche.]
[System warning: Player Liu Jiayi’s mental value is fluctuating and dropping sharply…]
7th anniversary celebration event
Proofreader: Purichan