nycdaug Chapter 315 Endless March 7
Chapter 315 Endless March 7
"Is such a strong man really a deliveryman?"
After seeing the burly man off, Qiong carefully examined the delivery box in front of him. From the outside, it didn't seem particularly special, but the question was, what legitimate deliveryman would be so muscular and exude such a menacing aura?
"Hmm? Don't you have any physical requirements for your postmen?"
What Qiong and Kiana found strange was perfectly normal to Baiji and Songque, the two natives: you see, because of Luo Xing's unreasonable administrative divisions, the occasional Shadow Disasters, and security problems, Luo Xing's inter-regional postal system was not a pure courier service, but rather akin to a security escort agency—if they couldn't protect their goods, they would have been robbed by outlaws in the chaotic border regions or delivered to the Shadow Monsters along the way.
"This is too suspicious! Sora, how did Ajeta know we lived here? Let's throw this box away!"
Qiong didn't listen to Kiana's bad idea. In any case, he still planned to open the box to see what Ajeta had sent—most likely the "lucky potion"?
Qiong carefully unwrapped the packaging, and soon a sweet aroma wafted out. The other three also gathered around.
As expected, the box was full of bottles of purple fluorescent liquid, roughly estimated to be about ten bottles.
"So many..."
No one noticed that Kiana's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly.
Ah—Jet—Ta—!
Just think about it, if a small bottle made Qiong think of the Starry Sky Train from her amnesiac state, wouldn't these ten or so large bottles make her remember all the cringeworthy things she said when she was a kid, or the embarrassing things she did when she wet the bed a few times?
Maybe Qiong will remember everything in my dreams... no, absolutely everything! And then she'll even gradually remember the things I did in my dreams, which will improve my reputation with Qiong...
Don't do this kind of thing!
"Qiong, the teachers have said that every medicine has some degree of toxicity!"
"Oh, I know."
Qiong verbally agreed, but her hand had already reached for a bottle of potion. Kiana, sensing something was wrong, grabbed Qiong's wrist.
"Qiong, please don't be impulsive! That medicine in front of us might be poisonous!"
Kiana looked anxious, her eyes reddening, leaving Qiong completely bewildered.
What's going on? Didn't he already drink it once? What's this idiot Na up to?
"I'm not stupid, I'll only drink one bottle..."
As she spoke, Qiong reached out her other hand to take the potion, but Kiana quickly reached out her other hand to stop her.
"Why don't you... reconsider?"
Something's not right.
Qiong frowned and forcefully broke free from Kiana's grasp.
"No, what exactly do you want? Aren't you going to let me drink it?"
"Haha, how could that be..."
Unable to stop Sora, Kiana could only watch as Sora opened a bottle of potion and gulped it down.
Hmm, it still tastes the same. Ajeta didn't change the recipe... Kiana definitely has a problem, right?
"Drink less, why drink so much!"
While taking the medicine, Qiong deliberately glanced at Kiana out of the corner of his eye. Although she spoke with concern, Kiana's anxious expression was exactly the same as when he was about to pounce on him and beat him up after suggesting that she lose weight because she was too heavy.
Looking again, Kiana was staring at him nervously, one hand unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, the other hand twisting her hair, and her thighs were restlessly rubbing together...
Kiana, what are you so nervous about?
"Alright, it's getting late, we need to wash up too. Ladies, shouldn't you go back to sleep?"
After drinking a large bottle of medicine in front of Bai Ji, Qiong gave the bewildered Song Que and the shifty-eyed Kiana the order to leave.
--------------
"Qiong, did you call me by the wrong name before?"
Perhaps because it was a rare occasion for Bai Ji to sleep in the same bed with other people, Bai Ji, who was the healthiest and most health-conscious of everyone, did not go to sleep peacefully after the lights were turned off. Instead, she tried to chat with Qiong, who was waiting for the effects of the medicine to take hold.
Qiong paused slightly, then gave a somewhat awkward "hmm".
"I'm sorry, I was a bit confused at the time and called a friend whose voice sounds a bit like yours... The main thing is that, apart from the voice, you both have a younger sister named 'Ling'..."
"A brother with a younger sister? That's so nice..."
Suddenly bringing up the previously interrupted topic again, Qiong was a little afraid that Baiji would start talking about painful memories again—sadness is contagious! Even the most optimistic person can't laugh when the man in their bed talks about his tragic past!
However, Bai Ji didn't continue asking questions or start a conversation, which relieved Qiong.
Just go to sleep and wait for the medicine to take effect...
"Ouch!"
As Qiong waited to fall asleep, her temples throbbed twice.
"what happened?"
"It's nothing, just being overly sensitive—ouch, it hurts!"
Just as Qiong had said he was alright, a sharp pain, like being stabbed by a knife or axe, pierced straight into his brain, making him see stars. Just as the pain subsided, it felt as if needles were stabbing into his brain from both temples!
The intense pain startled Bai Ji. When Bai Ji lit the lamp, he saw Qiong with his eyes tightly shut, his hands pressed firmly against his forehead, his body hunched over—no, that's not right! His neck was slightly stiff! The veins in his arms were bulging from the exertion, and cold sweat covered his entire body…
"Qiong! What's wrong with you!"
Bai Ji quickly got up to check on the situation, but Qiong was in too much pain to speak, and could only let out a painful groan while her body was tense.
"Help! Help!"
Just as Bai Ji was about to call for help, Qiong suddenly turned white in the eye and fainted.
--------------
"Ugh, my head hurts so much..."
When Qiong awoke again, she found herself in a misty grove of trees.
"Where did you give this to me?"
It was late at night, and the trees beneath the cover tore the already sparse moonlight into fragments, scattering them haphazardly across the withered leaves. The canopy surged like a black tide, obscuring the light—if a few more shadowy creatures were to emerge now, Qiong felt she could make a horror movie.
Of course, once he pulls out his baseball bat, it becomes a horror movie in the eyes of the Shadow Monster.
If only shadows knew what fear was.
"Is this a dream?"
Qiong shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He stood up and looked around. It seemed that there was only one path in the forest, and he didn't know where it led.
You've arrived...
A clear female voice suddenly rang in Qiong's mind, and the familiar voice instantly invigorated him.
"It's you! The voice from my dream!"
Qiong suddenly realized, yes, this was his dream! That female voice had guided him before!
It seems there was a problem with the strict control of Ajeta's medication, which caused him to faint from the pain shortly after failing to sleep...
"I'll definitely write a bad review for Ajeta later."
Come forward and complete the trial...
"Trials? What trials?"
The trial of eternal life that everyone yearns for... O you who thirst for eternity, you must confess your true feelings, clarify your will, and place your soul on the scales of immortality.
The voice was soft yet urgent, carrying an unyielding tone. Qiong pondered for three seconds and immediately came to a conclusion: something was wrong.
As we all know, heaven doesn't drop pie that guarantees abundance; it only drops traps that destroy pleasure.
Even assuming there's a chance for immortality, why should it fall to a Star Core Essence who just fainted from pain after drinking fake medicine?
Therefore, Qiong decisively turned around and decided to leave the forest.
[This first trial concerns wisdom... Where are you going?]
"This is none of your business, and I'm here to look at memories, not to take an exam!"
Why? Don't you want to...?
The voice's owner's emotions were overshadowed by astonishment. She had never imagined that anyone would refuse the trial of immortality—shouldn't the memory be a bonus, and the ultimate prize she offered be to live forever?
Even if they didn't know it was good before, shouldn't they be overjoyed now that they know? Even if they suspect it's a scam or they're hallucinating, shouldn't they still continue along the path with some skepticism? The previous thirty-two people were all like that, so why is it that when it comes to Qiong, she doesn't even want to do the trial anymore?
----------------
Qiong felt like she was going in circles.
Every few dozen steps backward, Qiong felt the fog around him thicken, and he would return to the starting point in the dense fog.
"Am I trapped in a maze?"
How could she get lost in her own dream? With the determination to never step into a trap, Qiong continued to try to move in the opposite direction... until she was exhausted.
Now, are you willing to turn back? I wouldn't hurt you, so I should be considered... a good person?
Nahera hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she was a "good person" or a "dragon lover," but her lack of emotional intelligence greatly displeased Qiong.
"No way!"
Suddenly, a discordant sound, like the stellar core, rose from the empty, silent forest.
"I'll just stay here and wait for them to wake me up, won't I?"
If pinching herself didn't hurt, Qiong would have woken up long ago by attacking herself.
【…】
Nahra couldn't understand. Had she stumbled upon a special human observation sample? How could there be humans who wouldn't know how to take advantage of a windfall?
Immortality—how many people are eager to achieve it?
Just as Qiong decided to ignore the sound, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods. A group of shadow monsters slowly emerged from the mist and surrounded her from all directions.
If you accept the trial, I will help you get rid of these shadow monsters. Do you want to fight endlessly?
The ethereal female voice rang out again. Qiong looked up at the sky speechlessly, feeling more and more that moving forward was a trap and a pit.
If it were truly some kind of immortality, why would they show it to him? Anyone would be screaming and rushing to grab it! The way they tricked him into going there and then conjured up enemies to coerce him proves that this trial is a trap, a huge trap.
"I'll say it again, no way!"
A beam of light burst forth from the baseball bat, and the shadow monsters vanished. Before Batman's signature weapon, the shadow monsters were utterly helpless.
【you……】
Qiong could tell that she seemed a little angry, but she couldn't do anything about it.
[Excellent, excellent, truly a top-quality specimen chosen by Lithost...]
"No, what? A sacrificial offering?"
Just then, another strange movement occurred in the woods. This time, it wasn't a monster, but a...
A golden cup?
"A cup? What's going on here?"
Qiong stared at the golden cup, which emitted a soft light. Although it couldn't compare to his baseball bat, it stood out conspicuously in the gloomy forest. The cup slowly floated towards Qiong and stopped in front of him.
This is one of the symbols of the trial of immortality, the golden cup representing "wisdom." Touching it will initiate the trial.
Qiong frowned, remaining unmoved.
Why don't you call it the Holy Grail?
"I'll say it again, no way! I have no interest in this so-called trial of immortality. Ajeta must have messed up the recipe! Making a lucky potion that results in a bunch of side effects and is unstable is just unbelievable..."
Just as Qiong was muttering to herself, the cup suddenly rushed over? Qiong subconsciously assumed a defensive stance, but the golden cup transformed into a beam of light and entered Qiong's head.
The trial now begins.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Qiong detected a hint of smugness in the woman's voice.
"You son of a bitch!"
--------------
The light began to distort, and the forest shrouded in mist disappeared, replaced by... the Star Train?
"Passenger Qiong, wake up!"
"Huh? Train conductor?"
Qiong sat up in bed with a jolt, only to see a little glutinous rice ball standing by the bedside, holding a megaphone and talking to him.
"You're finally awake?"
Pam seemed somewhat displeased.
"Didn't you make plans to go to Luofu with the March 7th passengers and the Danheng passengers today? How can you break your promise? Get up, eat breakfast, and then head to Xingchahai to meet up!"
"You've made plans to go out? To Luofu Star Chariot Sea?"
As Qiong's mind was struggling to process the information, a voice he hated most suddenly echoed in his head.
Let's call this first trial "The Endless March 7th".
"Go to hell!"
"Passenger Qiong, swearing is not allowed on the train!"
Qiong looked at the calendar with Pam's image printed on it, which said that today was March 7th of the Pioneer Calendar.
--------------
Backend testing shows that comments posted late at night can cause a two-hour delay...
What the hell?