NFM Chapter 44

At the moment of losing his life, Xu Chi finally remembered everything.

“So… I’ve been dead all along…”

His school uniform was instantly soaked in blood, and the howling night wind echoed around the three figures on the empty rooftop. The clouds in the sky stirred uneasily, but fell silent the moment Xu Chi opened his eyes again.

Lin Huai withdrew his hand from the other’s body.

‘It hurts, it hurts…’ He shook his hand, ‘I almost got corroded. I should’ve just kicked him off and let him remember after he died…’

The Xu Chi in red before him could no longer be called a boy—he should be referred to as the Evil Spirit Xu Chi who created the “Minghua High School” dungeon in the beginner-level field. He lowered his head, looked at his blood-red hands, and let out uncontrollable sobs.

He had finally awakened.

“…From the very beginning of the dungeon, the deaths of those seven people were irreversible, except for Yu Xingjian, who retained his own consciousness. I guess in the real world, he didn’t die but became a vegetable after falling from the corridor? However, his consciousness was still dragged into this illusion by you,” Lin Huai began the inevitable explanation session at the end of each sub-dungeon in the infinite flow, “In reality, after completing your revenge, you jumped off the rooftop—unfortunately, you didn’t become a vegetable lying in bed cared for by doctors until you woke up many years later, but died on the spot, becoming an Evil Spirit filled with unresolved hatred and regret towards yourself.”

“After becoming an Evil Spirit, you used your power to create this false illusion—Yangshui City, with Minghua High School at its core. Since you’ve never been outside Yangshui City, Yu Xingjian could only see darkness once he passed the toll booth,” Lin Huai said, “The evidence is that Yu Xingjian, a trend-chasing and narcissistic person, still uses an iPhone 6s. You can create places you’ve been to, but you can’t create things you’ve never seen. Although you can fabricate most books to appear normal, you can’t replicate Keigo Higashino’s works because they were Yan Xi’s favorite books during his lifetime.”

“Moreover, due to the limitations of your knowledge, it’s difficult for you to create perfect plants. Despite having the appearance of normal plants, they still have differences in details like leaf veins. You lived three years ago, so the cinema won’t show the latest movies. There’s a large vacant area in the east of the city, which should have been an amusement park, but for you, it’s an unfamiliar place.”

“In your illusion, you repeatedly relive the three months after Yan Xi’s death. Since the other five people you killed can’t die again, they appear as corpses and ghosts. Classes A, B, D, and E are Gui created by your power, while Class C consists of the original Class C students you pulled in. Since they chose to stand by when Yan Xi was alive, your punishment for them is to make them experience these fear-filled three months over and over. Only Class F is one of the real repeater classes in the current Minghua High School.”

“And you, the punishment you prepared for yourself is to experience, die, atone, remember your past at the moment of death, and then have your memory reset to start over. Although in terms of ability level, you might already qualify as a mid-level field boss, but considering your personality flaws… you’re indifferent to anything outside Minghua High School, so the Game judged you as a slightly friendlier boss and downgraded you to the beginner-level field…”

While Lin Huai was explaining the dungeon according to the routine, he also maintained Yan Xi’s Soul Fragment, which should have dissipated immediately. The Xu Chi in red quietly watched the pale, weak white figure, and after a while, whispered, “He…”

He remembered.

Before he became an Evil Spirit, when he jumped off the rooftop, he saw Yan Xi’s hand.

Just like every time he sought revenge during his lifetime, he would see a fleeting white figure.

At that moment, he thought Yan Xi was there to push him down.

He thought it was fine. That always timid and cowardly guy finally mustered some courage after death.

Perhaps that’s why, in his illusion, there was always that red, hate-filled Yan Xi. His sole purpose was to…

Kill himself.

“Idiot,” Lin Huai said coldly.

“His appearance wasn’t to kill you, but to save you… He appeared at the murder scenes not because he forgave those who deeply hurt him, but because he wanted to save you. He wanted to save the soul of his best friend. You know him, don’t you? That kind of person wouldn’t fight back while alive, and wouldn’t kill after death, so the resentment around him only amounted to a white Specter. After you became an Evil Spirit, he didn’t even dare to approach you because an ordinary white Specter would suffer great harm when near a red Evil Spirit…”

His words were like a cold sword piercing Xu Chi’s heart.

“Yes, he was such a timid… and cowardly person. Even though he was the one hurt, even though he was the one who died… he still… protected a murderer like me…” Xu Chi looked at his blood-red hands, his body involuntarily trembling, “But he… but he… he…”

In the end, it turned into a few bitter laughs, “But he… why doesn’t he hate me! I’m the one who killed him…”

In a daze, he saw that afternoon again. He looked at the huge sunset outside the window, thinking about his upcoming suicide.

‘You, you’re Xu Chi, right?’

‘Can you help me—help me read the novel I wrote?’

‘I’ve always wanted to become someone like Keigo Higashino in the future… You probably think it’s funny, someone with such poor grades like me…’

‘But as long as people are alive, there’s always hope, right? After the college entrance exam, when I leave this school and go to university, I’ll start writing. By then, you must see the release of my first chapter!’

Lin Huai’s voice continued.

“Yan Xi didn’t commit suicide.”

“It was raining that day. He went to the rooftop to get a better signal to call you. Locked in the teaching building, the first person he thought of was you. Then he slipped and fell through a gap in the railing… He never wanted to die.”

“He… why doesn’t he hate me.”

“Because you were his best friend.”

The red Evil Spirit collapsed to the ground, letting out a soul-wrenching wail. Lin Huai watched him quietly and said, “The dead and the sins committed are now beyond redemption. But… there’s one thing you can still do.”

He carefully lifted the almost dissipated Yan Xi. With Lin Huai’s power infusion, he finally regained a physical form. But his expression was blank, his spirit scattered, clearly not long for this world.

“He tried to save your soul, and finally this time, he used all his strength to hold onto you. Now, you can save him,” Lin Huai said, “You know how to save him, don’t you?”

“How…”

“Give him your heart.”

The rain gradually subsided. At the end of the long night, dawn approached, and a faint white light appeared on the horizon. Xu Chi quietly watched Yan Xi lying in Lin Huai’s arms, then closed his eyes.

The red Yan Xi let out an angry screech, which soon turned into a scream.

He was no longer needed. The Evil Spirit Xu Chi reclaimed all his power.

The moment the crimson Yan Xi completely disappeared, Xu Chi opened his mouth.

A deep red crystal emerged from his body—the source of power for every Evil Spirit or Fierce Ghost.

The so-called Evil Spirit’s heart formed from obsession.

It was a beautiful yet terrifying crystal, glowing with an eerie light. Xu Chi held the crystal in his hand and walked over to Yan Xi, releasing it.

The deep red crystal flew into the white Specter’s body, slowly sinking from his chest into his soul.

His body, which was about to turn to ash, finally stopped dissipating and began to take shape.

Lin Huai set Yan Xi down, leaning him against the stairwell. The white Specter, having received the red Evil Spirit’s heart, was still asleep. In time, he would become a new red Specter.

As the sun rose, Lin Huai looked towards the dawn light from the east. Xu Chi’s weakening voice came from behind, “…Why did you help me?”

The man didn’t turn around, “Because you wanted me to.”

“…”

“You made me flip heads,” Lin Huai said, “You wanted to end all this. What I did was just a gambler’s gift. You—made me win.”

“But…”

“There are no buts. A madman killing needs no reason. Does a madman saving need a reason?”

“…Thank you,” Xu Chi said softly, “Really, really…”

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

He couldn’t apologize, couldn’t say anything else.

All he could say was thank you.

The man in the red suit, with his back to him, just said, “…Don’t think you can whitewash yourself with the BGM of a criminal’s confession so quickly.”

“Before that, release the innocents from your illusion. Forget the school staff and Class C students, at least let Class F go. It’s almost morning self-study time, and I don’t want to leave them with psychological scars…”

“…Yes.”

As the Evil Spirit’s curse dissipated, the entire school returned to its original state—though the buildings remained unchanged. When Chen Haoyu and Fang Cheng woke up, they heard their classmates’ terrified voices.

“Shit!!” he screamed, “Everyone in Classes A, B, D, and E got plastic surgery—”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” his roommate threw a pillow at him, “Our class is Class Five, there’s no Class F. Hurry up for morning exercises, or we’ll get beaten by the school workers again.”

The Class F students ran around in panic, while the Class C students slowly opened their eyes in the gymnasium.

It felt like they woke up from a long dream, or perhaps just a fleeting illusion.

The moment she woke up, Li Xinyi shed a tear.

After the illusion was released, Lin Huai walked down from the rooftop with his hands in his pockets, returning to the corridor.

Everything in the corridor remained as it was when he left. Qiu Ran was unconscious against the door, while Xia Xingye was pinned in his original spot.

As Lin Huai bent down, Xia Xingye blinked.

Lin Huai “hmph” and pulled out the nails restraining the other. Xia Xingye got up from the ground, rubbing his neck, and asked, “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“One, decisive killing is for the male leads of point novels, I’m just here to practice the core values of socialism… Come to think of it, someone once said that to me. Two, you’re a high-level field merchant, who knows what life-saving tricks you have up your sleeve. Three, kill a small one, a big one comes; kill a big one, an old one comes. Ha… I really don’t want to trouble myself,” Lin Huai squinted and complained, “Oh, the above three points are all nonsense. The most important reason is you still have use—”

He pressed a blade against Xia Xingye’s neck, “Tell me, how to take a Ghost out of the dungeon.”

Xia Xingye blinked at him, “You won’t kill me, so why should I tell you?”

“Oh,” Lin Huai smiled like Auntie Rong, “Then your pretty little face is gone.”

Xia Xingye: …