Chapter 38: The Conclusion of the Gu Village

These wisps of aura caused the blood mist to suddenly turn frantic, the vapors tangling in a desperate struggle to claim the few lingering scents of the young girl.

"He" opened His eyes because of this trace of fragrance.

All space stagnated for a second.

The surroundings plunged into a bone-chilling silence.

Within this silence, Zhou Zhou saw "Him."

The man’s features were flawless, every inch possessed a breathtaking, heart-stopping beauty. His half-lidded golden pupils shimmered with a profound, eerie light, and his crimson lips were cold and sharp. His entire being was like a deity.

No one could approach "the deity."

Ke Zhi could feel something deep within his soul tearing away from him.

He stared at "Him" with a frosty expression, but his eyes stung with such intensity that he could not make out "His" features at all.

The other players were the same; they could not get any closer, nor could they see "Him" clearly.

Only the girl could see "Him"—this was "His" favoritism.

"His" terrifying pressure felt as if it were going to crush everyone into nothingness.

The players began to whisper in hushed, trembling voices.

"Is this the God of Gu?"

"We aren't even allowed to look at Him? This is the final boss of the dungeon... it's truly terrifying..."

Zhou Shan’s eyes were also filled with blood, unable to discern "His" true form.

A flash of deep dread crossed his eyes. Only after summoning "Him" did he realize just how horrific the God of Gu was.

If the God of Gu did not follow his plan... could the girl still escape the "Blood-Thirsty Gu"? She would die...

At this thought, Zhou Shan looked toward Zhou Zhou and his expression shifted violently when he saw her standing behind a man.

He ignored the silver-haired youth who had been attacking him and rushed to the girl's side. After checking her thoroughly and finding no wounds, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Zhouzhou... my Zhouzhou... I'm so glad you're alright..."

He gripped the girl’s hand tightly, terrified that if he let go, she would vanish.

The girl did not respond to the man. She was staring blankly at the God of Gu, her eyes showing not a hint of the stinging pain the others felt.

Zhou Shan froze, then asked her in astonishment, "Can you see 'Him'?!"

"???"

Zhou Zhou was startled.

"Eh? Can't you all see Him?"

The girl’s voice was soft and laced with confusion.

Though her voice was faint, it was strikingly clear in the silent space, and the players heard her naturally.

They looked at the NPC girl who was clearly unaffected and could see the God of Gu, and they couldn't help but fall silent.

They felt a sense of speechlessness in their hearts.

*Damn dungeon boss, do you have to be so obviously biased toward her? Why does she get special treatment for everything?*

But when they saw the girl looking over with her damp, red, pitiful eyes, they understood.

The girl was like a gift from the heavens, beautiful to an unimaginable degree. No one could help but be moved by such a girl, and who would have the heart to hurt her?

Even the NPCs or gods within a horror dungeon were no exception.

If they were the NPCs or the God of Gu, they wouldn't have the heart to hurt her either.

Zhou Shan paused for a second, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Why did "He" favor the girl? Everyone else was unable to see His face, only Zhou Zhou could—could it be that the God of Gu was just like those other men trying to seduce his woman?

"He" wanted to snatch the girl away.

This thought made Zhou Shan’s aura turn cold. He glared gloomily toward the God of Gu, and although his eyes stung, he did not back down.

He would never let anyone take the girl away, not even a god.

"His" true form opened His half-lidded eyes, consciousness returning to the vessel, and His first sight was the girl.

[Finally, I can look at you openly.]

[My little female.]

Under the silent, dim altar, everyone else was a dark, indistinct blur; only the girl’s soul radiated a pure, dazzling light.

The incredibly sweet scent drew "Him" in.

"He" spoke to the girl, His voice as deep and melodic as a siren’s lure.

"Your scent has awakened Me... I can grant you one wish."

The deity’s breathtakingly handsome face radiated a seductive aura.

"What do you desire?"

"He" spoke according to the constraints of the rules.

Zhou Zhou, as if entranced, stepped forward, only to be grabbed tightly by Chu Mingxiu at the last moment. "What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

The girl did not speak; she simply pulled her hand away.

"I have only one wish."

Zhou Zhou took a deep breath and looked earnestly into the God of Gu’s golden eyes. "Can you tell me your name?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the players were stunned.

*How could the girl ask that...?!*

It happened to coincide perfectly with the dungeon's mission, which was also to discover "His" name.

Most of the players were not inexperienced newcomers; they didn't believe this was a coincidence.

What kind of NPC could face a god’s favoritism with such calm composure?

Not to mention the girl was a simpleton with the mental age of a ten-year-old.

Would she really ask that?

The players stared fixedly at the girl, a strange premonition forming in their minds. She... might also be a player.

A special type of player, which was why they had always mistaken her for an NPC.

Chu Mingxiu and Liang Ye were both stunned.

*The girl... is a player?*

Chu Mingxiu had a mysterious expression; he did not hesitate to check the girl’s identity with a prop.

She really was a player.

The God of Gu watched the girl silently, seemingly not expecting Zhou Zhou to ask such a question.

"His" gaze felt as if it came from a higher dimension, cold and majestic.

"He" was merely the embodiment of all darkness, the avatar of the abyss. In this dungeon, "He" was the ultimate boss, the monster NPC meant to be defeated.

"He" had never been gazed upon by any living being.

The players heard the God of Gu’s voice. Although it was incredibly pleasant, it seemed to drift from a different sky.

"I have no name."

*No name? How could He have no name?*

Zhou Zhou froze.

She clenched her hands, desperately suppressing her fear, and asked "Him" calmly.

"That's not true..."

The girl no longer cared about breaking her character. She thought of Ke Zhi, Zhou Shan, and that giant python...

"You aren't without a name..."

[Everyone is "Him." "He" has no name of His own, but everyone's name is "His"... Zhou Shan, Ke Zhi...]

She spoke in a soft, sweet voice, word by word.

"You can parasitize anyone... Everyone in the Gu Village is your host, relying on you to survive... Their names are your names, too."

The players were shocked.

This... how was that possible?

"He" had a mysterious expression and did not refute the girl.

This allowed the players’ shaken hearts to slowly calm down, and they began to ponder.

*That's right, a god can parasitize anyone... the system wouldn't set an impossible mission.*

*So why wouldn't it be possible?*

The players found their answer.

Seeing that "He" did not answer, Zhou Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. She felt her guess must be correct, and a smile couldn't help but bloom on her lips, making her look even more beautiful and soft.

The God of Gu watched the girl, who was beautiful to the extreme, his golden pupils filled with indistinct emotions.

"He" could perceive those among the dead who had just been sacrificed to Him who felt love and desire for the girl.

It seemed to be two ordinary people... Ning Cheng, Ning Yan?

Their frantic yearning for the girl made the God of Gu, who was already bewitched by her, feel a thirst in his throat.

"He" even pleaded with the girl in a way he couldn't suppress.

"Will you... stay by My side?"

Zhou Zhou: ?

Stay by "His" side?

Her intuition told her that she could not agree.

"He" wanted her to stay... she didn't think the God of Gu just wanted her to simply stay by his side...

Later, she understood the meaning behind "His" words... "He" wanted her to be controlled by Him forever, to be trapped and made to lay eggs...

The outcome would be her complete assimilation, remaining in this dungeon for eternity.

Zhou Zhou suppressed the fear in her heart and shook her head.

"I'm sorry."

The surroundings suddenly turned dark and terrifying.

"His" pressure became even heavier, making the players unable to breathe.

Some players were even coughing up blood, their already wretched states becoming even more miserable.

Although "He" was not pressuring the girl, Zhou Zhou could feel the dead and terrifying atmosphere.

The girl trembled and took a few steps back, quickly speaking in her mind.

[System, I want to submit my answer.]

The main system’s cold, mechanical voice rang out. [Please confirm your answer, player.]

[Everyone in the Gu Village is Him. He is Ke Zhi, He is Zhou Shan, He is Ning Cheng and Ning Yan...]

Zhou Zhou's voice was very soft, muffled like a rabbit.

[Congratulations to the player for completing the main mission "His True Name." Dungeon exploration progress has reached 69%—]

The system dinged. Clearly, the girl’s answer was correct. Zhou Zhou felt slightly reassured.

The Escape Game's main system continued to broadcast.

[Congratulations to the player for completing the main mission and surviving for seven days. Dungeon exploration progress has reached 100%—]

[The player has cleared the "Gu Village" dungeon and will soon leave—]

A massive gate of light appeared above the altar.

Zhou Zhou was suddenly overjoyed.

Only one thought remained in her mind: she could leave immediately!

But the gate of light to leave the dungeon was only a dozen meters away, blocked by the God of Gu.

Zhou Zhou felt uneasy and terrified.

*Almost forgot, "He" wants to stop me.*

But she didn't want to be dragged off to mate... so she must not stay here!

Ke Zhi’s face was cold as he said to "Him," "Don't scare her."

"I am not scaring her... She is My little female. She is My eternal partner."

"His" tone was like a silent abyss, staring coldly at Ke Zhi. "And she will only be Mine."

"He" would never allow her to leave.

Zhou Zhou looked at Ke Zhi with tear-filled eyes. She didn't want to... she didn't want to stay...

She didn't want to be dragged off by "Him" to lay eggs...

Swept by that teary-eyed gaze, the man with black hair and golden pupils paused, looking at her deeply.

The next second, he rushed forward, disrupting the God of Gu’s attempt to snatch the girl.

Ke Zhi, having been assimilated, possessed the power of the God of Gu and could only barely hold "Him" back.

Zhou Shan stared gloomily at the God of Gu, who wanted to take the girl away, and also rushed up to hold "Him" back.

The two were of the same origin, and both were "His" clones. Attacked by the same source of power, "Him" was temporarily held in place.

Whether intentional or not, even as the few of them fought, they tightly blocked the girl's path toward the gate of light.

Zhou Zhou: ...?

She was starting to get anxious.

The girl was panicked and terrified. If she didn't get across, the gate to leave the dungeon would disappear.

She trembled, her beautiful, moist eyes fixed on the gate of light, but no matter which direction she tried to run, they blocked her tightly, as if they could see through her thoughts.

At this moment, several players had already guessed the answer based on the girl’s hint and had left the dungeon.

In this forbidden dungeon, almost all the players had been wiped out.

Liang Ye and Chu Mingxiu saw the girl trapped and wanted to save her, but both the God of Gu and Ke Zhi prevented them from reaching her, the two terrifying forces forcing them toward the gate of light instead.

Both of their faces turned grim.

The girl was crying, her eyes wet, her voice trembling yet firm.

"Let me go—"

"I don't want to stay..."

Ke Zhi suddenly froze.

She continued, her voice soft, delicate, and charming, "I don't want to be..."

Ke Zhi had once been a player. He knew how much the girl wanted to clear the dungeon. A beautiful, delicate girl like her really shouldn't remain in this terrifying place...

And he had long since been assimilated by the dungeon, rotting away here.

...There was no need to drag her into the mud with him.

The emotions in his golden pupils, identical to those of the God of Gu, were unclear. His body, which had been fighting "Him," stalled slightly, and he cleared a space wide enough for the girl to pass through alone.

The girl should clear the dungeon openly and purely.

She shouldn't be dragged into the mud by them.

Zhou Zhou glanced at Ke Zhi. He stared at the God of Gu expressionlessly, seemingly not looking at her.

Zhou Zhou didn't have time to think; she rushed forward.

And the man with dark skin stared fixedly at the girl, not blocking her.

[Countdown to leaving the dungeon: five, four...]

[Three...]

The girl ran with all her might. The ball of light grew smaller and smaller. Zhou Shan, from who knows where, gave her a fierce push.

[Two...]

Chu Mingxiu and Liang Ye both reached out a hand to grab the girl, but Zhou Zhou didn't reach back.

With a pale face, her slender body flew into the brilliant white gate of light.

This time, no one could stop her.

[One.]

Zhou Zhou let out a sigh of relief.

—

With a ding, the Escape Game's main system voice rang out.

[Congratulations to player Zhou Zhou for clearing the "Gu Village" dungeon. Dungeon clearance rating: S]

[You have achieved a perfect clear, gaining 520 points.]

[Obtained dungeon prop: Butterfly Gu (dormant state)—]

Zhou Zhou: "..."

*No way, this thing is still here?*

She shuddered at the thought.

The girl’s gaze moved down, landing on the line of text after the prop.

[You have obtained a special dungeon prop—The God of Gu's Favor: No matter where you are, you have an extraordinary attraction to monsters. They will view you as a lover... and will be unable to wait to possess you...]

Zhou Zhou was dumbfounded: ...?

*What, what is this? I don't need this.*

The Escape Game's main system continued.

[Player Zhou Zhou's "Gu Village" dungeon livestream audience has reached 100,000. You have received a recommendation spot in the game's main lobby!]

[Dear player, you seem to be very popular with the audience. We hope you can maintain this rating in your next clearance...]